“I think this continues to be exploratory, but it is clearly another step forward and one that our board felt very good about”, Bowlsby said.
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In a meeting with commissioner Bob Bowlsby, the conference’s board of directors unanimously instructed Bowlsby to evaluate schools that are interested in joining the league, board of directors chairman and Oklahoma president David Boren said during a teleconference.
Neither Boren nor Bowlsby mentioned specific candidates for expansion, just criteria. Beyond that, there’s no good solution for dividing up the current conference, and you’re guaranteed a rematch.
BRISTOL, Conn. – Baylor coach Jim Grobe said Wednesday that he’s in favor of creating national policies to help schools better handle situations such as the sexual assault scandal that has plagued his school.
The news comes hours after the Atlantic Coastal Conference announced a TV deal is in the works with ESPN.
The members of this conference have a commitment that we make our conference as strong as possible, and as beneficial to all of our members as possible.
The Gazette’s conversations with officials at Air Force indicate the school has had no contact with the Big 12 in this round of expansion.
“I could not be more proud that our university represents the fourth-largest city in the nation and that our standard for excellence is second to none”, Khator said.
Expansion? Unless you’re an alum of one of the expansion wannabees, nothing in college football probably makes your head explode more. Could be the Big 12 decided it better grab every nickel it can while it’s out there. “I think most people understand this”, Grobe responded during a morning news conference at the Omni Dallas Hotel. While the rumors are swirling about who the Big 12 may add, SOE’s David Ubben reported that that Cincinnati and UConn sit atop the conference’s so called “fluid wish list”. In the arms race that is modern college athletics, it would be foolish to leave money on the table.
Again, the Big 12 is fine and had earned my admiration for being smart enough to resist the expansion train. If two teams are added it’s an additional $40 million for the league and CBS reports adding four teams could bring in an additional $1 billion for the league over the final eight years of it TV contracts.
Conference leaders decided not to overreact to one year’s results and instead studied expansion, along with bringing back the title game and trying to start its own television network. It’s not a fully fleshed-out plan, but Boren said the conference has a number of suitors eager to talk to the Big 12.
“Obviously, the announcement that something has been agreed to with the ACC, we don’t know all the details at this point”, Boren said.
The timing for a decision is still uncertain.
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Bowlsby said he’ll take an active role in the vetting “very soon”, and that he envisions a two-step process that consists of fact finding, then negotiations. Expansion could also mean some members are football only- making it easier for BYU and their no Sunday games policy- or full members in all sports. The former OH and Wake Forest coach, who improbably led the Demon Deacons to the 2006 ACC championship, must now continue the ascent of a program that skyrocketed to a 32-7 record the past three years under Art Briles with one BCS bid as league champion and a share of another Big 12 title.
