BYU can play Hannibal and his mercenaries if it wants. Install on iOS or Android.
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As the 2016 version of Big 12 Media Days wound down, the Big 12 conference made a decision to drop a big story in its wake. To translate for those either unfamiliar or simply worn out by the jargon of conference realignment, that basically means the league has kicked off an expansion frenzy. With the Big 12 no longer talking about a conference network, that foot in the NY and Boston television markets might not be as appealing. So that’s all we’re going to focus on: “getting through this season, being a Big 12 championship team”.
Conference realignment has once again emerged as a hot topic of discussion throughout college football.
The spin machine was turned up to 10 at Big 12 Media Days as Baylor rolled out its new head coach. When it came down to it, all the talk of the importance of round robins and one true champion seems kind of quaint. BYU is the top potential addition, and their fans outnumber the average for the entire Big 12 conference.
“I’m open to expansion if the proposal is a strong one”, Texas president Gregory L. Fenves said in a statement. In reality, though, that’s just semantics.
What changed when the Big 12’s presidents and chancellors got together Tuesday for what was slated to be some basic house-cleaning measures and an interrogation of Baylor official over that school’s sexual assault scandal. But the tenor around that has all changed.
This is the strongest step that the conference has taken at any point during this latest episode of EXPANSION WATCH, with the Big 12 potentially looking to move quickly- schools may join as early as 2017. (Likely without an equal cut of the television deal until the current agreement expires).
Cincinnati: Sports on Earth’s David Ubben is reporting Cincinnati and CT are now atop the Big 12’s expansion wish list.
Here are the major players the UMass contingent will be keeping tabs on, as laid out by SI’s Pete Thamel in a column discussing the Big 12 expansion scenario on Tuesday: “The leaders in the clubhouse for Big 12 expansion remain BYU, Cincinnati and CT”. If the league does add four schools, there’s really no standout candidate for that fourth slot.
There were plenty of questions from Oklahoma and Texas reporters asking if the Big 12 planned to boot Baylor or if the conference was going to sanction the Bears in some way.
This vote was very done off of the basis that there would be two teams and also full members, and that is why there is no vote for a school like San Diego State or Boise State.
Memphis – The Tigers have a notable sponsor in FedEx CEO Fred Smith, an alum who has promised his company’s sponsorship to the Big 12. “They don’t want it to be like they’re out there soliciting schools”.
Now, in the last couple of months, the Big 12 has added a championship game and told Bowlsby to explore expansion candidates. Failing miserably in 2016 allows other schools to make their case, even if they trail BYU in other areas.
Let’s play this out real quick. As one Big 12 source put it: “If we kept status quo, it would have meant moving back”. With this being a good a chance as any, David Benedict’s administration needs to bring its A-game in order to secure the future of Husky athletics. In reality, the Big 12 doesn’t have to solicit schools. “You’re not just looking for somebody who wants more money”.
Big 12 leaders have acknowledged that none of the schools most likely to be added are a natural fit. It’s common practice for incoming schools to get partial revenue shares for a few years.
Marshall is basically a mini-Kentucky, only for football fans.
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ESPN and ACC had a contract in place for several years.
