Big XII Developments Being Watched in Provo

[HuskerfaninAustinTX]

Big XII Developments Being Watched in Provo

 

By Quinn Gooch

(Senior Analyst) on September 22, 2010

 

With Colorado and Nebraska reaching agreements to leave the Big XII Conference after this athletic year, could the BYU Cougars be in line for an invite to join the conference sooner rather than later?

 

Colorado forfeited nearly seven million in revenue in a deal that allows them to exit the Big XII for the PAC-12 next season. The financially strapped Buffaloes originally said that it would stay in the Big XII through the 2011 season to avoid a penalty.

 

The Nebraska deal calls for the Cornhuskers to give up just over nine million in its departure to the Big Ten.

 

The announcement yesterday could trigger movement in the world of conference realignment quicker than expected.

 

Many have speculated that Brigham Young University could be one of the schools invited to join the league if it decides to get back to 12 schools.

 

Big XII commissioner Dan Beebe has said that the conference will hold at 10 for now, but outside influences may dictate another course.

 

With just 10 schools, the conference is not eligible to have an end-of-season championship game, per NCAA bylaws. A conference must have 12 schools to conduct a football championship game and the PAC-12 and Big Ten recently expanded, in part, to qualify to hold such a game under the rules.

 

In June the Big XII agreed to play its championship game in Dallas Cowboys Stadium through 2013.

 

The NCAA is not going to budge on the rule and you can bet that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is going to get his money one way or another. So the conference could find itself between a rock and a hard spot in short order.

 

Also keep in mind that Dan Beebe isn’t driving the bus in the Big XII, the University of Texas is. So the real question is what does Texas want?

 

First and foremost, the Longhorns won’t do anything that cuts into their expected revenue from the desperation deal that Beebe put together this summer to keep the conference together and save his job. Any schools added to the mix would need to bring in enough revenue to the equation to make sense.

 

One would think that the deal BYU was able to strike with ESPN and Notre Dame in the process of moving to football independence got the attention of Texas and the other schools in the Big XII.

 

Texas is also planning to put together its own television network, a concession that Beebe and the Big XII made to keep Texas from jumping to the PAC-10 this summer. As has been reported, Texas could benefit from BYU’s experience of creating such a network and indications are that BYU has offered to share its expertise with UT.

 

A question to ponder though is what would BYU’s response be if in fact the Big XII tendered the school an offer to join the league.

 

As an independent in football and a new member of the West Coast Conference in other sports, BYU has complete autonomy to conduct business as it desires. There are no Sunday play issues to deal with and they have the rights to broadcast the games of all of their programs around the country and world through BYUtv.

 

Also, what would it look like if BYU were to bolt the WCC for the Big XII before it even became a member of the WCC? Such a move could result in a big public relations hit for the school.

 

Then there is the issue of the deal with ESPN. Would the “worldwide leader in sports” allow BYU to just tootle off to the Big XII and the Fox Sports Network? Not likely.

 

With all of the uncertainty in the landscape of college conference realignment, would BYU decide to just stand pat even if the Big XII came calling? BYU’s own move to independence has other programs like USC and Texas musing about their potential fortunes as an independent. Could independence be the wave of the future?

 

The instability of the Big XII would be another issue to consider for BYU officials. If the SEC, Big Ten or PAC-12 were to add more schools, the Big XII would most certainly be affected.

 

Colorado’s move yesterday is a new twist in the saga. No doubt BYU is an interested observer.

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

I just don't see how bringing in BYU will benefit the Big 12...oh wait....I get it. The Big 12 loses a weak team (Colorado) so they have to replace it with a similar team (BYU). Ohhh...that Dan Bebee DeLoss Dodds is a sneaky guy

[gratefullred]

Just to contribute to this speculation ND's TV deal is up 2015, Big 12's in 2016. I dont see the Big 12 moving unless theres more TV money in it, meaning a CCG. I dont see ND joining a conference unless NBC wont pay up.

 

Big 12 adding BYU and TCU wont happen. BYU needs a bigger fish to follow along to the Big 12.

[sd'sker]

is this why byu went independent, so they could jump into the big 12 at a moment's notice?

[knapplc]

is this why byu went independent, so they could jump into the big 12 at a moment's notice?

 

Most likely. But we'll see what happens if/when they do join the Big XII. The Texas Twelve will have to add another school so they have a championship game, and when they go shopping, they're not going to get another Independent. They'll poach from another conference, and at that point who knows what'll happen.

[n.e.husker]

What about TCU or Houston joining the big 12, that would make it a texas heavy confrence.

[sd'sker]

is this why byu went independent, so they could jump into the big 12 at a moment's notice?

 

Most likely. But we'll see what happens if/when they do join the Big XII. The Texas Twelve will have to add another school so they have a championship game, and when they go shopping, they're not going to get another Independent. They'll poach from another conference, and at that point who knows what'll happen.

do you think they will get NU from the big 10 or CU from the pac 10?

[Fuzzy]

Big XII Developments Being Watched in Provo

 

By Quinn Gooch

(Senior Analyst) on September 22, 2010

 

Big XII commissioner Dan Beebe has said that the conference will hold at 10 for now, but outside influences may dictate another course.

 

 

All signs are pointing that there will be no Big 12 championship game after this season. Whoever is at the top of conference play and has the best record wins the title automatically.

 

But from what i took out of the above quote, Dan Beebe "We are not looking for expansion right now because no one wants to join the Big 12, but if someone does want to join we will take them no questions asked."

[husker_99]

With the way BYU wants power i just don't see BYU being told by Texas how it's gonna be if BYU were to join the Big 12.

[huKSer]

What about TCU or Houston joining the big 12, that would make it a texas heavy confrence.

Too late, already is UTerus heavy.

[HuskerNMO]

The notion of Notre Dame heading to the Big 12 is laughable. If Notre Dame wanted to be in a conference, Nebraska would still probably be in the Big 12 unless the Big Ten wanted to go to 14 or 16.

 

I still don't think the Big 12 will exist 10 years from now

[chamrocck]

TCU and Houston now seems more likely IMO...you make the one division all Texas and bump the OK schools to the north. Much like the permanent cross-over rivalry we will have in the Big 10, you can still have TX and OU play every year.

 

BYU still is an option. Utah could not pass up the Pac 10 offer but if you really wanted to strike fast you could have done Utah and Boise State as the north replacements. I still have no idea why Boise jumped to the Mountain West? Does them no good as now Utah and BYU leave and TCU could end up out of there as well. So Boise is stuck playing a highly weak conference schedule once again. Boise should have gotten a future Big 12 offer...imagine if the new Big 12 said they were bringing in the #3 (Boise) and #5 (TCU) teams in the country...I admit that would have been a dig at Nebraska but I would give them credit for making the conference whole and strong.

[Notre Dame Joe]

The notion of Notre Dame heading to the Big 12 is laughable. If Notre Dame wanted to be in a conference, Nebraska would still probably be in the Big 12 unless the Big Ten wanted to go to 14 or 16.

 

I still don't think the Big 12 will exist 10 years from now

 

Geographic absurdity for sure. However it was reported Texas guaranteed our non-football sports could have a home in the Big12 in the event that the Big10 tries [again] to force our hand.

[Hercules]

The notion of Notre Dame heading to the Big 12 is laughable. If Notre Dame wanted to be in a conference, Nebraska would still probably be in the Big 12 unless the Big Ten wanted to go to 14 or 16.

 

I still don't think the Big 12 will exist 10 years from now

 

Geographic absurdity for sure. However it was reported Texas guaranteed our non-football sports could have a home in the Big12 in the event that the Big10 tries [again] to force our hand.

 

Texas guaranteed Notre Dame a home in the Big 12? And Texas gets that authority from...?

 

So glad we'll be gone next year.

[huzkerbob]

The notion of Notre Dame heading to the Big 12 is laughable. If Notre Dame wanted to be in a conference, Nebraska would still probably be in the Big 12 unless the Big Ten wanted to go to 14 or 16.

 

I still don't think the Big 12 will exist 10 years from now

 

Geographic absurdity for sure. However it was reported Texas guaranteed our non-football sports could have a home in the Big12 in the event that the Big10 tries [again] to force our hand.

 

Texas has been known to guarantee a lot of things. How much they actually come through......