Texas just screwed the B12

[knapplc]

Over/Under on how long the B12 lasts now?

Prevailing wisdom has always been under five years. It's no secret that Missouri wants out. It's no secret that A&M is tired of Texas' shenanigans. Kansas has a marketable basketball program and Oklahoma has a marketable athletic program in several sports. If Texas decides to go independent (which they could likely afford with frequent BCS trips and this network), the conference will implode.

 

Funny thing about that, though - Texas will NOT want to pay the exit fee for leaving the Big XII, so look for them to splinter the conference first. This deal, long in the making, could be yet another wedge in the stump.

Before it was made official with Nebraska, there was WIDE talk of Mizzou joining the Big Ten. Maybe they join us when the Big 12 falls apart. I'm sure we are still going to pursue making it a even number amount of teams in the conference so it probably wouldn't just stop with Mizz, possibly ND or OU could join too since there was a bit of speculation of them joining too

Oklahoma can't join the Big 10 because they're not an AU school. Oklahoma is a low-rated academic school right now; they just have good athletics.

 

If conferences continue to expand I think Missouri would fit in pretty well with the Big 10, but I don't see Notre Dame making the move unless we get to the four 16-team megaconference scenario. They're doing just fine as an independent, and they like it that way.

[knapplc]

Over/Under on how long the B12 lasts now?

Prevailing wisdom has always been under five years. It's no secret that Missouri wants out. It's no secret that A&M is tired of Texas' shenanigans. Kansas has a marketable basketball program and Oklahoma has a marketable athletic program in several sports. If Texas decides to go independent (which they could likely afford with frequent BCS trips and this network), the conference will implode.

 

Funny thing about that, though - Texas will NOT want to pay the exit fee for leaving the Big XII, so look for them to splinter the conference first. This deal, long in the making, could be yet another wedge in the stump.

If they go indy, won't it be more difficult for texa$$ to make BCS bowls without the automatic bid? Or will the BCS put a "Notre Dame" rule in place for them? I would think that scheduling will be difficult for them, too. But I guess they can just schedule 12 wins a year.

 

Well, I guess they won't have to worry about losing the Big 12 championship to OU every year now.

 

I doubt they'd have any trouble getting into BCS games, especially with the kind of publicity they'll get with this TV deal. ESPN pimps their partners, as we saw this year with the SEC.

[mjmartin1970]

ESPN will already have the rights to Texas and besides OU there really isn't a TV draw left.

 

Is this known or just speculation? I.e. the contract could be such that ESPN has the "leftovers" from any conference contract. If ESPN has the righs to ALL Texas games, the rest of the Big 12 teams should start looking for different conferences now as isn't the current Big 12 TV deal due to expire and be re-negotiated this year? If it is, they won't get squat without the rights to the Texas games. Further, what about the "other" team? Say Fox gets the "rights" to OU games? Who gets to air it -- the home team?

 

In any regards, I just see a lot of problems when a team within a conference negotiates their own contracts. It only works if you're independent (and why ND has joined a football conference yet). I wonder what everyone else in the Big 12 thinks of Nebraska now? Bad guy, or just damn smart.

[gratefullred]

On the part of ESPN this seems like a absolutely stupid waste of money. For 300 million they get the broadcast rights to 2 football games and about 12 basketball games. Other than that it is cultural, history, discovery channel according to Powers. Sounds like BYU channel, you ever try watching that, its terrible.

 

The only way this makes any sense for ESPN is if Texas already has a plan to go independent. Then as everyone goes to a 9 game conference schedule UT has a ND schedule where they're getting beat by Navy every year.

[74Hunter]

Seems like many whorns fans think that this is no big deal, and that it will strengthen the Big 12. They also think that the Big 12 will either expand with ND and BYU, or just come to some sort of "tv deal" with them.

 

They also think that we crapped the bed, as supposedly the Big 12 teams will make more tv money than the Big 10 schools.

 

Link

[da skers]

ESPN will already have the rights to Texas and besides OU there really isn't a TV draw left.

 

Is this known or just speculation? I.e. the contract could be such that ESPN has the "leftovers" from any conference contract. If ESPN has the righs to ALL Texas games, the rest of the Big 12 teams should start looking for different conferences now as isn't the current Big 12 TV deal due to expire and be re-negotiated this year? If it is, they won't get squat without the rights to the Texas games. Further, what about the "other" team? Say Fox gets the "rights" to OU games? Who gets to air it -- the home team?

 

In any regards, I just see a lot of problems when a team within a conference negotiates their own contracts. It only works if you're independent (and why ND has joined a football conference yet). I wonder what everyone else in the Big 12 thinks of Nebraska now? Bad guy, or just damn smart.

The Big 12 currently has the rights to sell the big 12 football to networks and ESPN will get the left overs of the football and can rebroadcast what ever it wants for Bevo Network. But. . . .that can change once current contracts expire or should Texas go independent as they indicated they most likely will in football. What it really does is weaken the bargaining power of the Big 12. Fox Sports just locked up some huge contracts with other leagues so the people bidding against each other will not be there like it was. ESPN can now more or less low ball an offer and not worry because they're getting a team that already roughly has a 10% market share all by itself and the rest of the Big 12 has about a 7% market share. Remember the Big 12 was formed for TV dollars. They combined the Big 8 and Texas schools so they could lock up a region and force TV revenues at a time when it wasn't really common place. There just wasn't an outlet of sports networks to show 10 billion games. Now that's in place and people will pay for the best games. How exciting does K State Vs. Iowa State sound when both teams are 4-5?

[VectorVictor]

Over/Under on how long the B12 lasts now?

It's set at 3.5 and I'll take the under. If Texas remeains down and out of contention for the next couple of years it might last longer - but assuming they turn things around and return to dominance...they'll ride that momentum to a new conference or independence.

 

Doesn't matter. Someone posted in the Austin comments about BYU, and they made a good point--BYU hasn't done much of anything, and they nailed a sweeter TV deal than Notre Dame did when they went independent.

 

All this deal amounts to is one significant step towards Texas leaving the Big 1210.

 

As for Mizzou joining the Big 10 (12), I'd honestly think Kansas is a shoe-in over Mizzou at this point. Kansas is a AAU member, they have one of the premier basketball programs and they, unlike Mizzery, have been to a BCS bowl in the past decade. That, and there are just as many Kansas fans (and Nebraska fans, for that matter) in Missouri as there are Tigger fans.

 

Plus, if you're Dr. Tom and Delaney, et al, ask you for information on your former Big 12 chums, which one would you rather steer the Big 10 towards?

[VectorVictor]

Seems like many whorns fans think that this is no big deal, and that it will strengthen the Big 12. They also think that the Big 12 will either expand with ND and BYU, or just come to some sort of "tv deal" with them.

 

They also think that we crapped the bed, as supposedly the Big 12 teams will make more tv money than the Big 10 schools.

 

ShaggyBevo and "think" go together like sentience and slime mold.

[knapplc]

As for Mizzou joining the Big 10 (12), I'd honestly think Kansas is a shoe-in over Mizzou at this point. Kansas is a AAU member, they have one of the premier basketball programs and they, unlike Mizzery, have been to a BCS bowl in the past decade. That, and there are just as many Kansas fans (and Nebraska fans, for that matter) in Missouri as there are Tigger fans.

 

Plus, if you're Dr. Tom and Delaney, et al, ask you for information on your former Big 12 chums, which one would you rather steer the Big 10 towards?

 

Missouri is an AAU member as well. Missouri is actually ranked higher (41) than Nebraska & Kansas (tied at 47) for public universities. Missouri also has a higher enrollment than Nebraska & Kansas. Academically I think Missouri is pretty good (they're known for their journalism school), but culturally... not sure.

 

I can't find the quote right now, but Delany stated when Nebraska joined the Big 10 something along the lines of "not all schools are a good fit for the Big 10, and the Big 10 is not a good fit for all schools." I believe that was more a reference to schools like Missouri and/or Texas who were rumored to be interested in joining the Big 10 back in June, but who were, obviously, not accepted.

 

The Big 10 is a Big Deal. Some folks aren't happy with our inclusion, but frankly, they're a lot more like the old Big 8 than the Big XII is, or ever will be. Culturally it's a home run, academically it's a home run, and for the future of UNL it's a home run. I think we came out WAAAAAY ahead in this whole deal, no matter who signs what TV contracts. I'm damned happy where we are.

[walksalone]

Just another step on the way to Texas screwing the Big 12.

 

Now in 3 to 4 years, they'll be independent with their own Network.

 

And then the Big 10 will be saying hello to Iowa St and Mizzou

[junior4949]

I don't know why anyone would hold this against Texas. If the tables were turned, I could see Nebraska doing the exact same thing back in the early to mid-90's before the Big 12 was formed. Nebraska officials never had a problem with some schools getting a biger slice of the pie when we were actually getting a bigger slice of the pie.

[walksalone]

I don't know why anyone would hold this against Texas. If the tables were turned, I could see Nebraska doing the exact same thing back in the early to mid-90's before the Big 12 was formed. Nebraska officials never had a problem with some schools getting a biger slice of the pie when we were actually getting a bigger slice of the pie.

 

According to the rest of the Big 12, ourselves and Colorado just pushed over Stephen Hawking's chair over. Texas just ran up and kicked him in the yambag

[krill]

I agree /w knapplc that you can't blame Texas for looking out for their own interest, especially after what we just did. After the realignment smoke settled some thought the only reason Texas shopped around was so they would have greater leverage with the B12 to get their TV deal. Well, now it's happened and after overtaking ND to become the #1 program in revenue it's logical to think the next move is going independent.

 

What this comes down is that from the beginning Nebraska, OU and Texas all wanted the B12 to be a vehicle for their success and generating revenue for their programs. The foundation was shaky and there was never an interest in building the conference up like the SEC and B10 where there are many consistently strong programs and passionate rivalries rather than a few + the rest that struggle to become bowl eligible, let alone even think about conference championships and big money bowls.

[Ringer02]

I'm sure Nebraska will some how get blamed for this too

[NUpolo8]

They're a five-win team this year, in one sport, a sport where they were in the MNC game last year. Texas is not really analogous to Notre Dame here. Texas is a perennial power in a huge football state with several large media markets and a broader national appeal. It's a pretty smart deal for ESPN in football alone.

 

But the Longhorns also typically excel at men's hoops, women's volleyball, baseball and a few other Olympic sports. They have a darned good athletic program down in Austin, and they'll have no trouble filling air time. Heck, I'd like the Bevo network just to watch their women's VB matches.

 

 

They will almost certainly improve from last year's meltdown, but you can't tell me that's an 11+win team there. And yes, several of their sports, (namely, swimming) are awesome, but one cannot expect the success of those teams and thier ratings will support an ESPN channel. In my opinion, this is an incredible overreach for that school.