StPaulHusker
Banned
The B1G would be stupid to not consider expanding into Texas. As much as I don't like UT, the population draw for cable subscribers is just too large to pass up.
That would be so awesome. The current big10 west is just so "meh". I hate it.From a Football standpoint:
Nebraska
Oklahoma
Wisconsin
Iowa
Minnesota
Northwestern
Illinois
Texas
That's a hell of a division right there.
And there's a good article on how GORs may be able to be broken and remain intact for other conferences, and why they may be difficult to enforce.Very good post.Texass and Oklahoma have had discussions with the B1G and Pac-12, and the latter with the SEC as well. It's called doing due diligence, and it's necessary when you've got a cobbled together crapfest of a conference and you're the only two pieces holding that s***show together. Their leadership would be foolish not to.
Also, the B1G would take Texass in a heartbeat, but on their terms. Ohio State and Michigan aren't going to let Texass control things, just won't happen. And this move wouldn't occur until the tail end of the Bevo TV contract and/or the Big XII GOR is up (read: after 2020). The B1G can't repurpose Bevo TV into a second BTN network channel on account of it being with ESPN and not FOX Sports, and ESPN won't kill the contract, as they're beholden for the full remaining amount of the contract at that point. Texass would have to kill Bevo TV, though if the payout is significant with the new B1G TV deal, it may just be worth it for them.
As for Texass to the B1G...I wouldn't have a problem with it as long as our leadership were on their toes (read: no more AAU blindside bulls***) and the B1G leadership puts them in their proper place. Texass will always be vermin, but that doesn't mean the conference can't use their cache to their advantage--they just have to do it the right way.
No one in the Big 12 can leave until the GoR is up in 2025, unless they somehow vote to dissolve the conference before then.
Not necessarily...Bedlam could still be preserved, but just as an OOC game scheduled in November. The B1G is going to start providing flexibility in scheduling conference games so they can A) work conference games earlier into the season (a la the SEC), and B), so non-con games (e.g. Michigan/Notre Dame) could be held later in the season, so if Oklahoma jumps on board, it doesn't mean they'd have to kill Bedlam if they still wanted it as a fall game.If that's the case OkSt would likely be coming along to preserve Bedlem.
I seriously doubt that Texass' lack of a specific non-revenue Olympic sport is going to break a deal with the B1G.I'm not sold on geography being part of the equation. The money made by the tv rights and all that. Travel expenses are a non issue. Especially when we were shown geography wasn't in play for TCU and Boise when they were headed to the Big East before TCU switch to the Big12. Also WVA, clearly, geography wasn't considered when they joined the big12.
We're talking about bigger universities caring more than those less profitable schools about geography? I'm not buying it whatsoever. The monetary gain far outweighs conference softball travel distance.
The biggest obstacle (maybe not the biggest) UT has joining the big10 is starting a wrestling program. Big10 takes a very LARGE amount of pride in its wrestling. Though, not a money maker, it's still the largest known wrestling brand in the nation.
They have been talking about it on shaggy. It's in the realignment thread around page 1175 or so. One of the posters on there says he has good info that the UT President and the Chancellor are wanting to go B1G for academic reasons and for research money.
Personally, I would love for Texas to be in the B1G and my guess is that OU would come with them.