Colorado in Big XII

[B1GEast]

https://www.star-telegram.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/mac-engel/article277695468.html

According to sources, the Big 12 and commissioner Brett Yormark is now targeting the University of Arizona, which would likely mean an invitation to Arizona State University. The University of Connecticut is another school that has been attached to Big 12 expansion talks, but with the Pac-12 losing members the Big 12’s focus is targeting those universities first.

We're being dangled as bait and it's so obvious. Yormark is telling these schools that if they don't bite, their invite is going to UConn. In reality, they never had any intention of inviting us

My heart doesn't want to believe this, but my brain is overriding it.

We might be done.

 

[outlaw]

spent my freshmen year at CU before transferring home to UConn - admittedly could not handle the temptations of the mountains vs attending class lol - it was their last full season in the BIG12 and it felt like a perfect fit. really hopeful for Husky away games at Folsom Field as its truly one of the greatest venues in sports.

 

[KembaKek]

Kinda weird for someone to post Colorado is officially leaving when people have been reporting it all day.

Barstool being Barstool

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The PAC's problem is that per capita there aren't a number of good schools out there with fanbases, and they have Stanford & Cal who care a lot about the academics. Basically not a lot of schools worth adding, and the schools worth adding came with issues that Stanford & Cal couldn't swallow. Those schools have exceptional ADs top to bottom (Director's Cup), but that's only appealing maybe to the B1G—and it tanked the conference. If the Pac took Tech and OSU a decade ago, B12 is long dead and PAC is in great shape, but those schools couldn't stomach that.

Now there really aren't many worthwhile markets and the schools left don't have enough pull to poach. SDSU isn't saving the PAC. It's essentially DOA as the B1G is going to take Oregon and Washington—and probably give Cal and Stanford a lifeline. The remaining schools will find a way into the B12—or Mountain West. It's over.

We need the Big 10 to move now to grab Washington, Oregon, Cal and Stanford. If the Big 10 makes a power play like that, which is not out of the question, the Big 12 could add three more teams, which would be ASU, Arizona, and the cage match winner between UConn and Utah.

The Big 10 does not want a full blown merger between the Big 12 and Pac 12. That would isolate the LA schools and make the Big 12 more powerful.

I think we are seeing the streaming bet the conferences are going to make. Basically, get as much quality content as they can get under one roof, which they will ultimately sell directly to subscribers. The good news about this model is that it gives UConn a chance down the road to get into any league if they are good. Pulling ESPN out of the mix will be a positive for the Huskies. The bad news is that "down the road" is probably 5+ years from now.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Why in the world would the B1G want Cal sports when Cal doesn't even want Cal sports?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Why in the world would the B1G want Cal sports when Cal doesn't even want Cal sports?

Cal and Stanford are the peak of the peak academically, and their alumni bases have massive financial firepower. I don't see a scenario where both don't find a home in a league they want to be in.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Cal and Stanford are the peak of the peak academically, and their alumni bases have massive financial firepower. I don't see a scenario where both don't find a home in a league they want to be in.

If Cal's base has all this financial firepower why have they kept the powder dry all these years playing against teams they are actually rivals with?

As if playing Iowa and SUNJ is going to suddenly make them care?

 

[WestHartHusk]

Cal and Stanford are the peak of the peak academically, and their alumni bases have massive financial firepower. I don't see a scenario where both don't find a home in a league they want to be in.

Which bookend the #6 media market in the country. Crazy to think they won't find a home.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I think it was Stewart Mandel who said this, but I can't find the tweet. The least valuable Pac 12 member was not worth $1 in the Pac 12 but is now worth $31.7/year in the Big 12. This market is kind of warped, and you can see why linear is on its last legs.

Hopefully the Big 12 has consultants that will understand that no broadcaster wanted the Pac 12 leftovers at anything reasonable, and the four most valuable members left (Stanford, Cal, Washington, Oregon) are probably leaving for the Big 10 at some point. So why should the Big 12 want what is left when the market just told them those schools are not worth anything? We will see.

 

[Vowelguy]

TBH, everyone is acting like losing Colorado is the death knell to the PAC. Why? What have they brought to the conference?? I know this could be a sign of other teams leaving but the commish for the PAC can easily just say to the rest of the schools that it's fine and we will bring in SDSU, a school with more athletic success. So you trade the Denver market for the San Diego/southern CA market

I guess that there could be another way to look at this from the PAC side. Losing Colorado and replacing them with SDSU isn't a bad thing. If he can convince the rest of the schools that the mysterious TV deal can stay as strong, I think the

1) They brought a different time zone, which the PAC desperately needs.
2) once one school leaves, then the others — particularly the medium valued — start to worry this is musical chairs and they need to move while they have a chance. Oregon and Washington will always find a place. Probably Arizona and Cal. ASU Utah Stanford are more vulnerable.
OSU and Wazzu are toast.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

If Cal's base has all this financial firepower why have they kept the powder dry all these years playing against teams they are actually rivals with?

As if playing Iowa and SUNJ is going to suddenly make them care?

Do you still think all these moves are because of the product on the field/court? Really?

 

[Tyler2Rings]

Hopefully the Big 12 has consultants that will understand that no broadcaster wanted the Pac 12 leftovers at anything reasonable, and the four most valuable members left (Stanford, Cal, Washington, Oregon) are probably leaving for the Big 10 at some point. So why should the Big 12 want what is left when the market just told them those schools are not worth anything? We will see.

Yep. Despite our football performance, the consultant data needs to show that 6 eastern time zone games are worth more to the conference than another 6 pacific or mountain time zone games

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Yep. Despite our football performance, the consultant data needs to show that 6 eastern time zone games are worth more to the conference than another 6 pacific or mountain time zone games

If the Pac 12 schools like Arizona, ASU, Utah and Colorado were so valuable, then they Pac 12 would have a solid TV contract already.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Do you still think all these moves are because of the product on the field/court? Really?

It's about schools who care about football and men's basketball, with a focus on expanding the reach or appeal of the leagues.

Cal and Stanford don't bring a new state and what have they done lately that inspires confidence they want to continue to compete at high level football or basketball?

 

[ZooCougar]

Where do you stand on this anyway? It occurs to me that you have as much to gain from this as anybody here, if UConn can actually make the move. So I get the extreme caution and assumption that we'd be left at the altar again. But presumably you'd want UConn in the Big XII right?

For certain I want to move.

I just have very little faith that it will occur but I would welcome being wrong.

 

[ZooCougar]

I think it was Stewart Mandel who said this, but I can't find the tweet. The least valuable Pac 12 member was not worth $1 in the Pac 12 but is now worth $31.7/year in the Big 12. This market is kind of warped, and you can see why linear is on its last legs.

Hopefully the Big 12 has consultants that will understand that no broadcaster wanted the Pac 12 leftovers at anything reasonable, and the four most valuable members left (Stanford, Cal, Washington, Oregon) are probably leaving for the Big 10 at some point. So why should the Big 12 want what is left when the market just told them those schools are not worth anything? We will see.

Colorado is the Boulder that will start the avalanche.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

Cal and Stanford are the peak of the peak academically, and their alumni bases have massive financial firepower. I don't see a scenario where both don't find a home in a league they want to be in.

Agreed. There is NO WAY in hell schools like Stanford and CAL don't find a home. Just watch, B1G will add Oregon, Washington, Cal, and Stanford. Those 6 schools will complete the B1G's Western division.

 

[noeynox]

If the Pac 12 schools like Arizona, ASU, Utah and Colorado were so valuable, then they Pac 12 would have a solid TV contract already.

You're kind of all over the place with this. Last week you were saying the PAC was gonna get paid and streaming qas the future no? Now they have no value?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

You're kind of all over the place with this. Last week you were saying the PAC was gonna get paid and streaming qas the future no? Now they have no value?

I don't think they have no value. The market thinks they have no value.

 

[noeynox]

I don't think they have no value. The market thinks they have no value.

More likely they hired a clutz of a commissioner. Heard this dude talk for the 1st time a couple of days ago. I cannot believe the PAC hired this guy. Marinatto, rest in peace, would inspire more confidence. I think this dude is way in over his head and Yormark schooled his ass getting a contract renegotiated that wasn't even due before the PAC's was.

 

[NH Husky]

If the Pac 12 schools like Arizona, ASU, Utah and Colorado were so valuable, then they Pac 12 would have a solid TV contract already.

This is reality and should be understood by those who panic about UCONN being bypassed. Those four schools were not driving the football bus in the PAC. At this point that belongs to Oregon and Washington and they apparently didn’t carry enough value for a solid contract. Their value would be providing west coast support for USC and UCLA in the B1G.

BY’s argument appears to be market, exploiting undervalued basketball, balancing time zone content, and football potential. This is marketing brilliance. UCONN checks all of those. Colorado and Arizona check those. No one else in the PAC checks those. I can’t think of many other options. Perhaps UNLV.

All these Charlie Brown posts read like trolling.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

You're kind of all over the place with this. Last week you were saying the PAC was gonna get paid and streaming qas the future no? Now they have no value?

I wanted the PAC to get paid, which I was clear about, because that was good for UConn. That didn't happen, and the Pac 12 is dead, and it knows it.

Streaming is the future. This is not exactly going out on a limb. Do you still have a cable box?

The market may occasionally be wrong, but it doesn't lie, and there is usually not much point in arguing with it. The market just told the Pac 12 "no". That said, Colorado, arguably one of the middle of the pack members in terms of value, just got a great deal from ESPN/Big 12. At some point we will get to the teams in the Pac 12 that the market was not willing to pay for. Some of them have to be ASU, UA and/or Utah.

 

[amory]

I wanted the PAC to get paid, which I was clear about, because that was good for UConn. That didn't happen, and the Pac 12 is dead, and it knows it.

Streaming is the future. This is not exactly going out on a limb. Do you still have a cable box?

The market may occasionally be wrong, but it doesn't lie, and there is usually not much point in arguing with it. The market just told the Pac 12 "no". That said, Colorado, arguably one of the middle of the pack members in terms of value, just got a great deal from ESPN/Big 12. At some point we will get to the teams in the Pac 12 that the market was not willing to pay for. Some of them have to be ASU, UA and/or Utah.

By that measure though, what's the market saying UConn's worth? We've been the most obvious non-P5-but-should-be-P5 school for a decade plus but somehow we're always without a chair when the music stops

 

[dayooper]

Agreed. There is NO WAY in hell schools like Stanford and CAL don't find a home. Just watch, B1G will add Oregon, Washington, Cal, and Stanford. Those 6 schools will complete the B1G's Western division.

The Big10 has gone to division-less scheduling. What’s the point of bringing in USC if they don’t play OSU, PSU or Michigan on a regular basis? If they go to 20, that leaves 1 crossover and so much money in the table. USC (and Oregon) need to be playing the big 3 in the East as much as possible to give the TV partners the best possible matchups.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

By that measure though, what's the market saying UConn's worth? We've been the most obvious non-P5-but-should-be-P5 school for a decade plus but somehow we're always without a chair when the music stops

UConn is unique in that the two conferences geographically most likely to add us have either a hopelessly high hurdle (the Big 10) or have a member blackballing us (BCU in the ACC).