nelsonmuntz
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So the list is:
BYU UCF Cincinnati UConn CSU UH Rice USF SMU Tulane
Winners:
Colorado State - time to start taking CSU seriously as an expansion candidate. It is a big school in a decent sized and rapidly growing market, and the athletic program is OK. I am also sure some Big 12 schools wouldn't mind sticking it to Colorado, who left the Big 12 with some burned bridges.
No change:
UConn, Cincinnati, BYU were always the front runners, and nothing has changed.
Losers:
Houston is a big loser with that list. Houston does not want to be on an expansion list with Rice and SMU on it, because now it is easier for the Big 12 to say no to all 3. UT, TCU, Baylor and Texas Tech can now plausibly split their support between the three schools, making none of them viable.
Memphis - I never thought Memphis was a realistic candidate for expansion, but not even making the first cut is embarrassing, and makes any further arguments about Memphis joining a P5 completely unrealistic. I am not rejoicing at all, because I think Memphis is an OK athletic program and I hate the system.
Boise - This program has accomplished so much, and no one cares.
Other:
Air Force - Politically, a military academy has to make the first cut in this process. They are not getting invited to join the Big 12.
Tulane - meh
USF/UCF - How can the Big 12 differentiate these two schools from each other? The Big 12 is not adding both, but I feel like neither is worth that much without the other.
Other Thoughts:
Random conspiracy theory - I will continue to assume that the Big 12 GOR is inviolate, but if Texas and some other Big 12 schools were looking for an invitation to another P5 league right now, shaking down the Pac 12 by threatening to add CSU and BYU would be a good way to do it. The Pac 12 Network is not doing well, and splitting two mid-sized states with the Big 12 won't help it.
Twitter Trolls - I don't have time to do it, but someone should find out which of the online "insiders" were pimping Memphis as an addition to the Big 12. That was transparent trolling of one of the largest online fanbases (Memphis) of any of the candidates, despite Memphis having no realistic chance of getting added. My memory is that the following Twitteratti were pimping Memphis: M H V E R, Dude, and MSMoose. Could someone confirm?
In a way, pimping Memphis was also trolling of UConn, since we were the ones most often knocked out for Memphis in the "insider updates" from those idiots.
Finally, it is worth noting that UConn was one of the Big East schools supportive of a soft landing for Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Baylor and Texas Tech when the Big 12 looked like it might come apart in 2011, and supported adding TCU to the Big East, thereby making TCU a viable candidate for the Big 12. I am surprised that hasn't come up once in all this expansion talk.
BYU UCF Cincinnati UConn CSU UH Rice USF SMU Tulane
Winners:
Colorado State - time to start taking CSU seriously as an expansion candidate. It is a big school in a decent sized and rapidly growing market, and the athletic program is OK. I am also sure some Big 12 schools wouldn't mind sticking it to Colorado, who left the Big 12 with some burned bridges.
No change:
UConn, Cincinnati, BYU were always the front runners, and nothing has changed.
Losers:
Houston is a big loser with that list. Houston does not want to be on an expansion list with Rice and SMU on it, because now it is easier for the Big 12 to say no to all 3. UT, TCU, Baylor and Texas Tech can now plausibly split their support between the three schools, making none of them viable.
Memphis - I never thought Memphis was a realistic candidate for expansion, but not even making the first cut is embarrassing, and makes any further arguments about Memphis joining a P5 completely unrealistic. I am not rejoicing at all, because I think Memphis is an OK athletic program and I hate the system.
Boise - This program has accomplished so much, and no one cares.
Other:
Air Force - Politically, a military academy has to make the first cut in this process. They are not getting invited to join the Big 12.
Tulane - meh
USF/UCF - How can the Big 12 differentiate these two schools from each other? The Big 12 is not adding both, but I feel like neither is worth that much without the other.
Other Thoughts:
Random conspiracy theory - I will continue to assume that the Big 12 GOR is inviolate, but if Texas and some other Big 12 schools were looking for an invitation to another P5 league right now, shaking down the Pac 12 by threatening to add CSU and BYU would be a good way to do it. The Pac 12 Network is not doing well, and splitting two mid-sized states with the Big 12 won't help it.
Twitter Trolls - I don't have time to do it, but someone should find out which of the online "insiders" were pimping Memphis as an addition to the Big 12. That was transparent trolling of one of the largest online fanbases (Memphis) of any of the candidates, despite Memphis having no realistic chance of getting added. My memory is that the following Twitteratti were pimping Memphis: M H V E R, Dude, and MSMoose. Could someone confirm?
In a way, pimping Memphis was also trolling of UConn, since we were the ones most often knocked out for Memphis in the "insider updates" from those idiots.
Finally, it is worth noting that UConn was one of the Big East schools supportive of a soft landing for Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Baylor and Texas Tech when the Big 12 looked like it might come apart in 2011, and supported adding TCU to the Big East, thereby making TCU a viable candidate for the Big 12. I am surprised that hasn't come up once in all this expansion talk.