Ranking the Expansion Candidates for Big 12

[nelsonmuntz]

My ranking:

1) UConn -

pros: biggest untapped market in country, top basketball programs (important to fill winter programming on conference network), not much regional competition (Syracuse has a 70 year old cheating hoops coach that is one envelope of cash from being put out to pasture, SU football is terrible, BCU sucks at everything), solid fanbase, academics

cons: football program, distance, CR Rule #1

2) Cincinnati -

Pros: solid, market, solid basketball and football programs, proximity to WVU, decent fanbase, decent academics

Cons: lots of regional competition

3) BYU -

Pros: huge national following, good football and basketball, academics

Cons: Reputation for being difficult to work with (TCU would know), church has different objectives for BYU than typical university leadership, distance

4) Temple -

Pros: Big media market, good basketball, improving football, other than Penn State, surprisingly little regional competition

Cons: small fan base, weak history in football, academics

5) Memphis -

Pros: Decent media market, good basketball, decent fan base for hoops, proximity

Cons: academics are bad, lots of regional competition from SEC programs, tiny football fanbase, football program has sucked forever

6) UCSF -

Pros: Florida, doesn't matter

Cons: Share market with FSU, Florida, Miami. No way to compete with those 3.

 

[noeynox]

I like em. Can't say you're unbiased, but I like em.

 

[HuskyHawk]

To help Justify I'd ask two questions. Are any of those schools flagship, land-grant state universities? Are any of those schools the #1 college team in their own home market?

It helps pretty quickly show why #1 is and should be #1. #2 is a pretty close call.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I left Houston out. I think they are off the list. Share a market with Texas A&M, and Texas, TCU, Baylor and Texas Tech think they already have the Houston market covered. Good football going back a long way, but the market competition is a showstopper IMO.

 

[SC Husky]

Another Con for BYU: Don't they also have their own network? Would that be an impediment? Not sure how that will play with the Big 12.

3) BYU -

Pros: huge national following, good football and basketball, academics

Cons: Reputation for being difficult to work with (TCU would know), church has different objectives for BYU than typical university leadership, distance

 

[gioff23]

The real challenge for BYU ironically moves away from football which is, we are told, the only thing that matters. BYU won't allow its teams to play on Sundays. In a multi-sport, play 2 travel games on a weekend, that's an issue, and not a small one.

From the local news there - "Everyone knows BYU will never, under any circumstance, play a game on Sunday, and they won’t join a conference that doesn’t accommodate observance of Sunday as a day of worship."

 

[Charley Horse]

Another way to look at it is through the process of elimination.

Already in the saturated Big 12 footprint? Sorry, Houston.

Won't play baseball on Sunday? You've got to be kidding me, BYU. You were willing to give up bigamy but you won't give up a Sunday afternoon?!!!

Sharing your market with an NFL team? See ya, Houston, Cincy and USF.

Sharing your market with an NBA team? Adios, Memphis.

Sharing your market with a MLB team? What? You again, Houston and Cincy?

Completely indistinguishable from another directional university 80 miles away? What are you: a package deal, UCF and USF?

Not the flagship university in your own state? Well, that would be Cincy, Memphis, Houston, UCF and USF.

So, tell me. Who's left? Anybody?

 

[UConnTrumbull]

Another way to look at it is through the process of elimination.

Already in the saturated Big 12 footprint? Sorry, Houston.

Won't play baseball on Sunday? You've got to be kidding me, BYU. You were willing to give up bigamy but you won't give up a Sunday afternoon?!!!

Sharing your market with an NFL team? See ya, Houston, Cincy and USF.

Sharing your market with an NBA team? Adios, Memphis.

Sharing your market with a MLB team? What? You again, Houston and Cincy?

Completely indistinguishable from another directional university 80 miles away? What are you: a package deal, UCF and USF?

Not the flagship university in your own state? Well, that would be Cincy, Memphis, Houston, UCF and USF.

So, tell me. Who's left? Anybody?

Would love for you to be right.

 

[UConn Dan]

1) UConn
2) UConn
3) UConn

 

[pj]

Another way to look at it is through the process of elimination.

Already in the saturated Big 12 footprint? Sorry, Houston.

Won't play baseball on Sunday? You've got to be kidding me, BYU. You were willing to give up bigamy but you won't give up a Sunday afternoon?!!!

Sharing your market with an NFL team? See ya, Houston, Cincy and USF.

Sharing your market with an NBA team? Adios, Memphis.

Sharing your market with a MLB team? What? You again, Houston and Cincy?

Completely indistinguishable from another directional university 80 miles away? What are you: a package deal, UCF and USF?

Not the flagship university in your own state? Well, that would be Cincy, Memphis, Houston, UCF and USF.

So, tell me. Who's left? Anybody?

If an 11 school league is a problem, we're willing to play 24 football games a year, as long as we get twice the money.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

I like em. Can't say you're unbiased, but I like em.

What are you talking about? That's the most unbiased assessment I've ever read!

 

[BoatShow]

1) UConn
2) UConn
3) UConn

 

[Rocktheworld]

Another way to look at it is through the process of elimination.

Already in the saturated Big 12 footprint? Sorry, Houston.

Won't play baseball on Sunday? You've got to be kidding me, BYU. You were willing to give up bigamy but you won't give up a Sunday afternoon?!!!

Sharing your market with an NFL team? See ya, Houston, Cincy and USF.

Sharing your market with an NBA team? Adios, Memphis.

Sharing your market with a MLB team? What? You again, Houston and Cincy?

Completely indistinguishable from another directional university 80 miles away? What are you: a package deal, UCF and USF?

Not the flagship university in your own state? Well, that would be Cincy, Memphis, Houston, UCF and USF.

So, tell me. Who's left? Anybody?

We constantly talk about our market area tapping NY and all of New England being one of our biggest advantages. You're now going to suggest we don't compete for TV time with pro teams? Let alone NY and Boston teams?

And our geography is a problem. The opposite of Houston's, but still a problem.

 

[junglehusky]

For me BYU is a wildcard. I could see a scenario where Texas atheltics says "OK we'll take Cincy as s geographic partner for WVU but we want a brand name football school for the other choice" and then they iron out some kind of compromise for scheduling. I would guess, based on postings here by our Horse friend, Texas's administration would value UConn for its research, academics and proximity to NY, in this scenario UT's athletics side would prevail (and maybe Baylor, TCU would follow) and overrule the academics / research side because of Rule #1.

 

[NYUConn]

For me BYU is a wildcard. I could see a scenario where Texas atheltics says "OK we'll take Cincy as s geographic partner for WVU but we want a brand name football school for the other choice" and then they iron out some kind of compromise for scheduling. I would guess, based on postings here by our Horse friend, Texas's administration would value UConn for its research, academics and proximity to NY, in this scenario UT's athletics side would prevail (and maybe Baylor, TCU would follow) and overrule the academics / research side because of Rule #1.

I 100% share that concern.

Honestly I have to believe that Boren and OU can peel off TCU. TCU may have Texas to thank for their Big 12 invite, but their future well-being is tied directly to a stable Big 12.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

We constantly talk about our market area tapping NY and all of New England being one of our biggest advantages. You're now going to suggest we don't compete for TV time with pro teams? Let alone NY and Boston teams?

And our geography is a problem. The opposite of Houston's, but still a problem.

We don't have to capture a huge % of thos markets to get a lot of eyeballs, plus there is no impediment to Giant,Pat,Jet , Celtics or Knick fan from watching UConn play Oklahoma.or Kansas . Since when was theire a dicotomy of sports fans to any noticeable %. NY is a sports town which hasn't had much to follow in years.
Boston at least had BCU.
I remember a number from a couple of years ago. Louisville men's BB captured a huge % of its primary market but UConn women's share of the NY market ment more people were watching our women in NY than Louisville men in Louisville.
I do agree our problem with the B12 is geographical.
For the B12 UConn provides a dilemma they want and need our markets for long term sustainability but we are culturally (for some of the teams )and geogrspically problematic.

 

[Slasher]

I 100% share that concern.

Honestly I have to believe that Boren and OU can peel off TCU. TCU may have Texas to thank for their Big 12 invite, but their future well-being is tied directly to a stable Big 12.

Agreed, but at the same time, BYU would put the Big 12 in a 3rd time zone. They are locked in the Central and Eastern time zones, would they want to further spread out and go to three? We've always heard if they expand they'll go east. I still think that's the case.

 

[junglehusky]

Agreed, but at the same time, BYU would put the Big 12 in a 3rd time zone. They are locked in the Central and Eastern time zones, would they want to further spread out and go to three? We've always heard if they expand they'll go east. I still think that's the case.

Yes we've heard that, but the main source that I recall was BTM who was passing on what he heard from OU's side of things. (It may have been also reported by a key tweeter as well but I can't recall). In any case, I hope that assertion is right, at going east means going east with two schools. And going as far east as possible!

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Yes we've heard that, but the main source that I recall was BTM who was passing on what he heard from OU's side of things. (It may have been also reported by a key tweeter as well but I can't recall). In any case, I hope that assertion is right, at going east means going east with two schools. And going as far east as possible!

I think McMurphy was the one who mentioned eastern expansion awhile back.

 

[NYUConn]

I think McMurphy was the one who mentioned eastern expansion awhile back.

Yes, definitely was McMurphy. Trying to track down that Tweet.

 

[shizzle787]

My ranking:

1) UConn -

pros: biggest untapped market in country, top basketball programs (important to fill winter programming on conference network), not much regional competition (Syracuse has a 70 year old cheating hoops coach that is one envelope of cash from being put out to pasture, SU football is terrible, BCU sucks at everything), solid fanbase, academics

cons: football program, distance, CR Rule #1

2) Cincinnati -

Pros: solid, market, solid basketball and football programs, proximity to WVU, decent fanbase, decent academics

Cons: lots of regional competition

3) BYU -

Pros: huge national following, good football and basketball, academics

Cons: Reputation for being difficult to work with (TCU would know), church has different objectives for BYU than typical university leadership, distance

4) Temple -

Pros: Big media market, good basketball, improving football, other than Penn State, surprisingly little regional competition

Cons: small fan base, weak history in football, academics

5) Memphis -

Pros: Decent media market, good basketball, decent fan base for hoops, proximity

Cons: academics are bad, lots of regional competition from SEC programs, tiny football fanbase, football program has sucked forever

6) UCSF -

Pros: Florida, doesn't matter

Cons: Share market with FSU, Florida, Miami. No way to compete with those 3.

Didn't you want us to drop football?

 

[shizzle787]

Expansion candidates:

1a) UConn & 1b) Cincy; BYU won't be picked because of their stubbornness on a few issues.

 

[King Jonathan]

It boggles the mind that the men's basketball team with 4 titles is still treated as an afterthought in that article

 

[Adios]

It boggles the mind that the men's basketball team with 4 titles is still treated as an afterthought in that article

Jealousy causes people to be irrational.