Key tweets, and it's all gone to Hell.

[Marty Jackson]

That depends on the non-Texas schools and how hard they dig in their heels on UH. If UT figures out some kind of deal to appease those schools (renegotiated deal with TV partners who would fork over some cash to stay at 2 vs. 4), UC/UH will be very much on the table. If what flugar says about Fox wanting eastern content is a legit factor, and someone in the Big12 (maybe OU+ISU?) is willing to go to bat, then expansion by 4 might be alive.

The idea that B12 coaches wouldn't want Houston because they don't want to compete against UH's recruiting is not going to be a factor. (except in the media). UH being another Texas based school when it comes to voting among the presidents could be a factor, though.

It is interesting that it's ESPN doing most of the vocalizing.

 

[junglehusky]

Does Texas really "want" UH? Maybe not in the football coaches offices. Maybe the theory that UH is UT's poison pill to kill the whole expansion will turn out to be right. If not, I'm guessing the president and BOT actually do want UH because they know they'll be able to lean on UH alums in the state house, plus the UT Houston medical campus. And that could continue to be the case 10 years down the road if UH is in the B12 and UT goes to the ACC or another conference.

 

[atom58]

It is interesting that it's ESPN doing most of the vocalizing.

Years ago I worked with a guy named Bob Kennedy who once told me in regard to a work group complaining about our quality control review, "it's like two farmers [Fox and ESPN] driving oxen in opposite directions and then the two animals begin to fight - the farmer who hollers louder [ESPN] is the one whose oxen is being gored." For sure, ESPN will be losing "cheap properties" and Fox will be gaining them - and ESPN will have to pay half of the larger bill.

 

[djct1999]

Years ago I worked with a guy named Bob Kennedy who once told me in regard to a work group complaining about our quality control review, "it's like two farmers [Fox and ESPN] driving oxen in opposite directions and then the two animals begin to fight - the farmer who hollers louder [ESPN] is the one whose oxen is being gored." For sure, ESPN will be losing "cheap properties" and Fox will be gaining them - and ESPN will have to pay half of the larger bill.

you should tweet that to mcmurphy. its excellent.

 

[housekeys]

Location, location, location.

When most of us bring up the topic of location we think of distance and geography. I think a lot of BY'ers can save themselves some angst if they realize that location embodies culture, vibe and history. NYC , South Beach and Ames are all different locations, but just as important, they represent different cultures. That is what this is about. As most of us have reasoned, with today's methods of transportation and speaking in relative terms, distance is a minor issue. Location is CR nomenclature for cultural fit.

 

[djct1999]

Berry Tramel is the truth!
Tramel: Why UConn should join BYU as Big 12's best expansion candidates | NewsOK.com

 

[Marty Jackson]

Years ago I worked with a guy named Bob Kennedy who once told me in regard to a work group complaining about our quality control review, "it's like two farmers [Fox and ESPN] driving oxen in opposite directions and then the two animals begin to fight - the farmer who hollers louder [ESPN] is the one whose oxen is being gored." For sure, ESPN will be losing "cheap properties" and Fox will be gaining them - and ESPN will have to pay half of the larger bill.

And maybe that was fox's intention. Bolster a couple programs with ESPN footing half the bill. In eight years you have four 'laundered' G5 schools at the P5 level.

Anyone that's ever played RISK knows how hard it is to hold onto Asia. If ESPN thought they could buy all the FBS conferences with no competition ever, they were mistaken. Now competition and technology are knocking on the door.

 

[Marty Jackson]

Berry Tramel is the truth!
Tramel: Why UConn should join BYU as Big 12's best expansion candidates | NewsOK.com

i like his position but he swings and misses on a couple points:
He goes on to suggest that changing conferences doesn't change a program. Cellar dwellers don't go on to challenge for championships, and competitive programs continue to compete. I agree with that concept, but Uconn is not Rutgers which he insinuates. In the short time Uconn made the jump how many BE championships did they win? Uconn football competes and extr fans expect to win.

The second, which anyone who reads the article will know what I'm going to say, is the Fiesta bowl comment suggesting 3,000 fans showed up. He might have said 3,000 tickets sold, but the fact is a lot more than 3,000 tickets were sold. Nails on a chalkboard...

 

[FDNY99]

i like his position but he swings and misses on a couple points:
He goes on to suggest that changing conferences doesn't change a program. Cellar dwellers don't go on to challenge for championships, and competitive programs continue to compete. I agree with that concept, but Uconn is not Rutgers which he insinuates. In the short time Uconn made the jump how many BE championships did they win? Uconn football competes and extr fans expect to win.

The second, which anyone who reads the article will know what I'm going to say, is the Fiesta bowl comment suggesting 3,000 fans showed up. He might have said 3,000 tickets sold, but the fact is a lot more than 3,000 tickets were sold. Nails on a chalkboard...

He was quickly corrected by a few of us on twitter...he hasn't responded but he definitely had to get the message.

 

[jostar1]

That was a nice article by Tramel, but when he was on the radio with Joe D and Gresh two weeks ago, he said that UConn was not going to be invited, and neither were the Florida schools. He did say that if they expanded to 14, then UConn might be invited.

 

[UConn Dan]

That was a nice article by Tramel, but when he was on the radio with Joe D and Gresh two weeks ago, he said that UConn was not going to be invited, and neither were the Florida schools. He did say that if they expanded to 14, then UConn might be invited.

Maybe he's hearing something from OU sources that we are a favorite and he's writing up a pro-UConn article now so he will look like a genius when we are added.

 

[huskymedic]

That was a nice article by Tramel, but when he was on the radio with Joe D and Gresh two weeks ago, he said that UConn was not going to be invited, and neither were the Florida schools. He did say that if they expanded to 14, then UConn might be invited.

Maybe he's hearing something from OU sources that we are a favorite and he's writing up a pro-UConn article now so he will look like a genius when we are added.

 

[kingdobbs]

i like his position but he swings and misses on a couple points:
He goes on to suggest that changing conferences doesn't change a program. Cellar dwellers don't go on to challenge for championships, and competitive programs continue to compete. I agree with that concept, but Uconn is not Rutgers which he insinuates. In the short time Uconn made the jump how many BE championships did they win? Uconn football competes and extr fans expect to win.

The second, which anyone who reads the article will know what I'm going to say, is the Fiesta bowl comment suggesting 3,000 fans showed up. He might have said 3,000 tickets sold, but the fact is a lot more than 3,000 tickets were sold. Nails on a chalkboard...

His asinine suggestion that we drop sports negates any potential good points he might have made.

 

[jostar1]

Maybe he's hearing something from OU sources that we are a favorite and he's writing up a pro-UConn article now so he will look like a genius when we are added.

We can only hope. Tramel tends to be all over the place. On the radio show, he said that UConn won't be invited because of football. In the story, he downplays football. I guess this article is more his opinion, and not what he thinks is actually going to happen.

 

[Hoophound]

This is all politicking. He wrote what his contacts told him to write: a UConn puff piece. Horse trading has begun.

 

[jostar1]

His asinine suggestion that we drop sports negates any potential good points he might have made.

I don't think that UConn would drop them, but it does sort of tie in with the recent talk of UConn and the Big East. Maybe some of these sports would go to the Big East.

 

[Marty Jackson]

His asinine suggestion that we drop sports negates any potential good points he might have made.

Yes, but I took that to mean some of our non-revenue sports wind up in big east like they currently do.
It makes sense. But, Not sure Uconn is going to listen to the Big 12 say 'women's field hockey and men's soccer? Yeah drop those '...

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

You'd think UConn baseball would be a bonus for the Big12

 

[Sea Goat]

Berry Tramel is the truth!
Tramel: Why UConn should join BYU as Big 12's best expansion candidates | NewsOK.com

Not a perfect article, but on balance damn good. Note that Tramel writes for David Boren's favorite newspaper. It is a far sight better than what those B-job hacks from Bristol do for us..

 

[CL82]

Berry Tramel is the truth!
Tramel: Why UConn should join BYU as Big 12's best expansion candidates | NewsOK.com

Oh my god, @Dooley hacked Tramel's account!

My favorite point in a article full of them:

The changing face of television means traditional network contracts will become less important and digital distributions will become more important. Cable homes won't mean as much. Homes that will purchase Big 12-specific events will mean more. UConn in the Big 12 would mean more digital sales than Houston or Memphis or Cincinnati could provide.

 

[UConnDan97]

Maybe he's hearing something from OU sources that we are a favorite and he's writing up a pro-UConn article now so he will look like a genius when we are added.

He finally read my thread about UCONN and BYU being the only two sensible choices. My posts are also undefeated since 1983...

 

[Jimdish255]

You'd think UConn baseball would be a bonus for the Big12

Baseball is really the only non-revenue sport that requires home and away games during the season. Soccer would if they had it but they don't. Not a selling point.

The larger issue is how this is being played out in the media and how far removed from objective fact so many long time "journalists" seem to be. The second issue is their willingness to promote a business agenda through their columns. It's transparent to the point of surrogacy. But it does highlight the fact that a lot of the players involved must think there is some advantage to be gained by shaping public opinion to match their objectives. And this dog and pony show could go on for months? They better be close to a consensus because if this isn't just posturing the longer it goes the more likely hurt feelings and big egos will derail the entire process.

 

[ElGuapo]

Someone posted here why Tramel is a regular on WTIC 1080 if we are such the stinky pusses in CL.

The tide has shifted to the silence.

 

[The Viking]

it's one thing to mention on a Hartford station what your thoughts happen to be on that given day, but it's another to write an article for everyone to see saying that your final two choices are UConn and BYU.
It's not like a week from now he can write an article saying he would pick UH and Boise. I mean he could but he would look like a damned fool.

 

[FDNY99]

This is all politicking. He wrote what his contacts told him to write: a UConn puff piece. Horse trading has begun.

Tramel is extremely tied in to OU athletics...he's been a OU beat guy for a long time. I think you are spot on here.