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

[Ldandy]

The two team expansion concept continues to make me very nervous. I simply see no scenario where UH is denied entry if Texas really wants them in. People can argue voting blocks or "horse trading" all they want, but Texas gets what they want. Period. Cincy on the other hand is the vanilla ice cream of conference realignment scenarios. They aren't necessarily anyone's favorite, but no one really objects to them either. They are a safe compromise candidate that everyone can agree on, in order to squeeze a few more dollars out of ESPN/FOX while not completely napalming their relationship.

 

[justgoplay]

USF has the most bogus attendance numbers of all time.

I don't know..... I might have to go with PITT football attendance numbers as the all time most bogus. Those guys are shameless. They'll announce a crowd of 48K, 20K of which were disguised as empty yellow seats.

 

[RatholeMA]

Further confirmation of the immense stupidity of the media regarding conference realignment. If nothing else, this process has done nothing but show how little the media investigate or care to know what issues matter, or should matter in conf realignment. How many times have guys like @Dooley or others have to send information like attendance, academic info, TV market info regarding NYC. You name it. I am convinced that many local writers are content to put their knee-jerk uninformed opinions based upon no facts to get clicks or to feather the nest of their local team. It is clear that as Colonel Klink once said, They know NUTING!

Colonel Klink? I thought it was Sgt. Schultz's catchphrase.

 

[Stinger92860]

Media survey: Coogs, 'Cats to Big 12

Big 12 Expansion Survey
(20 media members polled, schools listed with number of votes received)
Cincinnati: 16
Houston: 16
BYU: 9
UCF: 4
USF: 3
Memphis: 3
UConn: 2
Tulane: 1

How many media votes would Rutgers have gotten prior the the last b1g expansion?

 

[SubbaBub]

The two team scenario would be a result of media partners threatening the school with retribution come renegotiation time if they pick 4.

"If you add four, then we can not guarantee we will bid on the 12 teams left in 2025." {winks at ISU, WVU, TT)

 

[jostar1]

Kevin Heath ‏@okieproud76 · 4h4 hours ago
@ChuckCarltonDMN @C_Austin_Cox
Are y'all hearing anything about an imminent announcement?

Chuck Carlton‏@ChuckCarltonDMN
@okieproud76
I will double check, but what I've been told this week is that there is still a lot of detail work and Sept is more likely.

 

[CardiffGiant]

Colonel Klink? I thought it was Sgt. Schultz's catchphrase.

I stand corrected

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Media survey: Coogs, 'Cats to Big 12

Big 12 Expansion Survey
(20 media members polled, schools listed with number of votes received)
Cincinnati: 16
Houston: 16
BYU: 9
UCF: 4
USF: 3
Memphis: 3
UConn: 2
Tulane: 1

Save for Memphis it would seem the voting reflects the level of public lobbying. I don't know how Memphis is regarded as a place of higher learning.

 

[ElGuapo]

Media survey: Coogs, 'Cats to Big 12

Big 12 Expansion Survey
(20 media members polled, schools listed with number of votes received)
Cincinnati: 16
Houston: 16
BYU: 9
UCF: 4
USF: 3
Memphis: 3
UConn: 2
Tulane: 1

When I read this I think we are competing against stupidity.
Thank you and sorry to do this.
We used to play this CD over and over again while I was at UCONN in the mid-90's.

 

[junglehusky]

When I read this I think we are competing against stupidity.
Thank you and sorry to do this.
We used to play this CD over and over again while I was at UCONN in the mid-90's.

Welcome to Woostah! Dollah twenty five!

 

[FrostyNuggets]

Welcome to Woostah! Dollah twenty five!

Got a buddy who has speedpass but uses the cash lane just so he can say "Thanks toll booth Willy"

 

[Clockshop]

From UH's scout board via Chip Brown...full paragraph posted in link

LATEST ON BIG 12 - FOCUS ON CINCY AND UH (NOT SO MUCH ON BYU)
I'm hearing Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby, Oklahoma president David Boren and Texas president Greg Fenves as well as the Big 12's TV partners have been working overtime since the Big 12 began "actively evaluating" two to four candidates for expansion.
And for those wondering why the Big 12 made a public cattle call for potential expansion candidates back on July 19, I'm told the league did so to avoid any claims of tortious interference that could be made by the leagues of any schools the Big 12 spoke with.
As long as schools in other leagues were the ones seeking out the Big 12, any legal claims of the Big 12 being a home wrecker would be diminished, I'm told.
After talking to sources in the Big 12 as well as TV industry sources, it sounds like the Big 12 will expand by two - and not four - because there's a chance a couple schools currently in Power 5 conferences might want to join the Big 12 closer to 2024, when most all of the P5 leagues have Tier 1 & 2 TV rights packages expiring.
If the Big 12 was to expand by two right now, I'm told by most of the sources I spoke with it would be Cincinnati and Houston.
Cincinnati has been perhaps the most consensus candidate for the Big 12 since July 19, when the league's presidents and chancellors announced the league would be actively evaluating expansion candidates. The pros for Cincinnati are its location in a football-crazed state, with solid TV markets (and college football ratings), located in the middle of the country, making travel manageable while serving as a regional partner for


All Things Conference Realignment / Expansion

 

[ASweet3781]

Not even mentioned in the CHip Brown article yet UCF and Memphis area.

 

[The Viking]

Who the hell is going to leave their current conference for the Big 12? The PAC is the only one possible - and who Colorado and Utah? There is NO way that the Arizona schools will leave the Pac 12, none.

And I still don't think there's any way they have 5 Texas schools out of 12. No way. That's almost half the friggin league. that Chip Brown article is garbabe IMO.

I keep clinging to the fact that these are presidents who ultimately decide and the fact they can add the top school available - which also happens to be the school that spends more on athletics than anyone else in the hunt and is located between two of the biggest cities in the country...I think that means something here.

If houston is seriously joining, I think they add 4 with UConn being one.

Houston, Cincinnati, UConn and UCF. No way with Memphis. I think UCF may have big potential in the Big 12 and is in a football hotbed with a good-sized market.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

From UH's scout board via Chip Brown...full paragraph posted in link

LATEST ON BIG 12 - FOCUS ON CINCY AND UH (NOT SO MUCH ON BYU)
I'm hearing Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby, Oklahoma president David Boren and Texas president Greg Fenves as well as the Big 12's TV partners have been working overtime since the Big 12 began "actively evaluating" two to four candidates for expansion.
And for those wondering why the Big 12 made a public cattle call for potential expansion candidates back on July 19, I'm told the league did so to avoid any claims of tortious interference that could be made by the leagues of any schools the Big 12 spoke with.
As long as schools in other leagues were the ones seeking out the Big 12, any legal claims of the Big 12 being a home wrecker would be diminished, I'm told.
After talking to sources in the Big 12 as well as TV industry sources, it sounds like the Big 12 will expand by two - and not four - because there's a chance a couple schools currently in Power 5 conferences might want to join the Big 12 closer to 2024, when most all of the P5 leagues have Tier 1 & 2 TV rights packages expiring.
If the Big 12 was to expand by two right now, I'm told by most of the sources I spoke with it would be Cincinnati and Houston.
Cincinnati has been perhaps the most consensus candidate for the Big 12 since July 19, when the league's presidents and chancellors announced the league would be actively evaluating expansion candidates. The pros for Cincinnati are its location in a football-crazed state, with solid TV markets (and college football ratings), located in the middle of the country, making travel manageable while serving as a regional partner for


All Things Conference Realignment / Expansion

Lol if they really think any current P5 team is ever leaving for the Big 12.

 

[UConnNick]

It makes no sense, because you get more money now for adding four, and if you want to add two more disgruntled PAC12 schools when and if (a very big if) any become available, just go to 16 teams at that point in time. By the time anybody might consider leaving another conference, you may not need them anyway if the four new members progress exponentially due to greatly improved resources and recruiting at the P5 level.

 

[noeynox]

Who the hell is going to leave their current conference for the Big 12? The PAC is the only one possible - and who Colorado and Utah? There is NO way that the Arizona schools will leave the Pac 12, none.

And I still don't think there's any way they have 5 Texas schools out of 12. No way. That's almost half the friggin league. that Chip Brown article is garbabe IMO.

I keep clinging to the fact that these are presidents who ultimately decide and the fact they can add the top school available - which also happens to be the school that spends more on athletics than anyone else in the hunt and is located between two of the biggest cities in the country...I think that means something here.

If houston is seriously joining, I think they add 4 with UConn being one.

Houston, Cincinnati, UConn and UCF. No way with Memphis. I think UCF may have big potential in the Big 12 and is in a football hotbed with a good-sized market.

If they add 2, UConn Cincinnati like Flugaur said way back when.

 

[amory]

Heyyyy look who made "Top 15 Most Improved College Football Teams" on ESPN

10. Connecticut Huskies

The Huskies got the benefit of bowl practices for the first time since 2010 and have 16 returning starters (second most in the American). They go from my No. 79 most experienced team in 2015 to No. 12 this year. This is Bob Diaco's best team of his three years, with seven home games. They do have three Power 5 opponents on their schedule but none of the three (Virginia, Syracuse, Boston College) had a winning record last year.

The 15 most improved college football teams for 2016

 

[pepband99]

The PAC stuff only makes any sense whatsoever, if GoR gets extended. To jump off of a stable ship in the PAC, for the leaking tanker that is the B12, to have it blow up in a decade? Oh, and the only possible suitor to jump to, when that happens, is the league you just left?

It's insane in any instance, but friggin ridiculously insane without GoR.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I do think UConn is in better shape than it was a few days ago if the Big 12 adds just 2. While I get BYU's mission and have several friends that are grads, the LBGT policy is a tough one for a league to stomach and brings a lot of bad press. While Houston is not a completely terrible addition, I don't see the northern Big 12 schools wanting 5 of 12 members in Texas.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Colonel Klink? I thought it was Sgt. Schultz's catchphrase.

Shh....He's on a Roll.

 

[nd73]

McMurphyESPN: Big 12 will hold video conferences w/17 schools; Big 12 expanding by 4 “less & less likely,” sources told @ESPNhttps://post original url/KwGgQFIza5

Sources: Big 12 to talk expansion with 17 schools

 

[upstater]

If this ends with Cincy and Houston, it will be a colossal failure.

 

[buddy]

If this ends with Cincy and Houston, it will be a colossal failure.

And we will be saying that the former Cinci president did the right thing but loudly and publicly lobbying his school.