UCONN maybe left at the wayside with BYU

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

UH in a 2 team add puts 5/12 teams in one state. Granted it's 4/10 now but 5/12 is even worse.

 

[CL82]

I agree the price for UH would be three non-Texas schools - but that would have to include BYU. Those three schools cannot be Cincinnati (seen as a good addition by most/all), UConn (seen as a good addition by some, a hassle for travel and/or poor football by others), and one of Memphis/UCF (seen by OU and/or Texas as unacceptable) - especially if the networks are pushing back so hard against four teams, in favor of two. That's why my thoughts are if BYU is off the table, it makes the four-team compromise extremely difficult to arrive at. I know we all can't stand the Twitter rumorers, but Flug's point about getting to four to get to two makes complete sense here - ONLY if it includes BYU. If BYU is out, and the networks are pushing hard for two instead of four, and Texas is threatening to torpedo the whole process if they don't get what they want (Houston), I cannot see the rest of the league putting their foot down to admit UConn instead of Houston. Texas is more important to the B12 than UConn is. But I agree with you that if BYU is in the picture, Texas can push for Houston as they apparently want, OU and the rest of the league can push back and say OK, but we need UC, BYU and team 14. In that scenario, we have a shot. This all gets back to Texas's support for Houston. If it's truly strong, we've got a problem. If it's not, we have a better chance.

My guesses - UConn without Houston? Nonstarter. Houston + 3 from the east? Possible.

• UC- Proximity, and they aren't going embarrass you in the big sport
• UConn - national brand and a door to the potentially lucrative northeast.
• UCF - Recruiting grounds, and potential
• Houston- good football last year and Texas politics.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

My guesses - UConn without Houston? Nonstarter. Houston + 3 from the east? Possible.

• UC- Proximity, and they aren't going embarrass you in the big sport
• UConn - national brand and a door to the potentially lucrative northeast.
• UCF - Recruiting grounds, and potential
• Houston- good football last year and Texas politics.

That makes sense, I guess I just have trouble seeing the large state schools jumping at taking a third-level directional state school. At least the city schools are in contention are secondary. There's definitely a stigma out there, right or wrong, about directional state schools.

 

[Dooley]

My guesses - UConn without Houston? Nonstarter. Houston + 3 from the east? Possible.

• UC- Proximity, and they aren't going embarrass you in the big sport
• UConn - national brand and a door to the potentially lucrative northeast.
• UCF - Recruiting grounds, and potential
• Houston- good football last year and Texas politics.

Makes sense to me. Do it.

 

[BlueDogs]

Cincy and Houston are foregone conclusions. Frankly, they do the least for national conference exposure. Texas is already represented and Houston is a non-flagship, second tier college. Cincy is living in the shadow of an OSU/B1G dominated market and has no reach beyond its metro area. It is also a non flagship university. The only two schools that provide the Big12 with credible national brand market expansion are BYU and UConn. I don't see them adding directional schools no matter how lucrative the markets may theorectically be. It kills conference branding.

 

[BlueHen]

The best thing for the Big 12 is to add UConn and Cincinnati.
The best thing for Texas is to add Houston and one other school (probably Cincinnati).

The Big 12 members need to decide which of the above they prefer.
The other big question is whether or not the Big 12 extends the GOR. If the Big 12 does not extend the GOR that may be an indicator that some schools are looking to get out as soon as they can. Not a good sign for the long term health of the conference.

Ideally the Big 12 adds UConn and extends the GOR.
Worst case is they don't add UConn and they extend the GOR.
If they don't extend the GOR that means that more CR remains a possibility in a few years.
If they add UConn and don't the extend the GOR then UConn needs to be careful. Accepting a long term reduced share and agreeing to a GOR could put UConn in a bad position. It would really suck if by the time UConn is in a position to get a full share Texas and Oklahoma leave and the full share isn't worth that much. Unfortunately, being the AAC is also a bad position, so I think UConn has to accept almost any Big 12 offer; but UConn still needs to negotiate for as much as it can get.

 

[nUConn Fan]

Then there's this: LGBT groups urge Big 12 to pass on adding BYU to conference | Fox News

I mean this will really resonate with the conference that seems to have no issue with Baylor.

Amazing that this lobby is inserting itself into all aspects of life. Getting very old, very fast.

 

[WestHartHusk]

Amazing that this lobby is inserting itself into all aspects of life. Getting very old, very fast.

Yeah, let's just focus on the important things in life like college football.

 

[UConnNick]

This only happens if Texas's support for Houston is public only, but privately they're willing to leave them out. My comments are under the assumption that privately Texas is pushing for UH as hard as they are publicly. If UT is indeed not pushing for them privately, we have a different ballgame, if BYU's honor code is deemed to be a pill they can't swallow. Then UC and UConn becomes a VERY viable possibility. But if Texas in reality wants Houston as bad as they're saying in public, Texas gets Houston.

I'm not sure that's the case. I tt a former UT insider who still has lots of friends there, and they indicated the athletic administration has no use for Houston. That push is coming solely from the academic side because they want this Houston campus, for some unknown reason. Of course the athletic administration has no real influence on how this plays out. It certainly sounds like there is a great deal of hand wringing going on internally at UT regarding the Cougars. It's a contrived campaign to achieve a certain goal that UT wants...a Houston campus.

 

[RedStickHusky]

A lot of hand wringing on whether the b12 wants to associate itself with BYU at this point. I'd argue the bigger question is whether BYU can make any accommodation that would satisfy them without sacrificing its' identity.

 

[Redding Husky]

Soon we will know if there is a God in heaven.

No compassionate being would allow us to twist in the wind for another decade.

 

[HuskyHawk]

That makes sense, I guess I just have trouble seeing the large state schools jumping at taking a third-level directional state school. At least the city schools are in contention are secondary. There's definitely a stigma out there, right or wrong, about directional state schools.

Houston is secondary? Ahead of who...A&M? TT? They are the 4th best program among public schools in TX, and more like 6th if you count private schools. Memphis is secondary among public schools I suppose, but is behind Vandy and competes heavily with Ole Miss, which is very close. Cinci, I agree, is definitely the second best program in Ohio, a large state. But I think UCF has more upside than Memphis.

 

[billybud]

Houston and Memphis are trying to learn how to walk the walk.....