West Virginia belongs in the ACC. I know they're not a metro area, but they own the whole state, Marshall is just an after thought. Not to mention they're good in both money making sports. I don't know why ACC wouldn't want that. If Texas, Oklahoma and W. Virginia leave the Big 12 will be in trouble and could lose Power 5 status and be on par with the AAC, or the AAC might take OK. State Kansas and others to get them at the front door of the Majors.
The Big 12 will no longer exist. Even when the leftovers find new homes, be it the Big 10, ACC, or Pac-12. Those left behind shouldn't even try to keep the Big 12 conference going, even if in name only. They'll probably end up in either The American or Mountain West.
Best scenario for UTEP is that at least 1 MWC school is picked by the Big 12 and UTEP shows off a reborn football program this fall. That's all I've got.
UC and Cal are the evil S&G of colleges to many Texas colleges but one horrible liberal school says "buh bye! I'm leaving you" the remainder beg to be included.
I would go to 10. Cincinnati and Houston. Keep the geography more in control.
If that happened to the AAC then they would be demolished. CUSA could be getting a few teams back maybe? USF, Tulsa, East Carolina and Tulane maybe?
We're in by far the weakest position we've ever been in when it comes to realignment. If there is major G5 alignment we're in trouble.
Nightmare scenario:
Big “12” is no G5 conference. Baylor won the ****ing National championship last year. Kansas is a basketball blue blood. A Baylor football player won the Heisman. Oklahoma St has been to a bowl game every year since 2006, including Cotton, Fiesta, and Sugar Bowls. Texas Tech made the basketball championship game a few years ago.
Cincy has the best maneuverability.
Basketball is completely irrelevant when discussing power conferences. The AAC and Big East are power conferences in basketball. The Big 12 will be a g5 and is already being treated like one. ( not included in the aliance).
No Heisman’s right? Okay then, the AAC will be poaching B12 teams? Not the other way around?
It really doesn't matter who poaches who they're both non power conferences.
Great points. BYU is independent because UTAH is in the PAC 12. They couldn't stand "little brother" in a power conference without them. There are going to be four power conferences and the big 12 isn't going to be one of them. They get a nice media rights deal from ESPN. The new big twelve TV contract will be ugly. The only advantage is an an expanded playoff gives the g6 a spot in the playoff. As an independent it would be much harder for BYU to compete for that spot as opposed to them being in a conference.
Who cares about Heismans. The only reason RG3 has one is because he beat blueblood and king of the Big12 Oklahoma in spectacular fashion in a national prime time game. That opportunity won't be available in the new Big 12.
It actually does. The stronger conference does the poaching. I will bet you $5000 that if the Big 12 expands, they’re taking AAC teams. The AAC will not “poach” any Big 12 teams.
Only P5 players win the Heisman. Last one not from a power conference was Ty Detmer in 1990. So please continue to tell me that the Big 12 is a “G5 conference” now.
The Big 12 media deal is split between Fox and espn. If their deal goes way down it will still likely be worth twice the aac deal.
They are a g5 as soon as Oklahoma leaves. They aren't included in the alliance. They are already being treated as a g5.
With espn taking all the SEC coverage in 2023 they won't pay the big 12 half of what they're getting now. All of the remaining schools together are worth as much media wise as OU and Texas. I would be the big 12's new TV deal will be 60-70% less than it is now.
All this expansion stuff will probably be decided well before UTEP were to qualify for a bowl.
