OT: Would U. of AZ leave Pac-12 for the Big 12?

[Minerinciter]

A writer for the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson wrote a column about it.

1. A trip to Texas is 893 miles from Tucson. That's almost as close as it is to Cal (858 miles). A game at Oklahoma is 954 miles. Arizona goes 1,282 miles to play Oregon. How about distant Iowa State? That's 1,427 miles from Tucson. An Arizona game in Seattle is 1,538 miles.
2. The Pac-12 Networks has little clout, distribution woes and has not been the money-maker projected. It became even more confusing this basketball season when regional feeds became unavailable in other league markets.
   
3. ESPN's Pac-12 correspondent, Ted Miller, last week wrote: "There doesn't seem to be much momentum inside the posh Pac-12 offices in the most expensive city in the United States to do the nutty thing and, you know, cut expenses so the 12 universities could get more money.

"Moving the headquarters (to Salt Lake City) also might inspire a winnowing of the executive-level, big-paycheck bloat that university administrators are beginning to notice now that the euphoria of the rights deal fades."
I wonder if Colorado U. is having second thoughts about why it left the Big 12 for PAC-12.
(via @AthleticBiz)
http://www.athleticbusiness.com/college/opinion-arizona-should-consider-big-12-membership.html

 

[Minerforlife]

The big12 is by far the least stable of the power 5 conferences. There is no way any school from the pac 12 would defect to the big 12.

 

[utep2step]

I would stay in the PAC 12, but BXII least stable? No conference is a sure bet stable and the PAC XII is surviving because of the Ducks. USC is nothing of their former cheating self since Carroll left and UTAH is becoming the strongest team in the conference (gawd that sickens me to say that given they're a former WAC foe). OU is consistently in the playoff mix. Baylor, OSU and TCU have made the conference much stronger (For Baylor only if Briles cheating ways continue for Baylor). It's tough for any P5 school to escape WV home turf with a win. I don't see any p5 school lining up to schedule Kansas State. Iowa State is not a pushover anymore either.

 

[Minerforlife]

I would stay in the PAC 12, but BXII least stable? No conference is a sure bet stable and the PAC XII is surviving because of the Ducks. USC is nothing of their former cheating self since Carroll left and UTAH is becoming the strongest team in the conference (gawd that sickens me to say that given they're a former WAC foe). OU is consistently in the playoff mix. Baylor, OSU and TCU have made the conference much stronger (For Baylor only if Briles cheating ways continue for Baylor). It's tough for any P5 school to escape WV home turf with a win. I don't see any p5 school lining up to schedule Kansas State. Iowa State is not a pushover anymore either.

Nobody in the Pac 12 is interested or investigating leaving. Meanwhile, Texas and Oklahoma are always flirting with and talking to other conferences. Texas is looking hard at the ACC. Espn is offering to buyout their contract for Longhorn network, which nobody is watching, and convert it into the ACC network. The addition of Texas would cause Notre Dame to join as a full member. Texas wants to be affiliated with like minded elite academic university's. They will be part of the pac 12 or ACC within five years, the snowball is to far down the mountain. Oklahoma is basically begging the big 10 for an invite. President Boren is looking for the first chance to bolt the big 12. Without OU and Texas the big 12 loses half of it value if not more. Nobody is going to join the big 12 from another p5 conference knowing Texas and OU are looking to leave. The Pac 12 is a very stable conference the big 12 is abything but stable.

 

[Voice of the Mosquito]

More speculation from a sports writer, why would any school leave the Pac12? They control most of the major markets in the western half of US, face little competition for college fans, and have access to the most furtile recruiting grounds in the nation for almost every sport. They have history and name recognition, think UCLA basketball, USC football, ASU baseball, Stanford in most sports outside football and basketball. Academics with Stanford and others. Did I forget to mention rivalries? UCLA-USC, ASU and UA, OSU and Oregon, Cal and Stanford. Weather with great all season destinations, (think football in November in Ames or Basketball in Stillwater in January). Alumni, Corporate Sponsorships from world class business, the P12 has almost every advantage on the B12. So somebody pulls out a map and notices that Austin is closer than Seattle and thinks this would be a solid move? Really? Success on the court or field is cyclical for all big conferences, USC is down and Baylor is Up it doesn't really mean that over the long term it represents a better situation.

 

[TrojanMiner]

USC is nothing of their former cheating self since Carroll left.....

Just stop with perpetuating this myth that USC cheated. Reggie Bush, outside of any collusion with the school, coaches and administration did. BIG difference. His father-in-law, 200 mi away in San Diego, was incahoots with an ex-convict agent who wanted Reggie to LEAVE the school. ZERO competitive advantage for USC to even be involved in any of that nonsense. The NCAA framed a narrative necessary against an asst coach, created new and unprecedented interpretations and a blatant disregard of their own rules to find a LOIC finding against USC. Ok, back to Miner news, sorry folks!

 

[PositivelyPete]

Arizona and UTEP would be good fits in the Big 12.

 

[UTEPy79]

No mention (or love) for Stanford - the class of the PAC12? Must be the red ass people here have for the marching band from the lunatic fringe. It was so moooving seeing the cow trapezing around the Rose Bowl pasture on new years day

 

[Minerforlife]

Stanford has been the dominant football program in the pac 12 the past seven years.

 

[Tribalwarriorx]

A writer for the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson wrote a column about it.

1. A trip to Texas is 893 miles from Tucson. That's almost as close as it is to Cal (858 miles). A game at Oklahoma is 954 miles. Arizona goes 1,282 miles to play Oregon. How about distant Iowa State? That's 1,427 miles from Tucson. An Arizona game in Seattle is 1,538 miles.
2. The Pac-12 Networks has little clout, distribution woes and has not been the money-maker projected. It became even more confusing this basketball season when regional feeds became unavailable in other league markets.
   
3. ESPN's Pac-12 correspondent, Ted Miller, last week wrote: "There doesn't seem to be much momentum inside the posh Pac-12 offices in the most expensive city in the United States to do the nutty thing and, you know, cut expenses so the 12 universities could get more money.

"Moving the headquarters (to Salt Lake City) also might inspire a winnowing of the executive-level, big-paycheck bloat that university administrators are beginning to notice now that the euphoria of the rights deal fades."
I wonder if Colorado U. is having second thoughts about why it left the Big 12 for PAC-12.
(via @AthleticBiz)
http://www.athleticbusiness.com/college/opinion-arizona-should-consider-big-12-membership.html

The writer is off his rocker, but I understand why. He's trying to make a case.

The Pac12 Networks has enough clout. They do not have distribution woes. Directv under the previous leadership was A-holes. With AT&T calling the shots, they're still a-holes, but just with a lower case "a." But what's even more of a foul ball is that it hasn't been the "money maker" it was projected to be. The P12 Network distributed over $1 million to each member school in 2014. That same amount, according the report, was anticipated for this season. In 2016, the distribution amount is expected to increase. And when is ESPN the bell weather on school finances. Everyone that's ever started a business or ran a new business knows your startup costs drift into the 3-4th year. It's usually about mid 4th, early 5th is when a noticeable decrease in expenses occurs. Arizona moving to the Big 12 would make as much sense as UTEP moving to the SEC.

Maybe a better focus for ESPN is the revenue allocation for the smaller conference schools (CUSA, AAC) that ESPN rarely promotes into sexiness.

As for the writer, every paper has a windbag who's bored.

 

[MINER63]

Arizona and UTEP would be good fits in the Big 12.

Sounds crazy, but Arizona, and ASU, for that matter) has traditionally been associated with Southwestern schools, including the Texas schools. They were both members of the old Border Conference, which included Texas Tech, Texas Western, West Texas State, and other western schools. Not West Coast teams. I can see huge rivals with the U of A and ASU playing Texas, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma. Just saying.

 

[Tribalwarriorx]

Sounds crazy, but Arizona, and ASU, for that matter) has traditionally been associated with Southwestern schools, including the Texas schools. They were both members of the old Border Conference, which included Texas Tech, Texas Western, West Texas State, and other western schools. Not West Coast teams. I can see huge rivals with the U of A and ASU playing Texas, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma. Just saying.

I'm sure they would, but Texas doesn't play fair, which is, in part, the rationale TAMU used to bounce to the SEC. I don't think I've seen the payoff in recruitment for TAMU being in the SEC yet, but they don't have to worry about being bullied in their conference.

Colorado is probably kicking themselves for going to the Pac 12, but then they get those checks and access to kids they normally wouldn't get.

I think you'd agree that a conference reorganization is coming in a few years, if not sooner. The bigs will stay big, but the mids will try and get bigger (ie MWC, AAC) and strengthen their position - and bargaining power.

 

[Minerinciter]

I'm sure they would, but Texas doesn't play fair, which is, in part, the rationale TAMU used to bounce to the SEC. I don't think I've seen the payoff in recruitment for TAMU being in the SEC yet, but they don't have to worry about being bullied in their conference.

Colorado is probably kicking themselves for going to the Pac 12, but then they get those checks and access to kids they normally wouldn't get.

I think you'd agree that a conference reorganization is coming in a few years, if not sooner. The bigs will stay big, but the mids will try and get bigger (ie MWC, AAC) and strengthen their position - and bargaining power.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...ecruiting-texas-oklahoma-baylor-tcu/79643502/

 

[Minerinciter]

The University of Arizona recently published a campus-wide 2017- 19 Capital Improvement Plan listing the estimated cost of renovating Arizona Stadium at $146 million.

This isn't anything new.

Literally the day after Greg Byrne was hired in May 2010, his staff of lieutenants, including Suzy Mason, Rocky LaRose and John Perrin, gave him an insider's tour of the aging edifice.

"I realized quickly we had significant infrastructure issues that had to be addressed," Byrne said last week.

Now, almost six years later, after recently speaking to both graduate and undergraduate student leaders and their peers, the UA has an outline of how to begin a massive remake of Arizona Stadium.

It would assess new students $200 per year; current students would not be affected. Ideally, that assessment could raise about $8 million per year, if the Board of Regents approves.
A $146 million project would replace dated restrooms, concessions facilities and about 50,000 bench seats. Capacity would likely be reduced from about 56,000 to perhaps 52,000, and make the game-day experience more enjoyable.

"We're going to listen to what students have to say," said Byrne. "We want their feedback. ''

The makeover of Arizona Stadium is inevitable. The school can do it now or wait another 10 or 15 years, at which time the cost to make changes could soar above $200 million.

http://www.athleticbusiness.com/sta...-finance-u-of-arizona-stadium-renovation.html

 

[Tribalwarriorx]

The University of Arizona recently published a campus-wide 2017- 19 Capital Improvement Plan listing the estimated cost of renovating Arizona Stadium at $146 million.

This isn't anything new.

Literally the day after Greg Byrne was hired in May 2010, his staff of lieutenants, including Suzy Mason, Rocky LaRose and John Perrin, gave him an insider's tour of the aging edifice.

"I realized quickly we had significant infrastructure issues that had to be addressed," Byrne said last week.

Now, almost six years later, after recently speaking to both graduate and undergraduate student leaders and their peers, the UA has an outline of how to begin a massive remake of Arizona Stadium.

It would assess new students $200 per year; current students would not be affected. Ideally, that assessment could raise about $8 million per year, if the Board of Regents approves.
A $146 million project would replace dated restrooms, concessions facilities and about 50,000 bench seats. Capacity would likely be reduced from about 56,000 to perhaps 52,000, and make the game-day experience more enjoyable.

"We're going to listen to what students have to say," said Byrne. "We want their feedback. ''

The makeover of Arizona Stadium is inevitable. The school can do it now or wait another 10 or 15 years, at which time the cost to make changes could soar above $200 million.

http://www.athleticbusiness.com/sta...-finance-u-of-arizona-stadium-renovation.html

Totally agree. That booster money will help. No school can really ignore the revenue football programs can generate. To do so sells the program and the university short of much needed revenue. If Arizona, or any other school wants to be "in the game" they're going to have to invest in their program or like the article said, fall horribly behind. I call part of that the Oregon Effect. lol

 

[Miners Fight]

Just stop with perpetuating this myth that USC cheated. Reggie Bush, outside of any collusion with the school, coaches and administration did. BIG difference. His father-in-law, 200 mi away in San Diego, was incahoots with an ex-convict agent who wanted Reggie to LEAVE the school. ZERO competitive advantage for USC to even be involved in any of that nonsense. The NCAA framed a narrative necessary against an asst coach, created new and unprecedented interpretations and a blatant disregard of their own rules to find a LOIC finding against USC. Ok, back to Miner news, sorry folks!

funny that you know so much about this, TM.

 

[jamasterj]

They should also look into renovating their arena, holy cow that place is a dump. I went there when we played them about 3 or 4 years ago and I was shocked that a school from the PAC-10 (at the time), with the history they have, how dilapidated and how terrible the set up of the arena ie., concourse, flow of traffic. We should not complain about the DH, we've got it made.

 

[Minerinciter]

They just renovated the McHale Center about two years ago.
http://heatwaved.com/2014/10/23/arizona-wildcats-basketball-newly-renovated-mckale-center/

 

[myminers]

Who cares, I don't give a rats ass what they do or don't.

 

[Tribalwarriorx]

funny that you know so much about this, TM.

The USC, Reggie Bush fiasco of an investigation should have every NCAA school looking sideways. They established precedence by essentially saying a school is accountable for the actions of a player's parents. Reggie was accountable for his actions, but his parents were, rather should have been, absent from any involvement that related to the school. The creepiest thing about the investigation was how the NCAA, after testifying to congress a year or two earlier that they provide protections for member institutions that exceed even the constitution - allowed their investigative process to be hijacked. Then, rather than own up to the Paul Dee mistakes, etc., they certified it by not cancelling out the penalty sooner. Think about it for a second, Penn St, given the allegations and ultimately the factual actions by a coaching staff member did less "time" than USC did. Or North Carolina, and even Miami (did they even finish that investigation?). Even Ohio State was only in the penalty box for a fraction of the time USC served. I read that report when it was released and it's flaws were so evident, anyone with half a brain could see it was skewed. I for one hope Todd McNair sues the pants off the NCAA. Even then, I'm guessing the NCAA at some point will settle, but I'd love to read those specific emails that they blocked from being released. Those were, I'm guessing, the most damaging of all of them.

It's a fascinating read into how the NCAA does business, how they treat players, and ultimately, how marginalized the entire "amateur" athletic process is.

 

[Minerinciter]

http://www.athleticbusiness.com/col...et-cuts-stadium-renovation-seems-dubious.html