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The big question now is who the AAC will get to replace Memphis, Houston, Cincinnati, and UCF when they all leave for the Big 12. I see on the horizon a complete reshuffling of the AAC, CUSA, and the Sun Belt Conferences. I think we'll end up with an east coast based conference, a central based conference, and a mid-west based conference.
I'm still not convinced AAC schools will hop to the Big XII.
Time is your friend. Impulse is your enemy. -John Bogle
I saw some "TV Viewership" stats yesterday on some board. BYU and Houston were listed as the top 2 G5's when it comes to TV viewer ratings for home football games. Seems to me those would be two very easy adds for the Big XII, and Houston will likely see a further increase in TV viewership of their games after joining the Big XII. The Big XII could add those two, and move right on.Originally Posted by johnnylightnin
Maybe Houston and/or Memphis.
I agree about Houston.
BYU would have been admitted several years ago had the TV peeps been willing to commit to no Sunday games. That was the deal breaker then and ESPN would likely do it again since ESPN wants the Big12 to go away.
So many people think that name recognition or success in the major sports is the ticket to move to better conferences! It’s actually revenue production and TV market that creates attraction to bigger and better conferences! We are really poor when it comes to revenue and we don’t live in a large tv market! So everything else is wishing! Sorry to say!
We are being told that in these times its not so much market as marketability and supposedly we have the latter. It does make sense that TV market should not matter these days since there is no longer a limit to viewing access. If budget size is still a deal breaker we are SOL.
Yep. Thanks to the Innaneck, traditional TV viewing is no more.
Agreed. BYU would be a good fit for the Big 12, except for that Sunday thingy. Houston has to be at, or near, the top of the list should the B12 seek to recruit more schools.
Just an aside, I coached a soccer team that had 3 brothers and 2 others who were Morons. All good players and fine young men. We were in a tournament with two games scheduled for Saturday, and one Sunday morning, and beyond if you advanced. I wore those 5 Moron kids out on Saturday knowing they could not/would not play on Sunday. I held back others on Saturday keeping them rested for Sunday. The things coaches have to do at times....
Canine or dogcentric Conference. I included A&M and Tenn because they have dogs as their mascot (Reveille and Smokey)
Fresno State
Georgia
Louisiana Tech
Mississippi State
Connecticut
NC State
Nevada
Texas A&M
Washington
Tennessee
Add NIU and ASU and you could have divisions (or New Mexico if you prefer).
Part of the problem with revenue is that it is circular. Once you are in a Power conference, your revenue jumps dramatically. I watched TCU as they progressed through the years. They had good revenue to start with and built upon that. Their viewership was not that great for a long time, but they built it up over the years by winning. Revenue followed. After they got in the B12, though, I went over and saw their stadium being basically rebuilt. It is amazing what a P5 conference can do for revenue. You have to have a build up to it first, though. It then becomes pretty automatic, if you can get viewers. Being in a small market doesn't matter anymore, though. Even though they are in the DFW market, that market was always saturated with UT and A&M. Just like SMU, UNT, and others, it didn't matter in comparison to the P5 schools in Texas. I look at places like Starkville, Stillwater, and even what Auburn and A&M had for immediate physical market at one time. Those were towns, not cities. Some built up around the schools, but the key is TV market.
Actually, regarding markets it's exactly the opposite.
There have been a number of articles in the past year pointing out what focusing on markets back in 2012 did to CUSA.
And you may be confusing budgets with a school's ability to bring revenue to a conference through branding and national television.
Tech's national TV numbers pre-covid going back to the WAC days are respectable. As one example, we've been part of 2 of the top 3 CUSA championship games (both on ESPN2) from a TV ratings standpoint. And the other was a Houston-USM game in 2011 that was on a broadcast network (ABC). It's one indication of what Tech would bring to the table from a streaming or broadcast standpoint.
The AAC commish, Mike Aresco, was on SiriusXM late last year before their championship game. He said their presidents wanted to get back to 12 from 11. He said it just worked better for the league.
If that's the case. And they end up looking for 5 the most likely group in the running are:
From CUSA:
UAB
Tech
USM
Marshall
From the Belt:
UL-Lafayette
App. State
Wild Card:
Rice
The more I've seen and heard about this round of realignment the more I think Rice isn't going anywhere. But with the presidents you just never know.
Also, if there is a reshuffling the AAC isn't going to be part of it. And I doubt strongly there is a reshuffling within CUSA and the Belt. Tommy's quotes last summer on this topic give you an idea how the CUSA presidents really feel on the matter. There are at least 4 CUSA schools who strongly don't want to be associated with certain Belt schools.
I think it depends on who leaves the AAC.
If SMU is blocked by TCU and Tulsa is blocked by Okie State from coming over to the Big 12, and they pick up Memphis/Houston/BYU/UCF?
That leaves Tulsa/Tulane/SMU as your West side. Do they add one or two from Louisiana?
The other issue is non football sports. The teams leaving are all Baseball schools...leaving a huge issue with the lack of other Baseball playing schools in the conference.
SMU, Temple, Tulsa don't play Baseball.
UCF to the Big12 does not make sense. Why would they do it?
As I've said, I don't think BYU is an option as long as ESPN is involved.
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