UCF_rustbucket

Definitely not. Those are B1G caliber schools that have probably begun making calls now that this news dropped. If I'm the B1G, I take those to form a Western pod with USC and UCLA. Stanford and Cal deserve some consideration, but it can definitely work with just the first 4.

I don't think we're talking about the same thing. I'm taking about the poached, not the poacher padding itself before they get poached. So not the SEC and B1G. I'm talking about an ACC that fears a raid on its teams is imminent, I don't see them adding G5 teams in anticipation of getting raided. They would reactively add teams only after they lose teams. Just like the Big East/AAC did and like the Big 12 did.

No power conference has ever proactively tried to buffer against future raids. Does that mean none ever will? Nah, they could. But it's just not something I'd bet on. The Big 12 could've in 2016 but didn't because it meant pissing off ESPN who'd have to pay P5 money to G5 teams. The current ACC would add G5 teams and willingly split their shares? Unlikely. Wouldn't act until their hand is forced.

If what the sports writers are saying is true, it may not even be a P5. It'll be a P2 and then 2 or 3 tweener conferences, then the G5. But either way, you'd rather be as high as you can get even if it's the middle 2 or 3 rather than being G5. The way the SEC and B1G are consolidating, both our schools may be like 50 years too late as far as FBS history goes to have a realistic chance of being included.

Basically my same sentiment, feels good on positioning based on program improvements. But no actual details because USF's opening is still a few moves away. Even in your scenario, the ACC would need to be raided first. His connections would help, but what I'm trying to say is if the ACC/Big 12 only expand after getting raided and that hasn't happened yet, then there's no way he knows of an actual invite in hand.

Unlikely he knows anything, but is probably just confident on your outlook based on the upcoming facilities. I don't think he knows anything because the likeliest opportunity for USF would be the Big 12. But in order to get there more domino's have to fall first. Are USC and UCLA going alone or taking 2 more with them? The makeup of the PAC 12 after the raid will determine whether they can raid the Big 12 or end up getting raided. Because the Big 12 would take existing P5 teams first. Only if it loses teams will it need to expand with teams currently outside the P5.

They brought Bevo with them a few years ago when they played Georgia in the Sugar Bowl and he chased off the bulldog mascot lol https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.kvue.com/amp/article/news/local/i-got-hooked-sugar-bowl-photographer-shows-scratch-after-bevo-attacks-georgia-bulldog/269-625841401

I know the focus was probably on football focused players and coaches but I really am surprised it took y'all until page 4 (at least as far as I could tell) to mention LRS. Easily should be the first person honored, at least from this outsider's perspective.

I agree. But it goes hand in hand to me, winning and facilities that is. Investing in the right facilities early on and hitting more often than missing on coaching hires both would be signs of an engaged administration. Though it's definitely possible to end up with just half. Right now that's AAC newcomer UNT. They've put some good money into facilities, are ina great market/recruiting area, but need to make a coaching change and be back in the win column. If UCF hadn't made the right hires and won the way we have, we'd basically be the Florida version of UNT.

It's helpful to try to salvage what you can brand wise and have the new members coexist with the 2 bluebloods even for a season or 2. The Big 12 also has the GOR, which gives them leverage against OU/UT that Aresco didn't have against the departing teams. In order to leave, OU/UT at a minimum must forfeit 2 years of conference payout. That's just the regular exit fee. Then they also still would contractually owe the Big 12 their TV earnings through the 2024-25 athletic season. So if they did try to move for the 23-24 season, they'd have to pay the Big 12 all of their Big 12 money from 21-22 and 22-23, and on top of that the Big 12 would still hold their tv rights so those first 2 years of playing in the SEC would go right back to the Big 12 bank.

I think the Alliance has shown itself already to not be much but a voting block to shoot down the proposed CFP just because they felt bamboozled by the SEC simultaneously having a hand in designing it while secretly pillaging the Big 12. There's been little to no effort in actual scheduling agreements among those conferences. An opening could happen for you guys in the 16 team B1G option due to trickle down. Either the ACC takes you or the ACC takes Cincy, which leaves the Big 12 down 2 teams after also losing WVU to the B1G (which idk if they'd be thaaaat lenient on academics to let WVU in). My picks would easily be Memphis and USF to get back to 12. Or go with strength in numbers at that point and also add Boise and SDSU to get to 14.

Puc lol but that's about it. I think just about everyone else on here realizes that while it sucks to see us up while y'all are down, us being up isn't what caused you to be down. If either of our schools had done things differently we could've both been in the Big 12 expansion. Or both left out.

The Alabama's can't just stockpile their bench, but the counter to that is that they can still poach established players from lower level schools. 3 year All American starter at a G5 school with aspirations for a bigger stage (and NIL cash) gets the call from the Bama tier of schools and jumps in

I also wonder if Willie had the same problem that some of our past coaches had with certain HS coaches in the Orlando area. It's coaches who either grew up as fans of the Big 3 or only see the P5 as worthy destinations for their top tier talent. So instead, they try to only send their borderline FCS talent kids to us and get mad when we don't take them.

He does lolol officially as Mikey on our roster, his 247 profile, and his Twitter account. I'm not sure what the age cutoff is when he has to step it up and just go by Mike.

I'll add a little more insight. He got injured in the Louisville game where we lost a ton of starters to injury. He was out for a while and when he returned, didn't seem 100% healthy, probably lingering injury. In his absence Ryan O'Keefe emerged and built chemistry with Mikey Keene since Dillon Gabriel went down in Louisville too. So when Robinson came back he wasn't back to full strength and now had a new, not as good QB who had a different go to WR. Then once DG transferred, there was a lot of smoke that Robinson would leave too. Somehow it didn't happen and spring started. Really thought he'd stick at that point and he looked great in the spring game after being back to full health, but alas it wasn't meant to be.

I wouldn't be surprised if eventually one or two do find a way out, and it will make the Big 12 weaker. But I can't see a collapse like the Big East because the conference is bigger and the landscape is different. Being at 8 for so long in a conference already considered the runt left the Big East vulnerable. The expansion landscape also seems limited. I'll always argue against those who think a P4 with 16 teams will happen. Because that's literally just arranging the P5 of old but into 4 conferences. Instead, conferences will get pickier. The SEC bloated to 16 but added 2 blue bloods, absolutely worth it. Does it really seem like an even match if the B1G tried to counter that by going to 16 with ... Kansas and Iowa State? They'd be mocked and rightfully so. The new Big 12 has a solid collection of mid tier P5 teams, similar to the old Big East. I just don't think conferences want to keep expanding by adding to the bottom and middle.

WVU and the Hateful 8 already wanted to leave and looked for exits or a Pac 12 merger before going with the 4 call-ups. But none of the other P5 wanted the Big 12 leftovers, at least for now.

I think it was as simple as USF football as a whole was too young and also hadn't hit enough hight points either. Had that round of expansion happened 10 or 15 years later, giving you more time to build your reputation in the Big East, you'd have had a great chance to get an invite. Cincy had a long history and several BCS appearances but got left behind. TCU and WVU both had long histories and a recent history of ranked seasons and BCS appearances and wins.

... Shoot. I thought slashing his tires in 2017 would for sure cover our tracks.

The $80M as far as I understand is just the regular B12 exit fee. I think it's supposed to equal to 2 years of conference distribution. So that's not even including what it would cost to break the GOR if they choose to leave early.

From the outside, it really seemed like he was expecting to stay no more than 2 years by going to a program that Willie T had left in a good spot and use it to springboard back into another P5 job. Which is why I feel it's taken y'all a little time to right the ship again since Strong's plan would mean he could neglect building a foundation since he just wanted to do a quick flip.

I'm trying to remember all the details from our president hunt a few years ago. I think for some of these high profile jobs for public schools like ours (president and AD type hires), some of the candidates hold off until the 11th hour. I think they try to avoid their name getting publicly out there since some times it can be awkward given their current job. Especially they're already a president/chancellor somewhere. People are more understanding if you're reaching up position wise. I'm really fuzzy but I swear one of the presidential candidates from when we were looking for Hitt's retirement eventually stepped away from his current job once his name was leaked as being in the hunt for the UCF job. TLDR: some candidates for president jobs try to stay on the DL and officially throw their name in until the very end so it doesn't blow up that they're trying to leave their current employer.

Yup. And that's just the exit fee portion. They'd both also still be bound by the Big 12 grant of rights through 6/30/25 so unless they negotiate a deal, their SEC media payout would be property of the Big 12 until that GOR runs out.

I see you're both men of culture when it comes to expansion.