Big 12's status among the Power Five clearly in jeopardy

[Brad]

Big 12's status among the Power Five clearly in jeopardy

(AP)

As the Big 12’s tortured expansion process continues, a much-prophesied future is becoming increasingly likely: The Power 5 conferences could well wind up becoming the Power 4 in less than a decade.

The Monday story from Sports Business Journal on the schism between the Big 12 and its TV partners, ESPN and Fox, further reveals the weakness of the conference. An expansion gambit that would contractually add dollars to the league but also do little to improve its quality is meeting heavy resistance from the most powerful TV entities in college sports.

This is one more example of a league that has lost significant ground in the athletic arms race and is unsure what to do about it.

At its spring meetings in early June, the Big 12 was clearly predisposed against expansion. By football media days seven weeks later, a transformation had occurred – the league said it was looking seriously at expansion. That was a presidential-level decision that seemed to come as startling news to some athletic directors and coaches.

Shortly thereafter, presidents were publicly backing candidates – Texas and Texas Tech got behind Houston – and those on the outside were feverishly elbowing for a ride on what looked like the last chopper out of mid-major Saigon. From Boise State in the west to Connecticut in the east, schools on the outside launched P.R. offensives to sell themselves as Big 12-worthy.

Rest of story

[Azmodi]

You do know that if one of those new adds wins the College Football Playoffs, this entire stance goes out the window.

[slick1ru2]

The new Big East.

[USFBulls12]

We are trying desperately to get into a conference that may be falling apart before our eyes.  We show up thinking we are part of the big guys in the Power 5, but by that time all the big guys have left us with a conference of pieces that weren't good enough to be absorbed elsewhere. 

[lotsofbull99]

The Big 12 has already lost my recognition of them as a Power 5

[raptorcj]

7 hours ago, USFBulls12 said:

We are trying desperately to get into a conference that may be falling apart before our eyes.  We show up thinking we are part of the big guys in the Power 5, but by that time all the big guys have left us with a conference of pieces that weren't good enough to be absorbed elsewhere. 

At the very least, it's a conference in turmoil at the moment. It would be in their best interests to draw this all to a tidy closure by September. IMO, this shakeup would have been better served playing out last year when the playoff topic seemed a hotter issue--but I'm glad they waited, so we'd have at least a snowball's chance.

[GaUSFBull]

3 hours ago, lotsofbull99 said:

The Big 12 has already lost my recognition of them as a Power 5

You gotta watch what you say on here.  Big 12 Brother is always watching. 

[BDYZR]

Exactly the reason I think they should expand now, take the money, and tell ESPN and FOX where to stick it. IMO, when this contract runs out they're going to get poached anyway.

Remember when the Big East held out for a bigger contract? ESPN screwed us. Take the money NOW.

[Bear]

9 hours ago, USFBulls12 said:

We are trying desperately to get into a conference that may be falling apart before our eyes.  We show up thinking we are part of the big guys in the Power 5, but by that time all the big guys have left us with a conference of pieces that weren't good enough to be absorbed elsewhere. 

Big East Part Deux

[TallyBull]

8 minutes ago, Bear said:

Big East Part Deux

Well that would suck for WVU and TCU, wouldn't it?