How are we so optimistic ?

[cmhatter]

about conference expansion...

i for one am scared to death... What happens if Texas, A&M, Oklahoma, Ok State go to the SEC and then the B10 raids the BE...

i think Cinci, Louisville, and USF should be pretty afraid... As long as the ACC gets raided I think we will be fine. If not... Who knows...

[Raetus]

I think the majority of us are afraid to a degree. It's been said a million times, though, that this is all about $$$ and TV markets. We are in a fairly large one and in a football rich state. There are definitely scenarios that leave us out, but we are in a much better place right now, then we were four weeks ago. Colorado to the Pac-10 is a great sign. Hopefully the Big 10 grabs Nebraska and we start to see how this is going to turn out.

[Guest]

First, the Big Ten will not make another move without a formal decision from Notre Dame.  The only reason they acted now was the Big 12 "ultimatum" spurred on by the Pac 10 move.

Second, the SEC won't be the first to officially jump to 16 - which is what you're actually proposing.  The Pac 10 invites are forthcoming to the five Big 12 schools.  But the SEC will be waiting... will the Big 12 schools turn down the Pac 10 while waiting on the SEC?  I doubt it.

Moreover, Texas really REALLY is not interested in the SEC.  The only good thing about the SEC is the SEC's contracts allow schools to set up their own local contracts.  The "Pac 16" will want a Pac 16 Network, preventing the ability to form a Longhorn network (even syndicated). 

But the Pac 16 would be a lot like the Big 12 - with Texas and Oklahoma playing every year for a spot in the conference championship.  The conference revenue would be about the same.  The academics are better for Texas.

I still say the Big 12 teams end up out west.  So if the Big Ten does raid the Big East and take three teams, the SEC will have to look at the ACC.

It's logical.

And until we see another bolt out of the blue like the Pac 16, it's what I think will happen.

[Guest]

From Fan House:

Texas apparently wants A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State to join it in the Pac-10. Sources are telling FanHouse that Texas A&M favors a move to the SEC and would like Texas to be part of the move.

...

Texas and Texas A&M, meanwhile, appear at odds on the next step to make. Byrne, who was once the athletic director at Oregon, has been vocal since last week about the burden the increased travel would place on student-athletes in a Pac-16. Moving to the SEC would certainly make travel much less of an issue.

Texas, however, isn't in favor of the move because its institution would be aligned with several schools in the SEC that don't share similar academic reputations.

http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/06/10/surprise-surprise-texas-and-texas-aandm-not-in-agreement-on-pac/

[SANJAY]

I favor a&m in the sec.  Just to see them play miss state and not being able to tell which team is which.

[namuh-bull]

It's not so much that we are (or at least I am) optimistic, it is that the alternative is not all that pleasant.  In reality, what will happen is pretty much out of our control, unless you have some powerful position that can exert some pressure on the university presidents.  I'm hopeful that the best days of USF football are yet to come.

Go Bulls!

[Bull Dozer]

about conference expansion...

i for one am scared to death... What happens if Texas, A&M, Oklahoma, Ok State go to the SEC and then the B10 raids the BE...

i think Cinci, Louisville, and USF should be pretty afraid... As long as the ACC gets raided I think we will be fine. If not... Who knows...

Yeah im pretty freaking scared at the moment, i need to pour another bourbon. 

[Bull Dozer]

The only cure for BCS musical chairs uneasiness. 

[usf97]

I think the reason we are so optimistic is things looked pretty glum recently. Everyone was saying the Big East is doomed. We were not in the expansion talk. So USF, Cincy, Louisville & West Virginia all appeared to be on the outside. Who will take us if we are raided? We could possible be in a crappy conference where we just add Memphis, UCF and ECU. Arrgh!!

Now the Big 12 is dying. Now we could see where, hey we could be invited to the ACC or the Big East could be proactive and take on Kansas, KSU, ISU and Mizzou. Either of those options sound a lot better. So we are now more optimistic......but we know we could still be Baylor.

[8u11`o3]

First, the Big Ten will not make another move without a formal decision from Notre Dame.  The only reason they acted now was the Big 12 "ultimatum" spurred on by the Pac 10 move.

Second, the SEC won't be the first to officially jump to 16 - which is what you're actually proposing.  The Pac 10 invites are forthcoming to the five Big 12 schools.  But the SEC will be waiting... will the Big 12 schools turn down the Pac 10 while waiting on the SEC?  I doubt it.

Moreover, Texas really REALLY is not interested in the SEC.  The only good thing about the SEC is the SEC's contracts allow schools to set up their own local contracts.  The "Pac 16" will want a Pac 16 Network, preventing the ability to form a Longhorn network (even syndicated). 

But the Pac 16 would be a lot like the Big 12 - with Texas and Oklahoma playing every year for a spot in the conference championship.  The conference revenue would be about the same.  The academics are better for Texas.

I still say the Big 12 teams end up out west.  So if the Big Ten does raid the Big East and take three teams, the SEC will have to look at the ACC.

It's logical.

And until we see another bolt out of the blue like the Pac 16, it's what I think will happen.

If it is profitable for the SEC to expand, isn't it profitable regardless of what the Big Ten does?  What is the dependency there?