Should the B12 let BYU into the conference?

ESPN Sportsnation poll

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/poll/conversation/_/id/4362869" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



Total votes: 12,810 at moment and only WV, Alaska and Montana voting 'No".



I understand West Virginia. I lived there for almost 8 years--50 miles west of Washington DC (the disclaimer tag is common for those of us that lived in the "panhandle" of WV so as to not be confused with the hillbilly element in all parts west of the panhandle). Any state that could have Senator Robert KKK Bird as their senator for so many years--that says it all.



They would definitely not want to see any westward expansion by B12, but what's the deal with Alaska and Montana? Who spit in their Cheerios?

I haven't posted a thing for some time and I've attempted to avoid this talk of the Big 12 once again. I never saw an event that fractured Cougardom so decisively than that period of Puketah going to the Puke12 and then in the subsequent year the fever pitch talk of BYU going to the Big 12--only to be left on the outside watching TCU take that place. It was devastating. I mean even Greg Wrubbel had finally come out and said that it looked like it was going to happen. Sigh :~(



I was absolutely shocked recently to see Bronco coming out so openly noting that BYU would love an invitation to play in the Big 12. He's almost the last guy that I would have believed to have done such a thing. The local media then playing the anthem of damned if you do; damned if you don't. The national media picking up the story and almost to a tee all saying that while BYU was awful pur-tee and dressed for the ball, yet it didn't look likely that any school at the moment would have any invitation to the Big 12.



I'm toughened up now enough to not expect any such luck and that's why I've avoided the topic. I guess it's a little of the "baby of the family" syndrome I endure where you constantly wanted to do what your older brother's were doing and always being told you were too little.



I don't know what the future will bring. This current landscape with the power 5 conferences rattling the sword of self autonomy and a break from the NCAA. Will such a move make the other 4 conferences insist that the Big 12 man up and have a conference championship and add teams up to 12. Or, will self-government allow them to do it with their current 10 teams and the new government won't mandate conference size for championship games?



I'd have to say though, that I believe that BYU needs to continue to win on the field, and more decisively against any P5 team to ever garner enough "desireables" to be included in any expansion conversation. We need to start selling out our games again. Vast TV coverage has eroded that old time certainty in LES, but these are the types of outward appearances that make others notice. I simply do not want to dwell on this topic, but I did feel the need to at least vent.

EM_Puma wrote:
ESPN Sportsnation poll

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/poll/conversation/_/id/4362869" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



Total votes: 12,810 at moment and only WV, Alaska and Montana voting 'No".



I understand West Virginia.

...

They would definitely not want to see any westward expansion by B12, but what's the deal with Alaska and Montana? Who spit in their Cheerios?

Problem is small sample size. 15 votes in Alaska: 7 voted yes, 8 voted no.



Similar problem in WV: 64 votes-- 29 yes, 35 no.



Montana is now in the yes column, but small sample size again.



More importantly, there's a sizable sample in all B12 states, all solidly voting yes. So there's that. Win the popular vote and good things may follow! I'm with Puma, though, there's been too much wet-blanket news recently to make me optimistic.

Only states now are WV, who just got into the Big XII and is probably enjoying thinking how special they are that they don't want us to steal their thunder, and Alaska, because they're cold and bitter, I suppose.

These are polls that do us fine as they are national in scope and on ESPN--it doesn't' get better than that.