Big 12 lags behind SEC/B1G in attendance; BYU can help

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Basically the story says the Big 12 trail the SEC and B1G in attendance and there isn't a ton that the existing programs can do to increase those figures. But if they expand, BYU would immediately give them a bump there (even with their "squishy" independent schedule). Here are where the expansion candidates would have fit relative to the conference:



School Average Capacity

Texas 90,035 100,119

Oklahoma 85,357 82,112

BYU 58,532 63,470

Oklahoma State 57,668 60,000

Iowa State 56,519 55,000

Texas Tech 56,340 60,454

West Virginia 54,826 60,000

Kansas State 53,100 50,000

TCU 46,767 45,000 (can be expanded)

Baylor 46,160 45,000 (can be expanded, planning 10,000 more)

Cincinnati 37,096 40,000

Boise State 33,612 36,387

UCF 30,065 ~45,000

UConn 28,224 40,642

Kansas 27,282 50,071



**Some of these stadium capacities appear to be a bit low with the reported average attendance--unless they are expanding seating somehow. But that is what I was finding official capacities of.

Unfortunately conferences don't seem to give a rip about attendance. Consider all the schools who have gotten the invite from the P5 conferences.



Texas A&M: 105,123

Nebraska: 91,249

Missouri: 65,285

BYU:57,141

West Virginia: 56,686

Louisville: 52,972

Rutgers: 50,632

Maryland: 46,981

Utah: 46,437

TCU: 44,719

Pittsburgh: 41,315

Syracuse: 40,447

Colorado: 37,778



The only schools with more attendance that got invites were moving from one P5 conference to another (in italics). And even then BYU has higher attendance (with a worse schedule) than 40% of the schools that moved from one P5 to another.



Expansion is about markets and politics. That's about it.

Isola wrote:

Expansion is about markets and politics. That's about it.

I wouldn't call it that simple. I think there are several factors and which factors are important depends on who you are talking about. I think some of those B1G expansion invitees were done for markets. But is that what the Big 12 is all about? If you look at the markets they do have, it wouldn't be obvious. I think politics and markets are in play. But so is contribution to a TV deal, reputation add to the conference, academics, reputation of your school, etc.