Rumor(s): Texas after BYU...

in some capacity, whether to the Big 12, or some new conference.



Thought you guys might find the below link interesting. Take it for what it's worth. This guy has been right on with some things, and not so much on others. He's entertaining to say the least.



The discussion below the article is interesting (sorry ahead of time if there's anything offensive in the bloggers' comments.) Overall, I'd say BYU is a very popular choice.



http://barkingcarnival.fantake.com/2011/08/23/big-cigar-with-some-realignment-news/



Not sure if I buy the ND thing to the Big 12, or even you guys. Seriously, who wants to join a dying conference? (Besides, I've read some of your debates on here about it) Plus, I think you guys may have a good thing going. However, the whispers that Texas is targeting "like-minded" schools makes sense. I also believe that Texas is being, and has been very proactive in the event of aggie leaving and from all I've heard, you guys seem to top every list of possible outcomes.

Interesting take. I don't see ND as a viable candidate. I mean, as an independent they already get preferential treatment from the BCS. Why join the shaky Big XII and lose that?



The network freedom issue is compelling. The two biggest things keeping BYU from joining the Big XII if invited is BYUtv (the EPSN contract) and Sunday play. If Sunday play isn't agreed to 100% there is no way BYU joins. That maybe leads to a football only solution, perhaps.

IMHO, I don't see the problem with the "Sunday Play". The only area that some may fight it, is for conference championships.



However, couldn't a championship game be played on a Monday, be just as appealing, if not more so? A primetime Monday night game could draw a huge audience, especially if you guys have another Jimmer type waiting around.



BTW, we have all "J" names in our family, and I've been trying to convince my wife that Jimmer is a good boy name. Not sure if she's bought into it, yet.

Hookem



IMHO that would be sweet. Texas has to be in the top 5 football programs that anybody on the planet would list and BYU would be fortunate to forge a relationship with The Longhorns. Texas, ND, Oklahoma, BYU, and others in Football, basketball, etc. I think if ND signs up it could out gun the SEC in drawing power and A&M and Nebraska and especially Colorado would look like fools for leaving. Of course Colorado would probably have been dumped as may Baylor, Iowa State, and maybe others. I like the idea of a Band of Independent Brothers and could see some other major powers sign on to schedule each other while giving individual schools independence relative to broadcasting rights. USC, Florida, Ohio State and a few others might want to give that some thought. Maybe have home and away deals for 6 brothers and flexibility to schedule others for annual variety so they do not kill each other.



[ Post made via Mobile Device ] http://cougarcorner.com/images/mobile.png" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

Cougarbib2 wrote:
Texas has to be in the top 5 football programs that anybody on the planet would list and BYU would be fortunate to forge a relationship with The Longhorns. Texas, ND, Oklahoma, BYU, and others in Football, basketball, etc.

I just like the sound of our name included in a list of 3 schools that are absolutely college royalty.



I also liked the name one of the commentators gave us: The Fightin' Mormons :evil:

It has a nice ring to it

One thing that's interesting with all of this, is that Texas, ND and BYU are all on each others future schedules. That alone may have fueled all of this speculation, but intriguing none the less.

I read that yesterday, and found parts of it intriguing. Not sure I buy it though. But I do like the fact that the Big XII would allow teams to have their own networks because that fact alone could be what brings Texas, BYU and ND together. Allowing teams to promote their own brand and generate their own revenue with TV, while also having a unified league TV agreement sounds like the NBA and MLB. In other words, while it may not be the norm in college, there is precedent in other sports.



IF this were to happen, BYU has no choice but to be on board. Frankly, being aligned with Texas, OU and ND football and Kansas hoops is a dream scenario.



By the way, hearing A&M is bolting to the SEC by end of the week, and that BYU could be joining the Big XII bu 2013 for football only, and after for all sports.



Also hearing Tulsa may be the last home game for 2012, so our C-USA may continue, and Utah long term deal and longer term BSU deal may be in the works.

CAFB_04-12 wrote:
Interesting take. I don't see ND as a viable candidate. I mean, as an independent they already get preferential treatment from the BCS. Why join the shaky Big XII and lose that?

the answer is always the same, $$$$$$$



ND could keep their huge nbc contract and then also get the conference tv deal money just like texas is getting. they also have two schools that can help them set up their own tv network if they so desired.

I have been thinking about this loose affiliation thing as well. I could see a lot of teams wanting to do it simply because of the money, freedom, and branding opportunities. The thing it that it would create major disparity between the haves and have-nots with the biggest question being: which college football teams have a big enough draw to pull it off? I am not super knowledgeable about other colleges financial situations.



Clearly the three already mentioned...



BYU, ND, Texas



I do not see any teams in the SEC wanting to leave due to their recent SEC dominance in the NC game - also because of the SEC pride. So I think that leaves out Bama & Florida.



I think Michigan and Ohio State could pull it off and have the funds to do so. Oklahoma and OSU could with support from their very rich boosters, but I don't know if it would work long term. USC could pull it off...anyone else have thoughts on this?

A loose affiliation would really only work if the BCS were rejiggered. Texas isn't going to go semi-indy without some assurance of BCS consideration. This would work best if there were, say, a 16-team playoff based on BCS rankings.

If it gets to the point where TV money >>> BCS money, then anybody that can get that TV money in a loose affiliation setup could potentially go for it. At that point, they have the freedom to break away from the BCS and crown their own champion. And complete chaos ensues as the coattail riders struggle to avoid being relegated to a lower division.

Exactly what I was saying about the gap between the haves and the have-nots. If some sort of lose affiliation were to be created, then suddenly the ground shifts for the BCS system and for a lot of teams - AQ or not. Good point!

Interesting article, but the writer and many, many of the comments are making an erroneous assumption. A common scenario in the comments was that ND and BYU to the Big ?? is just a temporary stabilizer on the path to a Pac 16, with UT, OU, ND and us moving over, and that this is the only way to sell the Big ?? to ND. To quote: ain't never gonna happen. ND and UT are two of the real heavyweights in college football, but not even they have the necessary pull to get BYU accepted by the anti-religion, academic freedom big wigs in the Pac 10+2. ND may still go south, but Tom Holmoe would be crazy to make the move if he had even an inkling that UT, ND, OU and OSU would be moving west in the next two decades. All in all, I think there is just too much instability in the Big 12/11 right now to risk a football conference two years from now of BYU, Baylor, KU, KSU, and ?? (BSU, AF, etc.).

FYI



The same blog, in a more recent update, has been posting that it looks as though the "Big??" is looking at BYU to fill the void when (not if) A&M leaves, and set up an annual Thanksgiving Day game with ND, w/o conference affiliation, to fill that void as well. This actually makes perfect sense.



Also, Cougdoc, I agree with your observation.



However, IMHO, I'm not so sure that the PAC12 is the future for Texas and Co. I think that they are thinking bigger for the long-term, and ND and BYU just happen to be a part of that equation.



I would have to imagine that BYU is not going to agree to any deal to join the Big 12, without some assurances (whatever they may be) if the Big 12 falters.



What's interesting, is that if all of this is true, you guys have some serious bargaining power right now.

Hookem wrote:
FYI



The same blog, in a more recent update, has been posting that it looks as though the "Big??" is looking at BYU to fill the void when (not if) A&M leaves, and set up an annual Thanksgiving Day game with ND, w/o conference affiliation, to fill that void as well. This actually makes perfect sense.



Also, Cougdoc, I agree with your observation.



However, IMHO, I'm not so sure that the PAC12 is the future for Texas and Co. I think that they are thinking bigger for the long-term, and ND and BYU just happen to be a part of that equation.



I would have to imagine that BYU is not going to agree to any deal to join the Big 12, without some assurances (whatever they may be) if the Big 12 falters.



What's interesting, is that if all of this is true, you guys have some serious bargaining power right now.

Something we never had before. Not sure how much BP we have even now - but it seems to have increased since going Independent. But being realistic, maybe we now have enough BP to get an invite to the party - but we better remain humble enough to remember that we will not be in the running for class president until we actually prove we can compete in said conference.

If we join them there should be a clause that says if it falters we can leave without paying a fee.

scott715 wrote:
If we join them there should be a clause that says if it falters we can leave without paying a fee.

And that no old MWC teams may join without BYU's express written consent. :D I really dislike MWC teams now.

Hookem wrote:
FYI



The same blog, in a more recent update, has been posting that it looks as though the "Big??" is looking at BYU to fill the void when (not if) A&M leaves, and set up an annual Thanksgiving Day game with ND, w/o conference affiliation, to fill that void as well. This actually makes perfect sense.



Also, Cougdoc, I agree with your observation.



However, IMHO, I'm not so sure that the PAC12 is the future for Texas and Co. I think that they are thinking bigger for the long-term, and ND and BYU just happen to be a part of that equation.



I would have to imagine that BYU is not going to agree to any deal to join the Big 12, without some assurances (whatever they may be) if the Big 12 falters.



What's interesting, is that if all of this is true, you guys have some serious bargaining power right now.

Hookem, thanks for coming onboard and sharing your insights. You are class. From where I stand, a conference that offers individual TV rights, unlike the other conferences but perhaps the Big 12, has some serious plusses to offer--I don't know if that is the case--I have zero inside info, but if I were a TX or ND or BYU I'd love such a conference. And who wouldn't? Probably Tex A&M because outside College Statious who follows those dudes? I mean seriously there are probably more BYU fans in TX than A&M fans in UT or OK or KS etc....I might be way way off and drinking the blue kool aid....

Oh no. You'll find way more A&M fans around Houston and San Antonio than you will UT fans. A&M is a huge school and most of their alumni stick around the area.

Thanks, BoiseBYU. I appreciate you guys letting me contribute a little to your board.



Mizzoucoug is right, there are a lot of Aggie fans in Texas, and aggie fans are HARDCORE. Part of me will miss the rivalry if they leave, the other half, not so much. The big brother - little brother game between us and Aggie has gotten old. In fact, I read a post by Lawboy on here about Aggie's inferiority complex, a few weeks back, that hit the nail on the head.



However, the overall impression I get from Texas fans is that BYU does in fact have a large national following. More so than what people realize.



In all sincerity, the fact that BYU is considered a so-called 'mid-major" program is ludicrous. The fact you guys have a 60,000 seat stadium, a national championship, a strong tradition, excellent academics, and the cleanest program in college football, shows the absurdity, and unfairness of the current system.



However, it looks as though you guys are making a move, perhaps faster than expected. I know all the recent chatter is just rumors, but the very fact that your name is at the forefront of the discussion, should tell you where you're at in terms of reputation.