The Big XVI

[bocabull]

My first impression after reading ABDs post about Central Florida was "that would be like adding North Texas, no thanks".

But after thinking about it, while they don't bring enough to the table by themselves, what if we went after 6 teams and grabbed the Big 16 trademark?

How about

South Florida, Central Florida, Louisville, West Virginia, Memphis, UAB? Those teams would open up new markets in talent rich areas. Another team from Texas would do nothing for us.

 

[Cheno]

I would add Memphis & like an Houston, New Mexico or BYU.

Best hoops conference then.

 

[thebigabd]

My first impression after reading ABDs post about Central Florida was "that would be like adding North Texas, no thanks".

But after thinking about it, while they don't bring enough to the table by themselves, what if we went after 6 teams and grabbed the Big 16 trademark?

How about

South Florida, Central Florida, Louisville, West Virginia, Memphis, UAB? Those teams would open up new markets in talent rich areas. Another team from Texas would do nothing for us.

How is adding a huge school from Orlando, FL with brand new facilities with both major sports ranked in the top 25 anything like getting some clown school from Denton, TX?

As for the huge conference, I would have no problem with that.

 

[stoops4pres]

How is adding a huge school from Orlando, FL with brand new facilities with both major sports ranked in the top 25 anything like getting some clown school from Denton, TX?

As for the huge conference, I would have no problem with that.

My thoughts as well. UCF is about as good of a coup (as far as potential is concerned) as the Big 12 could realistically get.

 

[Cheno]

My thoughts as well. UCF is about as good of a coup (as far as potential is concerned) as the Big 12 could realistically get.

I agree...location just seems weird. I think Houston is potentially a school that can get very competitive. Football has had some good years recently and basketball has some history and a huge recruiting base that being in the Big 12 would let them tap into better.

 

[stoops4pres]

I agree...location just seems weird. I think Houston is potentially a school that can get very competitive. Football has had some good years recently and basketball has some history and a huge recruiting base that being in the Big 12 would let them tap into better.

Totally agree on Houston. I have always thought they were somewhat of a sleeping giant in both sports (post SWC exodus, obviously), considering Houston is consistently one of the top 5 cities in producing football and basketball talent.

 

[Sooner_In_MI]

I agree...location just seems weird. I think Houston is potentially a school that can get very competitive. Football has had some good years recently and basketball has some history and a huge recruiting base that being in the Big 12 would let them tap into better.

Face it though, these "weird locations" will be a huge part of conference expansion, as the main point is to include new media markets. I hate it and think that the superconference idea will eventually fail (WAC already failed as a 16 team conference over 10 years ago) but this is where we're headed for the time being.

 

[buttermaker1]

My first impression after reading ABDs post about Central Florida was "that would be like adding North Texas, no thanks".

But after thinking about it, while they don't bring enough to the table by themselves, what if we went after 6 teams and grabbed the Big 16 trademark?

How about

South Florida, Central Florida, Louisville, West Virginia, Memphis, UAB? Those teams would open up new markets in talent rich areas. Another team from Texas would do nothing for us.

Oh Good Grief is this for real or are we playing here? Basketball has zero influence over OU's future conference aligment or for that matter any other big 12 team with maybe the exception of Kansas. OU will head to the SEC before any thing like you are proposing ever gets dropped on us. If the big 12 starts to expand with football programs that drawl 20 -30 thousand a game OU is bolting for the SEC. No one at OU in a position of influence or the decision makers would every do any thing to dismantle OU's top 5 football program for Basketball. Does Memphis and UAB even play D-1 football?

 

[seniorsooner]

Buttermaker speaks the truth.

 

[bocabull]

OK, name 2 football programs the Big XII could add better than West Virginia and South Florida wise guys? Add two basketball programs the Big XII could add better than Louisville and Memphis? Let alone opening up the florida TV/recruiting a little.

I really wonder sometimes there are 16 year old girls on the other end of the message boards. lol

Yes, how strategically brilliant it would be to add Houston. Let's add a school in a TV market we already own and give some of those Houston recruits who come to OU a reason to stay home.

 

[seniorsooner]

Buttermaker simply said that adding Memphis and UAB would do absolutely nothing for the conference from a football standpoint, and he's correct. If we could get WVU and USF in the Big 12 that would be great. Unfortunately I'm not sure how likely that scenario is. If we want to sit here and talk about dream scenarios then you have to throw Arkansas out there as the A-1 choice.

 

[thebigabd]

Yes, how strategically brilliant it would be to add Houston. Let's add a school in a TV market we already own and give some of those Houston recruits who come to OU a reason to stay home.

I think people mention Houston because its a big school with a lot of potential if they played in a power conference. Plus, it makes some geographic sense, but apparently that doesnt matter anymore.... Like you said, it would give big time recruits a reason to stay home.

Sure, that would be bad for OU (really bad for OSU), but I think most people on here are speaking in the best interest of the conference and not with a gigantic OU bias.

I don't even consider what's best for one school when having these conference expansion talks... I consider what might be good for the conference as a whole.

With that being said, UCF is a more attractive candidate than Houston right now. It does add another market in a new state, they have great facilities, their football and basketball teams are good, etc.

I wouldnt mind if they added UCF, Memphis, South Florida, and Houston though. It seems more likely to get schools with "potential" from a lesser league than to attract teams who are already in power conferences.

 

[bocabull]

O yeah Arkansas is the 5 star choice and it would be way better for them ... but they have suffered severe SEC brainwashing and will never happen.

As for Memphis and UAB, they are down right now but I could care less about that. What matters is what they bring to the table ... great college sports markets.

There is a reason OU/TX decided against the Pac-10, the west coast is more about pro sports and an outdoor lifestyle. The schools I mentioned are in college football crazy areas which would grow revenues more.

 

[seniorsooner]

I just don't see how Memphis can even be in the conversation. As I pointed out in another thread their football program is absolutely pathetic. Their fan base sucks (averaged about 25K fans per game this past year), the people in their media market don't care about Memphis football, and they have zero tradition of winning.

I wouldn't really be a fan of Houston either. We already have 4 Texas schools in the conference and I'm not sure that adding another one really brings anything new. There are a lot more UT and A&M fans in Houston than there are UH fans.

 

[bocabull]

The conference already decided against Houston, TCU, SMU, Rice and those decisions are final.

They bring nothing to the table. TCU was a different story for the Big East however, it got their foot in the Texas market, just like OU adding South Florida and Central Florida would for the Big XII.

The problem is that Central Florida is nothing more than North Texas in CUSA. Who goes to Central Florida? The people who couldn't get into Florida, Florida State or South Florida. Who goes to North Texas? The people who couldn't get into Texas, A&M and Texas Tech. North Texas enrollment is bigger than all the Big 8 schools.

 

[bocabull]

Senior, ask some SEC fans why they picked Arkansas over Memphis. They want nothing to do with Memphis. The SEC friends of mine all consider Memphis a sleeping giant.

 

[stoops4pres]

I just don't see how Memphis can even be in the conversation. As I pointed out in another thread their football program is absolutely pathetic. Their fan base sucks (averaged about 25K fans per game this past year), the people in their media market don't care about Memphis football, and they have zero tradition of winning.

See what you're saying about Memphis. The only thing I'd point out is that their market also contributes heavily towards the SEC (proximity from Memphis-Ole Miss is only an hour away)... So its not like its a disenchanted market that wouldn't contribute for any Big 12 schools if Memphis did join the conference.

 

[bocabull]

See what you're saying about Memphis. The only thing I'd point out is that their market also contributes heavily towards the SEC (proximity from Memphis-Ole Miss is only an hour away)... So its not like its a disenchanted market that wouldn't contribute for any Big 12 schools if Memphis did join the conference.

This is exactly right. Memphis contributes talent and TV revenue to the SEC. The SEC does not want to add Memphis for the same reason the Big XII doesn't want to add Houston. Now the Big XII adding Memphis is a smart strategic move that adds value and takes a little value from the SEC.

 

[thebigabd]

This is exactly right. Memphis contributes talent and TV revenue to the SEC. The SEC does not want to add Memphis for the same reason the Big XII doesn't want to add Houston. Now the Big XII adding Memphis is a smart strategic move that adds value and takes a little value from the SEC.

This doesnt happen too often, but you convinced me. I change my mind on Memphis.

Good idea.

 

[Crimsonmonarch]

I love this idea, i think that they ought to look at adding South Florida from the Big East as well. That would put us at 12 teams, you could move OU and OSU to the north. If they want to go bigger I say go to 16 and add Louisville and Memphis in the north and New Mexico and Houston in the south. You would add Florida,Tenn,Kent, and New Mexico to make our TV footprint almost double its current size. And you add 3 good football teams and both LOU. and New Mexico have great Basketball tradition. And I can't see any of those teams saying no.