Big 12 Expansion Project

[J.B. TexasEx]

Interested in the Big 12 Conference and its future expansion plans? @Big12Fanatic has you covered with analysis of G5 options and the ramifications of adding teams. This multi-part series will take a look at it from many angles; Brand & Culture, Grant of Rights, Media Contracts, and more.

It's worth a read and follow! http://big12fanatics.com/expansion-project-preface/

• Building a Foundation http://big12fanatics.com/expansion-project-building-foundation/
  
• Brand & Culture http://big12fanatics.com/expansion-project-brand-culture/
  
• Buyouts & Buy-Ins http://big12fanatics.com/expansion-project-buyouts-buy-ins/
  

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

All contracts can be adapted if both parties sign off on it, but the strength of the Grant of Rights, as opposed to the buyout, is that the GoR has an end date.  You will always get your rights back at some future date, as opposed to a buyout which runs indefinitely.  Think of it as a contract a baseball player has with a team.   They are paid to perform under the contract and at the end of the contract they can become a free agent.   However, they cannot walk away from the team and play for another team mid contract and expect to get paid.   The only way that works is if the team they are on sells their rights to another baseball team.

Grant of Rights http://big12fanatics.com/expansion-project-grant-rights/

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Buyouts bind schools to conferences.   Grant of Rights bind inventory to media contracts.  So, at the end of the day, what we need to look at is how expansion effects a media contract.

There are a lot of media deals in play currently, much more than four years ago when realignment was in full force.   Before we get to the specific deals in place, let’s take a moment to discuss how inventory is divided.

Media Contracts http://big12fanatics.com/expansion-project-media-contracts/

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

"Travis" on Twitter, @HAVRHLL, has an interesting realignment proposal for the Top 80 CFB programs. But, this will put conference commissioners out of work...

 

[MikeV73]

"Travis" on Twitter, @HAVRHLL, has an interesting realignment proposal for the Top 80 CFB programs. But, this will put conference commissioners out of work

Interesting he booted Tech out of the region with the other Texas schools and the OK teams.

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Interesting he booted Tech out of the region with the other Texas schools and the OK teams.

Also interesting that he found a seat for Navy at the BIG BOYS table, but not Army or Air Force.

AFA arguably has the better program in recent history.

 

[HornSports Staff]

Interesting he booted Tech out of the region with the other Texas schools and the OK teams.

Tech probably has the longest/worst travel profile of all 80 teams.

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Tech probably has the longest/worst travel profile of all 80 teams.

You probably just answered the "Why isn't UT in the Pac-16?" question for us. Thank you

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Here's a fun NCAA Realignment tool from 2010. Memories of the way we were...http://res.dallasnews.com/graphics/2011_09/realignment/

Where is the UCF icon? I can't make my desired changes without it. 

 

[Capn Hook]

I have given some thought to how the conferences could be realigned, but one issue that no one seems to address is who is going to tell the universities which conference they must be in?  I doubt that any group has the authority to make such decisions and even if they did some schools would be very unhappy and probably threaten to sue whomever.

I sincerely doubt that any logical realignment will occur.

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

I have given some thought to how the conferences could be realigned, but one issue that no one seems to address is who is going to tell the universities which conference they must be in?  I doubt that any group has the authority to make such decisions and even if they did some schools would be very unhappy and probably threaten to sue whomever.

I sincerely doubt that any logical realignment will occur.

Me neither.

The biggest problems I foresee with a NFL-like, logical realignment are twofold:

1. Overcoming historical rivalries and conference affiliations and their respective "fiefdoms" and branding. Do we really expect the Top 80 CFB programs to come together, collaborate, and decide what's best for the game? Too many commissioners and staff would potentially be out of work. Duplication
2. Antitrust litigation and politics would probably tie up any such proposal for years by those left out. I don't know how the P5 teams circumvent that problem. Maybe these "cost of attendance" stipends will run off the poors? Boston College was the only program to balk at it, though.

 

[echeese]

"Travis" on Twitter, @HAVRHLL, has an interesting realignment proposal for the Top 80 CFB programs. But, this will put conference commissioners out of work...

Generally I like it. . .the idea that Baylor would survive to the finals is pretty laughable. . . .and we can debate some of the teams from 70-80 but I can work with the concept. . . 

But that works. . . .I'd trade Temple for Army and Nevada for AF. . . I'd dump Cougar high, bring TT into the Southern Region etc but those are tweeks. . . .

 

[java]

Cougar High was brought in due to Herman.

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Generally I like it. . .the idea that Baylor would survive to the finals is pretty laughable. . . .and we can debate some of the teams from 70-80 but I can work with the concept. . . 

But that works. . . .I'd trade Temple for Army and Nevada for AF. . . I'd dump Cougar high, bring TT into the Southern Region etc but those are tweeks. . . .

I was informed by a knowledgeable poster at http://big12fanatics.com/ that AFA doesn't want to be a member of a P5 league and that Army dropped out of C-USA. It doesn't appear that either is willing to forgo their military preparedness mission to "keep up with the Joneses".

Good for them.

I'd probably replace Navy with East Carolina, too, now that I think about it

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

— Twitter API (@twitterapi) November 7, 2011

 

[BevoBlake]

I was informed by a knowledgeable poster at http://big12fanatics.com/that AFA doesn't want to be a member of a P5 league and that Army dropped out of C-USA. It doesn't appear that either is willing to forgo their military preparedness mission to "keep up with the Joneses". Good for them.

I'd probably replace Navy with East Carolina, too, now that I think about it

I looked at this earlier and didn't notice that ECU had been left off. I don't see how that can be justified for a school like Navy. Not that I don't respect those kids or love the Navy/Army game.

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

I looked at this earlier and didn't notice that ECU had been left off. I don't see how that can be justified for a school like Navy. Not that I don't respect those kids or love the Navy/Army game.

I respect all 3 major service academies and love the pageantry of Army-Navy, but their missions should be preparing young men for compulsory military service, not participating in what's becoming a semi-pro football league! That's my two cents

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Location, location, location http://big12fanatics.com/expansion-project-location/

As the old real estate mantra goes when describing the most valuable properties, it comes down to location, location, location.   However, no single aspect is analyzed so poorly as location.   Sometimes it is in regards to only one game, instead of all, sometimes it is under the guise that someone brings “a market†and other times it is because recruiting will explode if you play in that state.

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Desire to move http://big12fanatics.com/the-expansion-project-desire/

Of all of the factors that we need to consider when evaluating expansion candidates none is more important than desire.   In short, if you don’t want to move, the rest of these factors mean nothing.   The Big Ten was making more on its media deals for years, but Alabama nor Florida nor USC nor Texas were beating down their door showing any interest in moving.   It isn’t just about money.  Even schools like Air Force and New Mexico have shied away from expansion due to not wanting to either leave their conference or compete against teams with more resources.