[College Football] Big Ten, Texas have initial talks

Quick email or not, holy hell, that scenario sounds more like something I would see posted in the comments section of YouTube... not in an email from a super secret source.

 

Certainly true - I think getting ND would be a huge coup for UT. But what incentive is there for ND? They've had a standing offer to join a fantastic, stable conference with teams they already play regularly, has a high-end academic reputation, and generates more money than they would in the B12. If they haven't been willing to join the Big10, why would they join the B12?

They would be trading a national schedule against glamour teams like Michigan, USC, Tennessee, etc for games against Iowa State and Kansas State. For a school that has a national recruiting base and following, I can't think this would be appealing. The only plus they get is playing Texas.

 

i qualified my post with caveats, donny. i didn't say you had to accept it in truth...just shared what i was hearing from someone who certainly knew an assload of information last summer.

 

and expanded recruiting in Texas

this just in: it's been a while since ND football mattered...and ND alumni aren't real thrilled with that.

 

If ND needs the Big 12 to become relevant again (or to get help recruiting anywhere), then they're in worse shape than we realize.

You need to let go of the ND hypothetical, Max. That is so out of the realm of even remote possibility.

 

they're in worse shape than you realize, then.

 

Certainly true - but if they add a major Texas school, I'd bet they open things up to some renegotiations.

True - but unless they get ND, everyone they might replace A&M with would be a downgrade. And the Pac12 just signed the biggest TV deal ever a few months ago - and that was without getting Texas/A&M/OU on board. So the money question that people had - whether a Pac16 deal would dwarf a Big12-2 deal - seems to have bee answered.

Agreed on #1 - this is what prevented Texas from going to the Pac10 back in the 1990's. But the strength they have now is that Rick Perry is the strongest figure involved, and he'd be on A&M's side in that dispute.

On #2, I have no idea what penalties the B12 imposed - the weaker schools are the ones that would want it, but they weren't in much of a negotiating position. But I did hear that the penalties were severe when we were all discussing this last year. But that's outside of anything I know.

 

Even if that is true, the Big 12 wouldn't help them. It would be a liability. And given the other, far better options they have (like Major pointed out), it's not even an idea worth entertaining.

I would love to see BYU try and integrate itself into the Big 12 though, that would be fun.

 

So I'm assuming the Big XII would be like every other major conference and go to 16 as well...if it survives.

I think I found it:

The Big 12 requires two years notice by an exiting team with a penalty of 50 percent of their league cut for those two years in limbo.

Read more: http://coloradosportsdesk.com/wp/ar...ving-the-big-12-for-the-pac-10/#ixzz1UjrWSa5S


For A&M, that would be a $20 million penalty, I believe.

 

Except the Big XII affords them what they can't be afforded in the Big 10....conference revenue AND their own independent revenue, just like TX. They don't get squat from their Big East position, right now.

 

*edit: figured out what you meant by the BE comment

If double-dipping was the driving factor, then maybe, but I doubt ND needs that money, nor do they think that joining the Big 12 is worth it for whatever extra cash they would gain. Especially when they would get comparable revenues in the Big 10, which is a much more desirable conference.

 

we're not...the Big East part was an aside.

they're independent in football..they get no confence $ for TV deals in football; independent only.

the Big XII affords for them what it affords for TX...best of both worlds...your own network AND football conference money to boot.

 

comparable revenues to having both an independent network and conference network? really?

earlier you told me to stop thinking like a fan in this discussion and more like an administrator...in your last post you just suggested administrators at ND don't care about the money....really???

 

There are other factors involved in these decisions than just money, Max.

Being practical and thinking critically/rationally doesn't mean you're only looking at which number is bigger.

Why do you think Texas Tech turned down a big pile of cash to show some of their games on UT's network this year? There's more to be considered. And I'm not talking about things like rivalries, recruiting areas, "path to the national title", and traditions.

 

i'm not suggesting there's not...it all depends on the amount you're turning down, though.

 

they'd be trading michigan and tennessee for texas and oklahoma. usc game isn't going anywhere. it's more like they're trading south florida and maryland for iowa state and kansas state.

but yeah, let a&m go, ut go independent and then laugh as a&m finishes 6th in the sec west every year.

 

Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Penn State, Nebraska, Iowa...

vs.

Texas, Oklahoma... and eh.

The bottom of the Big 12 is quite a bit lower than the bottom of the Big 10.

And that's not even really factoring in things like academics, travel/logistics, etc.

I'm sure Notre Dame might join the Big 12 as a non-football member, though.

 

we weren't discussing big 10. i was just pointing out that they wouldn't be trading michigan and tennesse for isu and ksu.

 

The $1.25 million per year that Tech turned down is pennies compared to the logistics of ND uniting with Texas and joining a Big 12 that still offers them a chance to have their own TV deal.

I'm not saying I think ND would take the offer - certainly, there are a lot of factors in the equation. I'm just pointing out the fallacy of using Tech "turning down" the LHN as evidence that money isn't significant. The money in that example was next to nothing in the grand scheme of athletic department budgets. Apples and oranges when compared to overall conference revenues and such.

 

Even discounting the Big 10, I'm sure having the freedom to schedule whichever and however many of the glamor programs (or weak sisters) they want is a nice luxury they wouldn't be willing to trade in for a yearly date with Oklahoma or Texas.

Notre Dame ain't walking through that door, gents.