TIME TO FREAK OUT AGAIN ABOUT CONFERENCE REALIGNMENT! THE BIG 12 IS DEAD! MAYBE!

[AlkaliAxel]

To put one more fine point on this, ESPN says it was BYU, Houston, etc who were contacting the Big 12 to join. Not the other way around. So those leverage talks about moving the Big 12 tournament might not be a thing at all.

[beautyfromashes]

With potentially some of these AAC teams moving to the Big 12, could we see Missouri State move to that conference? It’s a growing university and I’d like to see them get more national attention.

[AllThingsKC]

I would LOVE to see Missouri State get more national attention. The Big 12 would be great for them.

Unfortunately, to become an FBS school, the football program must average 15,000 people per game for the past 5 years (or something like that). I think Missouri State averages about 7,000.

[AlkaliAxel]

They're behind about 150 other schools.

The Big 12 is the Great Plains conference now. The future of the Big 12 is going to be the merger between the top schools in the Great Plains & the Mountain West. That's the direction.

[beautyfromashes]

I would LOVE to see Missouri State get more national attention. The Big 12 would be great for them.

No, I meant Missouri State to the AAC when they lose teams to the Big 12. They are too small for the Big 12, but would fit great with a conference including Tulsa, SMU, Memphis and Wichita State. It would be a great step up for them.

[AllThingsKC]

Ah, then yes, that would still be a good step up for them.

[KC_JAYHAWK]

I am still hoping KU leaves the watered down Big12 and jumps to the B1G. Adding BYU would be the only big get for the Big12.

[AlkaliAxel]

I am still hoping KU leaves the watered down Big12 and jumps to the B1G. Adding BYU would be the only big get for the Big12.

Did you see that team play last night? There's a reason the Big 10 doesn't want them.

And again, I truly don't understand why as a KU fan you'd want to go to a conference where you'll be absolutely slaughtered till the end of time in football, and not even have as strong of a grip on basketball anymore...right when the Big 12 might finally look feasible for KU to make advances in with football in few years now- and forever dominate in basketball to get 1 seeds in March every year. Not to mention you get to watch your team play every year in KC for the Big 12 tournament.

Why? So the school administrators can make more money in their pockets from Big 10? That money isn't going to you or me, so who gives a shit about the profit increases? They already have top sports facilities too. KU is *duping* their fans to take a miserable deal for themselves so they can line their pockets.

[AlkaliAxel]

Sorry for the rant, but also can we stop with this narrative about a "watered down Big 12"? That is such utter bullshit in every way outside of the brand.

Set aside the brand and money for a second- what the hell was Texas & OU brought to the table recently?

Houston- literally went to the Final Four this year. They've been top 10 the last 4 years.
BYU- has been been a dominant basketball & football school for over a decade
UCF- Nearly went undefeated for two years straight recently and almost won a national title, good at bball too
Cincy- Again, is currently ranked top 10 in football for second straight and is no slouch in basketball either. Always been consistent.

This will be *the best* basketball conference in the land, and yes they're losing OU for football but they Big 12 has never been good at football anyways so who cares.

You can make points on the financials, etc. but as for strictly sports this conference is adding 4 outstanding programs and it is utter bullshit to say the Big 12 is going down. They're going to be better at athletics now, objectively speaking. Texas hasn't been a power since like 2008.

[WoodDraw]

Set aside the brand and money for a second- what the hell was Texas & OU brought to the table recently?

Aside from that mrs. Lincoln, how’d you enjoy the new conference?

[AlkaliAxel]

Set aside the brand and money for a second- what the hell was Texas & OU brought to the table recently?

Aside from that mrs. Lincoln, how’d you enjoy the new conference?

Again, who cares about brand/money when you’re a fan? That money isn’t going to you. It isn’t even going to the players. It’s going to executives and that’s it. All that matters from a fan standpoint is W/L and nothing more. Idk why people choose to shill for the university execs.

Look no further than Nebraska joining the Big 10 and forever destroying their program- but atleast the administrators got more cash!

[beermestrength]

Set aside the brand and money for a second- what the hell was Texas & OU brought to the table recently?

Aside from that mrs. Lincoln, how’d you enjoy the new conference?

Again, who cares about brand/money when you’re a fan? That money isn’t going to you. It isn’t even going to the players. It’s going to executives and that’s it. All that matters from a fan standpoint is W/L and nothing more. Idk why people choose to shill for the university execs.

Look no further than Nebraska joining the Big 10 and forever destroying their program- but atleast the administrators got more cash!

Mother of God will you please stop posting this jibberish.

You have no clue what you are talking about.

[KC_JAYHAWK]

I am still hoping KU leaves the watered down Big12 and jumps to the B1G. Adding BYU would be the only big get for the Big12.

Did you see that team play last night? There's a reason the Big 10 doesn't want them.

And again, I truly don't understand why as a KU fan you'd want to go to a conference where you'll be absolutely slaughtered till the end of time in football, and not even have as strong of a grip on basketball anymore...right when the Big 12 might finally look feasible for KU to make advances in with football in few years now- and forever dominate in basketball to get 1 seeds in March every year. Not to mention you get to watch your team play every year in KC for the Big 12 tournament.

Why? So the school administrators can make more money in their pockets from Big 10? That money isn't going to you or me, so who gives a shit about the profit increases? They already have top sports facilities too. KU is *duping* their fans to take a miserable deal for themselves so they can line their pockets.

Bigger TV contracts equals more money for each team. That money does not line the pockets of the AD or other Executives, it goes to the "athletic" department which means KU can invest more money into their facilities. The football stadium needs $200m + in upgrades. Boosters will pay for part of that, but getting $30m + more a year to be in a better conference, is a win win for KU. Plus playing tougher B1G teams in basketball will help KU basketball as the season goes on. KU dominated the Big12 in basketball, but all to often has puttered out in the Big Dance. Playing teams like The OSU, Michigan, Michigan St, Wisconsin, Indiana, etc will help KU in the long run.

I still think KU makes the jump to the B1G with Iowa St since both are AAU institutions. I don't trust Bowlsby, he's sat on his hands for the last 10 years while realignment has shattered the Big12. It's time for KU to look out in their bests interests and make the jump if offered an invite.

[AlkaliAxel]

I am still hoping KU leaves the watered down Big12 and jumps to the B1G. Adding BYU would be the only big get for the Big12.

Did you see that team play last night? There's a reason the Big 10 doesn't want them.

And again, I truly don't understand why as a KU fan you'd want to go to a conference where you'll be absolutely slaughtered till the end of time in football, and not even have as strong of a grip on basketball anymore...right when the Big 12 might finally look feasible for KU to make advances in with football in few years now- and forever dominate in basketball to get 1 seeds in March every year. Not to mention you get to watch your team play every year in KC for the Big 12 tournament.

Why? So the school administrators can make more money in their pockets from Big 10? That money isn't going to you or me, so who gives a shit about the profit increases? They already have top sports facilities too. KU is *duping* their fans to take a miserable deal for themselves so they can line their pockets.

Bigger TV contracts equals more money for each team. That money does not line the pockets of the AD or other Executives, it goes to the "athletic" department which means KU can invest more money into their facilities. The football stadium needs $200m + in upgrades. Boosters will pay for part of that, but getting $30m + more a year to be in a better conference, is a win win for KU. Plus playing tougher B1G teams in basketball will help KU basketball as the season goes on. KU dominated the Big12 in basketball, but all to often has puttered out in the Big Dance. Playing teams like The OSU, Michigan, Michigan St, Wisconsin, Indiana, etc will help KU in the long run.

I still think KU makes the jump to the B1G with Iowa St since both are AAU institutions. I don't trust Bowlsby, he's sat on his hands for the last 10 years while realignment has shattered the Big12. It's time for KU to look out in their bests interests and make the jump if offered an invite.

I get the argument about better facilities but that argument has been proven not to work time and time again- Nebraska, Missouri, Colorado, Texas A&M football programs all thought the same thing of “we’ll make more money now so we’ll be able to build better facilities, attract better talent, etc” but they’re all irrelevant now (with slight exception to A’M) Not only that, their programs are stuck in perennial spirals where they can barely move up in their own conference. KU will be even worse off because, unlike those programs, they aren’t remotely good to begin with. It sounds good on paper that “better conference will allow for better recruiting” but it never works. As a fan, KU football only hope now is the Big 12 is getting less tough in football. Don’t go to harder conference in Big 10, will only make it worse.

As for basketball it’s pretty simple- new Big 12 would be a tougher basketball conference anyway. Also, the current National champ is Baylor, and the runner up the prior year is Texas Tech. Big 12’s been doing better than anyone lately. Lets say Big 12 is worse. The most consistent way to win now is the “Gonzaga model” where you play in a lesser conference, rack up a ton of free wins, then get 1 seed in March and go from there. Not take extra losses in the Big 10 and then get a 2 or a 3 seed. The Gonzaga model of scamming your way to a top seed every year with a worse conference actually works great- now they’re even getting #1 overall recruits!

In the long run the fans won’t care about facilities, they’ll only care if we’re winning or not. We’re not gonna win as much in the Big 10, it will be miserable, and they’re going to regret leaving Big 12.

[AlkaliAxel]

Aside from that mrs. Lincoln, how’d you enjoy the new conference?

Again, who cares about brand/money when you’re a fan? That money isn’t going to you. It isn’t even going to the players. It’s going to executives and that’s it. All that matters from a fan standpoint is W/L and nothing more. Idk why people choose to shill for the university execs.

Look no further than Nebraska joining the Big 10 and forever destroying their program- but atleast the administrators got more cash!

Mother of God will you please stop posting this jibberish.

You have no clue what you are talking about.

I’ve been watching college sports all my life and following this story closely all summer. If you can’t tell that “getting more money” and “adding more facilities” didn’t help Mizzou, Nebraska, Colorado or Texas A&M get better or win, then you don’t watch. If you can’t realize that adding BYU, Cincy, Houston and UCF makes the new Big 12 better record-wise then you don’t watch.

But please, enlighten me on how KU will somehow be the exception to the teams that “upgrade” within Power 5 conferences and got better. How is being a perennial loser and taking a hit in the basketball standings, and not seeing KU locally every year for the Big 12 tournament good for the “fans”? Please, since you know so much more about all this and I have no clue apparently.

[WoodDraw]

I don't want to give you advice, but I'll give you some short stuff against my best instincts.

You're incredibly passionate and I love it, but most of your posts are about when things will happen and why this isn't happening yet.

You seem to look on a very short term while people in charge have five and ten year plans at least.

If this is the way you you look at development, it's going to be a stressful life.

[AlkaliAxel]

I don't want to give you advice, but I'll give you some short stuff against my best instincts.

You're incredibly passionate and I love it, but most of your posts are about when things will happen and why this isn't happening yet.

You seem to look on a very short term while people in charge have five and ten year plans at least.

If this is the way you you look at development, it's going to be a stressful life.

I’m a long term thinker- that’s why I’m concerned.

All I’m talking about here is from a fans perspective- not the school, the brand, or financials, etc.- just simply from the fans perspective of getting to watch the teams compete for wins and championship.

I think all evidence shows over the “long term” of 10+ years none of those switches has helped the fans of those schools watch better athletics. Literally, look at Nebraska in the Big 10 now. What a fall.

And really, if you have some differing view on that then present your argument instead of making things personal. You have shown zero evidence why this would help KU athletics get better in 1, 5, 10, 25 years whereas I’ve pointed out several examples of why it’s a farce for the fans.

[AlkaliAxel]

You’re right I don’t know development as well as everyone else on here, I’m extremely new to it. I will always defer to your guys’ judgement in development issues, and I will learn over time what is a proper pace for projects, etc. I will always give you guys credit on that segment.

But I have been following sports history and advanced stats since I was 6 years old, and I’m sorry but I do know a thing or two about what I’m talking about with sports. For example, two days ago I was the only one here saying Big 12 wouldn’t move the tournament out of KC because of adding BYU- and that seems to be the case now that it’s BYU begging to join and not the other way around.

[beautyfromashes]

I actually agreed with AA. Who will be a better team in 10 years, UT or UCF or Cincinnati? I’d guess the latter. They’re actually probably better right now. So, if the goal for the Big 12 is to compete and put a better product on the field, going to 12 by adding 4 strong up-and-coming programs on the field in basketball and football might be better than what we have right now: 10 teams with a great one sport OU and a has-been UT athletic department.

[AlkaliAxel]

^In response to the above post

UCF has been more successful than OU in recent history, given that they won a BCS Bowl over Auburn in 2018.

Losing OU football is the only real loss in the equation, but I think you more than make up for that in basketball (and somewhat in football) with the new schools.

Texas won the title in 2005, yes. And they haven’t been relevant since Colt McCoy left in 2009. That’s the point though, that the Big 12 overall has been shit at football for 12 years. This shake-up actually adds some new heavy hitters that are badly needed. In football honestly they’re staying about pat, but in basketball they will be the best conference. That’s why I see it as a net-gain, ironically