Horns247 Board

The issues are all connected and affecting one another. I believe that is how chaos works, What was certain a week ago is up in the air now. Regardless, some issues will not change. Expansion is good for Texas with quality teams in quality locations. I expanded on that in the response to ut755 as well. I don't believe for a second that Texas wants to sit and collect a paycheck in the 10 team Big 12 when they have quality talent knocking down the door to join.

I will make a bet with you that when FSU and Clemson are announced as joining the conference, when the dust settles, Dodds and other Texas folks will be publicly citing how it is not about the money, but it is about brand-building, attractive other markets, and competing with the SEC in the SE footprint. They'll probably throw-in something about both being esteemed institutions of higher learning, etc. So yeah, it will be about the money. It will also, for once, be about the other things they cite for being excited about the additions as well.

Let's not forget that this is the same PR machine that claimed that the price of jet fuel going up was part of the reason for canceling the Hawaii game in 2000-ish. Whatever decisions that are made, the athletes' travel regimen will not be a part of the reason why things worked out the way they did. It's utterly ridiculous. They've already signed WVU, they already have to go to ISU. A 2 hour flight east is not any different.

What I find dumbfounding is that some of you guys read guys like me and our thoughts on Dodds and you somehow think I don't like or trust the guy. I think the guy is a wizard. I too think things are complex. I just don't sit around and pant and parrot whatever new position it is that he and his crew are throwing out there to the media and the fanbase. It's fine if you just want to lap it up, but there are plenty of folks who like to think about it for themselves and who find some obvious flaws in the positions being espoused which discredits the PR machine's whole position. How evil and bad fan-ish of those who do that.

Good discussion guys. I really think the key to expansion here is Notre Dame. Deloss has been courting them for almost two years and it seems like if there is a window to negotiate, it's going to come down to what it will take to align the Big XII with Notre Dame in some capacity. If I am one of the schools looking to expand, I would sell Deloss and others on doing what it takes to have ND in the fold.

Let's assume, for arguments sake, the playoff scenario is either the four highest ranked teams or some sort of hybrid model that involves conference champions and a wildcard. Therefore, Notre Dame will not be forced to join a conference and can still remain independent in football.

I think it would be totally asisine for Notre Dame to move it's non-football sports into the Big XII as it is today and remain independent in football with some sort of three, four, or six team scheduling agreement. I can't see ND wanting to go through the headache of moving out of the Big East and ending relationships and decent rivalries to (as well as travel schedules which are significant for the non rev sports) for what we have in the Big XII today. Bball games with KU and WVU might be appealing and baseball might provide a few intriguing matchups with BU and UT but that's about it. Even more absurd is thinking ND will commit to any scheduling alliances in football with the way the conference is shaped. WVU? Eh, maybe. OU and UT would certainly be intriguing but both schools are alreaday on ND's non conference schedule anyway. And if you did a mix of WVA, UT,and Baylor? Bleh. That scenario does not provide a win/win situation for everyone invovled IMO. It's time to court ND with a bigger prize.

Let's assume you move to 12 teams. Either adding FSU and Clemson or FSU and Gtech. Now, that might peak ND's interest a little more. The non-football sports are a little more palpable and I think they would be inclined to commit to maybe a four game scheduling alliance in football. Two teams in each division. That would certainly benefit the conference, ND, and the tv partners. For example, you could have an agreement for ND to play the following from the Big 12: UT, BU (or TCU) in a home and away series and then a WVU/Gtech in a home and away series. Then, you set up a home/away series with OU/Tech and then KU and FSU on some years. That creates balance and actually makes a lot of sense for all parties invovled (TV networks, ND, and schools in the Big XII). Now you have something cooking.

Moving on, my dream scenario would involve going big and going bold. Move to 14 teams in the conference and have ND commit to a six game schedule. Three teams from each division every year. If you added the right teams, it would be a home run for everyone in the league. Let's assume you add FSU, Gtech, Clemson and Maryland. Have ND commit to a six team schedule that would look like this one year for Notre Dame:

UT
TCU (or BU)
Okie state (or Tech)
Gtech
Clemson
WVU

And this another year:
OU
BU
Tech
Maryland
FSU
KU (Or maybe you keep Gtech as a protected game)

Now that's real. Those are some great matchups for ND, the other individual schools, the TV networks and the conference as a whole. It allows for enough balance as well as natural rivals and decent travel schedules in geographic terms.

I would also allow Notre Dame to showcase their games vs teams like Tech, Baylor and TCU in Jerry World, Reliant or the Alamo Dome to provide a larger venue in areas of Texas with more talent allowing ND to have more of a presence in Texas and the deep from a recruiting standpoint. You could even put a ND vs KU game in arrowhead. This will help build their brand across the most talent rich states year in and year out and put ND in a position to compete for a top 4 spot in the playoffs. Finally, they would still be able to keep their rivalries with Navy, USC, and the Michigan schools if they were so inclinced. There is NO way this wouldn't be BIG BIG BIG $$$ and a tremendous success. This would allow our conference to build its brand instantly in the most compelling way.

Adding FSU and Clemson will not be dilutive, even in these uncertain times. Whether it will be accretive enough to warrant expanding remains to be seen.

I think it's an absurd notion honestly and is just the message from our athletic department to slow things down. Florida State draws some of the best TV ratings in the country. I saw a table showing they draw the second best ratings in bowl games. They've also been involved in something like five of the top ten rated ESPN games. I know other conferences play on CBS and ABC but still. Florida State absolutely "moves the needle."

Maybe so. But the next move should be to get to 12 teams, which means FSU would need a partner to join. The question is not just about FSU, but whether the two teams COMBINED are accretive enough to warrant expansion.

This. FSU/Notre Dame is the dream combination. FSU/Clemson makes a lot of sense as well, but only if we have either gotten a firm no from Notre Dame or the league is willing to go to fourteen teams.