[NU Sports] Texas In The Big 10?

[Sportsbiz]

Texas may be a more likely candidate for the Pac-10 since it had discussions
with them not too many years ago.  Those discussions broke down over the
need to bring A&M along with them, a requirement that the Pac-10 at the time
wasn't interested in.  However, if the Pac-10 is now interested in more than
12 teams, the two Texas schools in addition to Colorado and Utah would make
much more sense than joining the Big !0.  A Big Ten invitation would still
have to deal with the A&M issue, as it's unlikely Texas state officials will
allow Texas to go off and leave A&M behind.

The Big XII has one of the two worse TV contracts in the Big Six
conferences.  The only one remotely in the running is the Pac-10.  You don't
see the Big XII schools on ESPN too often because their primary outlet is
Fox Sports Net, which doesn't pay nearly as well as ESPN/ABC.  The idea of
Pac-10 expansion is driven in part by a desire to rid itself of the FSN
contract by either bulking up for a Pac-10(12-14) Network or making itself
too appealing to ESPN to ignore.  In that scenario going to 14 and adding
Utah, Colorado and both UT and TAMU makes the most sense as it covers all of
the major western TV markets.  It guts the Big XII, especially after Mizzou
leaves for the Big Ten, but really, does anybody care?  Maybe Kansas and
Nebraska would come along with Mizzou in that scenario.

This wave of conference reorganization, if it happens, will be driven by the
search for TV eyeballs and the dollars that follow.  The SEC has theirs.
The Big Ten wants to make sure it keeps theirs and the Pac-10 intends to be
aggressive in getting theirs.  The ACC and Big East just want to be left
alone and the Big XII, which is not a big happy family, is ripe to be carved
up.
Mark

Mark S. Ament
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On Thu, Feb 11, 2010 at 9:49 PM, SjT (Stephen J. Truog)
<sjtruog at yahoo.com>wrote:

> > Please pause while SjT finds a way to hate the idea.
> >
> I'm in too good a mood to hate anything at this point. Who dat?! :)
>
> That said ...
>
> > I'm not sure how I feel. Why would Texas want to leave the
> > Big 12 for the Big 10+2?  I don't pay much attention,
> > but the Big 12 seems to be on solid ground.
>
> Mmmm, not quite. The Big XII is probably the most poachable conference of
> the Big Six (only because no one wants the Big East and they're set as a
> mega basketball league).
>
> The Pac 10 is making serious overtures to Colorado to come aboard with
> Utah, BYU and Boise State. The Big Ten has been talking to Mizzou for sure,
> and maybe KU or Nebraska ... and the league has been split for awhile as the
> Texas schools against the rest - with the northern schools especially
> feeling like they get the short end of the stick.
>
> So if any of the "cartel" as Wilbon calls it will crack, it will be the Big
> XII (plus, then we could take the name! :) ).
>
> As for Texas themselves, they do make a nice fit academically and
> athletically ... but LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! In this age of travel
> costs, sending a team to Austin on a road trip would be a killer.
>
> If the league did it, they'd have to do it Pac 10 style and have a
> "two-fer" so the trip is at least worth it economically.
>
> Maybe they are looking into my idea of the "Big Ten x 2" and want to take
> in Texas, TCU, ATM or some others for a southern division?:)
>
> But overall, like you said, this looks more like jockeying games to try and
> get the Irish to budge. Nothing to get seriously worked up over.
>
> GO CATS!!!
> -SjT
>
>
>
>
>
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