Sign up, and you'll be able to customize your font size and more! Sign up
Jul 5, 2022
4:13:36pm
Iron Coug All-American
I don't think the other BIG 12 schools are as forgiving or forgetful as BYU.
In 2020, the BIG 12 was blindsided when their two anchor schools announced they were jumping ship. The Big 12 was already sitting at 10 schools and generally considered to be the 4th or 5th of the P5. The remaining schools are nice, but without a true blueblood to steady the ship, Big 12 was in a pickle.

The schools went into a panic (much like the P12 schools now). By all accounts, they all formally or informally asked the P12 about inclusion. All were rejected. So they went to work to create the best of a bad situation. BYU finally found inclusion. Cincinnati, Houston (schools named after cities, not even states), also found a home. It wrecked the AAC, but 4 new members had a seat at the table. The best 4 options available by a long shot.

In response, the P12 announced they were having a partnership with the BIG10 and ACC. Why wasn't the Big 12 invited to the party? Not good enough. Clear snobbery.

Now the P12 is in a much rougher position than the Big 12 was. The top 4 candidates for inclusion are off the board. Boise and San Diego are as good as it gets. Oregon is making no qualms about wanting to leave to the Big 10, and Nike is doing everything it can to make that happen. Washington is also trying hard for the Big 10. The idea that a B12 member would leave a stable home to go to the P12 is laughable. And the remaining schools do not have the clout for a big-time TV deal. The P12 is dead, and it's every school for itself.

P12 was too good when OSU wanted in in 2020, but now these schools think OSU will come over to save the conference? Not a chance. I hope the B12 is petty. I hope they snatch the Arizona schools and then sit back. If Oregon wants Big 10, let them see if Phil Knight can make that happen. I don't see it. If Big 10 wanted Oregon/Washington, they would have invited them already. Not enough money. Big 12 will have its pick of Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Stanford, Cal, and/or Utah. Now is not the time to be friends. Now is the time to remember these schools were all too good for you just a few years ago. Who adds value? That's the only question that matters.

I don't know how this thing will all shake out, but I hope desperately the Big 12 makes prudent decisions with the cards it is holding to secure important markets for TV deals in the near future while still leaving space to pick up some quality ACC teams when that conference is eventually raided. Let the big boys take the cream, Big 12 take the best remaining. This is a game of attrition, and it appears that BYU will survive round one. But BYU (and the Big 12) needs to position itself to survive the future rounds. The best way to do that is to enjoy major power conference status (and money) as long as possible and produce results on the field.
Iron Coug
Previous username
Chunkylover53
Bio page
Iron Coug
Joined
Mar 1, 2005
Last login
Mar 28, 2024
Total posts
5,885 (309 FO)