Nebraska and the Big 10...

[ttowncoug]

I've been curious if Nebraska's jump to the Big-10 was the right move. They haven't had success. They seem to be the outpost of the conference (logistically).

Would they be better associated with Pac-12? Or back to the Big-12?

Don't be shocked if we see our new commish trying to shake things up and get us up to Pac-14 or 16.

 

[BiggsCoug]

I've been curious if Nebraska's jump to the Big-10 was the right move. They haven't had success. They seem to be the outpost of the conference (logistically).

Would they be better associated with Pac-12? Or back to the Big-12?

Don't be shocked if we see our new commish trying to shake things up and get us up to Pac-14 or 16.

Nebraska got crushed in Texas. When Baylor decided to play, when TT was winning, when TCU decided to play, even when Houston started winning…. much harder for Texas kids to drive past all those schools AND UofTexas, A&M, LSU and Oklahoma…. and dont forget Oklahoma State poured $$$$ into their program too…. The days of beating out maybe 1-2-3 schools for a SW Conference kid are over. Kids and parents are only driving past so many schools before they get to yours.

So they go to the Big 10. Can they beat Iowa, Wiscy, Minnesota, Illinois and ND for kids? Prob have a better shot with Chicago kids than Dallas or Houston kids. But there isnt as much coached up talent there. Kids have to be developed. And Wisconsin is the new Nebraska while being much closer to Chicago…

I think the glory days for Nebraska are done, have been done, for a while. Im not a guy that believes location is everything. I think you can put togethet a great team being rural and put together a terrible team with great proximity to talent base. I just think Nebraska got complacent. Hired some wrong people. Didnt change/move fast enough. Now here they are.

They should prob just start paying kids.

 

[dgibbons]

I've been curious if Nebraska's jump to the Big-10 was the right move. They haven't had success. They seem to be the outpost of the conference (logistically).

Would they be better associated with Pac-12? Or back to the Big-12?

Don't be shocked if we see our new commish trying to shake things up and get us up to Pac-14 or 16.

Back to the Big-12 is probably more realistic. Hopefully there are no disgruntled Pac-12 schools that want to be part of the package.

Houston is the only potential school out there that can take a step up that makes sense to add. Houston as the new "rival" for Utah, while CU and NU renew their rivalry?

 

[spongeandshoot]

Nebraska got crushed in Texas. When Baylor decided to play, when TT was winning, when TCU decided to play, even when Houston started winning…. much harder for Texas kids to drive past all those schools AND UofTexas, A&M, LSU and Oklahoma…. and dont forget Oklahoma State poured $$$$ into their program too…. The days of beating out maybe 1-2-3 schools for a SW Conference kid are over. Kids and parents are only driving past so many schools before they get to yours.

So they go to the Big 10. Can they beat Iowa, Wiscy, Minnesota, Illinois and ND for kids? Prob have a better shot with Chicago kids than Dallas or Houston kids. But there isnt as much coached up talent there. Kids have to be developed. And Wisconsin is the new Nebraska while being much closer to Chicago…

I think the glory days for Nebraska are done, have been done, for a while. Im not a guy that believes location is everything. I think you can put togethet a great team being rural and put together a terrible team with great proximity to talent base. I just think Nebraska got complacent. Hired some wrong people. Didnt change/move fast enough. Now here they are.

They should prob just start paying kids.

The football gods don't take kindly to firing a coach after going 9-3 for one "bad" year.

They haven't sniffed the top 10 or won a conference title since firing Solich. The football gods are still pissed.

 

[Observer11]

Nebraska athletic director Bill Moos retiring after 3 years - KXLY

Nebraska athletic director Bill Moos abruptly announced his retirement Friday, saying he will step down next week. The announcement came as a surprise because the 70-year-old Moos has said publicly he wanted to stay in the job until he was comfortable the Cornhuskers football program had been...

www.kxly.com

Not working out well for someone else.

They expect cattle in Nebraska, not just hat.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Back to the Big-12 is probably more realistic. Hopefully there are no disgruntled Pac-12 schools that want to be part of the package.

Houston is the only potential school out there that can take a step up that makes sense to add. Houston as the new "rival" for Utah, while CU and NU renew their rivalry?

I was in Manhattan, Kansas for a conference this week and talked to some Big 12 folks about Nebraska. Most of them would be willing to take Nebraska back but they all agreed that Nebraska isn't coming back because of Texas. Longhorn arrogance is boundless.

 

[cr8zyncalif]

Many of you will not agree, but here goes.

Most of the same logic that supported Colorado approaching the PAC also applies to Nebraska.

In the same way, the PAC's logic in approaching Colorado (academics, research, sports, etc.) would be similar for Nebraska.

Nebraska has no natural large population home recruiting area and historically relied upon Texas, primarily. The B10 shift has made Chicagoland a more viable place, but I think Nebraska still tries to recruit Texas. With the right staff, they can get some kids from either place; probably enough to be competitive in the B10, but probably not what they would need to be the Nebraska of the '70's.

In short, if they stay in the B10 they will probably never be much more than they are now, unless they accidentally hire the second coming of Urban Meyer while the guy is still a DC or OC. There are a lot better gigs for proven head coaches, so they will not have the opportunity to hire a proven guy, and there are only so many Mike Leach situations. If they want to try for the big time, they will have to take some risk and sign somebody for whom the Nebraska name will mean something...and that is not going to be an established and successful P5 head coach.

The B12 is a natural place for Nebraska, but as long as UT rules that roost, no program with a choice will go there. Nebraska would have to be nuts. Won't happen.

That leaves the PAC. There are as many pro's as there are con's, but there is no UT problem and they are no more remote as an outpost in the PAC than they are in the B10. They have a historic rivalry with Colorado that could be renewed. They could add California to the Texas and Chicagoland recruiting. I doubt that Nebraska will ever join the PAC, but from a funding, academics and research perspective, it would be a good fit...probably a better fit than Utah.

Again, I doubt it will ever happen. But it is not a ridiculous thought.

 

[SDCoug]

Many of you will not agree, but here goes.

Most of the same logic that supported Colorado approaching the PAC also applies to Nebraska.

In the same way, the PAC's logic in approaching Colorado (academics, research, sports, etc.) would be similar for Nebraska.

Nebraska has no natural large population home recruiting area and historically relied upon Texas, primarily. The B10 shift has made Chicagoland a more viable place, but I think Nebraska still tries to recruit Texas. With the right staff, they can get some kids from either place; probably enough to be competitive in the B10, but probably not what they would need to be the Nebraska of the '70's.

In short, if they stay in the B10 they will probably never be much more than they are now, unless they accidentally hire the second coming of Urban Meyer while the guy is still a DC or OC. There are a lot better gigs for proven head coaches, so they will not have the opportunity to hire a proven guy, and there are only so many Mike Leach situations. If they want to try for the big time, they will have to take some risk and sign somebody for whom the Nebraska name will mean something...and that is not going to be an established and successful P5 head coach.

The B12 is a natural place for Nebraska, but as long as UT rules that roost, no program with a choice will go there. Nebraska would have to be nuts. Won't happen.

That leaves the PAC. There are as many pro's as there are con's, but there is no UT problem and they are no more remote as an outpost in the PAC than they are in the B10. They have a historic rivalry with Colorado that could be renewed. They could add California to the Texas and Chicagoland recruiting. I doubt that Nebraska will ever join the PAC, but from a funding, academics and research perspective, it would be a good fit...probably a better fit than Utah.

Again, I doubt it will ever happen. But it is not a ridiculous thought.

Teams come in twos to the Pac-12, so who’s the other team? Also, how do you end up with a North and South division that maintains in division rivalries but isn’t lob sided in numbers? Guess that means we have to add Huskers +3.

I’m mostly just kidding around here. I agree that nothing is likely to happen.

The one thing I love about the idea of a Pac-16 though is the naming and alignment opportunity with two divisions. The Pac-8 and the Pac-Other! I’ve always hated missing one of the SoCal schools every year. It also sets us up for the imminent super conferences that are sure to come around some day.

 

[95coug]

Teams come in twos to the Pac-12, so who’s the other team? Also, how do you end up with a North and South division that maintains in division rivalries but isn’t lob sided in numbers? Guess that means we have to add Huskers +3.

I’m mostly just kidding around here. I agree that nothing is likely to happen.

The one thing I love about the idea of a Pac-16 though is the naming and alignment opportunity with two divisions. The Pac-8 and the Pac-Other! I’ve always hated missing one of the SoCal schools every year. It also sets us up for the imminent super conferences that are sure to come around some day.

Northwestern?

And the obvious other pairing is the Oklahoma schools…although if there’s a move toward 16 team conferences, I’m not sure I like the odds of the PAC-12 actually getting to be choosy.

 

[BiggsCoug]

Northwestern?

And the obvious other pairing is the Oklahoma schools…although if there’s a move toward 16 team conferences, I’m not sure I like the odds of the PAC-12 actually getting to be choosy.

I like the idea of Northwestern, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Nebraska/Iowa/Iowa State.

 

[dgibbons]

I like the idea of Northwestern, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Nebraska/Iowa/Iowa State.

Why would they leave a conference where they get paid more? Northwestern is in the third largest city in the US.

 

[Observer11]

The Pac 12 at this point would be lucky to pull BYU, BSU and Colorado State.

Larry Scott destroyed the conference of champions. May he burn in hell for all eternity.

Nebraska and the OK schools ain’t coming. Oklahoma is big time. They’d go to the SEC. Nebraska should stand pat.

 

[cr8zyncalif]

It isn't going to happen. BUT....if you are simply looking for teams to balance out the equation...and we are simply dreaming over the morning coffee...

Cincinnati would be my first choice of a non-P5 school. It is Ohio's second largest public U; it is a well-funded research school; it has a very successful football program; and it even is in a good TV market. Hard not to like these guys.

As for P5 schools, the PAC would probably look seriously at any B12 school that wanted to escape the U of Texas cosa nostra situation. I don't see a compelling case for any B10 or SEC school to leave, and it is hard to believe that it would make sense for any ACC team, due to geography if nothing else. Texas may be sufficiently arrogant to kill the goose that laid the golden eggs by antagonizing others to leave the B12, but I doubt it. The schools who were willing to roll over for the Horns all these years are probably too timid to consider cutting the cord at this time. But, you never know. Texas might be stupid enough to commit yet another outrage against the rest of the members...but that is probably what it would take to pry anyone out the B12, and not everybody at UT is stupid. Arrogant, yes, and sometimes that overrules good sense, but there would have to be a pretty serious failure of UT judgement to lead to any B12 schools leaving. I don't see it happening.

So Nebraska and Cincinnati get us to 14. If we don't get any more P5 schools and want to get to 16, that means two more G5 schools that fit academics, have at least some research footprint and have credible athletic programs. Rice has the money, academics and the history (plus, their endowment is multiple times bigger than the rest of their current league combined); if they were interested in getting back to upper level athletics, they would be worth a look. And I'd love to have a school in Texas in the PAC for a variety of reasons. The MAC is a credible conference, but it has always been the Ohio old boys club with Ball State thrown in. If one or even two of those Ohio schools wanted to move to P5, along with Cincinnati, that could be a fit. We can quickly review the private independents. The only one I can see that might conceivably fit is BYU, and they are short in virtually every non-athletic category: academics, TV market, research (can you imagine anyone seriously considering BYU as a research hub?). Plus Utah would be quietly arguing hard against BYU at every opportunity. After all of that, there are several Cal State possibilities....SDSU, Fresno, San Jose....but they bring no new TV footprint, and I can't see the California PAC members wanting to see them in the league.

Long story short, if Nebraska was interested I'd look at Cincinnati to balance the numbers. After that there are no really good fits unless you could get at least one B12 team, and if Rice were interested in going down that road I'd talk to them as well.

 

[95coug]

The Pac 12 at this point would be lucky to pull BYU, BSU and Colorado State.

Larry Scott destroyed the conference of champions. May he burn in hell for all eternity.

Nebraska and the OK schools ain’t coming. Oklahoma is big time. They’d go to the SEC. Nebraska should stand pat.

Nebraska has little incentive to move to the PAC-12 that I can see. They might believe that they’d have more success here, but they’d take a hit financially and it’s not likely to improve recruiting.

It doesn’t seem like there’s really strong incentive for any current P-5 conference teams to move. There may be some perception of greener grass, but for the moment it doesn’t seem to be widespread, and the grass isn’t so much greener that people are screaming for it.

That said, conditions can change and winds can shift quickly. I think three things could set off another round of moves:

1. Texas goes independent
2. The SEC expands
3. Notre Dame joins the ACC permanently

In the first two, movement starts with teams exiting the Big 12…and one scenario might lead to the other. I think SEC expansion could target OU/OSU or WVU and a player to be named. The Big 12 doesn’t survive without the Oklahoma schools, and maybe doesn’t survive Texas’ defection. The SEC, Big Ten, and maybe PAC-12 pick the carcass clean.
If Only WVU defects, the Big 12 promotes a G5 team - maybe Cincinnati or Houston - to replace them. This arrangement won’t be very stable, because once one conference goes to 16, the others will try to follow. This probably doesn’t end well for the Big 12.

The 3rd scenario seems less likely, but it’s out there. If Notre Dame joins the ACC, they’ll be on the hunt for a 16th team. Luring WVU or Maryland back seem like the obvious plays, but don’t rule out a move toward Penn State or Georgia (neither of which is likely to bear fruit, but aim for the stars, right?). Any of these moves result in domino effects through the rest of CFB, and again…the Big 12 likely pays the price.

If I’m the Big 12 commissioner, I’m looking for ways to be at the front of this, instead of behind. As quietly as possible, I’m exploring Cincinnati, Memphis, Houston, Nebraska, Arkansas, Arizona, and Arizona state. If I can get 4 of them interested, I’ll look for 2 more in the geography that makes sense. If the last 4 are interested, I pull the trigger anyway…and send the rest of the P5 into a panic.

If I’m the PAC-12 commissioner, the Arizona schools make me nervous. Any defections put the conference in a difficult spot, and likely mean promoting lesser teams rather than P5 expansion. The Arizona schools probably make more sense in the Big 12, and likely get bigger payouts there.

 

[BiggsCoug]

Nebraska has little incentive to move to the PAC-12 that I can see. They might believe that they’d have more success here, but they’d take a hit financially and it’s not likely to improve recruiting.

It doesn’t seem like there’s really strong incentive for any current P-5 conference teams to move. There may be some perception of greener grass, but for the moment it doesn’t seem to be widespread, and the grass isn’t so much greener that people are screaming for it.

That said, conditions can change and winds can shift quickly. I think three things could set off another round of moves:

1. Texas goes independent
2. The SEC expands
3. Notre Dame joins the ACC permanently

In the first two, movement starts with teams exiting the Big 12…and one scenario might lead to the other. I think SEC expansion could target OU/OSU or WVU and a player to be named. The Big 12 doesn’t survive without the Oklahoma schools, and maybe doesn’t survive Texas’ defection. The SEC, Big Ten, and maybe PAC-12 pick the carcass clean.
If Only WVU defects, the Big 12 promotes a G5 team - maybe Cincinnati or Houston - to replace them. This arrangement won’t be very stable, because once one conference goes to 16, the others will try to follow. This probably doesn’t end well for the Big 12.

The 3rd scenario seems less likely, but it’s out there. If Notre Dame joins the ACC, they’ll be on the hunt for a 16th team. Luring WVU or Maryland back seem like the obvious plays, but don’t rule out a move toward Penn State or Georgia (neither of which is likely to bear fruit, but aim for the stars, right?). Any of these moves result in domino effects through the rest of CFB, and again…the Big 12 likely pays the price.

If I’m the Big 12 commissioner, I’m looking for ways to be at the front of this, instead of behind. As quietly as possible, I’m exploring Cincinnati, Memphis, Houston, Nebraska, Arkansas, Arizona, and Arizona state. If I can get 4 of them interested, I’ll look for 2 more in the geography that makes sense. If the last 4 are interested, I pull the trigger anyway…and send the rest of the P5 into a panic.

If I’m the PAC-12 commissioner, the Arizona schools make me nervous. Any defections put the conference in a difficult spot, and likely mean promoting lesser teams rather than P5 expansion. The Arizona schools probably make more sense in the Big 12, and likely get bigger payouts there.

I dont see the PAC 12 presidents promoting any school that doesnt meet the academic standard they want. San Jose State, Fresno State, Boise State, etc are not getting in. It isnt an athletics based decision for them.

The AZ schools need Southern Cal talent. Moving towards the Midwest and away from their recruiting footprint isnt a strong decision. If the Texas talent was going to go to ASU or UA it would have done so in the last 40 years. It hasnt.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

I dont see the PAC 12 presidents promoting any school that doesnt meet the academic standard they want. San Jose State, Fresno State, Boise State, etc are not getting in. It isnt an athletics based decision for them.

The AZ schools need Southern Cal talent. Moving towards the Midwest and away from their recruiting footprint isnt a strong decision. If the Texas talent was going to go to ASU or UA it would have done so in the last 40 years. It hasnt.

FWIW, I have never heard a Big 12 fan talking about poaching any Pac-12 teams other than getting Colorado back. Even with that, when we were talking about the future of the Big 12 in Aggieville (bar district near KSU) this week, they were talking about Air Force.......not CU.

 

[Glad Cougar]

I'm getting too old and admit to living in the past way too much, but I prefer the old-style geographical grouping of schools in conferences. It's called the Pacific-12 Conference. Colorado is about as "Pacific" as I can go. Considering a school east of the Mississippi (Cincy?) doesn't fit my model of conference membership. (Which is why I had a problem turning the Big-10 into a 14-team conference. When are they going to call it the Big-14?)

Glad Cougar

 

[CougPatrol]

I'm getting too old and admit to living in the past way too much, but I prefer the old-style geographical grouping of schools in conferences. It's called the Pacific-12 Conference. Colorado is about as "Pacific" as I can go. Considering a school east of the Mississippi (Cincy?) doesn't fit my model of conference membership. (Which is why I had a problem turning the Big-10 into a 14-team conference. When are they going to call it the Big-14?)

Glad Cougar

I agree with you, and once the college football playoff expansion floodgates open to where all conference champions earn a birth, you have to wonder why conference affiliation won't settle back into realistic regional memberships.

If we reach a playoff solution to where the P12 and Mountain West conference champs gain entry into the playoff, why chase after schools from Texas or parts of the Midwest to join and throw your scheduling into a blender? Yea, I understand that money drives the business, but for too long I've watched the P12 chase their tails with get rich quick strategies instead of simply reinvesting in WEST COAST fan/attendance growth initiatives.

The other 2/3 of the Nation doesn't care about West coast athletics. They just don't, and they never will. Who cares? Focus on the massive TV markets in your own backyard. LA, San Francisco, Phoenix, Seattle, Vegas, Portland.

The P12 and Mountain West conferences, while not as Nationally sexy as the blueblood rivalries back East, offer a lot of attractive geographical opportunities. WSU certainly doesn't need to go out of our way scheduling games against the B12 and SEC, when we can round out schedule against MWC and Big Sky opponents.

Let the other 2/3 of the Nation eat their own, and throw a collective net around recruiting West of the Rockies. We've got 2 major football conferences and a lot of high school talent to choose from out West. Invest in making West coast football more desirable to West coast fans rather than trying to convince fans in Texas, Florida, and Ohio to watch WSU vs. Arizona State at Noon. It's not going to work. Those fans would rather watch Ole Miss play SW Louisiana. God our conference leadership has sucked.

 

[cr8zyncalif]

Glad and Patrol both make good points, and if it were not for the push for more TV revenue due to appeal to more markets I'd probably agree with almost all of what they both said. I think Patrol puts his finger on it when he says that if we had a truly viable playoff, the push for bigger conferences would diminish...but that is only 100% true if the revenue sharing from the playoff was large enough and reliable enough that it would offset the advantages of adding more TV markets for regular season football games...and to a lesser extent, regular season basketball games, which already have a functional playoff.

 

[BiggsCoug]

I agree with you, and once the college football playoff expansion floodgates open to where all conference champions earn a birth, you have to wonder why conference affiliation won't settle back into realistic regional memberships.

If we reach a playoff solution to where the P12 and Mountain West conference champs gain entry into the playoff, why chase after schools from Texas or parts of the Midwest to join and throw your scheduling into a blender? Yea, I understand that money drives the business, but for too long I've watched the P12 chase their tails with get rich quick strategies instead of simply reinvesting in WEST COAST fan/attendance growth initiatives.

The other 2/3 of the Nation doesn't care about West coast athletics. They just don't, and they never will. Who cares? Focus on the massive TV markets in your own backyard. LA, San Francisco, Phoenix, Seattle, Vegas, Portland.

The P12 and Mountain West conferences, while not as Nationally sexy as the blueblood rivalries back East, offer a lot of attractive geographical opportunities. WSU certainly doesn't need to go out of our way scheduling games against the B12 and SEC, when we can round out schedule against MWC and Big Sky opponents.

Let the other 2/3 of the Nation eat their own, and throw a collective net around recruiting West of the Rockies. We've got 2 major football conferences and a lot of high school talent to choose from out West. Invest in making West coast football more desirable to West coast fans rather than trying to convince fans in Texas, Florida, and Ohio to watch WSU vs. Arizona State at Noon. It's not going to work. Those fans would rather watch Ole Miss play SW Louisiana. God our conference leadership has sucked.

F&ck the rest of the nation. Play all 11. Never leave the West Coast. Have kids home by midnight. Stop traipsing all over the country.

 

[dgibbons]

F&ck the rest of the nation. Play all 11. Never leave the West Coast. Have kids home by midnight. Stop traipsing all over the country.

And watch revenue shrink!

 

[mikalalas]

Nebraska, Oklahoma will never join the Pac.

Altho BYU is not officially a Top Research, Academic College, unofficially BYU is a great High Academic Standards College. You have to have a a Stanford, Cal resume to get into BYU, unless your a Mormon, an or a Non Mormon that lives in Utah or Idaho or Hawai. Their science, medical dept, facilities, program is extremely expensive, and altho not UDub, Cal, UCLA, etc, tops, is one of the semi better ones in its region.

That said, BYU wont go Pac 12, because its not interested, and University of Utah would raise a FUSS.

The Pac 12 if it made a move, would only go to Pac 14, NOT Pac 16. And I would Prefer Pac 14 OVER Pac 16.

The Best Candidates would be:

Texas Tech(Big 12)

KSU(Big 12)

Iowa(Big 10)

Iowa St(Big 10)

Houston.

Rice.

Airforce Mountain West.

I would add BSU, BYU, but they probably would want to join either Big 12, Pac 12, and the Pac 12 doesnt want them.

SDSU would probably be good, but the Pac 12 colleges would say no.

The Pac 12 really needs to goto 14 to protect thenselves.

If 2 are poached(Not likely), then down to Pac 10. If 2 more leave then Pac 8.

Going to 14 would also help expand conference footprint, make more money, etc

The schools I listed are the only schools that are regional that the Pac 12 could get.

Texas Tech wants to escape Texas, they wanted to go with A&M to the SEC.

And the Big 12 would cry at losing Texas Tech.

KSU is also semi regional, and they wqnt to escape Oklahoma, Texas. Qnd again Big 12 wouldnt cry over KSU.

Iowa, altho they are in Big 10, the Big 10 wouldnt cry over them. I also bet that Iowa wouldnt mind going to Pac 12.

Iowa St, is the WSU of the Big 10. Big 10 wont cry over Iowa St. And I bet that Iowa St would love to goto Pac 12. Also Iowa St is also semi regional to Pac 12.

Rice, Houston, Airforce are good G5 candidates.

If I was Pac 12 commish, I would be desparately trying to get any 2 of those colleges into the Pac 12 to goto Pac 14, and to get the Pac 12 colleges to accept those 2 colleges into the Pac 12 to goto the Pac 14.

 

[ttowncoug]

Ignore the school....

UNLV would be a media market, with their new Vegas stadium, that would greatly benefit from a PAC-12 affiliation.

Who much more would UNLV today add to the mix? None.

 

[Observer11]

Ignore the school....

UNLV would be a media market, with their new Vegas stadium, that would greatly benefit from a PAC-12 affiliation.

Who much more would UNLV today add to the mix? None.

BYU and UNLV would cover both ends of the moral spectrum.

Though the Jack Mormons love them some road trips.

 

[95coug]

I'm getting too old and admit to living in the past way too much, but I prefer the old-style geographical grouping of schools in conferences. It's called the Pacific-12 Conference. Colorado is about as "Pacific" as I can go. Considering a school east of the Mississippi (Cincy?) doesn't fit my model of conference membership. (Which is why I had a problem turning the Big-10 into a 14-team conference. When are they going to call it the Big-14?)

Glad Cougar

I agree, I don’t even like the talk of Nebraska or Texas schools in the PAC-12. Neither of them is “pac” in any way.

My mention of Cincinnati was for the Big 12. I think it’s 80-20 that conference gets torn into scraps and redistributed to the other conferences if there’s a move to 16 teams. But, I don’t think there’s as much movement toward superconferences as there was 8-10 years ago.

 

[COCoug]

Some very interesting perspectives. Whatever problems the PAC 12 has, Nebraska isn't the solution. They are in a football death spiral. Firing Moos will set up firing Frost, even though he is probably their best last hope. The joke is everyone there dreams of some spectacular hire. A "name" coach is long-ago out of the question, and if they somehow find a quality coach, they will suffer the ultimate humiliation to find out they are now a stepping-stone to an elite program. The rest of their athletic program is pretty weak, except for women's volleyball. Certainly not making a mark in the Big 10,

There is no doubt that the PAC12 is weak, but adding even weaker programs won't make it stronger. Those of us old farts that even remember Nebraska football in the 1970s-80s are getting fewer and fewer. Those days are absolutely gone forever. If anyone watches a few minutes of a Nebraska game it is out of morbid curiosity, not because they are fans. They will be relying on regional recruits from now on, competing (in recruiting) against schools like Kansas and Kansas State, and really so far behind Iowa State its not funny. Hard to imagine kids from Illinois or the upper mid-west getting that excited about Nebraska unless passed over by the upper mid-west schools, ditto Texas.

I vote we work to make the PAC 12 stronger the old fashion way- get and keep some good coaches, and recruit some players.

 

[BiggsCoug]

Some very interesting perspectives. Whatever problems the PAC 12 has, Nebraska isn't the solution. They are in a football death spiral. Firing Moos will set up firing Frost, even though he is probably their best last hope. The joke is everyone there dreams of some spectacular hire. A "name" coach is long-ago out of the question, and if they somehow find a quality coach, they will suffer the ultimate humiliation to find out they are now a stepping-stone to an elite program. The rest of their athletic program is pretty weak, except for women's volleyball. Certainly not making a mark in the Big 10,

There is no doubt that the PAC12 is weak, but adding even weaker programs won't make it stronger. Those of us old farts that even remember Nebraska football in the 1970s-80s are getting fewer and fewer. Those days are absolutely gone forever. If anyone watches a few minutes of a Nebraska game it is out of morbid curiosity, not because they are fans. They will be relying on regional recruits from now on, competing (in recruiting) against schools like Kansas and Kansas State, and really so far behind Iowa State its not funny. Hard to imagine kids from Illinois or the upper mid-west getting that excited about Nebraska unless passed over by the upper mid-west schools, ditto Texas.

I vote we work to make the PAC 12 stronger the old fashion way- get and keep some good coaches, and recruit some players.

The league has the schools it needs to be a great conference. Imo the issue is more commitment to funding the programs at every school.

If you were to use a scale from 1-4…. 4 being funded like a big time blue blood program and 1 being funded poorly… How many schools are really a 3 or 4 in the Pac 12?

 

[random soul]

If you for some reason wanted Nebraska, AND some sense of geographical cohesion, I find myself thinking about Colorado State, who is not the big time athletic department, but does give that area an additional outpost. How many big time programs are left out west, really? Boise and BYU are kinda nonstarters. The population centers are SDSU and UNLV. There's also Hawaii, but that's a set of logistical nightmares that would cost a lot in cash and headaches. And aside from Nebraska, none of them are big name traditional power schools. Because of our location, our marketplace leverage/lack thereof, and academic and sports identity, there aren't THAT many expansion options out there unless you want to just try and take over half the country by collecting Nebraska and a chunk of the Big 12 South, which, just seems like a lot more trouble than it would be worth, from Austin alone

 

[Flatlandcoug]

If you for some reason wanted Nebraska, AND some sense of geographical cohesion, I find myself thinking about Colorado State, who is not the big time athletic department, but does give that area an additional outpost. How many big time programs are left out west, really? Boise and BYU are kinda nonstarters. The population centers are SDSU and UNLV. There's also Hawaii, but that's a set of logistical nightmares that would cost a lot in cash and headaches. And aside from Nebraska, none of them are big name traditional power schools. Because of our location, our marketplace leverage/lack thereof, and academic and sports identity, there aren't THAT many expansion options out there unless you want to just try and take over half the country by collecting Nebraska and a chunk of the Big 12 South, which, just seems like a lot more trouble than it would be worth, from Austin alone

Agree with your comments in general.

Agree that Hawaii isn't worth the headache.

There really isn't any reason to bring in any new schools inside our current geographic footprint. Las Vegas is filled with California transplants and almost nobody there cares about UNLV. San Diego is too close to LA to really be a new market and there are tons of UCLA and USC grads there (along with a lot of Cougs).

When it comes to Nebraska and Big 12 members for targets, it's not all that clear cut. Texas Tech is not a national player in any respect, Baylor is a freakin' cesspool, and Texas is full of itself. Frankly, I wouldn't want any of those teams in our conference. TCU is intriguing and being in the DFW metroplex means that it's easy to get to, but it feels like they've peaked and are in kind of a downslide at the moment. KU brings a big TV market....in basketball but they aren't going anywhere without KSU and the mindset in Kansas is such that I don't think that the Board of Regents can identify KU and KSU as "west coast" schools. The TV markets for the combined schools isn't terrible, but it isn't terribly exciting either. The same goes for the Oklahoma schools. OKC is big and the Sooners have widespread brand cachet in the Midwest but as a packaged pair with OSU, their value isn't as great. Nebraska would be better served to get back into the Big 12 than to come to the Pac-12. Natural rivals, closer to recruiting in Texas and a history that would be easily rekindled. Nebraska is playing at Oklahoma in Norman this year and I think it's the first time that the Cornhuskers are playing a former conference opponent since they left. Needless to say....there's excitement. It wouldn't surprise me to see them back in the Big 12 in the next decade.

Of course, every time this discussion happens, I'm grateful that we are already in the Pac-12.....because WSU would be hosed otherwise.

 

[wazzucougs96]

I'm getting too old and admit to living in the past way too much, but I prefer the old-style geographical grouping of schools in conferences. It's called the Pacific-12 Conference. Colorado is about as "Pacific" as I can go. Considering a school east of the Mississippi (Cincy?) doesn't fit my model of conference membership. (Which is why I had a problem turning the Big-10 into a 14-team conference. When are they going to call it the Big-14?)

Glad Cougar

It really is a bummer that the playoff expansion didn't happen before the last round of realignment, I think we would have avoided all the 14 team conference nonsense. At this point it's really hard to envision anyone going backwards.

 

[etowncoug]

Agree with your comments in general.

Agree that Hawaii isn't worth the headache.

There really isn't any reason to bring in any new schools inside our current geographic footprint. Las Vegas is filled with California transplants and almost nobody there cares about UNLV. San Diego is too close to LA to really be a new market and there are tons of UCLA and USC grads there (along with a lot of Cougs).

When it comes to Nebraska and Big 12 members for targets, it's not all that clear cut. Texas Tech is not a national player in any respect, Baylor is a freakin' cesspool, and Texas is full of itself. Frankly, I wouldn't want any of those teams in our conference. TCU is intriguing and being in the DFW metroplex means that it's easy to get to, but it feels like they've peaked and are in kind of a downslide at the moment. KU brings a big TV market....in basketball but they aren't going anywhere without KSU and the mindset in Kansas is such that I don't think that the Board of Regents can identify KU and KSU as "west coast" schools. The TV markets for the combined schools isn't terrible, but it isn't terribly exciting either. The same goes for the Oklahoma schools. OKC is big and the Sooners have widespread brand cachet in the Midwest but as a packaged pair with OSU, their value isn't as great. Nebraska would be better served to get back into the Big 12 than to come to the Pac-12. Natural rivals, closer to recruiting in Texas and a history that would be easily rekindled. Nebraska is playing at Oklahoma in Norman this year and I think it's the first time that the Cornhuskers are playing a former conference opponent since they left. Needless to say....there's excitement. It wouldn't surprise me to see them back in the Big 12 in the next decade.

Of course, every time this discussion happens, I'm grateful that we are already in the Pac-12.....because WSU would be hosed otherwise.

If the conference expands, it needs to bring in some Texas schools from major media markets. Houston and SMU or TCU would be great.

 

[wazzucougs96]

If the conference expands, it needs to bring in some Texas schools from major media markets. Houston and SMU or TCU would be great.

No one in Texas is watching those teams or teams on the west coast. The only thing a move like that does is destroy our operating budgets for non revenue sports. Ask West Virginia how much they enjoy flying halfway across the country for league games in every sport.

 

[BiggsCoug]

No one in Texas is watching those teams or teams on the west coast. The only thing a move like that does is destroy our operating budgets for non revenue sports. Ask West Virginia how much they enjoy flying halfway across the country for league games in every sport.

At some point the PAC 12 needs to be better with the schools it has. The low hanging fruit isn't adding schools, it’s making the schools you have better.

 

[COCoug]

I just have to think that this whole discussion about "TV markets" probably doesn't really mean anything anymore. People in a region don't robotically watch the closest team anymore. People can basically watch any game they want to. I can see more Cougar games in Denver than by brother can in the Tri-cities. I can get the Big10, Pac12 and SEC networks. If we are going to expand the PAC12, I think it has to be based on a school that makes the level of competition stronger, not some imagined TV audience in Provo, Utah or Boise, ID. Unless we can get a high academic, "name" school with quality athletics, we aren't gaining anything. There aren't any mid-majors that fit this description. It would have to be a P5 school or Notre Dame, or possibly a service academy.

 

[95coug]

I just have to think that this whole discussion about "TV markets" probably doesn't really mean anything anymore. People in a region don't robotically watch the closest team anymore. People can basically watch any game they want to. I can see more Cougar games in Denver than by brother can in the Tri-cities. I can get the Big10, Pac12 and SEC networks. If we are going to expand the PAC12, I think it has to be based on a school that makes the level of competition stronger, not some imagined TV audience in Provo, Utah or Boise, ID. Unless we can get a high academic, "name" school with quality athletics, we aren't gaining anything. There aren't any mid-majors that fit this description. It would have to be a P5 school or Notre Dame, or possibly a service academy.

Your brother has the wrong TV service. I can see all the games on TV.

 

[BiggsCoug]

I just have to think that this whole discussion about "TV markets" probably doesn't really mean anything anymore. People in a region don't robotically watch the closest team anymore. People can basically watch any game they want to. I can see more Cougar games in Denver than by brother can in the Tri-cities. I can get the Big10, Pac12 and SEC networks. If we are going to expand the PAC12, I think it has to be based on a school that makes the level of competition stronger, not some imagined TV audience in Provo, Utah or Boise, ID. Unless we can get a high academic, "name" school with quality athletics, we aren't gaining anything. There aren't any mid-majors that fit this description. It would have to be a P5 school or Notre Dame, or possibly a service academy.

Im down for the Air Force Academy to join the league.

 

[cr8zyncalif]

Im down for the Air Force Academy to join the league.

No denying that the AFA has one of the most geographically diverse and broad TV market appeal situations of all the universities...

 

[etowncoug]

I just have to think that this whole discussion about "TV markets" probably doesn't really mean anything anymore. People in a region don't robotically watch the closest team anymore. People can basically watch any game they want to. I can see more Cougar games in Denver than by brother can in the Tri-cities. I can get the Big10, Pac12 and SEC networks. If we are going to expand the PAC12, I think it has to be based on a school that makes the level of competition stronger, not some imagined TV audience in Provo, Utah or Boise, ID. Unless we can get a high academic, "name" school with quality athletics, we aren't gaining anything. There aren't any mid-majors that fit this description. It would have to be a P5 school or Notre Dame, or possibly a service academy.

No, but you can force local cable providers to carry the Pac-12 network.

 

[BiggsCoug]

No denying that the AFA has one of the most geographically diverse and broad TV market appeal situations of all the universities...

Academics should be strong too I assume.

I like the idea of Pac 12 schools having diff schemes. It makes for interesting match ups.