Rumor is WSU could be in the mix to the Big-12
- Thread starter ttowncoug
- Start date
Seeing same stuff. Schultz gonna save his job? Only way he does IMO…he’s toast if the conference collapses and we are left out of the musical chairs.
Yes, that guy is all over the board on twitter, but I do think he does get some accurate information from his Big-12 WVU sources.
If the networks are pulling the strings, I don't think ESPN wants to see the Cougs get left behind honestly. That would be very bad optics for them but we will see.
If the networks are pulling the strings, I don't think ESPN wants to see the Cougs get left behind honestly. That would be very bad optics for them but we will see.
This is an interesting angle. Wonder how much power ESPN will ultimately be able to wield in all of this. WSU is the darling of ESPN when it comes to CFB. Reece Davis “best CGD by far”. Can ‘Ol Crimson give us the pull to stay in the P5?! Can’t hurt!
He's been directly right on some of this....I tend to think the rumor has some legs.
You have to imagine WSU is putting out feelers and there could be sources within the BIg-12 socializing this.
I have always said, if UW splits to the Big-12/Fox, WSU becomes valuable with our ties to the Seattle area and TV ratings. TV ratings is all that matters. If i am the Big-12, and want Seattle, UW is choice 1, WSU is choice 2.
I agree, I don't think ESPN wants to see WSU, or OSU, fall to CBS Sports and the MWC. Good brands.
Yup. ASU is the the Phoenix market what UCLA was to the SoCal market. Nobody really cares. You’ve got AZ and their basketball program which is all that matters. You don’t need Utah when you’ve got BYU. WSU is the better choice than OSU, better brand, better market.
Sometimes I wish I was in charge with the name and credibility of Schultz, etc.
I would arrange for ESPN, Yormack, Big 12 presidents, WSU to be at same table. Then I would talk about how because of College GameDay going to Pullman, the wave the flag thing at every GameDay for the last about 20 years, and WSU being ESPN's PET Darling, and that since WSU has the 5th, 6th most TV viewers, and can deliver the Some of the Seattle, Portland markets, and since that WSU has been to 7, SEVEN STRAIGHT BOWL GAMES, that ESPN should be pressuring Big 12 to let WSU join Big 12.
Then I would mention the selling, talking points to the Big 12 leadership, and add that WSU would take 2/5, 1/2, 3/5 share, etc, and that WSU would be a easier win some years for their big name teams, to get their big name teams into CFP, NY6 bowls, and that during big name, big 12 down years that WSU could have a 2018, 1997, 2001,2002, 2003 type season to help carry the conference, and that WSU's getting into 7-5, 8-4 bowl games would be good for ESPN, Big 12 financially, and that WSU would get Big 12 into West coast, Northwest, and that WSU might probably be the dominoe that crashes the PAC by going to Big 12, and that Big 12 might get Oregon, an or UW.
I think it would be easy for me, anybody not stupid, etc, to convince ESPN, Big 12 to let WSU into Big 12.
Too bad that Schultz is seemingly not good enough, not smart enough to do that.
Last edited:
Perhaps better question is who would the Big 12 not want? If uw, Oregon, Cal and Stanford bolt for the Big 10, you've got WSU, OSU, Utah, Arizona and ASU left.
The only thing that would make sense is WSU along with the remnants of the conference after uw, Oregon, Cal and Stanford bolt for Big-10.
There is sabre rattling in the East, and it is getting louder - Florida st. What Yormark would like to do, if he could, is take Arizona only for now (he's a basketball guy) and sit tight and watch if Virginia Tech, North Carolina st. or Miami become available. Yormark may not have a choice. It appears Robbins (Arizona) does not want to leave alone, he wants company. Something is going to blow, but no one knows what will blow first - the ACC explodes - Oregon and Washington sell their souls and do get a Big 10 offer - Yormark takes four PAC schools.
Fox and ESPN have limited the BiG 12 to four, pro rata schools, capping the conference at 16, for now. Washington St. has much better numbers than people realize. Is BYU raising hell over bringing on Utah? If so, it could be ASU, Arizona and Washington St.
Yormark wants into the East coast bad for BB, and he wants UConn, but he does not have enough Big 12 presidents/chancellors votes to bring the Huskies in. WSU puts UConn to shame in FB, but the national brand of UConn in BB is attractive to Yormark, who claims that BB is way undervalued due to the NCAA control of the tournament dollars. He will break that stranglehold in another 5 to 7 years.
If he has Kansas; Arizona; Baylor; UConn; Houston, and West Virginia, he has the best BB conference in the nation (and the last three national championships). That's what he is thinking.
Fox and ESPN have limited the BiG 12 to four, pro rata schools, capping the conference at 16, for now. Washington St. has much better numbers than people realize. Is BYU raising hell over bringing on Utah? If so, it could be ASU, Arizona and Washington St.
Yormark wants into the East coast bad for BB, and he wants UConn, but he does not have enough Big 12 presidents/chancellors votes to bring the Huskies in. WSU puts UConn to shame in FB, but the national brand of UConn in BB is attractive to Yormark, who claims that BB is way undervalued due to the NCAA control of the tournament dollars. He will break that stranglehold in another 5 to 7 years.
If he has Kansas; Arizona; Baylor; UConn; Houston, and West Virginia, he has the best BB conference in the nation (and the last three national championships). That's what he is thinking.
Looks like someone is floating crap out there to create urgency for the 4 Corners schools to bolt and kill the conference.
With UW, UO, Stan, Cal being courted by the Big-10 as we speak, Utah and UA in need only apply status with the Big 12, ASU is the next lowest hanging fruit and it is us or them facing oblivion at this point. Chun and Schulz have to make the Big 12 happen. This is their Churchillian/Dunkirk moment. Churchill had to abandon France to stay in the game, he even had the French fleet sunk at Mers-el-Kebir to stop it from falling into Axis hands. They need that attitude because we are facing not merely a road bump, but an existential threat.
Here is why. The sad fact is the Pac-12 is dead, and the MWC isn't a viable fall back option for us, financially. We are struggling to get by with our debt load (hiring freeze) on 24 million a year we get under the current contract because of our stupid spending spree under Moos. How on green earth do we make ends meet on the 4 million that MWC teams get? Answers anyone? Absent a 100 million government bailout to cover the FOB and stadium construction debt, we don't, without a completely gutting of the athletic dept.
Here is why. The sad fact is the Pac-12 is dead, and the MWC isn't a viable fall back option for us, financially. We are struggling to get by with our debt load (hiring freeze) on 24 million a year we get under the current contract because of our stupid spending spree under Moos. How on green earth do we make ends meet on the 4 million that MWC teams get? Answers anyone? Absent a 100 million government bailout to cover the FOB and stadium construction debt, we don't, without a completely gutting of the athletic dept.
Possible on both fronts. Pac12. Create urgency on media deal, sweeten the deal or Fox gets the prize. Create urgency to schools to join or face future death in the Pac12…which feels like the case.
In the midst of all this bad news, I have a feeling WSU is going to receive substantial compensation to help with the transition.
Boise State, San Diego State, and Utah (back in the day) found ways to build solid athletic departments in the MWC. Don't also overlook the fact that the MWC is also going to expand heavily once the B!G and B12 fill their spots. It won't be enough to bring in a massive GOR deal, but it will be better than what it is now. Stanford and Cal aren't locks for the B!G. SMU will be considered by the MWC. UT San Antonio is another rising market that would make sense. FCS power North Dakota State would be considered in a small, but fast growing region.
The MWC will be wise to follow the big-conference blueprint and get up to 16 teams.
