![]() Were Rutgers and Maryland to the Big Ten in 2013 any better than what the Big 12 is trying to do? If the Big 12 expands by four, we're talking about a possible network payout increase of $80 million-$100 million per year.īut consider this: These are the same TV giants who paid for TCU to come to the Big 12 in 2011 and Utah to enter the Pac-12 in 2010. The rights holders want to keep their costs down. The SportsBusiness Journal reported the two media giants are against it because of the lack of quality options. Follow our Tampa Bay Times sports team on Twitter and Facebook.The Big Push Back: We know the ESPN/Fox stance on Big 12 expansion. Never miss out on the latest with the Bucs, Rays, Lightning, Florida college sports and more. Will that long-term future involve USF and/or UCF? Stay tuned. So we will take our time, be diligent and make sure we make the right strategic decisions for the long-term future.” “There is a lot of interest for people to be associated with us, to join with us. “There is a lot of interest in the Big 12 Conference,” Hocutt told the paper. Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt -who’s part of the Big 12′s four-person expansion subcommittee - told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal the issue could be around for “the next couple of years.” We don’t know how soon this could all shake out. But those scenarios seem less likely than Big 12 expansion. USF and UCF could also benefit if the AAC raids the Big 12′s top programs or if the two leagues merge. Perhaps the booming Tampa Bay area and USF’s unfulfilled potential will be enough to entice the Big 12 as it considers expansion. 99 team, according to ESPN’s preseason SP+ rankings. But USF has lost 22 of its last 35 games and is the nation’s No. It opened a new-look locker room this summer as part of the Lee Roy Selmon Athletic Center’s $3.3 million renovation, and the Bulls hope to break ground on an indoor practice facility this fall. USF has made progress in the facilities arms race. In a board of trustees meeting earlier this month, athletic director Terry Mohajir outlined his vision for a $50 million “football campus,” which would be a part of any Big 12 pitch. They also boast better facilities and social media engagement, in addition to having one of the largest student bodies in the country. ![]() The Knights are better positioned than USF because of their on-field product (two Fiesta Bowl appearances and a Peach Bowl win). USF and UCF would help the league establish a presence in two fertile areas in one of the country’s top three recruiting states. The Big 12 will lose even more recruiting power in Texas when the Longhorns and Sooners leave. UCF and USF don’t fit the geographic profile as well - if that still matters - but they do have other selling points. Boise State is another Western option with a strong football history, while Cincinnati starts this season No. Houston and SMU have had success and would enhance the Texas footprint. BYU is being seriously discussed, according to The Athletic. The conference could look to fortify its reputation and Power Five status by adding some of the top Group of Five teams. The most obvious way is through Big 12 expansion. Unless the Big 12 chooses to do nothing - which is possible - there’s a chance the Knights and Bulls end up in a league with the likes of TCU and Iowa State. Which means the Big 12 leftovers appear to be out of Power Five lifeboats. The SEC has already taken the two Big 12 teams it wants (Texas and Oklahoma), so it’s hard to imagine it adding anyone else. End any speculation about Kansas and Iowa State joining the Big Ten or West Virginia moving to the ACC. Now you can cross that league off the list of possible destinations for teams like Oklahoma State and Texas Tech.īased on what the ACC and Big Ten commissioners said Tuesday when they announced their ill-defined alliance, you can cross their leagues off the list, too. If the Pac-12 wanted to expand, it would have probably targeted some of the eight Big 12 leftovers. We don’t know how big that chance is, but it’s better now than it was before Thursday’s announcement. USF and UCF have a chance at moving up the realignment ladder. ![]() The Pac-12′s decision not to pursue conference expansion “at this time” is great news to the I-4 corridor.
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