If the Big 12 expansion raids the AAC to free UConn, would you...

[SaveOD238]

Arkansas State ( ), Boise State, BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado State, UConn, East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, NIU, New Mexico, San Diego State, SMU, Temple, Tulane, UCF, USF.

Sounds like some of these are just about expanding (or returning to) some TV markets.  Arkansas State and Colorado State would get the Big XII back into Arkansas and Colorado (I think the latter is far more likely).  New Mexico isn't a big market but it is adjacent to their footprint.  The interesting one on here to me is San Diego State.  Does SDSU draw many football eyeballs? Could it help with California recruiting?

Is that NIU Northern Illinois or someone else?  Northern has a decent following in the burbs, and might be an interesting TV market play, but it certainly isn't at the level of some of these other schools (though they were in a BCS game not too long ago)

[bamamarquettefan]

San Diego States ED just went to Mizzou I believe - pretty good testament to the success there to get an SEC gig, albeit one with turmoil.

[GoldenWarrior11]

It is incredibly ironic, but there is more unity in the AAC - one where each member is aligned within the conference by wanting to be in a power conference - than the Big 12, where no one can agree on 1) Whether the Big 12 expand 2) Who to expand with 3) Whether to stay in the Big 12 and build it as top conference or 4) bolt the conference and cement yourself within a different power conference. 

Two points from that:
1. The current Big 12 is the Old Big East.
2. We should be thankful that we helped re-organize the Big East with like-minded institutions to insure our conference, our athletic programs and our schools will always be protected from schools (football) that don't have our best interests at heart.

[Benny B]

Sounds like some of these are just about expanding (or returning to) some TV markets.  Arkansas State and Colorado State would get the Big XII back into Arkansas and Colorado (I think the latter is far more likely).  New Mexico isn't a big market but it is adjacent to their footprint.  The interesting one on here to me is San Diego State.  Does SDSU draw many football eyeballs? Could it help with California recruiting?

Is that NIU Northern Illinois or someone else?  Northern has a decent following in the burbs, and might be an interesting TV market play, but it certainly isn't at the level of some of these other schools (though they were in a BCS game not too long ago)

SDSU is probably one of the most overlooked universities in all of D-I sports because they are (literally) tucked into a corner of the country where they live in the shadows of both USC and UCLA.  From a football standpoint, they have a respectable history, facilities on par with any other BCS school, and would be a great addition to any conference... in fact, they're land grant, research, fully accredited, 30k+ enrollment, blah blah blah, but they're hamstrung geographically.  The Pac-12 doesn't want them because you'd have three schools within the LA-SD megalopolis (i.e. you're not adding TV markets, competing for recruits, etc. -- which is why, other than the anomaly of the ACC, no other conference has more than two schools in such close proximity to one another), and they would be a no-brainer for the Big 12, if not for the fact that they're 2,500 miles from Morgantown.  Though as some may recall, SDSU was going to join the Big East as football-only up until the C-7 announced their intentions, but I'm skeptical if such an option exists with the Big 12.

SDSU is a clear case of "build it and they will come"... go see how well Butler and Xavier have been fundraising and how much more interest their basketball program is receiving amongst alumni now that they're members of a major conference.  Yes, even with two championship appearances in the last decade, Butler feels - as well they should - like they can be a perennial force on the national stage and in recruiting circles instead of merely the biggest fish in a small pond.  Vaulting to a BCS conference would essentially do the same for SDSU... they've been awaiting their own inflection point for a long time.

[GoldenWarrior11]

Mark Blaudschun reported today that if the Big 12 expands without UConn, then UConn will not keep the status quo with the AAC and look to alternatives.  He alludes to a reunion with the Big East for non-football sports.

[GGGG]

Mark Blaudschun reported today that if the Big 12 expands without UConn, then UConn will not keep the status quo with the AAC and look to alternatives.  He alludes to a reunion with the Big East for non-football sports.

Ajerseyguy.  He has pretty good info on the Big East.  He was reporting stuff on the C7 breakup early. 

He can get a little "out there" at times though. 

[GoldenWarrior11]

His insider is most likely Mike Tranghese, one of his close friends, former Big East conference commissioner and current UConn advisor/consultant on realignment. 

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

The Pac-12 doesn't want [SDSU] because you'd have three schools within the LA-SD megalopolis (i.e. you're not adding TV markets, competing for recruits, etc. -- which is why, other than the anomaly of the ACC, no other conference has more than two schools in such close proximity to one another)

Emphasis added.

Good analysis, with one exception. It's approximately 120 miles as the crow flies from UCLA to San Diego State (about as far as from Chicago to Madison). There is actually another place where three or more major conference schools are that close together: the Big Ten.

72 miles from Purdue to Illinois
99 miles from Purdue to Indiana
112 miles from Illinois to Indiana

Los Angeles and San Diego are different media markets just like Chicago and Indianapolis are. The analysis is solid, but should probably be amended to say that no major conference (in its current form, at least) has EXPANDED to add a new school so close to multiple established members.

[forgetful]

SDSU is probably one of the most overlooked universities in all of D-I sports because they are (literally) tucked into a corner of the country where they live in the shadows of both USC and UCLA.  From a football standpoint, they have a respectable history, facilities on par with any other BCS school, and would be a great addition to any conference... in fact, they're land grant, research, fully accredited, 30k+ enrollment, blah blah blah, but they're hamstrung geographically.  The Pac-12 doesn't want them because you'd have three schools within the LA-SD megalopolis (i.e. you're not adding TV markets, competing for recruits, etc. -- which is why, other than the anomaly of the ACC, no other conference has more than two schools in such close proximity to one another), and they would be a no-brainer for the Big 12, if not for the fact that they're 2,500 miles from Morgantown.  Though as some may recall, SDSU was going to join the Big East as football-only up until the C-7 announced their intentions, but I'm skeptical if such an option exists with the Big 12.

SDSU is a clear case of "build it and they will come"... go see how well Butler and Xavier have been fundraising and how much more interest their basketball program is receiving amongst alumni now that they're members of a major conference.  Yes, even with two championship appearances in the last decade, Butler feels - as well they should - like they can be a perennial force on the national stage and in recruiting circles instead of merely the biggest fish in a small pond.  Vaulting to a BCS conference would essentially do the same for SDSU... they've been awaiting their own inflection point for a long time.

At this point that is what the Big12 is looking for.  There are no teams available to be poached that would command sufficient media money to even break even on the addition.  There are though some teams, like SDSU, that with the proper dedication to athletics, would have the ability to become a major player and a major draw. 

General requirements:  Large alumni base (eyeballs), large media market, Big donors (Need to build it for people to come). 

Not as important:  Current reputation and/or historical achievements.

[GGGG]

Does San Diego State really meet that definition?  I mean I guess they might be better than Memphis or Houston, but they don't really draw all that well.  I don't think they're considered some sort of sleeping giant in the world of college athletics with some sort of huge, untapped potential.

To be, they are pretty much similar to the other schools under consideration.

[Benny B]

Emphasis added.

Good analysis, with one exception. It's approximately 120 miles as the crow flies from UCLA to San Diego State (about as far as from Chicago to Madison). There is actually another place where three or more major conference schools are that close together: the Big Ten.

72 miles from Purdue to Illinois
99 miles from Purdue to Indiana
112 miles from Illinois to Indiana

Los Angeles and San Diego are different media markets just like Chicago and Indianapolis are. The analysis is solid, but should probably be amended to say that no major conference (in its current form, at least) has EXPANDED to add a new school so close to multiple established members.

W Lafayette, Champaign-Urbana, and Bloomington are not adjacent to one another. When I was speaking in terms of proximity, I was talking about adjacent media markets... actual distance is irrelevant, especially in SoCal.  In fact, the triangle between all three would be barely large enough to house the entire LA media market.

[forgetful]

Does San Diego State really meet that definition?  I mean I guess they might be better than Memphis or Houston, but they don't really draw all that well.  I don't think they're considered some sort of sleeping giant in the world of college athletics with some sort of huge, untapped potential.

To be, they are pretty much similar to the other schools under consideration.

Honestly, not sure if they meet that definition, just highlighting what the Big12 is looking for.  I agree that they are similar to Memphis and Houston, with a bigger media market than Memphis and 50% larger enrollment and a substantially larger alumni base.

But that highlights the Big12's problem.  No obvious options and a lot of research that needs to be done to determine who has the most potential to become a respected program.  Frankly, UCONN is not it.