Not surprising, but UH doesn't want to be in the AAC and is rumored to be reaching out to the Big XII.

I doubt if the B12 wants UH.

As long as Texas resides in the Big XII, if that conference takes another Texas school, it will be Rice.

Agreed. Rice would make a great selection as its 11th member. Now for the 12th member should either be Houston, SMU or UTEP. Making the division format as the following: the Big 12 North consisting the Iowa State, West Virginia, the Kansas schools and the Oklahoma schools; while the Big 12 South consists of the Texas schools. Plus, I believe that West Virginia should very well-fit in the ACC in exchange for either Cincinnati or Louisville.

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Texas wants 4 texas and 2 Oklahoma schools.

There are 2 in Kansas ,1 in Iowa and 1 in WVa.


No more texas schools.

Best choice are 2 FLorida schools.

If the best choice would be 2 Florida schools, then how would the division format be when the Big 12 reaches 12 schools? Any predictions or thoughts?

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Florida State Seminole fan for life (mostly on football, basketball and baseball)!

Let's get serious. Rice is not getting into the Big 12. They averaged 20,325 in attendance last season.

I don't think the conference should further expand into Texas, but I don't know if one can find consensus as to whom should become 11+. Clearly, WVU is going to one more northern and eastern members, although I don't believe adding Florida schools will help them out any. That kind of leaves only Cincinnati, Memphis, USM, and Tulane as viable "companions" without further Texas absorption. I don't know if any of those schools get a resounding show of support. MAC schools needn't even apply.

...and I think the best candidates, aside from Cincy, are in the west: BYU, AFA, CSU, UNM, SDSU...but try to tell that to WVU.

Rice's candidacy, as unlikely as it is, hinges on at least three qualities: their Houston location, their academic mission where it relates to recruiting, and added Texas "inventory" that will allow northern schools more access into the state...one of the core gripes of the old B12. Rice simply doesn't get into the way, and I suspect that if given a B12 invite, those attendance marks will easily double. Playing three of the four more popular old conference-mates will have that effect.

Even the AAC did not take Rice.

All that's heard from Commish Bowlsby in the press on expansion is how wonderful 10 is. After Acting Commish Neinas left, any public articulation of expansion objectives essentially ceased.

There's been enough out of West Virginia to suggest Bowlsby's statements are not a uniform sentiment throughout the conference. WVU just has to accept all the travel and logistic issues. This conference is back to its basic political structure, and anyone else trying to escape shall find it too costly to try. Not having a CCG fits into the established and formidable control dimension.

Bowlsby's job appears to be focused on maintaining the status quo and plug any leaks that would have the potential to impact. He knows the power sources he must please. This conference is not expanding.

The schools that the B12 would possibly accept, don't have enough incentive for it.

If the Big 12 won't plan to expand upto 12 schools and having divisions for a CCG, then I suggest that the Big 12 should rename a conference name for a newer identity.

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Florida State Seminole fan for life (mostly on football, basketball and baseball)!

If the Big XII is going to address West Virginia'a concern about being out on an island and wants to create an eastern wing, the best choice besides Cincy would be UConn. A state flagship in a state that would immediately be the 3rd largest state in the conference represented by its state flagship, they're the kind of school that the Big XII is otherwise made up of.

The distance may seem like a lot. Hartford is almost 500 miles from Morgantown. Yet, no one bats an eye at suggesting BTU for the Big XII and they are almost 900 miles from the closest Big XII school.

UConn is a state flagship and those kinds of schools don't grow on trees. They bring their entire state with no competition from other big time colleges or pros plus parts of neighboring NY and western Massachusetts for a market size of about 4 million. They have the most affluent population in the country, making the advertising dollars worth more there.

At one time there were rumors that leftovers from what appeared to be an imploding Big XII wanted to join the Big East. Why not have a wing of leftovers from the now imploded Big East in the Big XII? If they wanted to go to 14, they could go for USF and UCF.

How about the following divisions in a 12 team Big XII:

NORTH

Connecticut
West Virginia
Cincinnati
Iowa State
Kansas State
Oklahoma

SOUTH

Kansas
Oklahoma State
TCU
Texas Tech
Baylor
Texas

Don't you mean UConn, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Kansas and Kansas State as the Big 12 North; and Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, Baylor and Texas as the Big 12 South?

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Florida State Seminole fan for life (mostly on football, basketball and baseball)!

Nope.

Putting Kansas in the South and Oklahoma in the North puts the 2 best football programs - Oklahoma & Texas - in separate divisions and the 2 best basketball programs - Kansas and Connecticut - in separate divisions.

Ok, but that's your opinion and point of view. However, have you forgotten about intra-state rivalries such as Kansas vs. Kansas State and Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State?

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Florida State Seminole fan for life (mostly on football, basketball and baseball)!