Pulling from footballgod's thread about running the SEC, what would you do if you were given the keys to the conference. Do you keep the staus quo? Are teams evicted? Are teams brought in? What is the logic behind your decisions?

Feel free to question others' decisions, but don't be a wimp --- put your own ideas up first!

Create a rule that only public schools can apply for membership. Boot out Baylor for non-competitiveness and offer the slot to Arkansas who wants to be in the same conference as UT, but makes more money in the SEC than the Big XII can offer.

After a year or so of that dance, encourage a rebellion of the elites - UT & OU.

UT & OU would invite Arkansas, A&M, Colorado, Missou, LSU, Kansas, Nebraska, and Utah to join their new Top 10 conference. UT, OU, Arkansas, Colorado, Missou would be on board from day one as they provide most of the revenue and/or share the UT vision. Kansas and Nebraska would have no better options. Utah would rightly see it as their only chance to join the BCS club. LSU may join for the better money and greater academic standing, but might stay in the SEC for the tradition. Fine either way.

UT
OU
Arkansas
A&M
Colorado
Missou
LSU
Kansas
Nebraska
Utah

Financially, I think this conference would surpass the PAC 10 to be second only to the Big 10. Academically, it would quickly reach big 10 level with UT pushing.

I would say boot out Baylor for UTEP or Houston (Or UTSA once they move to Division IA) and Iowa State (So they can jointhe Big Ten) and take Colorado State or New Mexico. (If the later, OU and OSU can go north and be the permenant rivals to Texas and Texas Tech, respectively.)

I leave in all the current members for now. And I go for 4 new members: Arkansas, Colorado State, SMU, and TCU. They all have sports they are good at, and the latter 2 are also added to strengthen the hold on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV market. SMU and TCU also join because of their proximity to Big 12 HQ. UArk and CSU go in the North Division, and SMU and TCU in the South. Division play is then started for other sports.

Then if Missouri and Iowa State go to the Big Ten, I go after LSU and Tulane to add the New Orleans market. The Oklahoma schools go to the North Division to make room for the Louisiana schools in the South.

Well each school has it's positives and negatives.. Baylor is a good acedemic school, Houston and UTEP are not noted for that. Neither UH or UTEP adds much athletically, but UTEP does draw well and UH does have alot of alumni.

THe Big 10 doesn't relaly seem to want Iowa St. They already have Iowa and State doesn't give them any new Markets. CSU is a nice candidate, but they also don't provide any new markets. UNM is a mediocre academic school and while their market is fairly large it is financially poor. They could do as well as Tech does though.

UT and A&M have a ton of grads in the DFW area. I don't really know how much TCU and SMU add to that. Arkansas almost cetainly would not leave the 12th share of SEC $ for a 16th share of the same (smaller than the SEC) TV footprint the Big XII already has.

Now the idea of dumping Baylor and adding CSU is absolutely something Nebraska should be pushing for. That effectively would kill the MWC, reducing it to near WAC levels and might prolong the existance of the Big XII.

Without CSU, it is very difficult for the MWC to claim relevance in Denver, even though Wyoming is technically in that market and Air Force is in the neighboring Colorado Springs Market. That forces the MWC down the mountain network path irrevocably as their cottage cheese footprint would look quite spotty from a media perspective. They have a good hold on SLC, San Diego, Las Vegas, and Albequeque, but that is only about 3M TV housholds owned and fingerholds in Colorado and DFW. If CSU (one of the MWC's 3 other tier 2 or better schools) left, I could see TCU dropping out. I think they would do better in a 14 team CUSA or frankly as an Indy with their own small TV deal.




I can't see the Big 10 going to 13, and I doubt Iowa State is on their radar (as much as I wish it was). Good academic school, good athletics, no added market. Missou is a very sensible Big 10 add, but is probably no higher than 4th on their list of options behind ND, UT (pipe dream), and rutgers.