Latest from Chip Brown who believes that Big 12 expansion is apparently a work in progress.Link at http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID ... &PT=4&PR=2

This is very interesting article and comments from SEC on the possibility of the Big 12 remaining with 10 could have other implications which could benefit the SEC as well.

Everyone has preconceived notions super conferences have to be 16 members and there will be four of these super type conferences when all the dust settles.

I have a slightly different take and believe super conference actually work best with 24 schools. This would allow a super conference to split into four six team divisions and have two end of the season conference championship games without changing the NCAA rule. Otherwise 16 schools have to split into 8 team divisions and this has huge scheduling issues.

This format would then allow the two regular season champions of all four divisions to advance to the Champions Bowl in prime time New Years day.

The SEC coaches are complaining about only want to count games in your division toward the division championship.

What if the SEC and Big 12 become more than just an Jan 1 bowl alliance. Both have a perfect 24 teams that would split very nicely into four regions all connected geographically together.

East: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia

South: Alabama, Auburn, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Miss State, LSU

West: Arkansas, Texas, Texas A&M, TCU, Baylor, Texas Tech

North: Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Iowa State

In this year pre season ranking, less assume the following scenario would play out.

East Division Champion Georgia plays the South Division Champion Alabama during championship week in Dec. Of course this could include WVU, South Caroline, LSU which are ranked very high in pre season.

West Division Champion Arkansas plays North Division Champion Oklahoma. Again, TCU, Oklahoma State, or Kansas State could be included which are likewise ranked very high in preseason.

Less assume Alabama and Oklahoma advance to the New Years Day Champions bowl.

Alabama squeaks out a close victory over Oklahoma and advances to plus one championship game.

Would any not agree the winner of this 24 member super conference would always have regular spot in the BCS national championship matchup.

Could this be the reason the Big 12 has not discussed expansion while rumors run rapid on Florida State and Clemson to the Big 12. Would either of these two schools be needed in the super 24 conference alignment.

But why settle for 1 spot when you can have 2? Under this format, you are giving the other spot in the BCS championship to either the PAC or the B1G. Why?

Part of the reason the alliance occurred in addition to money is the Big Ten power play to only including conference champions and protection of the Rose Bowl by the Pac 12 and Big Ten.

If both the SEC and Big 12 always plan to remain separate conferences they will most likely only get one conference member into the final four which translates into one conference member into the final game. If you have an SEC and Big 12 team make the final game of the four team playoff, it will still be two separate conferences regardless of the alliance. As an alliance they will only share in the Champions bowl revenue and maybe some cross over games made for TV. It not like if the SEC and a Big 12 made the final each year the SEC could claim we have two teams in the championship game.

Why not make it to your advantage to always get to the final game and create a more interesting scenario for TV that benefits the SEC and Big 12.

If you take the final four with only conference champions or if one at large team is added, you going to open it to more teams to participate in the final four with much better odds of teams other than the SEC and Big 12 occasionally making it into final two.

If you monopolize the playoff by saying we will play four divisions into mini super conference playoff with plus one championship game after New Years, and get a super conference representative each year into that final plus one bowl.

Otherwise you are looking at the Big Ten, Pac 12, SEC, and Big 12 getting into the final four bowls with occasionally an ACC or Notre Dame taking one or possibly two of those spots.

I like scenario 1 better than scenario 2 listed below

Scenario 1: four division champs meet on championship week in the first week of December with winners advancing to New Year prime time “Champions bowl” and very good odds of the “Champions Bowl” making the plus one bowl a couple weeks later. This scenario has a true playoff type feeling.

Scenario 2: SEC divisions champions meet on championship week in the first week of December with the winner either advancing to the BCS final four or Champions bowl. Big 12 regular season champion advancing to the BCS final four or Champions bowl. Final four takes place with possibly including SEC and/or Big 12 representatives. This scenario is much like the current BCS system where you wait to see placements of the BCS Final four causing fragmented flow in the playoff.

Either is OK and good for both the SEC and Big 12 and will probably result in the same number of conference teams from one particular conference making the final two which is going to only be one team most likely per conference thanks to your ACC for going along with the Big Ten.

I just like scenario 1 better and believe it could generate more revenue for the merged SEC/Big 12 over the current system of 14 SEC members competing to reach a final four playoff while the Big 12 competes in regular season to reach the final four.

As a fan, I would prefer my conference to playoff with in my conference with a almost guarantee of always reaching the championship game.

If we were going to a full 8 team playoff or better yet a possibility of 12 or 16 schools, I would have a slightly different point of view. I just do not college football getting to that scenario of real playoff for a very long time.

https://twitter.com/#!/IngramSmith/stat ... 8576438272
Looking more and more like the Big 12 will grow to 12.5 (Notre Dame Olympic sports) with a plan for full membership down the line

Heard that Notre Dame would come into the Big12 in football once their NBC deal runs out in 2015

https://twitter.com/#!/JLMHokie/status/ ... 0247325696
FSU Staff on 247 is reporting that FSU and Clemson will inform the ACC that they will explore other conferences.

Latest Chip Brown piece reporting that four ACC schools (to include Clemson,Miami,VT and FSU)have recently made "informal" contact with the Big 12.No surprise that ND non FB looks to be top pick.He says league expansion "could" heat up by next month.
Link at http://texas.rivals.com/barrier_noentry ... &mid=&rid=


Edit:(That link sure faded fast.Site requires a subscription.I will try to obtain an alternate link if possible)

Also,Brett McMurphy blog article with comments from Texas AD regarding Big 12 expansion and Big 12 bowl ties at http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootbal ... y/19124774

FSU, Clemson, Miami, VT. No GT probably because they think of themselves more B1G academically. If I'm VT I'd talk to the SEC before settling for B12

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One of those schools best not be Clemson or we are going to have to start calling the Clemson’s Athletic Director a liar.

I am guessing the four schools are Florida State, Miami, Maryland, and Pitt

There is one ACC school that is supposedly in touch with the Big Ten and my guess it is Maryland. If you reaching out to the Big, there is no reason to not reach out to other conferences as well.

Pitt has not played one game in the ACC and their arch rival is in the Big 12 which could also take the other rival of Notre Dame.

Miami will want to follow Florida State.

Just a guess on which four teams have applied for membership in the Big 12.

The article said the 4 I named. ADs and Prezs lie all the time. They have too until they actually have an invite from the new conf. unless they want to go the A&M route and tell their conf to f*ck off while they iron things out w/ the new conf.


"Two Big 12 sources told Orangebloods.com Tuesday there has been informal contact from Florida State, Clemson, Virginia Tech and Miami with the Big 12 about possible expansion."

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I don't doubt that VT is at least listening to the Big12 but I don't think that it will happen. VT will likely join the SEc because they have more money to offer.

I really think it's going to be Miami, especially if GaTech is interested, will be wanting to join the Big12.

Is there any reason TCU shouldn't be our favorite school on this board? First they decide to get out of their dinghy of the MWC and onto the BCS yacht of the Big East only to realize it is sinking and then before even greeting everyone they jump to the Big 12. Now their AD has all but confirmed that Florida State, Clemson and Miami want to join the Big 12. http://sportsblogs.star-telegram.com/ma ... atter.html

Fresno St Alum,
Actually I was just joking around and agree that officials have to lie and this is common in both sports and politics.

I really need to start being more serious because I believe this Clemson and Florida State rumor to the Big 12 is becoming all too real.

This SEC/Big 12 alliance has escalated the urgency for schools including the now very vulnerable ACC football schools, to ensure they have a seat at the table of one of the potential future “Big Four football leagues”.

http://www.tigernet.com/view/story.do?id=10623

I would think the Big XII would take FSU and Miami in a heartbeat, if htey want to leave the ACC.

Are Clemson, GT, VT more desirable than Louisville (who is all dressed up and waiting at the door) ?

There will be questions about how to break into divisions....
There would currently be an imbalance to group the 4 Texas schools with OU / OSU,
but if Miami / FSU enter the fold would you pair those 2 in a South group with the 4 Texas schools ?
We'll have to see....

I think Swofford would be smart to convene an emergency meeting and ask if the ACC schools would adopt a granting of rights ?
The ACC right now may be in the situation that the Big XII found itself in when Neinas came aboard.
Some of the ACC schools might be comfortable staying, IF all 14 stay together.
If everyone adopts a poison pill that keeps them all together, the confernece is too good to ignore.
But if everyone is pressured to jump, lest they be left behind in a decaying conference, that pressure could cause the ACC to implode.

Dr. William Dudley, a Chemistry Professor at Vanderbilt, apparently was a man way ahead of his time (1894). He founded the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_I ... ssociation

While the list of schools have had immense changes over a century-plus, and omitting the smaller schools that embarked on a different direction, the original footprint and most of the major names are there (i. e. Mississippi State was Mississippi A&M). The turf, then, covered much of the "Old Confederacy", including prominent Texas schools.
Of course nothing was bigtime then, demographics were simple, and the concept was "collegial (friendly) sports"; not fb & bb dynasties with unbecoming recruiting tactics, and athletes were REAL students, and the true costs centered on train tickets for the players & coach, some of whom may have paid out of their own pockets.

Certain now B12, SEC, and ACC schools actually had some history together.

Well, this certainly grants this some legitimacy:

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