And then there were five
With Texas close to joining Pac-16 "superconference," where does that leave Big12 and UH?
The Big 12 isn't so big anymore.
With the University of Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech reportedly close to jumping ship for the newly augmented Pac-16, only the University of Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor and Iowa State have yet to join up elsewhere and ring the conference's death knoll.
The Austin American Statesman reports that Pac-16 deal would allow Texas Longhorns to keep the Longhorn Network — the college sports network that was marketed as the savior of the Big 12. The network will, however, add Pac-12 programming, making it less UT-centric than it had been.
Texas came close to joining the Pac-16 (then the Pac-10) in 2010, but seemingly single-handedly (if you believed the hype) kept the Big 12 intact with the Longhorn Network, that is until Texas A&M ran off with the SEC.
In the deal, UT would keep all of the network revenue only if that amount is greater than one-sixteenth of what the whole conference receives for its third-tier rights. If the money the entire Pac-12 receives is larger than one-sixteenth of the Longhorn Network revenue, however, the Pac-12 schools will divide the revenue evenly.
Texas came close to joining the Pac-16 (then the Pac-10) in 2010, but seemingly single-handedly (if you believed the hype) kept the Big 12 intact with the Longhorn Network, that is until Texas A&M ran off with the SEC.
How will scheduling work with a West Coast conference? It's predicted the Pac-16 could be divided into four pods — with Texas likely joined by longtime rivals Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. Each school would play nine conference games per year — the other three teams from their pod, as well as two teams from each of the Pac-12's other pods. Extra-long trips would be limited, in theory, to one per year per team.
But enough about Texas already. What about the rest of the Big 12? And what about their other sports programs, like basketball?
Kansas' illustrious program is certain to suffer from realignment, even if it joins the Big 10 as some are predicting. Still others are predicting that the SEC isn't done poaching the Big 12 — and Missouri has made moves for consideration.
Or, maybe, the Big East, which just lost Pittsburgh and Syracuse to the ACC, will merge with the Big 12 to form some conference of the last kids picked.
The University of Houston, which has made recent strides toward Tier-One status, was once pegged as a likely addition to the Big 12. With a football program that's only getting more competitive, where does realignment leave UH?
It seems like the Cougar's options are dwindling to a move to the Big East or staying put in Conference USA, neither of which seem promising in college football's realignment into four super conferences (SEC, ACC, Big Ten-ish and Pac-not-sure-of-the-final-number).
The ink is wet yet. Tell us: Do you think the Big 12 is a dead conference? Is the Pac-16 "superconference really" that super?
