RIP Big XII: Why the Conference is Dying a Slow and Painful Death
This article was originally posted on http://hashsports.com/.
Well yesterday, the worst decision ever by a conference (and this is saying a lot) was made. The Big XII out Big XII’ed itself and decided against expansion.
(We go live to Mizzou, Texas A&M, Nebraska, and Colorado to see their reaction):
The Big XII will remain at 10 teams. This is a death sentence for the conference. Since its inception in 1996, the conference has always been at the mercy of Texas and Oklahoma. It was like that when the first realignment started. Texas and Oklahoma were on their way to the Pac-12, but then the worst thing that could ever happen to a conference happened. The Longhorn Network. This was Texas’ way of making sure their pockets were always going to be filled with truckloads of cash. This is a network, unlike the SEC Network, that could never see a return on its investment. With Texas football struggling, the major appeal of the network is gone. I know it’s tough for you Texas people to believe, but not enough people give a shit about UT athletics to justify having extensive volleyball or track and field coverage around the clock. However, because this network is exclusive to the University of Texas, they can and will continue to do whatever they want because the revenue flows directly to the University, not the Big XII.
Now, let us shift to the only other school that matters in the Big XII, Oklahoma. Year after year, OU manages to have one of the best football programs in the country, so they matter. They definitely generate a good chunk of the overall revenue for the Big XII. We can also throw Oklahoma State into the conversation because my guess is OU and OSU are going to be paired up forever, no matter what. Having Boone Pickens doesn’t hurt either.
The Big XII is a 10 team conference with a championship game starting next year. I have no idea how that will work, but hey, Bob Bowlsby sure knows, I guess. The leadership in the conference is unbelievable. To choose not to vote on one single team that applied for admittance into your conference is unacceptable and just dumb, for lack of a better word. The conference is done. The Big 10 and the Pac-12 have TV deals through 2021. You better believe that when those are up, they will both be seeking OU and Texas to join their conference. The Big XII is still the easiest conference to leave out of the College Football Playoffs because there is no championship.
Remember, this is the conference that coined the phrase “One True Champion” and in that same year had co-champions in Baylor and TCU, with both receiving championship gear. Unreal.
The Big XII is a dumpster fire. The conference owes a big apology to every school they made bend over backwards for them. At the very minimum these schools deserved a vote. You mean to tell me that Houston, BYU, and Cincinnati have less to offer to your conference than Kansas and Iowa State, especially in terms of the money maker that is college football.
The conference will cease to exist as we know it in the very near future. The four schools that saw the writing on the wall made the smartest move for their University in terms of planning for the future and having a stable future at that. Once Texas and Oklahoma say they are gone, so is the conference. So, this is me saying: Rest in Peace Big XII. In the end, you have only yourself to blame.
If you would like to keep this conversation going, follow me on twitter @Mhill_
