[ALUmnus]

Yes, but the real question is, which direction is central?

[PastorZack]

How can universities having their own networks not be an NCAA recruting violation?

I would think that these so called networks are a unfair recruiting tool. just like schools (Ok St) having football camps in Houston or Dallas is forbidden by the NCAA.

What kind of regulations would be on them from the NCAA????

I think this contract STINKS and I believe ALL Aggies and Sooners have been hoodwinked by the Texas Legislature and the political machine that is DeLoss Dodds.

Rick Perry needs to give back his Aggie Ring and be branded with the 13-0 just like BEVO.

[ATrain]

How can universities having their own networks not be an NCAA recruting violation?

I would think that these so called networks are a unfair recruiting tool. just like schools (Ok St) having football camps in Houston or Dallas is forbidden by the NCAA.

What kind of regulations would be on them from the NCAA????

I think this contract STINKS and I believe ALL Aggies and Sooners have been hoodwinked by the Texas Legislature and the political machine that is DeLoss Dodds.

Rick Perry needs to give back his Aggie Ring and be branded with the 13-0 just like BEVO.

Careful now, remember that LU has it's own TV network as well.

[Sly Fox]

That was actually rather tame compared to what I have heard from most of your fellow Ags on sports talk radio here in Houston, PastorZack. It was funny listening to Steve McKinney on the air this morning trying to take the heat off his dad who is Chairman of the Board of Regents and point the finger at Austin. The Aggie fanbase is irate over this deal. I heard one caller in a rage say this is the saddest he has been as an Ag since the bonfire fell and that he was embarrassed to have administrators who would hide under UT's skirt at the mere whisper from DeLoss Dodds' lips.

But before you cast stones at the new contract, you need to look closely at it. Essentially seven schools humbled themselves and threw the majority of the contract into the hands of UT, A&M & OU in order to convince them to stick together. I have never heard of a conference where the league money wasn't split evenly. Financially A&M has a better television contract now than even Notre Dame with their NBC deal. Everybody got a nice bump thanks to ABC/ESPN & Fox overpaying the Big XII in order to avoid renegotiating all of the other league deals once realignment went berserk.

As for individual schools having their own networks, you are losing me on how this could possibly be a problem with the NCAA. There are no bylaws standing in the way and I can't think of a good reason why there should be.

Frankly there are only three schools in the Big XII Lite who would make a profit from starting up a network and the Aggies along with the Horns & Sooners are the others. Being able to start up their own network was a major incentive to the powers that be in College Station to move forward with the TV contract. The SEC & Pac-10 certainly couldn't offer that MAJOR concession that would devalue their league deals. This element alone should be a reason for Aggies to be excited about where they will be now. Just like UT, A&M should be able to get a network on every cable/fiber system in the State of Texas. And due to the size of Texas, DirecTv & Dish will likely have to make sure they have it in their lineups as well. Schools like Florida, Alabama & LSU can only dream of such an opportunity that has landed in the lap of the Aggies.

I have already begun the process of trying to position myself to take advantage of these new networks in Austin & College Station. If I am still living in Texas when they go on air, I should get a great deal of on air opportunities. But I am also hoping to produce shows for the networks to fill up those huge amounts of time. I admit when this starting going down yesterday I was shocked but giddy. All Hail the Big XII Lite!

[LUconn]

So is this really over? This ended with the Big 12 having 10 teams and the Big 10 having 12? Please tell me there will be some kind of name changes. That is very annoying.

[jcmanson]

I think we'll still see the Pac 10 adding another team, and perhaps the MWC and WAC doing something else.

[ALUmnus]

Just for good measure, the Big12 should take Utah, leave the Pac10 scrambling.

[Sly Fox]

As for now, both the Big Ten & the Big XII plan on keeping their names as they are.

As mentioned before, the only moves left will be small ones. Utah's invitation to Pac-10 should be on the way and then it is up to MWC & WAC to consider their options. Frankly I would expect anything from either of them right now. Most of the WAC's option are FCS schools and the NCAA moratorium blocks those decisions. The MWC would probably target a school like Houston. But as the UH AD was talking about on radio down here this morning, why would the Cougars bolt to the MWC until they were certain they wouldn't be invited in the Big XII a year or so down the road. Eventually the Big XII wil need two more members to have a championship game. There is no urgency for that to happen right now with the fat TV contract's ink still drying. But down the road ...

I would expect next summer have more significant movement. If you are sitting in South Bend, you have to be asking yourself if it is in your best interests to be independent when schools like Texas in a conference have a better program and more revenue while in a conference. Perhaps this Big XII TV deal will be what finally convinces the Catholics to jump onboard the Big Ten money express. Once that happens, then the dominoes start to fall once again and the Big East & ACC will be under siege which will lead to the C-USA being ripe for the picking from everybody else.

[Sly Fox]

I think the good vibes are going to wear off pretty fast on this deal. Basically the not so big 12 conference gave the whole house away to Texas, and for some reason (shortsighted increases in money from tv), the other schools went along. Obviously schools like Baylor are the big winners outside Austin...but A&M is by far the biggest loser in all of this. Regardless of a $$ increase for the time being, I think the Aggies just got put into a permanent 2nd tier behind their rivals in Austin. Really interesting stuff here, I wonder how long the glue holds.

The contract is written in a way that will make it nearly financially impossible for anyone to jump ship anytime soon. This new TV contract begins with the 2011-2012 school year.

Other than visions of grandeur playing in places like Starkville & Fayetteville slipping away, I am curious how A&M could be considered a big loser in this whole deal. Mack Brown won't coach forever and both UT and A&M have similar revenue streams and access to talent. There will come a day (probably not that far down the road) where A&M will be back. This contract assures them of not only being competitive financially but now they don't have as much competition to get into the postseason in all sports. Once the Ags get over the humiliation of appearing to get played by DeLoss Dodds, they will recognize how sweet of a deal that managed ... MUCH sweeter than what would have been coming their way in the SEC.

[From the class of 09]

This new deal basically made the Big 12 into a Midwestern version of the AL East. It’s the Yankee's (Texas) with the Red Sox's (Oklahoma) and the also rans. Heck you could even call A&M the Rays as they may make some noise every few years.

[4everfsu]

This is no different then what the Big 10 for years were known as the Big two(OSU and UM) and the little dwarfs.

[From the class of 09]

But now the money split will keep it that way permantly

[4everfsu]

And the equal sharing of revenune in the Big 10 and Pac 10 has not made any difference either as far as the power houses of those conferences.

[From the class of 09]

And the equal sharing of revenune in the Big 10 and Pac 10 has not made any difference either as far as the power houses of those conferences.

I’ll concede that money isn’t everything needed to create a competitive program. As we see dynasties in sports with salary caps too. But I’m not sure how you argue that a team making (and assumed spending) 25% more than its competition doesn’t have an advantage year end and year out.

Also last year the PAC & Big 10 powerhouse teams hardly dominated. In fact other than OSU they had pretty bad years.

[WinthropEagleFan]

And while men's basketball played no role in this whole situation, the new Big XII will be dropping two of its weakest members from an already strong basketball conference....should make some very interesting hoops in the Big XII, especially if Oklahoma can recover from its recent issues...won't be too many easy Ws in that league anymore.

[JK37]

Just to be clear, the Big Ten isn't done.

Adding Nebraska did little for the Big Ten's much-coveted television exposure, which means commissioner Jim Delany isn't finished.

We're simply entering the calm before the next expansion storm.

http://www.foxsportsdetroit.com/06/15/1 ... eedID=3706

[JK37]

And while men's basketball played no role in this whole situation...

I wouldn't necessarily say no role at all, though its certainly secondary. Some of these TV deals are packages, meaning a stronger basketball conference can be worth a few extra million. That's what's kept the Big East afloat.

[JK37]

And there are still some really off-the-wall ideas floating around out there in cyberspace. Here's one example from a delusional Kansas fan:

If [Beebe] succeeds in doing so, the Big 12 then has the power in terms of expansion plans. It can remain highly selective: Aim for adding Arkansas and Notre Dame. That would renew the Arkansas-Texas rivalry and give the conference two huge TV draws in ND and UT. Failing that, think bitter rivals Pittsburgh and West Virginia from the Big East, a move that would enrich the football conference and bring Bob Huggins back to Big 12 basketball arenas.

http://www2.kusports.com/news/2010/jun/ ... es-thanks/

[ATrain]

And while men's basketball played no role in this whole situation...

I wouldn't necessarily say no role at all, though its certainly secondary. Some of these TV deals are packages, meaning a stronger basketball conference can be worth a few extra million. That's what's kept the Big East afloat.

Kansas (and upstart Baylor for that matter) were nearly relegated to the Mountain West or Conference USA. I think that in and of itself says how much of a role men's bball played in this game.

[JK37]

And while men's basketball played no role in this whole situation...

I wouldn't necessarily say no role at all, though its certainly secondary. Some of these TV deals are packages, meaning a stronger basketball conference can be worth a few extra million. That's what's kept the Big East afloat.

Kansas (and upstart Baylor for that matter) were nearly relegated to the Mountain West or Conference USA. I think that in and of itself says how much of a role men's bball played in this game.

I did say secondary. Its not a deciding factor, nor did I ever say it was. But to say it means nothing is short-sighted.

[Sly Fox]

I can most certainly assure you that the only schools I could see the Big XII targeting right now are Arkansas & LSU. Notre Dame is either going to join the Big Ten or stay put. That's why Delany is done for the summer unless South Bend sends up a puff of smoke from their tower that they are ready to move.

[PastorZack]

Why would LSwho want to move from the SEC???? They already get anyone from LA if they want them and all they have to do is beat 'Bama in the West and then Florida in the East to go to a BCS game????

No incentive for them to move and have to face off with Texas schools for recruits and wins. They still cherry pick in East Texas. Think of it this way, for most kids growing up in East Texas it is closer to Red Stick than it is to t.u. or College Station.

[ATrain]

Why would LSwho want to move from the SEC???? They already get anyone from LA if they want them and all they have to do is beat 'Bama in the West and then Florida in the East to go to a BCS game????

No incentive for them to move and have to face off with Texas schools for recruits and wins. They still cherry pick in East Texas. Think of it this way, for most kids growing up in East Texas it is closer to Red Stick than it is to t.u. or College Station.

Depends on how much money the Big XII offers. As we've seen this time, the highest bidder wins.

[From the class of 09]

Why would LSwho want to move from the SEC???? They already get anyone from LA if they want them and all they have to do is beat 'Bama in the West and then Florida in the East to go to a BCS game????

No incentive for them to move and have to face off with Texas schools for recruits and wins. They still cherry pick in East Texas. Think of it this way, for most kids growing up in East Texas it is closer to Red Stick than it is to t.u. or College Station.

The two reasons LSU would leave the SEC are simple. One if the BIG 12 can offer more money and two if they view the Big 12 as an easier road to the BCS (SEC is still considered the toughest conference in college football).

I don’t think it’s likely that LSU moves but those would be the reasons if they did.

[Sly Fox]

I never meant to imply that anything was likely to happen with Arkie or LSU. I was just saying those were the only two schools I could see the Big XII letting join their party. Frankly they don't have any motivation to do so right now. But I guarantee you that the Piggies are looking at what has gone done and wishing they were tied to their local & traditional rivals instead of the SEC.