Money, Cash, Bowls: The Big “12” Bailout

Here’s my view from the CHEAP SEATS (from the middle of a celebrating fan base in Missouri) 

For the past few weeks the structure of the Big 12 has dominated the sports news scene like none other. Even the 

The Red River foes allegiance to the Big 12 ultimately saved the Big 12.

 World Cup and NBA Finals were struggling for headlines with the fate of population of the Big 12. Yesterday the suspense was brought to an end as the league was saved when the Texas Longhorns committed to continuing their affiliation with the conference. At the last-minute Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe step up and pulled an amazing rescue job for his conference that had been on life support since last week. This set a string of events and commitments that will come to a head later today when the Big 12 conference announces its continuing of operations as a BCS program. Here is a summary of each program’s position throughout this whole standoff and what some scenarios on expansion, the Pac 10 and Big 10. 

**The Big “12”** 

Dodds played Texas Hold Em perfectly and made Texas the most lucrative program in the NCAA

Texas: As I predicted last week, Texas was the key. Once University President Bill Powers informed the Big 12 that the school would stay in affiliation with the Pac 10, the entire league rejoiced. In the end this was an easy decision for Texas, as they were clearly given Superpower status as head program in the conference. It has been acknowledged for years now, but Texas Athletic Director Deloss Dodds now has UT being given the king’s ransom that proves it. A $25 million per year payout, along with an independent Texas Network that will feature the university’s programs. Most importantly, their pledge to the conference kept the other south schools in as well and allowed for appropriate payouts to be alloted to those schools as well. Everything is bigger in Texas, and it’s not cliché when it’s true. A hail the Kings of the Big 12. 

  

Oklahoma: The Sooners are a program that  controlled their destiny if the conference had broken apart. They have the national notoriety and programs to have seamlessly moved to either the SEC, as it seems was their favorite over the Pac 10. In the end they benefitted the most from staying in alliance with Texas in a familiar conference and taking the increased payout as well. They will net $20 million annually from the newly structured payout. 

Texas A&M: This program was at a crossroads, as it was not blindly committed to Texas as it appeared. They were the top team that was thought to be moving to the SEC, but they played the proceedings well. They also fangled a larger cut of the Big 12’s new payday at around $20 million annually in order to keep them aligned with the conference. This keeps the SEC or Pac 10 from entering the state of Texas and leaves a key cog in the Big 12 picture. 

Texas Tech: Tech is a program that was aligned with what the University of Texas did and they committed to the new Big 12 as soon as the Longhorns did. They did not take one of the larger cuts in the conference, but will continue to benefit from association with the existing schools in the conference and the increased exposure of Texas’s pending network. 

Truman & Mizzou's free fall was caught right before rock bottom

Missouri: 

A university that was backed into a corner and was potentially was to be left homeless, Mizzou was saved by the renewed commitment to the Big 12 by the southern schools. Missouri was one of the first schools to be rumored to be jumping ship to the Big 10, but when that offer proved to be false, they were left without a clear future. The Mountain West Conference was interested in acquiring Missouri, but by being able to stay in their familiar position they will increase revenue to around $14 million per year, keep their familiar rivalries and recruiting tabs. A huge save for an up and coming program. 

Baylor: The Bears were the quintessential nowhere man in the mix. They were the least attractive Big 12 South program and the Pac 10 were not interested in taking them on with the other Texas/Oklahoma programs. They were courted by the MWC as well, but TCU was protesting against them joining that conference as well. Baylor was saved from a potential big time mess of a transition. 

Oklahoma State: OSU was considered to be next program closest to following Colorado to the Pac 10, in order to secure a spot that was considered to be eligible to several other schools. They could have freely made the jump with less friction than other smaller programs, due to Oklahoma not contributing as much to them as Texas does to its surrounding schools. In the end Oklahoma State made to decision to stay close to newly empowered southern Big 12 schools and take a larger cut of the smaller Big 12. 

Iowa State: Without a doubt Iowa State was in position to be the biggest victim in the breakup of the conference. They are close to the bottom of the conference in both competition and revenue, so they had no attraction to either BCS conference looking to expand. By the Big 12 staying intact, they will by default increase their income and save themselves from a further drop into anonymity by moving to the Mountain West potentially. 

Kansas/Kansas State: Due to a shared Board of Regents, both Kansas institutions were placed in a coupling throughout this entire process. Despite the attraction of KU’s basketball program, the weight of K-State was coupled with them and made them an unattractive prospective mate. K-State is annually at the bottom of revenue brought into the Big 12 and despite having some competitive programs, were never a highly desired program to move. Also potentially hindered by the developing internal ticket scalping scandal at Kansas, it works out best for both universities to stand pat in the Big 12. 

**The Other Players** 

The Pac 10: Conference commissioner Larry Scott has to be dejected at the decisions of the remaining Big 12 schools 

Texas's decision assured Scott as winner of "The Biggest Loser"

 to stay together. He had huge plan to expand his conference, which is often seen as the lesser of the BCS programs, into a perhaps unparalleled national super-conference, but ends up with a lower tier University of Colorado team as his only acquisition from the Big 12. The Pac 10 could still acquire the University of Utah to round off at 12 teams and have a lucrative conference championship game, but his grand vision of immense media support of his conference are most likely dead without Texas or Oklahoma joining their ranks. 

Big 10: The Big 10 did exactly what they wanted the whole time and added a name-brand, power program in Nebraska to their conference, which will grow their powerful Big 10 Network’s reach and make them eligible for a conference championship game, which will grow revenue as well. They also keep open the potential to grow to the east coast and leave space for Notre Dame, if they ever successful court them. A big winner in the entire scenario. 

Mountain West: The MWC was on the verge of gaining the BCS entry they so desperately have wanted for years and could have potentially broke through as a major player if they could have acquired the leftover Big 12 programs of Missouri, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State and Baylor, in addition to Boise State. This task could still come to be, as Boise State’s huge success could push them through, but it is going to be much more difficult and if they lose Utah, it could be a lost cause as a whole. 

Big 12 Expansion: Although they have saved the core of the conference, there is still a matter of gaining through loss that needs to be addressed. With the departures of Colorado and Nebraska, the Big 12 drops below the NCAA-required 12 teams needed to have a conference championship game. This is a financial and competition concern, as the performance in the regular season is everything now and the television and attendance revenue from the Big 12 Championship Game is removed. 

Big 12 Commish Dan Beebe deserves a cape for saving his fledging job.

These reasons could push (or force) the Big 12 to consider expansion to re-establish their championship game eligibility. No schools have been officially discussed in this scenario, but regional schools that could be considered for membership would have to be Houston, TCU (if Baylor doesn’t return the “favor”), Colorado State, BYU, Air Force or Nevada. This schools are all from smaller conferences that could stand to benefit huge from alignment with the Big 12. Time will tell, but Commissioner Beebe’s conference shows it’s grit and power by standing firm and seeing its future.

Morning Menu: Weekend Warriors

Here’s my view from the CHEAP SEATS on this weekend to this morning. The view was from here, there and everywhere.

1. VY’s Fight Club: I’m convinced that some people just don’t get it. Vince Young should be the backup quarterback for this team (behind the immortal Ben Roethlisberger). I commended Vince for being able to pull himself back from the

$58 million gets a lot of drinks, but can't pay for a shirt for the club?

brink of the crazy house to show his growth as person and player to help the Tennessee Titans rebound from a disastrous start last year. However, I pull that praise back now and realize he’s still just one step away from Ron Artest territory again. Young was arrested this weekend at a Dallas club for punching a club patron for taking the “Hookem Horns” hand gesture and putting down, as if to say “Eff the Longhorns”. Here is what Vince Young is, indisputably: a 27-year-old, $58 million dollar, starting quarterback for an NFL team….and he’s fighting over a hand gesture in a club? Seriously? It’s rumored that he scored a 16 on the Wonderlic exam when he was at the NFL Draft combine (10 is the minimum to prove literacy…..). 5 years later, I’m sure that he was having a smart day when he got that score. Once again, I call for Goodell’s Silver Hammer to slam down. At least get in those pockets. It’s all illiterate, immature, club hopping Prima donna’s understand.

2. Union Jacked: In what was hyped as the biggest game in United States soccer in decades, the US faced off against

The Softest Schoolboy of em all. The Shame of the Nation, post Geoffry Butler

England in the opening round of the World Cup this weekend. It goes a long way to speak to either the development or shortcomings of the US soccer program that an opening round game against England is a landmark matchup, but it was exciting all the same. For me, that excitement turned to comedy in a hurry. After an early goal, the US scored on a Clint Dempsey shot bounced directly off the chest of English goalie Robert Green. It seemed to be an error in placement or whatever, but then the announcer got started with his two cents, which quickly became change for a dollar. He started of calling it terrible mistake, then it evolved to “a shot that schoolboys would have blocked” and ended up (10 minutes later) described as “the softest goal that you will see on the world level.” Wow. If the World Cup is gonna be a comedy show too, we may need to get Tracy Morgan, or at least Dennis Miller, in the commentary booth to maximize this experience for me.

3. Texas 2 Step: While the world watches and waits for where the Texas Longhorns will choose as their next conference bedfellow, a few of the lesser programs in the state are going at each other’s necks. With affiliation free agency looming for Baylor and the Mountain West Conference courting them, one member of the current MWC stands firmly against this: TCU. The Horned Frogs are rumored to be filing a complaint against with the conference to block Baylor from joining. The reason is the kicker though: they just don’t like them. This goes back to the formation of the Big 12 and how TCU feels it was passed over for membership in favor of a Baylor program they felt was lesser than theirs. So now, 20 years later, TCU is attempting to return the “favor” and keep Baylor as girl with no dance partner. I sincerely hope that MWC commissioner Craig Thompson plays the role of Dana White and not only takes on Baylor, but pits them against TCU in game 1 of the 2011 season, just to make an aggressive rivalry right away for his expanding conference. This is funny, like watching your little brothers have a slap fight.

4. The Kings of Kings: It’s June, and finally the New York Yankees have ascended back to the top of the AL East. The

General Girardi is just getting all his troops together in June. The Evil Empire lives.

Tampa Bay Rays have been the undisputed best show in baseball so far, but the Yanks have finally caught up to their act and the Boston Red Sox are getting healthier and are only four games back as well. This is nothing to panic about for the Rays, as nobody was going to run away in that division, but it shows how day in and day out it is to stay relevant in sport’s toughest division. Both the Yankees and the Red Sox are batting injuries and Tampa has stayed mostly healthy, but the Yankees are without a doubt the most talented team in baseball and if they can take the lead while dealing with injuries to Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson, Nick Johnson and Jorge Posada, along with a struggling Mark Texeira, this could be just a matter of the inevitable happening.

5. Know When to Say When: The once great Chuck Liddell got destroyed this weekend in his match against Rich Franklin. This is not to be unexpected, as Chuck has been past his prime for years now. However, the issue at hand is that he continues to get to prove it. For years fighters of all sorts have attempted to extend their careers with fights that happen long after their window of talent has closed, it’s almost a staple of the sport. It’s usually done to secure another pay-day to extend the lifestyles they’ve become accustomed to, but this has to stop. If the payday isn’t offered and the arena to square off in isn’t offered, then the problem is solved. Mixed Martial Arts is an extremely dangerous competition, and Dana White must evaluate the complete loss of one of his fighters receiving a potentially deadly injury, live on Pay Per View against the payout of getting one more big name fight for ratings.

**Hit and Run**

There are alternating reports of Texas being aligned to the restructure of the Big 12 & others having them out the door, it’s virtually totally speculation at this point overall……Utah is also being said to be the final team to join the Pac 10, over Texas A&M, Kansas or Baylor……Beleaguered umpire Jim Joyce was voted as the best umpire in baseball in a players poll……Larry Drew was promoted to head coach of the Atlanta Hawks this weekend, Mark Jackson and Byron Scott were also rumored……Dwayne Wade will not participate in this summer’s FIBA World Championships due to having to attend his pending divorce proceedings……The supporting cast of the Lakers could did not keep up with Kobe Bryant’s lead on Sunday night, with Pau Gasol’s 12 points being second high behind Bryant’s 38. They face two elimination games now down 3-2……Ted Lilly and Gavin Floyd matched each other with no hit bids into the seventh inning on Sunday night, with Lilly’s Cubs eventually finding a 1-0 victory.

Afternoon Delight: Yesterday’s Scorecard

I know it’s usually the Morning Menu, but I got caught up in the sheets this morning. At any rate here’s my view from the CHEAP SEATS today (a mixture of coffee-house and sports bar)

1. The Replacements: The tone of the NBA Finals took a slight Bizarro World twist yesterday, with the Boston bench actually out playing the starters in the second half to even up the series at 2-2. Here are the totals: first ballot Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen: 15 points. Role players Glen Davis and Nate Robinson, who are known as much for sideline controversy and dunk contests as scoring: 20 points. Coming into Game 4 if you said that the pair of Big Baby and Kypro-Nate would outscore the Ticket and Shuttlesworth I’d pictured a game where Kobe and Gasol were chilling with a 2o point lead on the bench. Not the case on Thursday, as the Boston’s superior depth played its role kept the wheels spinning on this back and forth series. Now after the network demanded 3 day (yet no travel…..sigh) break were back at it.

2. The World’s All-Star Break: Let’s be clear here, in the wide world of sports (cue the theme music), there is  that is NOTHING even taking baby steps towards soccer’s impact. Probably only politics, religion and death. And a few of those need to watch their back for soccer….it’s catching up. While I don’t have a high level knowledge of soccer’s stars and leagues (I plan on learning A LOT during the next few weeks), I do know that the World Cup is without a doubt one of the most exciting and intense sporting events in the entire buffet of sporting events we have the pleasure of receiving. It let’s watch an exciting, fast paced game, while rooting for your country and learn about others at once. A perfect storm of interests from sports to positive nationalism. Complete info on this specatle here.  

Think about it like the World's Super Bowl....with more helmetless headbutts.

Sidenote: If nothing else tune in on Saturday afternoon to see the United State take on the United Kingdom. The Brits have burned a flag in pregame preparation. If that doesn’t fire you up then what does?

3. Blue grass, New Yard: The Boise State football program that has both dominated the WAC for years and been BCS Bowl crasher for years now are leaving their familiar throne for a new spot in the Mountain West Conference. Before this offseason this could have been viewed as a lateral move, but now this is a strategic alignment that could place BSU in the driver’s seat of a power conference that could take the Big 12’s spot in the BCS picture. This is what Boise has pined for years now, a seat at the table in the BCS picture and with the Mountain West looking to expand and benefit from the leftovers in the Big 12 yard sale, the time could be now. At any rate, the NCAA Football scene has the random storyline of a great WWE show right now.

4. Ticket to Ride: Graciously, the NCAA has allowed players with junior or senior standing to transfer out of the USC Football program without the usual policy of having to sit out a season. This follows up yesterday’s ruling of

A third campus is possible for once heralded prospect Mitch Mustain now to finally reach his potential

postseason ineligibility for 2 years and an annual loss of 30 scholarships, which affects the current standing of these players. Incoming freshman and underclassmen were not afforded the same option due to the fact that they will still have eligibility to compete after the sanctions are lifted. Any interested schools can freely contact these players and considering the money pit of talent on the USC roster this could get interesting for Lane Kiffin’s staff. But of course it would be USC if there wasn’t an on campus circus.

**Hit and Run**

In what could be just playing their hand, the Missouri Tigers stated that they are committed to the Big 12 Conference for now, but will have to wait and see. This was most likely done to appease the Big 12’s “decision deadline”, but inner school decisions will continue……..The Oklahoma Sooners have expressed interest in joining the SEC……..Oklahoma State is said to be moving quickly towards accepting to the Pac 10’s offer due to warding off Baylor, who could force them out………The University of Texas has set a Tuesday meeting to discuss their conference move or stay decision………the Cleveland Indians promoted top prospect catcher Carlos Santana today……….Nelson Mandela did not attend the opening ceremonies of the World Cup due to the death of his Great Granddaughter on Thursday night………