Well well well, guess who gets an opportunity to present to the Big 12:

http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/17281618/...

I give the Big 12 props for at least vetting everyone and allowing them to present themselves, unlike some leagues where it's they know who they want and just say okay.

They can say all they want about 17 schools getting interviewed, but some of those have no shot. I'll be happy to eat crow, but there's no way.

I wonder what WVU will do. I would, personally, not be surprised if they tried to get into the ACC. It is a much better geographical fit, now that it's clear they UC and Memphis are not going to get nods any time soon. They are kind of an eastern outlier as things now stand. They would actually be a better fit in the B1G, if that opportunity ever came about.

Poor Bearcats...as I have said previously, they spent a ton of money to show their comittment to the Big12. I guess the jury is still out but right now it looks like a waste of money!

Big 12 is toast.

My opinion, there will be 4 big conferences of 16 teams each. One for each playoff spot. Convenient eh?

In a perfect world, or my dream scenario, there would be 8 conferences with 16 teams in each one (currently 128 FBS schools). The Big 12 dissolves and so does Conference-USA. The teams in those conference fill in elsewhere. It would be nice to see all 8 conferences get a playoff spot, but I doubt the other conferences would allow that. If that doesn't happen, keep the playoffs at four teams and then make a separate playoff for the little guys.

Pretty much. And have a party guest who needs to leave but won't any time soon who cares more about golf and selling bbq sauce.

If Oklahoma and Texas split off in the next 10-15 years, which could very certainly happen, your fly over schools are going to be in quite a bind.

Your former Big 8 (which I think only 5 of them are still there?) were as much a a marriage of convenience and proximity as anything at a time where athletic arrangements were based on geography and like size more than TV dollars and eyeballs. Take away Kansas basketball and you have schools who are good, but not great historically in football and hoops. Just not the pedigree at Oklahoma State, Kansas State etc. Kansas, Iowa State, even Baylor and Texas Tech have more of a bad than good history on the gridiron.

How attractive would a significant number of the teams after Texas and Oklahoma really be if you got to hand pick your members for a new conference? All have their high points but also drawbacks-just like all of the potential suitors the B12 considered for their expansion. Oklahoma State would probably be the leader as an entire athletics resume, especially their Olympic sports.

I like that perfect world. In my perfect world, that would also see those conferences based on geography. Also in that perfect world, bowl eligible would mean 8 wins in the regular season. Now, back away from daydreaming, this ain't ever gonna happen.

Yep. It's easy math.

Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech to PAC12 to make the PAC16
Baylor and WVU to the SEC
TCU and Kansas State to the B1G+6 (you don't even have to change the logo that much!)
Kansas and Notre Dame to the ACC

Iowa State's relegated to the MWC because it's Iowa State.

PRESTO-CHANGO, and the G5 is the new 1-AA.

And there's the fly in the ointment. It should be very interesting to see what the next round of TV contracts look like-the money train might soon be a thing of the past. The NFL's TV ratings are in the toilet this year and the NFL is in a state of panic.

Except for die-hard Rutgers fans,the consensus out here is that RU does not belong in the B1G.

The criticisms range from their athletic programs not being "Big Ten Ready" (facilities,talent,interest),the fact that it will be years,at best, until their athletic teams are even competitive in the major sports, and that being in the Big Ten takes away from the university's academic mission.

The Big10 is an academic alliance of top flight universities, the comment that the Big10 takes away from the university's academic mission is laughable. They are a mid to 2nd tier in the Big10 academically. Northwester, Michigan, Purdue, Illinois, OSU, Wisconsin, Maryland all are at or well above the Rutgers reputation in academics and research.

Think all you want the academic reputation of those schools stand on their own.