*****The Super, Mega, Huge Big 12 Expansion Thread*****
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Seems to back up the arguments that were going on in D.C. between congressmen from WV and KY right before WVU was announced as "official".
If the Big East gets $20 million and an agreement not to pursue any Big East teams in future expansion, while Mizzou and A&M get out for less than half of what they should have paid in exit fees, then the Big 12 has the worst attorneys ever.
Desperate times require desperate measures and the situation within the Big12 was such the past few months.
But, that's the point. There should not have been any desparation on the part of the Big 12 in the negotiations to get WV extricated or on the exit fees. The Big 12 was dealing from a position of strength on both topics.
Any decent attorney knew that the Big East had a snow ball's chance in hell to get an injunction to keep WV in the league. The best they were likely to get was contractual damages. While the exit language in the Big 12 charter isn't the cleanest (further evidence that the Big 12 has **** poor attorneys), Mizzou and A&M almost certainly would have been found to be liable for double the amount they paid in any law suit. Same goes for CU and NU. ISU could have used the extra $5 million.
This is precisely it. The Big 12 was at a disadvantage on both sides of the deal.
Apparently it was decided that keeping the malcontents (TAMU and MU) around for another year or two would have hurt the Big 12 (perhaps jeopardized the upcoming TV deal negotiations, national perception, recruiting, etc). Once that decision was made, the Big 12 was stuck.
It looks to me like the SEC really didn't care too much about whether/when MU and TAMU came over, so they weren't going to pay anything to the Big 12 to get them. MU and TAMU knew this and held out for a lesser settlement to get out early. The Big 12 needed replacements, so the Big East was able to hold out for a nice payout.
Stinks to be in that position, but it's different now. Signing over the TV rights changes the dynamic.
Except that demanding a large payout from MU and aTm were going to likely need to revolve around being left in the lurch and tortuous interference from the SEC. Those arguments weren't going to be particularly compelling considering the Big 12 was engaged in a similar struggle at the expense of the Big East.
It was always going to be made to just go away, so that all parties can go about making money, which is the goal.
It was always going to be made to just go away, so that all parties can go about making money, which is the goal.
If you can't get FSU, Clemson and ND to join as full members, the best move is:
1) B12 to stay at 10 schools. ND stays indy for FB only.
2) Form a 4 game/yr FB scheduling alliance with ND (including ND/UT every season on Thankgiving weekend)
3) ND and the other 7 private schools in the BE break away and form a new conference with Xavier and Dayton for all sports except FB.
4) Create a TV negotiating alliance between the two conferences that would include as one package the following: All ND home FB games and their road games against B12 teams, Tier 1 B12 FB, Tier 3 B12 FB, all MBB/WBB for B12 and all MBB/WBB for the new conference with ND.
You get more negotiating leverage with more quality inventory and the above would represent a premium inventory package for NBC/NBCSN or ABC/ESPN. One could assume that NBC/NBCSN (who is desperate for content) would pay through the roof for that entire package. Which is likely why there are **** Ebersol/B12 rumors out there.
Chuck Neinas was on 610 in KC yesterday. Nothing earth shattering, but frank talk on what went down including the MU/A&M buyouts. Link:
610 sports - Chuck Neinas
610 sports - Chuck Neinas
You could always do nothing. Keep what you got and love it. The only downfall is risk of another defector.
Actually the conference seems pretty stable now. Not because the schools are all bonded in solidarity but there are no more suitors for the schools left.
Sure UT can go anywhere they want but with the Longhorn network no conference will take them with it.
OU will go where ever UT is.
OSU will go wherever OU is.
Only place KU will go is the BiG now that the BE is a mess. Maybe the Pac 12 but that would take some more major realignment shifts.
KSU and ISU are stuck until they get a BIG invite. Yeah right.
Only place WVU would go is the SEC and they were already passed on. ACC doesn't offer as much money.
TCU is stuck but they are pleased as punch that they are.
If it weren't for my fear of reprocrussions from this monster. I would consider starting a ***do not expand the big 12 thread****..... But the world would implode.
That is not true. The Big 12 tried to convince Missouri to stay in the league an extra year. They refused. All the bargaining power was with the Big 12. Rather than collect around 54 million the Big 12 will collect from Missouri and ATM slightly more than what the big east is getting from West Virginia alone.
The Big 12 could take any team from the Big East they want and the BE knows it. If the Big 12 agreed not to take any teams, then WV should have skated for free.
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