2021-22 Basketball happenings around the American Athletic!

[WuShockFan]

The Big 12 can retool itself and remain a nationally-relevant power conference. No one knows how this is going to play out. Maybe Nebraska's not happy in the Big 10 and would like a revamped Big 12 sans Texas and Oklahoma. Other possibilities include the Big 12 pulling prominent programs out of the American and Mountain West, like Houston, SMU, Tulsa, and Colorado State.

I'm most interested in what Kansas is going to do, because in the current arrangement they will be the largest flagship school in the conference. Yes, their football sucks. But they will be the largest flagship school in the conference and they do have an elite basketball heritage. I think if Kansas leaves, the Big 12 is done as far as being a nationally-relevant power conference. You just can't lose the flagship colleges of the states of Colorado, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas and claim that you're still a "power conference" in this part of the country. On the other hand, if Kansas stays I think there is a chance that the Big 12 might be able to rebuild by bringing in other programs and raising the profile of those programs.

[SubGod22]

Nebra$ka i$ quite happy $ucking up to all of tho$e better football program$ in the B1G

[C0|dB|00ded]

And if ESPN starts giving more of that exposure and hype to the AAC and takes some of it away from the Big 8, things can change.

Absolutely. But why would they when they've already got brands they've been investing in since the 80's? Why promote a UCF or UH when you've already got a TT, KSU, OSU, or Baylor? Why not just press the easy button?

[Shocker_Power]

https://giveemhellbrigham.com/dear-bob-from-byu-fans/

In fairness to Bowlsby, he didn't like the idea of the existing conference schools having to introduce the course 'Understanding Polygamy' if BYU joined.

[C0|dB|00ded]

The Big 12 can retool itself and remain a nationally-relevant power conference. No one knows how this is going to play out. Maybe Nebraska's not happy in the Big 10 and would like a revamped Big 12 sans Texas and Oklahoma. Other possibilities include the Big 12 pulling prominent programs out of the American and Mountain West, like Houston, SMU, Tulsa, and Colorado State.

I'm most interested in what Kansas is going to do, because in the current arrangement they will be the largest flagship school in the conference. Yes, their football sucks. But they will be the largest flagship school in the conference and they do have an elite basketball heritage. I think if Kansas leaves, the Big 12 is done as far as being a nationally-relevant power conference. You just can't lose the flagship colleges of the states of Colorado, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas and claim that you're still a "power conference" in this part of the country. On the other hand, if Kansas stays I think there is a chance that the Big 12 might be able to rebuild by bringing in other programs and raising the profile of those programs.

Did you just use prominent and Tulsa in the same sentence...?

[SubGod22]

Absolutely. But why would they when they've already got brands they've been investing in since the 80's? Why promote a UCF or UH when you've already got a TT, KSU, OSU, or Baylor? Why not just press the easy button?

Because the AAC is an ESPN property and the Big 8 is only partially that, and may stop being that in the near future. Why not start building up your properties that are located in much better media markets and have just as good a product, if not better?

[WuShockFan]

Did you just use prominent and Tulsa in the same sentence...?

Just going with the thought-process of replacing the Oklahoma school they lost with another Oklahoma school. But I guess Cincinnati would be more likely than Tulsa if the Big 12 went this route.

[C0|dB|00ded]

I do hope things somehow work out for our beloved Shockers. It would be such a damned shame for us to end up in MVC 2.0 or worse. We don't ask for much, just a small seat at the table so we can remain competitive on a national level and sometimes have our One Shining Moment. Our sad little town deserves at least that I would think. :/

[AZ Shocker]

Absolutely. But why would they when they've already got brands they've been investing in since the 80's? Why promote a UCF or UH when you've already got a TT, KSU, OSU, or Baylor? Why not just press the easy button?

Definitely a fair take...but if ESPN can brand Texas Tech, KSU, Baylor hell even Kansas...they can brand pretty much any school imho. Times are a changing fo sho......

[Shock Top]

B12 is playing a dangerous game going after their own partner.

AAC is already buddy-buddy with the Mothership (ESPN). They could easily put AAC in preferential time slots and burry the B12 behind a paywall.

Brand awareness could easily be reversed by 2025 at that point.

[Kung Wu]

Realistically, we are looking at a Mexican standoff. ...
It doesn't seem to make much sense for any of these parties to pull the trigger without knowing what the other parties will do.

This is EXACTLY the thinking that will sink a school. The first school to leave gets the BEST deal. The last school to leave gets the WORST deal. Every school that leaves closes one more potential door to a suitor and substantially reduces the other school's bargaining chips. Each school is independently incentivized to find the best situation they can as quickly as possible, before the other schools do.

[RoyalShock]

And now, a comedic break from our sponsor (or some AAC guy on twitter):

[Kung Wu]

Absolutely. But why would they when they've already got brands they've been investing in since the 80's? Why promote a UCF or UH when you've already got a TT, KSU, OSU, or Baylor? Why not just press the easy button?

You're conflating individual school brands with the Big12 brand. The Big12 may as well go ahead and rebrand: Titanic8

The individual schools get to take their brand with them, wherever they land.

[shock]

And now, a comedic break from our sponsor (or some AAC guy on twitter):

Somebody buy a KU AAC billboard in Larryville. I don’t care what the likelihood of it happening is, watching holier-than-thou KU fans squirm is great.

[Stickboy46]

Translation: Let's tell everyone to hold strong while we all keep looking for a life raft and hope the lawyers dont wipe out the exit fees.