Potential Implosion of Big 12 and Its Impact on Shocker Basketball

[Shocker1976]

I have been reading articles on the potential expansion or implosion of the Big 12 and have concluded that implosion is the more likely outcome. With Memphis, BYU and Cincinnati as best options for expansion IMO the Big 12 would gain little by adding these schools. If implosion were to occur, IMO less than half of current Big 12 Schools would be recruited by the SEC, ACC and Big Ten (PAC 12 not interested due to geography and time zone constraints). If these three P5 conferences each expanded to 14 schools, would the Shockers' effort to schedule quality out of conference games be enhanced or diminished?

A potential realignment could be -

SEC - recruits Oklahoma and a Texas school (Texas A&M would try to block Texas)

ACC - recruits West Virginia

Big Ten - easy footprint expansion with Iowa State and WVU; or big vision recruitment of Oklahoma and Texas

Non-recruited schools Kansas, K-State, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and potentially non-recruited Baylor, Iowa State, Texas and TCU would be left to form a second tier football conference with quality basketball teams that would be looking for out of conference games with a quality opponent like the Shockers.

[Kung Wu]

I'm skeptical. I don't think Kansas won't play us due to conference affiliation -- I think it's political, and they'd just rather ignore us instead of potentially giving us credibility and potentially losing some freshmen enrollment from the state's largest market.

[ShockerMas]

I have been reading articles on the potential expansion or implosion of the Big 12 and have concluded that implosion is the more likely outcome. With Memphis, BYU and Cincinnati as best options for expansion IMO the Big 12 would gain little by adding these schools. If implosion were to occur, IMO less than half of current Big 12 Schools would be recruited by the SEC, ACC and Big Ten (PAC 12 not interested due to geography and time zone constraints). If these three P5 conferences each expanded to 14 schools, would the Shockers' effort to schedule quality out of conference games be enhanced or diminished?

A potential realignment could be -

SEC - recruits Oklahoma and a Texas school (Texas A&M would try to block Texas)

ACC - recruits West Virginia

Big Ten - easy footprint expansion with Iowa State and WVU; or big vision recruitment of Oklahoma and Texas

Non-recruited schools Kansas, K-State, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and potentially non-recruited Baylor, Iowa State, Texas and TCU would be left to form a second tier football conference with quality basketball teams that would be looking for out of conference games with a quality opponent like the Shockers.

Although I think this topic would be better served in Around the NCAA or combined with the other giant realignment thread, I'll just give my thoughts here:
-IIRC the last time they went through realignment the PAC12 didn't have any issue with adding schools like Texas or OU even though they are outside of the current time zones represented in that conference
-The Big 12 would likely see having a conference championship (therefore setting up their football teams for a greater shot at the playoff) as a big enough reason to add a couple of schools
-I think it was mentioned a few years back that OU would only join a conference if OSU was also invited (but I may be confusing that with another state)
-I doubt the Big Ten wants anything to do with WVU (since it isn't AAU)
-Why would any of these "non-recruited schools" who don't already schedule WSU want to schedule them after a Big 12 implosion? If anything their OOC scheduling options would increase since they could now schedule former Big 12 members who would be in other power conferences

[MoValley John]

Big 12 isn't imploding. Expanding, yes, imploding, no. Texas isn't going anywhere, at least until ESPN can get out of the Longhorn Network contract. If Texas is stuck, Oklahoma is stuck, too. The mistake the Big 12 made was not expanding and adding Florida State when Florida State was begging to move. Too late now. Welcome Cincy and maybe Boise. Or whomever else. Who cares?

[Kung Wu]

Big 12 isn't imploding. Expanding, yes, imploding, no. Texas isn't going anywhere, at least until ESPN can get out of the Longhorn Network contract. If Texas is stuck, Oklahoma is stuck, too. The mistake the Big 12 made was not expanding and adding Florida State when Florida State was begging to move. Too late now. Welcome Cincy and maybe Boise. Or whomever else. Who cares?

/raises hand/ How 'bout us? We can overlook that little "no-football issue", just this one time, right?

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

Big XII not expanding. So many things had to happen, including Texas and OU being way down, for what happened to happen this year. If the BIG wasnt down so much, Ohio State drops one or two more.

As for possibility of implosion, very possible, but would be expensive unless there is an implosion clause, those left would get all the money from those leaving.

IF they did, some notes on above:

Texas cannot go to the SEC. They would end up in the BIG with OU.

OK ST would end up in the PAC with TCU. Baylor and West Virginia to the ACC.

Iowa St, Kstate, Ku, and Texas Tech blend with some higher end Group of 5 schools to form new conference with little TV power left.

[MoValley John]

/raises hand/ How 'bout us? We can overlook that little "no-football issue", just this one time, right?

As long as you go with Missouri State. It just wouldn't be right for the Shockers to get an invite over a power team from the Sun Belt.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

Playoff system is signed through 2026. Only 4 spots.

5 Power Conferences.

Every year someone will be left out, unless there were only 4 Power conferences.

[Kung Wu]

As long as you go with Missouri State. It just wouldn't be right for the Shockers to get an invite over a power team from the Sun Belt.

Whoa, I don't think the Harvard of the midwest would possibly accept our dowry, but it's worth a shot. If we stick together, we could be worth thousands to a national network. No, I know it's bragging but I'll say it, together we'd be worth tens of thousands of dollars to a top tier network! I'll get a preliminary draft of a principal agreement put together and send it over to the athletic department to see what ADES thinks. Do you really think we have a chance to get in bed with Missouri State? Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy! Don't say it, unless you mean it, @MoValley John:. I can't handle rejection. MSU is sooooooo dreamy!

[Shocker1976]

Big 12 isn't imploding. Expanding, yes, imploding, no. Texas isn't going anywhere, at least until ESPN can get out of the Longhorn Network contract. If Texas is stuck, Oklahoma is stuck, too. The mistake the Big 12 made was not expanding and adding Florida State when Florida State was begging to move. Too late now. Welcome Cincy and maybe Boise. Or whomever else. Who cares?

IMO Oklahoma is the school that has the most to gain from an implosion of the Big 12; the SEC would pay big bucks to entice the Sooners to join them. The challenge for the SEC is selecting the second team to expand to 16 teams; Baylor is the logical choice given the antipathy A&M has for the Longhorns.

I care because I think the implosion of the Big 12 will enable the Shockers to schedule games with teams (not Kansas) who lack incentive to schedule the Shockers.

[Shocker1976]

Playoff system is signed through 2026. Only 4 spots.

5 Power Conferences.

Every year someone will be left out, unless there were only 4 Power conferences.

Spot on! The football playoff system is what stimulated my thinking on the likelihood that the Big 12 might implode and the potential benefit such an event could have regards scheduling quality basketball opponents for the Shockers. IMO when the Big 12 ceases to exist, the Shockers will gain significantly regards scheduling out of conference basketball games by the Power 4 conferences members and those former Big 12 members who will be on the outside.

[jocoshock]

Expansion much more likely than implosion.

[MoValley John]

This implosion discussion is all silly talk. I know people are hoping for something like implosion of the Big 12 helping the Shockers, but it just isn't happening. The SEC isn't poaching Oklahoma, they need another football power like the Valley needs another Evansville. Texas has no friends that trust them in any conference, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State and Texas Tech have no interest from any other conference, so the Big 12 is here to stay. They have TV money, they have a place at the adult table, so quit dreaming. The Big 12 is one big dysfunctional family that is here to stay.

[1972Shocker]

Expansion much more likely than implosion.

Agreed. I doubt it will be too long before the playoff system is expanded to 8 teams.

[wu_shizzle]

Playoff system is signed through 2026. Only 4 spots.

5 Power Conferences.

Every year someone will be left out, unless there were only 4 Power conferences.

Which is why they'll eventually go to 8 teams in the playoff.