(07-09-2015 10:38 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote: (07-09-2015 10:16 AM)HawkeyeCoug Wrote: If Oklahoma leaves (and I don't pretend to understand all the implications of the grant of rights) what keeps Texas in the conference? Without Texas and Oklahoma, would a Big 12 leftover / Best of the Rest be able to attract BYU or Boise St?
Absolutely. Keep in mind that as long as the Big XII continues to exist in some form it will (presumably) have all of the benefits of being a P5 conference. So even if it's only for a few years, I think ANY G5 team would jump at a "Big 12 leftover" invitation. Better a short term job that pays $25 million/year for 10 years than a long-term job that pays $5 million/year... and who knows what happens in 10 years?
Agreed. Plus a Big 12 that has the 12 or 14 or even 15 best of the rest schools may prove worthy enough on the field to hang around beyond that. A conference with say BYU, Boise, Kansas State, Okie State, Texas Tech, Iowa State, WVU, TCU, Cincy, UConn, UCF, ECU, Fresno and UNLV could prove formidable enough to be at least in a situation like the old Big East where they're guaranteed an Access Bowl slot. Maybe its 15 and you've brought aboard San Diego State or Colorado State as well. Different scenario as the Rose, Orange and Sugar have locked matchups (in this scenario the Sugar would release the Big 12 and have an open slot), but a rotation of the Fiesta, Cotton, the Sugar's open slot and the Peach could provide a guaranteed Access Bowl slot to them.
For something like basketball divide into 3 pods for scheduling:
West - BYU, Boise, Fresno, UNLV, San Diego State
Central - K-State, Okie State, Iowa State, Texas Tech, TCU
East - Cincy, WVU, UConn, ECU, UCF
Play everyone in your "pod" double round-robin for 8 games. Then 10 games against everyone else, 5 home and 5 away. This would limit the cross-country travel somewhat in basketball and other such sports. Baseball a similar approach can be used to limit cross-country travel.