Serious Late
- Peoria via Denver via Ann Arbor via Albuquerque vi
Oklahoma would love sticking it to Texas by moving to a better conference.
Big Ten Media Rights / Conference Realignment
Oklahoma would love sticking it to Texas by moving to a better conference.
http://www.pacifictakes.com/2011/9/21/2439627/pac-12-conference-realignment-oklahoma-texas
Oklahoma and Oklahoma state pursued the PAC 12 after the PAC 16 deal fell through because Texas wouldn't give up the Longhorn Network. The PAC was not willing to take the Oklahoma schools without Texas, though.
It probably makes more sense financially for Texas leave the Big 12 and go Notre Dame. They could easily build a better schedule than Notre Dame anyway.
Oklahoma and Texas managed to have a great rivalry for 90-some years without being in the same conference.
Those two being in the same conference is a relatively new development in the grand scheme of things.
During this last round of expansion I generally thought that Texas was acting like a jerk. However, in this instance, I understand where Texas is coming from. There's no reason for them to be in a conference with UConn and South Florida.
Those two being in the same conference is a relatively new development in the grand scheme of things.
During this last round of expansion I generally thought that Texas was acting like a jerk. However, in this instance, I understand where Texas is coming from. There's no reason for them to be in a conference with UConn and South Florida.
Joel Goodson
- ties will be resolved
Yeah, there is. Satellites revolving around the sun that is UT. The SEC, BIG and PAC don't play that way. When the music stops and UT is holding the bag (e.g. South Florida), that's just desserts. ND will probably join the Frankenstein conference after the ACC is wrecked by the BIG.
I'm assuming you are saying go independent. I'm not that convinced it will be that easy to schedule mid year. ND solved this by lining up 6(?) games with ACC every year. Once you get into the conference schedule, not as many teams have open dates and are willing to add another major game. I'm sure they can find games, but it has to be a headache when most teams are lined up in a conference schedule.
Where are you reading that? I agree with Sportsfan, every rumor I've heard is they don't like the current Big 12 situation and were fishing for a B1G offer & would have taken Pac12. State politics has been in play with bringing OSU with them, which makes them less attractive. They also spent many years in the Big 8, when Texas was in the Southwest and it didn't seem to matter.
See I'm a bit late as usual.
I think the OSU and instate politics is probably mostly to blame for OU still being in the Big12. Oklahoma is a lot less attractive with OSU, without they may have had CO or Utah spot in the expanded Pac12 or I would have bet the SEC was willing to take them.
They just have so much money, they could figure it out, you know? They could go back to scheduling A&M, Notre Dame, and I'm sure a bunch of B1G teams would want to schedule Texas.
Joel Goodson
- ties will be resolved
Not when they're playing 9 conference games. No way, no how.
Michigan wouldn't want to play Texas? Penn State? Illinois? We could really up our profile playing a program like that. It's Texas, they're the biggest money machine in college football and the Big 12 is nothing without them.
Joel Goodson
- ties will be resolved
The vast majority of teams in the conference want winnable non-conference games. The powers might take a toss up game.
Up our profile by playing Texas? Not worth taking a loss.
What does scheduling a weak non conference accomplish, exactly? You get admitted into a bad bowl game or you have a special season and get docked for non-conference schedule. And as far as Texas goes, media dominance completely outpaces their football ability. They were 5-7 last season. If Lovie is as good as we all think he is, we can handle it. If we can't, Michigan or Penn State definitely can.
Joel Goodson
- ties will be resolved
UT's recent woes are an anomaly. BIG teams are scheduled for the next ~10 years. UT will be back long before then. BIG teams have 3 non-conference games. No one wants a non-conference blemish, when facing a 9 game conference meat grinder. Outside of a few behemoths, I don't see the rationale for scheduling UT. The prestige of playing them is far outweighed by a loss. BIG teams certainly don't need the money.
icengineer
- Southern Illinois
I want to play Texas! Same as I want to play Michigan and Ohio State. We aren't going to be running the table anytime soon so a loss to Texas isn't going to ruin our season. We need to start aiming higher in order to help elevate the program and it seems that our AD wants to work to make it a reality as well. The mindset the program has operated under for the past umpteenth years needs to be gone!
It would be an incredible opportunity for a program like Illinois.
I think the conversation has changed here. It is one thing to play Texas instead of our game with NC this year. But we also need to make some bowls & we don't need to schedule Texas in the middle of a conference season. The push is definitely to play less patsies in the non-conference schedule, add a conference game to sell as part of media package. But we or most of the other B1G teams don't want or need to schedule Texas in the middle of the B1G season. Who can Texas schedule after week 3-4 that is willing to add them in the heart of a conference season, just happens to have an open week when Texas needs it, likely an open week 2 years in a row because they will want a home and home and is willing to give up a tune up game before the conference season starts and a midseason bye week for recovery. They may be able to do that, but it will be hard, and it likely won't be there optimal schedule they would like. Presumably Texas is already worried about Big 12 schedule & value of adding mediocre teams as they seem to be standing in the way of expansion. This scheduling thing is a whole lot easier and secure in the Pac12, SEC, B1G, or ACC +ND. Right now control & money/LHN stand in the way. If Big 12 falls apart they have lost there control or are left controlling a mid major conference that has questionable value. LHN is making Texas money, but not ESPN and seems to be on shaky grounds for a number of reasons. Texas was king at reported 40 million in TV/media money, B1G is about to eclipse that for every member school. A & M has grown in SEC, I think Oklahoma jumping somewhere is a matter of when/not if. Texas may be able to strike an ND like deal with the ACC, but being independent is getting tougher.
DrewD007
- Woodridge, IL
If you go 5-7 and scheduled Texas when you could have scheduled Texas State, then it definitely ruins our season.
icengineer
- Southern Illinois
I think playing and losing to a decent Texas team mid-season is a better game for us as a program than beating a 6-7 UCLA team in the KFHB. But thats just my opinion. Getting invited to a lower tier bowl game with the majority of our wins being over cupcakes isn't quite the achievement some folks on here make it out to be. Its an interesting topic for debate and I can see both sides of the issue. Give me a game day vs Texas over a game day vs Western Illinois any day of the week, I think most fans would agree.
We need to figure out how to walk before we run and be honest the state of Illinois football. We are still playing with Beckman/Cubit recruits, the future looks up for the moment, but we are starting in a big hole. Let's win a few games before we start taking on all challengers
Joel Goodson
- ties will be resolved
+infinity
Once we are a heavyweight, sure, schedule Texas or whoever. The future looks bright, but we are far, far from heavyweight status.
illynifan34
That's a winner!!
- OH
You get me! :thumb: We have the staff, forget our past records. Let's start thinking (and scheduling) like winners. The experience of losing to a Texas/Notre Dame type program is far more beneficial to our players and coaches then a win against a nobody. Fake it till you make it!
If that loss prevents you from having extra bowl practices then is is not more beneficial than a win against a less prominent team.
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icengineer
- Southern Illinois
Nobody is saying put Texas on the schedule next year. But I believe that we do need to start having conversations with higher level non-conference teams for games in the near future. I am going to expect us to be good in a few short years. We have the staff now and I expect them to recruit well, and I expect them to coach well. It doesn't have to be Texas, that was just an example of a team that would bring a ton of interest to the program, there are many others. Even if we lost to a Texas, recruits knowing they are on the schedule when they might be on the team means something.
