There have been many times the Big 12 has looked wobbly of late.
There was the knee-jerk reaction, specifically from commissioner Bob Bowlsby, when the league failed to get a team in the College Football Playoff in 2014. There have been the are-we/are-we-not expanding debates that have dragged on. Most recently, there was the “Baker Mayfield” rule reversal over allowing walk-ons to transfer within the conference without losing a season of eligibility.
“Sometimes it’s amazing this conference can even agree where to meet,” said Fox Sports reporter Stewart Mandel via Twitter.
It was hard to argue — until, that is, everything shook out from last week’s Big 12 meetings involving the presidents and chancellors.
In sum, much good happened for the league. Finally.
First, a significant move was made when the Big 12 decided to indeed stage a football championship. Is it clunky with just 10 league members? Of course. I’ve argued against the idea in the past. You’d have teams meeting twice. Also, it would undoubtedly backfire when an inferior team beats the regular season champ in the game.
But the Big 12 and Sun Belt are the only conferences not to stage such a game. There is $27-28 million to be made. Reports vary, but say the Big 12 could move from a 55 or 63 percent chance of getting in the CFP to 85 or 75, respectively, depending on sources. Also, there’s no reason to get fired up about the scenario when two to four schools could still be added in a few months.
As it stands, athletic directors suggest two five-team divisions maintaining natural rivalries — with possible “re-seeding” of division members over the years, according to one source. The championship would probably rotate from year to year between Fox and ESPN.
But understand expansion is still very much on the table. Reports are the league could earn $1 billion more via its television pacts by adding four teams. It’s in their deals. (As an aside, that would hurt the networks’ negotiations with the Big Ten.)
Those within the Big 12 circle say a more likely number is two additions, despite Texas AD Mike Perrin’s statement that “the prudent thing for us to do as a conference is stay where we are.” Oklahoma president Dave Boren warned the league doesn’t want to dilute the product/brand being presented to the league’s fans.
Again, though, don’t underestimate what a Power 5 membership can do for a school. And it just makes sense that if a football title game is lined up, at least 12 schools will be there. Expansion teams would be on board for that first 2017 game, according to sources.
The other good news for the Big 12 was each school earned $30.4 million this school year. That’s monumental — and more than that paid out to ACC or Pac-12 schools.
So how does the conference maintain its place just behind the SEC and Big Ten?
By making a strong, definitive call on expansion — and unifying. After recent blunders, the Big 12 has a real chance to come out of this looking strong.
There’s a dynamic within of Texas and Oklahoma bickering. There’s a fear within that one or both or even up to four schools might eventually bolt for other leagues. That’s another reason some schools want to add teams — to provide at least some sort of a safety net.
But step back. And understand another piece of news from the Big 12 meetings: It was determined no traditional league network will be chased.
Sure, the conference will look into streaming and other using other digital platforms, etc. But the marketplace isn’t there for a “Big 12 Network” per se.
What that means is part of the Big 12 members’ divide — the debate over Texas’ Longhorn Network — has been eliminated. At least in that regard, everyone can now play nice.
Leading us to the other issue on the table. One source said the extension of the league’s media grant-of-rights agreement has been discussed. In case you’re unaware, if a Big 12 school leaves for another conference before 2024-25, that school’s media rights, including revenue, remains with the Big 12 and not the new conference.
There are, understandably, mixed emotions within the schools over that. Yet it’s a terrific opportunity for the league to band together and, finally, put forth a strong front.
The last meeting finally provided some sunshine. Now let’s see if the league can parlay that into a rainbow.