Pac-ing a greater punch

http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/sp/ed/experts/king.png By Jason King, Yahoo! Sports Sep 6, 12:10 am EDT









For the past two seasons the Pac-12 has been considered the weakest major college basketball conference in the nation.
By far.
That won’t change if the league adds Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, as has been widely speculated. Throwing the Longhorns into the mix would provide a marginal boost, but the other three teams won’t significantly improve the league. At least not in the immediate future.




http://l.yimg.com/iu/api/res/1.2/VHz...1315282545.jpg Bill Self's Kansas program would be a big boost to Pac-12 hoops.
(Howard Smith/US Presswire)

That’s why the Pac-12 needs to re-think its options and examine the situation more carefully. If it does it will realize the smartest move would be to ditch Texas Tech in favor of Kansas. Here’s why the decision would make sense:
The Pac-12 doesn’t need Texas Tech. As long as the Longhorns are there, the league will be relevant in Texas and have a huge television presence throughout the state. Having Kansas in the conference, though, would give the Pac-12 a whole new media market in the Midwest. So there’s one thing Kansas offers that Texas Tech can’t.
Pac-12 rules prohibit single-school networks, but along with its league-wide network, the Pac-12 does have six regional networks, each featuring two schools. That means Texas could likely keep its Longhorn Network if it adapted to the Pac-12 model and partnered with another school. The assumption is that Texas would partner with Texas Tech. That scenario begs one question: Why? What’s the attraction? Texas should set the bar higher. You want a mega-network that’s viewed by millions? How about partnering Texas with Oklahoma?
Texas Tech football is obviously on a higher level than Kansas football, but it’s not as if the Red Raiders are surging right now. The program has been on a decline since the Mike Leach mess two years ago. Considering the momentum behind in-state programs such as Texas A&M, Baylor and TCU, it may be awhile before Texas Tech becomes a perennial Top 25 team again. Still, Kansas doesn’t compare to the Red Raiders in terms of fan interest, the ability to lure top recruits and overall potential. But should that really matter? The new Pac-12 would be stocked with Top 25-caliber programs such as Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas, USC, Cal, Oklahoma State, Stanford and others. Plus, the Jayhawks – who won the Orange Bowl in 2008 – aren’t always terrible. They just have been lately. Adding a struggling Kansas program to that mix certainly wouldn’t damage the prestige of the league, especially when the move would help in so many other areas.
In Kansas basketball, the Pac-12 would be getting a national program, a national brand. Texas Tech can’t offer that in any sport. As the signature team, the Jayhawks would bring instant credibility to a league whose other big draw (UCLA) continues to underachieve. The coast-to-coast exposure the Jayhawks would command would benefit the entire conference. Which game would have a better chance of appearing on national television: Cal vs. Texas Tech, or Cal vs. Kansas?
It’s not as if Texas Tech’s athletic program is terrible. Across the board, it appears in much better shape than the one at Kansas. The lure of Kansas basketball, though, should be enough to convince the Pac-12 to take the Jayhawks over the Red Raiders. It’d be unfortunate for Texas Tech, which would clearly be the most expendable option in this scenario. Texas and Oklahoma are obviously shoo-ins, and Oklahoma State provides a national-caliber football team – and Boone Pickens’ millions.
Developments in the coming days should be interesting. While it seems more likely that Kansas will end up in the Big East, the Pac-12 seems like a better fit.

nice for King to throw us a bone, but that is a homer article all the way.

LOL yeah.

The funny thing is that he's a Baylor grad.

The Big East just called me and offered to let me join their conference. It seems that they are planning on adding several thousand new members.

http://goemaw.com/forum/index.php?topic=14505.0

Have you guys seen this one yet?

http://northwestern.rivals.com/showm...id=901&style=2

Oh boy......

Ya, saw it earlier today. Seems really far-fetched but who really knows.

I'd LOVE to see Texas in the Big 10. It would serve the Big 10 right.

By adding millions to the league? Delaney isn't Beebe and tOSU isn't Oklahoma.

No. So they can be the arrogant asses they will always be. Nebraska ran away crying and now Texas is welcome? Welcome to the back seat once again.

I have it on good authority that the Big 10 REALLY REALLY REALLY WANTS MISSOURI, DAMMIT! No way they'd pick those "other guys" over Missouri!

LMAO

You think Texas and Notre Dame are going to settle for the same stake as Northwestern? Good luck with that Mr. Not Getting a Full Revenue Share Until Next Century.

Nebraska isn't in the front seat of the Big 10 bruh.

Oh, sorry. I didn't mean the front of the bus, but in the trailer pulled by the bus.

I don't see how this is true if everyone splits revenue it would be more money for everyone. I don't really want Texas in the league but it would be fun and good for recruiting beating Notre Dame every year.

ROFL

If Texas follows Nebraska to the Big 10 that would be the greatest thing ever.

Hi, Honey, I'M HOME! Now fix me turkey pot pie, bitch! :LOL:

This is great. Someone posted on tigerboard an SI article on the impending wave of superconferences.........from 1990.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...6685/index.htm

This.

You know, compared to how perennially bad KU is at football, I think they have quite a few fans. You can't expect fans to get jazzed up like Nebraska or Texas football when you are one of the worst football programs in the Big 12. For being predicted to be so bad this year, and playing McNeese State, they had 41K fans last Saturday. That is alot more than alot of Pac 12 schools can say..

Congrats on beating Wazzu and Cal in attendance.

Idaho St vs Wazzu 22,034
Fresno St. Vs Cal 31,563
Sac St. vs Oregon St 41,581
Utah vs Montana St 45,311
Az St. vs UC Davis 45,671
San Jose St vs Stanford 47,816
N. Az vs Arizona 51,761
E. Wash vs Washington 58,088
Minn vs USC 68,273

Holy crap!!! I haven't been in this thread for two friggin months. What the hell happened?

Can we at least update the OP to show what has actually happened so far for crying out loud?

Holy crap!!! I haven't been in this thread for two friggin months. What the hell happened?

Can we at least update the OP to show what has actually happened so far for crying out loud?

Shit got real.

And thanks... Hard to believe that many people care or want to watch KU football...

BTW, Nice domination of E Kentucky the on Saturday...

I wonder if they count tickets sold or turnstile attendance? ;)

To be fair, we don't know how many of the 41k were te opponents fans.

Barely getting by the d2 team beats losing to one don't ya think?

Reports from Texas Tech and Missouri rivals sites today make it look like the Big 12-3 might survive in some sort of reformed conference.

Key remains what OU does. If OU says "screw it," I think the era of the superconference is here. If OU stays put in some form of the Big 12, I think we get to do this dance ALL over again sometime in the future.

Not a mizzou fan, just casually watch and root for them as a local team and hate the jayhawks because of their fans.

But why are most against the big east? I think it is ideal for them. They get to go into agreat bball conf. Which would hopefully down the line improve recruiting. Make the dance as often as they do now in the b12.

But going there and possibly owning the football conf. Would get you a bcs game. Just beat your one or two great teams on your schedule, if the are on your schedule. go undefeated and with help maybe get a title game?

Or am I wrng on this assumption? If they go the route of superconferences, being in one where you do not beat up on one another would be better.

lol....

K-State football smack talk

To me, it feels like moving down to AAA in order to win a title. The Royals should probably consider it, but I don't like seeing the Tigers do it.

Like I said, I'm not as opposed to it as I thought I'd be. That said, I think I would rather go the SEC, take the lumps and improve the program. There's no question in my mind that MU's football program will be better for a move to the SEC, even if the record doesn't reflect it.

Oh, and the girls in the SEC are HAWT. I'd love to take some road trips to Georgia or Ol' Miss...

Baton Rouge has some beauties down there as well. Had a very good weekend with several LSU coeds in Nawlins. :)

Completely agree.

This

I would not mind being in the Big 10 either though (even though scorned by them, but that will be forgotten in a few years anyway).

The other side of that is, going to a better conference may make your team end up being the conference whore that everyone wants to sleep with because it means an easy win. Just because you play better teams doesn't necessarily make your team better, it could, but isn't guaranteed.

If the program has any pride and any leadership (I believe MU's does), then it won't be content with being the whore and it will fight to crawl out.

K-State and KU may have daddy issues and be comfortable going ass to mouth if it gives them a warm bed to sleep in, but I believe MU football will fight to move up in the world.

would gladly update OP with something


What exactly i don't know ... it's a freakin mess right now.

What KK is talking about this afternoon...
http://outkickthecoverage.com/big-12...ect-league.php

I've been arguing for several years that the Big 12's future as a major conference is grim. Texas A&M's departure to the SEC helped to make that prediction a reality. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State departing to the Pac 12 could make that even more true. But here's an interesting twist that isn't getting very much attention, the Big 12's television contracts may keep the league from actually dying. Why? Because Fox and ESPN are so conflicted in college sports that they may not be able to get out of these contracts without facing an enormous lawsuit for breaching the Big 12's television contracts.
The end result? The leftovers in the Big 12, those without many options, might stand to reap a whirlwind for the next decade or more as remaining members of the Big 12. That is, Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, and Missouri -- the five schools that aren't presently leaving or rumored to be leaving, yet -- have a strong legal argument that ESPN and Fox will breach the Big 12 contract if those networks provide the inducement to other schools, Texas A&M, Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, to leave those conferences.
That's why this is a fact you can take to the bank: ESPN and Fox aren't going to reduce the amount they are paying the Big 12 for television rights even if the remaining Big 12 is a shell of its current state. (Fox and ESPN could also elect to pay a substantial settlement sum up front to these five remaining schools as well. Likely that sum would be in the neighborhood of $400 million or more. But I think it's much more likely that the networks would continue to pay the rights fees and carry the games).
So even if all five of these schools left the remaining five Big 12 schools would still have attractive television contracts to dangle in front of new members to persuade them to join a new Big 12. (This is also one of the major reasons why Baylor and crew suing the SEC over A&M's departure would make no sense; there aren't actually any damages).
Let me unpack this for you.
ESPN presently pays the Big 12 $65 million a year.
Just this past spring Fox signed a $1.17 billion deal with the Big 12 that pays the current ten schools in the conference in the neighborhood of $90 million a year through the 2024-25 season. That deal doesn't commence until 2012, but it's already been signed. (To forestall the emails, I know that there are composition clauses in these contracts that would allow the networks to reduce payments, but the threat of a lawsuit with massive liabilities outstanding would keep the networks from enacting these provisions).
But guess who also has a deal with the Pac 12? Fox and ESPN. So how would the Pac 12 gain the leverage to add Big 12 teams like Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas Tech? By getting more money from ESPN and Fox for the Pac 12 for television rights, money that would induce Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and -- maybe, Texas and Texas Tech to leave. Except that breaches a fiduciary duty in the contract between the Big 12 and those networks since effectively these network partners would be paying teams that are already under contract with one league more money to play in a new league. That would open up ESPN and Fox to a substantial lawsuit if those teams' departure killed the Big 12.
So even though the Big 12 contract would be worth drastically less money without teams like Oklahoma and Texas, I think you'd find out that Fox and ESPN would continue to pay $90 million under the Big 12 deal. That's even though the new teams would be much less attractive.
Don't believe me?
We've already seen ESPN do this once. Back when Nebraska and Colorado left for greener pastures everyone thought the Big 12 was dead. Except even with the loss of two major teams ESPN came back to the Big 12 and said it would keep its rights fee at $65 million a year.
ESPN would do the same again. Why? Because in addition to paying more money to the Pac 12 to add Big 12 teams, it alone would be providing the inducement for Texas A&M to join the SEC. ESPN would be firing a double-barreled shotgun into the future of the Big 12. In fact, I've already written about ESPN's contract issues and why it's going to continue to recur as conferences realign. Read that piece here.
In other words, the $155 million in television contracts money is going to continue to exist, and that's going to keep the Big 12 alive.
I've already told you that Baylor's lawsuit against the SEC is meritless, and it is, but Baylor's lawsuit in conjunction with the remaining Big 12 members against ESPN or Fox would be legitimate and massive. That's provided, however, that ESPN and Fox tried to walk away from the combined $155 million a year in TV fees going forward. And there's no way that Fox or ESPN is going to take this litigation risk. How do you think a jury in the hometown of one of these five schools might react to ESPN or Fox sending their beloved team to Conference USA?
You want to let them gauge damages, punitive or otherwise. Plus, what might come out during discovery? You think there aren't some interesting emails rolling out from Fox and ESPN about conference realignment right now?
Nope, both networks are continuing to pay the same rights fees.
Let's break this down further and see how this may all play out going forward.
1. Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, and Missouri should pledge to stay together in the Big 12.
Missouri is the only other school with real options here. If it won't pledge to remain that hurts, but it doesn't kill you.
The other four schools are all guaranteed to make less money if they leave the Big 12. Why? Because the Big East is the only viable "major" option for any of these schools and it has a much less lucrative television deal than the Big 12 already does. Plus, more members. So why would you leave a conference with two great TV contracts and less members for a conference with less television money and more members?
It makes no sense.
No matter what Baylor, Kansas, Kansas state, and Iowa State should stay in the Big 12 until the bitter end. That's the way to preserve their legal arguments and, very importantly, cash in on the buyouts.
Everyone is focusing on Baylor's sham lawsuit against the SEC; what everyone should be focusing on is Baylor and crew's very real lawsuit against ESPN and Fox.
2. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State may have more money to be made in the Pac 12.
So let those schools go. Make it clear that you want them to stay, but let them go if they insist. Before you let them go, I'd draft a letter to Fox and ESPN from Dan Beebe laying out the legal argument that you believe those networks will be breaching their duties to the Big 12 conference if they provide more money to the Pac 12 to add teams. But say you won't fight the moves in court if the networks agree to keep their payments the same for the future Big 12 conference.
Also make it clear that you expect Oklahoma and Oklahoma State to both pay out around $15 million each in damages for leaving.
Then split those funds with the remaining members of the conference.
3. What about Texas and Texas Tech?
Texas is still in a plum spot if the Big 12 can be saved. Amazingly, if Oklahoma and A&M leave Texas will have the same amount of money and now have no viable competition in its conference. Even Notre Dame will be jealous of Texas's perpetual spot in the BCS.
That's why I believe that Texas will end up remaining in the Big 12 even if Oklahoma and Oklahoma State leave.
Why?
Because it will still make the same amount of money as before. Even better for Texas, it can probably leverage more games on the Longhorn Network in exchange for remaining in the Big 12.
Texas Tech is going to follow Texas wherever it goes, so even if Oklahoma and Oklahoma State leave, you've just got three spots to fill in the conference.
4. Who would the Big 12 be able to add?
Even if it has to add five teams, that's if Texas and Texas Tech leave which I don't believe will happen, the existing television contracts provide a powerful incentive that no other conference can match.
Plus, it's most likely that the Big 12 only has to add three teams.
For the amount of money the Big 12 has locked up in television rights fees, you could get a lot of teams to jump. Even teams from the Big East.
Houston, Louisville, Memphis, TCU, BYU, SMU, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, these are a few names that would kill to be in this conference with the rights fees at stake.
It's not a heavyweight conference, but if Texas stays is it every bit the equivalent of the Big East? Certainly.
Want to get really gangster? And Texas is the OG in college sports right now. The Longhorns could insist that the television payments remain the same for an eight team conference. What's the payoff to ESPN? Texas agrees to put more games on the Longhorn Network since there would only be seven conference games now.
Cha-ching.
5. This doesn't even consider the amount of exit fees that you can receive.
Lose three teams?
That's at least $30 million split seven ways. Plus, if you really wanted to play litigation hardball, it's as much as $78 million.
6. The end result? The Big 12's TV contracts are going to keep it alive.
In the next few days or weeks stories will start trickling out about how Dan Beebe is a miracle worker. Columnists and prognosticators will herald his genius. But the simple fact will be this: ESPN and Fox are so conflicted over realignment that they aren't going to be willing to cancel existing league contracts for fear of massive liabilities via lawsuit.
Voila, the Big 12, a dead conference walking, just got a reprieve on execution's eve.
...

I'm anti- SEC move unless the PAC-XX or BiG are not legitimate options. The Big East would be a good short-term move, but ultimately would not work (and that conference is going to die, anyway).

I think a PAC that looked something like this is Missouri's best option:

East:
Texas
OU
Missouri
Arizona State
Arizona
Utah
oSu
kansas

West:
USC
UCLA
Cal
Stanford
Wash.
Wazzou
Oregon
Or. State

Money would be huge, you'd still have a big regional base and still be well-hooked into Texas. And it would be a hell of a lot easier to be competitive in that conference than the SEC, though still challenging.

I think Missouri football - unless they make a real dedication to improving the program, pumping a lot more money in, and changing the culture in the AD - would eventually with to an Ole Miss-esque existence in the SEC. It's possible Missouri football would take a step up in the SEC... but it would be an uphill climb (climbing over Ole Miss and Miss. State isn't that hard, but Georgia, Tenn, South Carolina, Arkansas, aTm... different story).

And call me an old married man, but I don't give a flying f*** about the girls in the SEC. Winning games and having a chance to be relevant nationally is a hell of a lot cooler.

Would you guys rather have the Big 12 barely hanging on or a playoff system in college football?

I'd rather have four superconferences and a four-team playoff.

Each conference has two divisions. Division winners match up in conference championships (which are unofficial rd. 1)

Four teams advance. Each plays two games, and we have a national champion that has basically made it through a three-round playoff to win.

Wow.

He wrote a hell of a lot there. I believe I can rebut it much more succinctly:

That's the dumbest ****ing thing I think I've ever read.

The end.

I believe that's exactly what we're heading towards. If so, MU has a home and I don't really care where it is. Let's just pick it and move forward.

8 division winners -> 4 conference winners -> 2 Super Conference winners = National Champion...


Man I dont know, How is that better than a true BCS champion? /sarcasm....

That sounds awesome.

I could be wrong, but last time I checked, there are more than 64 teams playing college football

And impossible to obtain due to the ginormous anti-trust lawsuit that would be filed from teams not in the 64.

Yeah, quoting myself because I didn't quite get myself right earlier.

I actually think it will be 4 divisions of 4 (large footprints will need to be tighly subdivided to keep costs down) with a 'mini-playoff' each super conference. From there you'll get the 'plus 1' format that determines the national championship.

That way you'll still have a bunch of games that can generate an assload of revenue.

Just as DIV 1 is under no obligation to allow just any FBS school admission to Div. 1, this 64 team block could likely create a rubrick that separates the top 64 from the rest of the chaff and make it legal.

Northeast Missouri State isn't presently in the running for the Div1 National Championship, nor would the NCAA be required to let them into Div1 to compete for it even if they applied (several schools have had applications for Div. 1 status that were rejected). Why couldn't they further subdivide schools?

MU will have a home.

And if the superconferences don't happen this year, and that increases the liklihood of Mizzou's home being either the PAC or the BiG, I'm all for riding out the Big 12 a few more years rather than panicking about a need to GET INTO THE SEC RIGHT NOW (as some Missouri fans have).

The TV deals in place are going to be honored, so the money is still going to be good. Missouri will still be in an AQ league, it will still have the money and access to keep building up its football program, and it will have a much better chance to win some conference titles than if it jumped SEC right now.

Exactly. That's exactly what will happen.

Probably will move to a new divisional setup. And that's IF the new conferences even choose to remain part of the NCAA. Likely, they would tell the NCAA to eff off and do their own thing at that point.

Current D1 schools have have a chance currently to win the title(and the money that comes with it). Freezing out teams not in a mega conference would certainly open that door.

This post makes CU cry. They thought they got away from Cousin Eddie only to look outside on Christmas morning and see his RV parked out front.

I like your avatar, that's a pretty cool pic! :clap:

LOLZ.

Even though logic tells me that the B12 staying together (long term) is by far the best thing for Mizzou, I keep finding myself hoping that they jump ship.

I looked up the largest universities by enrollment and eliminated the non-D1 football schools. It's not a perfect list because there are some big schools that don't fall in the category. Some on the list might not be D1, but it's a start.

If we go to a four league 16-team "Super Conference" idea, here's the list of the top 64 plus a couple more:

<table width="636" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><colgroup><col style="mso-width-source:userset;mso-width-alt:5603;width:118pt" width="158"> <col style="mso-width-source:userset;mso-width-alt:17009;width:359pt" width="478"> </colgroup><tbody><tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt;width:118pt" height="18" width="158">D1 Football School Size</td> <td style="width:359pt" width="478">University</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">1</td> <td class="xl24">Arizona State University</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">2</td> <td>Ohio State University</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">3</td> <td class="xl24">University of Central Florida</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">4</td> <td class="xl24">University of Minnesota</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">5</td> <td class="xl24">The University of Texas at Austin</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">6</td> <td class="xl24">University of Florida</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">7</td> <td class="xl24">Texas A&M University</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">8</td> <td class="xl24">Michigan State University</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">9</td> <td class="xl24">University of Washington</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">10</td> <td class="xl24">Pennsylvania State University</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">11</td> <td class="xl24">University of Illinois at Urbana</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">12</td> <td class="xl24">Indiana University</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">13</td> <td class="xl24">University of Michigan</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">14</td> <td class="xl24">University of Wisconsin</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">15</td> <td class="xl24">Purdue University</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">16</td> <td class="xl24">Florida State University</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">17</td> <td class="xl24">University of Arizona</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">18</td> <td class="xl24">University of California Los Angeles</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">19</td> <td class="xl24">Rutgers University</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">20</td> <td class="xl24">University of Maryland </td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">21</td> <td>University of Houston (UH)</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">22</td> <td>Temple University</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">23</td> <td class="xl24">University of California Berkeley (UC Berkeley)</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">24</td> <td>University of North Texas (UNT, North Texas)</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">25</td> <td>University of Georgia (UGA)</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">26</td> <td>University of Southern California (USC)</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">27</td> <td>Brigham Young University (BYU)</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">28</td> <td>North Carolina State University at Raleigh (NC State University)</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">29</td> <td>University of Colorado at Boulder (CU Boulder)</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">30</td> <td>San Diego State University (SDSU)</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">31</td> <td>Boston University (BU, Boston U)</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">32</td> <td class="xl24">University of California</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">33</td> <td class="xl24">University of Missouri </td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">34</td> <td>University of Cincinnati (UC)</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">36</td> <td class="xl24">Texas Tech University</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">37</td> <td class="xl24">Mt San Antonio College</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">38</td> <td class="xl24">The University of Tennessee</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">39</td> <td class="xl24">University of Kansas</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">40</td> <td>University of Iowa (Iowa, UI)</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">41</td> <td class="xl24">University of North Carolina</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">42</td> <td class="xl24">West Virginia University</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">43</td> <td class="xl24">The University of Alabama</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">44</td> <td class="xl24">Louisiana State University </td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">45</td> <td class="xl24">University of South Carolina </td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">46</td> <td class="xl24">University of Pittsburgh</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">47</td> <td>Iowa State University (ISU)</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">48</td> <td>University of Kentucky (UK)</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">49</td> <td>Washington State University (WSU)</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">50</td> <td class="xl24">University of Oklahoma Norman Campus</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">51</td> <td class="xl24">University of Connecticut </td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">52</td> <td class="xl24">Auburn University</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">53</td> <td class="xl24">University of Virginia </td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">54</td> <td class="xl24">University of Nebraska </td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">55</td> <td class="xl24">Kansas State University</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">56</td> <td class="xl24">Oklahoma State University</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">57</td> <td class="xl24">University of Oregon </td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">58</td> <td>Fresno State</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">59</td> <td class="xl24">Ball State University</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">60</td> <td class="xl24">University of Louisville</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">61</td> <td class="xl24">University of Arkansas</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">62</td> <td class="xl24">Syracuse University</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">63</td> <td class="xl24">Clemson University</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">64</td> <td>Boise State University</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">65</td> <td class="xl24">New Mexico State University</td> </tr> <tr style="height:13.2pt" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height:13.2pt" height="18">66</td> <td>Stanford University</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

Interesting list. Missouri's third in enrollment behind only Texas and aTm.

Huh? You mean in the current Big 12?

I should have added the enrollment numbers. The really big schools only take up about the top 10 or 15. After that there's a logjam in the 25-35K range. Some schools only have a difference of <100 students from the school above them or below them.

I think it would be interesting to break down the schools into quadrents (NE, SE, NW, SW) and see who lands where. The emphasis would be on rivalries and reducing travel expenses.

It's also important to focus on enrollment at a main campus as opposed to counting those enrolled at satellite branches.

The satellite branches don't change things much as far as the listing I posted.

If the University of Phoenix had a football team they'd rule!!! Their enrollment is 307,000+. Quality, right there.

They'd be a powerhouse.

I'm sure I'm overlooking something here but....what does enrollment size have to do with anything?

It doesn't.

It eliminates redundancy in college football regions.

Nothing, otherwise the University of Phoenix would field one hell of a squad.

You are beyond clueless.

Wow! Your a genious!

If enrollment meant something then Missouri State would be the Big 12 or SEC, bc we are bigger than some of the schools in there.

I'm only going on people that actually go to these schools. Not the stump-humpers who claim the schools. I suppose I should take into consideration the beer swilling wannabes.

Is MO ST a D1 school in football?

A squad that is just as good as a squad from a traditional ground college even though the UOP squad will let anyone with a pulse and student loan eligibility on the team, only practices for an hour a week and is coached from remote locations via a message board.

Absolute gold here.

http://goemaw.com/forum/index.php?topic=14501.0

Not giving you shit here, I honestly don't follow. What is redundancy in college regions and how is the solving of said issue (if it is an issue) related to enrollment size?

Nice.

Pure Gold Jerry... Pure Gold!!!!