Eh, fine - they still suck at football.

You can have 'em if you want 'em. I would consider UCLA to be a 'regional' school more than a city school (Just as I would consider UNLV), but that's fine. I think of them as more of a "K-State" style program rather than, say, Memphis, but I'm not going to be picky. I mean technically Cal is Cal-Berkely, no? So is Cal a city school? I would certainly never consider them as such.

It doesn't seem that UCLA is a square peg at all, but again, I'll assume they are for the sake of argument.

The Bruins still can't hang with the big time programs with any regularity. They're a mediocre program with spurts of success.

given that OU decided to stay? Yeah, pretty much. The contract wont fall apart with them in the conference, and so Baylor has no damages. All they have to worry about are exit fees.

You clearly have no idea how TV contract negotiations work. Mizzou doesn't have to be the f'n Florida Gators for their loss to negatively impact the value of a TV contract due to the loss of eyeballs. The Big 12 will completely lose airtime in St. Louis, a top 20 metro area, while losing meaningful share in Dallas, Houston, and KC. Wake the fuck up.

Arkansas was in a BCS bowl game last year and is a top 15 program this year.

College football fans know Arkansas has a very good program.

Fair enough, I don't think anyone expects a city school to become the next Michigan or Florida. Just that a city school is not automatically a laugh-out-loud "what the hell?" choice. There aren't many, but there are a few of them who can at least pull their own ore.

I understand that WVU has better recruits but do they come from West Virginia? I guess I'm thinking Dallas/Ft Worth is more a football hotbed than Morgantown. I see what you are saying though.

they have recently been good. In the last several years they have been a reliable 4-to-6 loss team. Sometimes average, sometimes good, occasionally bad.

But be in a better conference. Wish KU & MU could go to the B1G together but that's not happening.

And I'm not really saying that they're all dogshit - afterall, the world needs ditch-diggers too.

I am saying (and have said before), that there's a reason the metropolitan conference died. The city schools just don't draw the kind of prestige and following that the major state Us do. If the XII wanted to bring 1 in, okay I suppose that wouldn't be the end of the world (though I'd prefer avoid it). But damn, if they bring in Cincy, Memphis and Louisville - may as well just re-brand the Metro and call it a day.

It signals a watering down of the conference, IMO. I'd much prefer we avoid it. (Actually, I'd much prefer to get the hell out of dodge, but you knew that already)

The networks have already basically told the Big 12 that if TA&M were to be replaced with BYU, they would have no problem with that at all. Central and East Missouri is not a bad market, but you have no national following, at all. OU, Texas, and a school like BYU does. (Kansas in basketball, but not football) They can sell those teams outside the midwest.

So yeah, Mizzou is replaceable.

But you didn't answer my question. Who exactly to you replace Missouri with. TV markets....solid programs.

I am not saying Missouri is a juggernaut that will bring the conference down but you are saying...they are easily replaced. Ok. With who?

Please...

Go on...

I'd be thrilled to sit back and let fans of other schools worry about how easily replaceable Missouri is or is not to a conference...after the institution leaves.

Deuces (I hope).

Nice backpeddling, douche. LMAO

Eh, the loss won't hurt that much.

The XII television contract is paying primarily for the national recognition of the flagship schools, not the handful of eyes in STL and KC.

It may hurt a little, but ultimately not a hell of a lot, IMO.

The XII will move on without MU and probably not bat an eye - until the PAC comes calling again and w/ more favorable terms the next time.