With Texas pocketing the money from it's own TV network?
Who will be next to leave the Big 12?
Pul in PA
Texas is promoting a plan wooing the others into some sweeheart deals. Don't know much about it yet, but, it's happening.
Who could possibly care about such meaningless entities as the Big 12/10 or the PAC 10/12 or what have you. The landscape of college football and other collegiate sports is changing by the minute. I expect that those who enjoy college football (which I do) will follow it regardless of conference affiliations which basically mean nothing anymore, outside of providing ways and means for TV and advertising revenue.
An interesting exercise for all sports fans would be to read E.B.White "The Decline of Sport". The events he postulated in 1947 have arrived.
> With Texas pocketing the money from it's own TV network?
>
> Who will be next to leave the Big 12?
>
> Pul in PA
What we are seeing is a natural progression. First Notre Dame figured they were so special and important to college football that they could make their own network tv deal and to hell with everyone else. That worked out ok for a time.
Next Texas sees the ND stuff and decides they are tired of splitting money with anyone else. Yes, anyone else including the existing TV networks. Why not form their own Texas football only network and pocket all the money?
No doubt it seemed like a good idea at the time. Well except for the minor detail of who will they play if and when they manage to drain all the money from all the other programs. At some point Texas will wake up and see that as soon as USC or Auburn will be doing exactly what they have done the gig is up. A hand full of schools will have all the money and the other programs will die.
Maybe this is what the big time programs want. Why having to bother with playing Baylor? After all, Baylor (as an example) can't pay the mega bucks to their players like Ohio State and USC and Florida have been doing for years. Why not cut to the chase and make the entire season a tournament to decide the championship?
I predict that in the next 5 to 10 years this is exactly what will happen. The "major" programs (approx. 50 schools) will take their ball and play their own game. There will be no football conference. Screw the NCAA and their rules. There will be one big tournament that starts the opening weekend of the season. If Boise State wants to claim to be the best team in the nation, let them prove it on the field against the best.
Ooops. Wait a minute, Boise State may not be a big enough name to make the cut as one of the elite teams but who cares about details like that. After all, it is about putting the most money in the pockets of the schools and nothing else.
Larry P
