How we got here. |
– By David Van Risseghem, founder of SoonerPolitics.org
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Two years ago, Oklahomans lamented the seemingly inevitable death of the Big 12 college athletic conference. OU & OSU had been the heart of the Big twelve and it’s predecessor, the Big 8; since their inceptions. What OU didn’t count on, was what the depth of that Big 12 loyalty and identity meant.
Right now, if OU started pitching the supremacy of the South Eastern Conference, there might be effigy bonfires in every county seat across Oklahoma. But let’s set aside the topic of selling out, and focus on the Big 12’s bright future, and the change of fortunes in the Big 12 since that dreaded abandonment. The Texas Longhorns should have been expelled from the Big 12 when they created their own Television platform and severely harmed the Big 12’s capacity to create a media package for the whole conference. |
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The Big 12 saw several legacy departures over 20 years, because of the disloyalty of the refugee from the collapsed South Western Conference. Texas couldn’t sustain their own legacy conference and begged the Big 8 to take them in. It cost the organization several charter members, among them; Colorado, Missouri, and Nebraska. Each went to another top conference, and only Colorado is even desperate enough to give the Big 12 another chance.
My bold prediction came true
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In the summer of 2021, when most believed the Big 12 was near collapse, I went public with my solution;
“The Big 12 would do well to add BYU, Cincy, Houston, and UCF”– David Van Risseghem, SoonerPolitics.org, 2021
That’s actually what I posted to social media discussion boards, two years ago.
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But the Big 12 members seemed in no hurry to act. It took another year, and a replacement of the commissioner, before a startling announcement was made, a year ago;
“Beginning in 2024, the Big 12 will be joined by BYU, Cincy, Houston, and UCF”- Brett Yormark, Big 12 Commissioner, 2022
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Brett Yormark, Big 12 Commissioner
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Okay, I didn’t predict it. That would be a big assumption that the ‘then-commissioner, Bob Bowlby; would do something so brilliant. It was unsolicited advice, but amazingly, the idea was so powerful, that the member universities all agreed to it. Great minds think alike?
When the change in commissioners, and the expansion back to 12 teams, was set in motion, everything changed. Then Yormark did something genius. He beat the Pac 12 to the media companies and secured a media deal while the Pac 12 boasted of their invincability. Now that all the sports producers have a full scheduling supply, they don’t really need to talk to the Pac 12. And add to that, The 2 biggest names in the PAC 12 just bailed on them and jumped to the Big 10. Without USC & UCLA, The PAC 12 has little luster in media negotiations. The PAC didn’t move quick enough, and still thought they were ‘the bees knees’. All it took was a reinvigurated Colorado to accept a Big 12 invite, and the rest of the house of cards came down. |
Big 12 Perils Ahead
The Big 12 must do two things, in order to secure this new stature.
First, assimulate the new schools into a new Big 12 identity. With Colorado, that won’t be so hard. Colorado has decades more legacy in the Old Big 8, and it’s Big 12 expansion of the 1990s. Coach Deion ‘Prime’ Sanders, has a Texas identity and already focuses on Texas & Florida recruiting. Playing in thse states, will only help him succeed. But Utah and the Arizona schools will need more patience and more focus. Later in this article, we’ll discuss a key formatting solution to accomodate the western teams.
Second, Building new Big 12 rivalries and traditions is essential. We must accommodate the rivalries already in place. But we must make practical accommodations to get fans in the stands. This means easing travel difficulties for teams and fans. this also means having some annual events that folks can count on. Like the old OU – Texas ‘Red River Shootout’, the Bedlam, and The old OU – Nebraska thanksgiving weekend rivalry of the 70s & 80s. None of those rivalries will be in the future Big 12, but it is essential that the conference celebrates all the current rivalries and fosters even more of them.
First, assimulate the new schools into a new Big 12 identity. With Colorado, that won’t be so hard. Colorado has decades more legacy in the Old Big 8, and it’s Big 12 expansion of the 1990s. Coach Deion ‘Prime’ Sanders, has a Texas identity and already focuses on Texas & Florida recruiting. Playing in thse states, will only help him succeed. But Utah and the Arizona schools will need more patience and more focus. Later in this article, we’ll discuss a key formatting solution to accomodate the western teams.
Second, Building new Big 12 rivalries and traditions is essential. We must accommodate the rivalries already in place. But we must make practical accommodations to get fans in the stands. This means easing travel difficulties for teams and fans. this also means having some annual events that folks can count on. Like the old OU – Texas ‘Red River Shootout’, the Bedlam, and The old OU – Nebraska thanksgiving weekend rivalry of the 70s & 80s. None of those rivalries will be in the future Big 12, but it is essential that the conference celebrates all the current rivalries and fosters even more of them.
the SoonerPolitics Solution |
– Divisions without Divisional Playoffs |
The entire article brings us to this important advice.
Organize football in 4 divisions, but retain the current championship single game. We’ve posted a map of the new 16 schools and set them in 4 divisions; North, South, East, West. Four teams in each. They will play their division rivals every year, on a ‘home & home’ rotation. The top division team now has a new bragging right; “Division Champion”. This will make those regional games mean even more.
Of the 13 or so available weekends in the regular season, each team will have 3 division games. In addition, they will play 6 conference games against the other 3 divisions. They will play two teams from each of the other divisions. Those are also ‘home & home’ games on a 2-year cycle. This means Utah will only travel to the easter time zone once per year. It will take 8 years for the full rotation of conference opponents to once againt repeat itself. But a team will play every conference opponent at least 4 out of 8 years. Meanwhile they still have their 3 annual division rivals on their schedule every single year.
This format leaves each school 4 open date they can use to schedule games outside the conference, or have a bye week.
The Conference championship game will still feature the top two teams by overall conference record, in the same tradition of the past, without any division having any guarantee of inclusion.
At least 2 conferences will not send a team to the conference championship. That’s life. But at least that team can fight to the end, to secure their ‘Divisional Champion’ distinction. Tiebreaker rules could be the same as the current formula for selection to the Conference Championship game.
Organize football in 4 divisions, but retain the current championship single game. We’ve posted a map of the new 16 schools and set them in 4 divisions; North, South, East, West. Four teams in each. They will play their division rivals every year, on a ‘home & home’ rotation. The top division team now has a new bragging right; “Division Champion”. This will make those regional games mean even more.
Of the 13 or so available weekends in the regular season, each team will have 3 division games. In addition, they will play 6 conference games against the other 3 divisions. They will play two teams from each of the other divisions. Those are also ‘home & home’ games on a 2-year cycle. This means Utah will only travel to the easter time zone once per year. It will take 8 years for the full rotation of conference opponents to once againt repeat itself. But a team will play every conference opponent at least 4 out of 8 years. Meanwhile they still have their 3 annual division rivals on their schedule every single year.
This format leaves each school 4 open date they can use to schedule games outside the conference, or have a bye week.
The Conference championship game will still feature the top two teams by overall conference record, in the same tradition of the past, without any division having any guarantee of inclusion.
At least 2 conferences will not send a team to the conference championship. That’s life. But at least that team can fight to the end, to secure their ‘Divisional Champion’ distinction. Tiebreaker rules could be the same as the current formula for selection to the Conference Championship game.
To make sense of the cluster of 16 teams, and arrange them in a structure which fosters sustained rivalries, ease of travel, and peak fan interest, The most sensible mapping option is to place two boundary stakes on the US map. Gallup New Mexico, and Fort Smith Arkansas. If your university campus is
- East of Fort Smith, you are in the Big 12 East Division
- West of Gallup, you are in the Big 12 West Division
- North of & between Fort Smith & Gallup, you are in the Big 12 North Division.
- South of & between Fort Smith & Gallup, you are in the Big 12 South Division.
The current Big 12 football schedule will demonstrate the reason to have nearby annual games. Kansas State is being denied a game against OU, this year. In recent years, K-State has successfully derailed OU, and vaulted themselvves to national prominence in the win. Imagine if K-State was denied an annual matchup with the Kansas Jay Hawks? That’s an inevitability if a team only has 9 conference dates available, yet required to play each conference team on an equal formula of scheduling? You don’t effectively foster likely rivalries when you have to skip a year or two to resume the tradition.
Proposed Big 12 Divisions
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West
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North
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South
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East
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This 2-tier structure of the new ‘mega conference’ helps every team find goals for their inevitable rebuilding years. It may be a ‘tall order for a new coach to convincee his rebuilding team that they can win the entire mega conference title in the current season, But by just winning the 3 divisional games, they can hang a new banner in the stadium, signaling some measure of success, as they continue to build competitiveness to bigger titles.
Sure, some divisions will be stronger that others. We can’t predict the future, so we don’t know which team will get the easiest divisional schedule. But we do know that only 3 of the 13 weeks will be devoted to divisional games. It’s still weighted in favor of the 6 inter-divisional games. It’s an 8-year rotation to equitably run this format. In 8 years, it may be replaced with something else. If it’s really unpopular, it could be scrapped at any off-season meeting. But it’s very helpful toward securing the new teams and protecting the old rivalries we’ve all valued.
It also brings fans to the games, when a mid-November reality says that a game no longer means anything in the conference championship hunt.
The conference needs to officially foster these annual events. Putting obstructions in the way, will only bring grumbling and discontent. Many of these rivalries already exist. Often the two teams fight over a jug, a frying pan, or wager between 2 governors.
The biggest reason to do it, is because it attracts media coverage. And that’s a huge bargaining chip to bring to the next negotiating table when you want to get ESPN or Fox Sports to treat you with respect.
Sure, some divisions will be stronger that others. We can’t predict the future, so we don’t know which team will get the easiest divisional schedule. But we do know that only 3 of the 13 weeks will be devoted to divisional games. It’s still weighted in favor of the 6 inter-divisional games. It’s an 8-year rotation to equitably run this format. In 8 years, it may be replaced with something else. If it’s really unpopular, it could be scrapped at any off-season meeting. But it’s very helpful toward securing the new teams and protecting the old rivalries we’ve all valued.
It also brings fans to the games, when a mid-November reality says that a game no longer means anything in the conference championship hunt.
The conference needs to officially foster these annual events. Putting obstructions in the way, will only bring grumbling and discontent. Many of these rivalries already exist. Often the two teams fight over a jug, a frying pan, or wager between 2 governors.
The biggest reason to do it, is because it attracts media coverage. And that’s a huge bargaining chip to bring to the next negotiating table when you want to get ESPN or Fox Sports to treat you with respect.
