As you prepare to join the Big 12 (it appears), this video may be a good intro to some of the top considerations in the conference, touching on topics like adding Pac schools, potential end of the Pac, conference size, managing travel, scheduling, share of playoff money, NIL and legislation, etc.
Dr Livingstone is chairing the Big 12. She’s also chairing the NCAA Rules Transformational Committee and on the NCAA Board of Governors. I hope her involvement at this level gives the Big 12 some influence on future changes for our conference. Selfishly, I also hope her relationships help protect Baylor if there are more rounds of this chaos. But I know the #1 consideration now and in the future is viewership. If you guys don’t run me off, I have some thoughts on viewership where I think Utah will benefit from the move, based on how I have viewed Baylor on this front.
Alot of topics covered – 25 min – I’m not seeing the way to add links but search on YouTube for " Dr Linda Livingston: The Big 12 Has to Think".
I know Utah helps on the academic front, particularly on the Research front, where the Big 12 is weakest. The top half of the Big 12 is strongest with academic rankings which I believe are more teaching versus research focused. I think. On the sports front, I wonder if / how Utah will get involved to help with these topics.
Welcome to the board. We are all still a little pissed with the FUBAR way this all went down, but we will get over it. We will be seeing the Bears in Waco in Week 2, so it looks like we are getting a preview before settling in next season.
Thanks for the video to watch. It has some good points to think about.
Finally, do us a really big favor and hand BYU an ugly, ugly loss this year. They really need a “Welcome to Big Boy Football” after feasting on cupcakes for the last 13 years. You will find their tears are delicious.
We don’t play BYU this year. I’m not sure when they’ll come around again. It’ll be interesting to see how the future scheduling works. We waited FOREVER for this year’s schedule to come out as they worked all the iterations with the 4 new teams. I’m very happy Utah is here. I think the Big 12 future is bright.
apologies if our fanbase doesn’t seem overly excited about joining the Big XII just yet. Its nothing against the Big XII, we’ll get there, but were still grieving what was an incredible opportunity and conference in the PAC12. The Big XII has some great schools that Im excited to play, we’ll just need a little time to put this harrowing week behind us.
Welcome to the Big 12, although from a new member perspective. As a UH longtime season ticket holder, we’ve been on a similar journey as Ute fans.
We were invited into the most powerful conference (the controversial SWC) in 1976 and maintained success for most years winning four conference titles and finishing 2nd three other times.
The conference disbanded in 1995 and we along with SMU, TCU, and Rice were left out of the Big 12. Although we had better success than Baylor and Tech over the years, we didn’t get the call due to politics, the current state of Houston athletics (at that time), and Texas simply not wanting to battle us in recruiting Houston talent.
Much like you, we had to fight and claw our way back for 28 years to get to where we are today. Baylor, TCU, and Tech tried to keep us out, but thank goodness our billionaire board member using his political ties to get us back in.
I know you guys loved the fit and the opponents of the PAC. I don’t blame you for not wanting to make this move (I’m sure BYU has some to do with it too), but we are elated to have you guys join us in the new look Big 12. I look forward to traveling to SLC and watching my Coogs try to keep up with you guys on the gridiron.
Cheers to making new memories with new conference foes.
Most of us just don’t care about BYU, especially the vast alumni base that does not live in the state of Utah. BYU is not an academic school, it is not in the AAU (and will never be), and its fan base is arrogant and violent at times.
My dislike of entering the Big 12 has a lot to do with academics, BYU, and just no interest in the schools. But, as others have written, it’s just heartbreak over the demise of the PAC12 which was a better fit for Utah. We’ll have fun beating BYU for the 100th time or whatever it is, and playing other teams. I am also a Syracuse grad, so I hold a special loathing for West Virginia.
Otherwise, this is just more evidence that college football is just a massive business, and it has nothing to do with anything else. We’ll get over it by 2024, and we’ll have fun playing in Iowa.
I’m sure the reasons vary depending on who you talk to. Academics, BYU, cultural fit, geography, etc.
There’s a fine line though in thinking you’re above the Big 12 and just not liking the fit. We’ve seen the Truckstop references on all social media platforms from several PAC fans. It’s all part of this sordid clambake we call college athletics today.
And you’re right, this will all be forgotten in 13 months. Let’s play football.
Can’t speak for the other mentioned schools, but Tech has worked with UH for many years as an academic partner for the advancement of both schools especially once it became abundantly clear that UT and A&M were working together to harm us both (A&M failed attempt to block Tech’s veterinarian school and UT lobbying to block a UH med school).
I’m going to assume that Utah will be a wonderful partner in academics, research and especially everything related to our outstanding Medical school.
This is a new adventure that will certainly take some getting used to. But I look forward to newfound friendships and rivalries.
I can’t embed links or photos here, but Google Dan Patrick Tilman Fertitta Houston Big 12 and you’ll see an article that says Patrick had to sway all three schools’ chancellors to have a change of heart on Houston.
I’m not saying Tech and Houston don’t have good relationships in other sectors, but they were part of the reason we almost were blocked into a Big 12 invite.
I’m still saddened that we’re going to the Big 12. No one around California knows or cares about the Big 12. I loved wearing my Utah hat into my local Vons (Albertsons for you Utahns), and run into a USC grad complaining about their losses to us last year. Or when someone with a Stanford sweatshirt gives me a high five because we’re in the PAC12 together.
Plus there were so many Utah games in California.
For Utah alumni in California, this is very sad. I just don’t give a crap about Oklahoma, Iowa, Texas or any other of those deep red states that are culturally and politically weird.
I wish Utah stuck with the Pac4 to figure it out. Or begged the Big 10, so that we could continue to play USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington.
PS. I know Utah is one of those politically right wing states that has nothing in common with me. That’s why I don’t live there any more.
I like Vons because they seemed to find their way into many Phil Hendrie bits.
OM - I think the best bet is for the ACC to pick up Cal and Stanford, which will be the max-absurd situation on stringing out the western schools, which may lead to the David Shaw prediction coming true.
No pro sports divisions are east-west. They’re regional. Imagine a NL South that has LA, the Padres, the D-Backs, Atlanta and the Marlins. Absolutely stupid idea.
The biggest risk is if interest in FB in the Pacific states drops further, but otherwise I have to think things will revert back to regions.
If the bay area schools end up in the ACC that will be wild. That conference is barely holding on to it’s core members. I could see the ACC being the next conference to go belly up and we end up with the P3.
