Apparently its official, Big-12 offering invites Friday…

[PlainsUte]

UCF, Cinci, Houston and BYU on the invite list.

Conference call/press conference on Friday morning, Sept 10.

[Tony (admin)]

So now we will endlessly get to hear how the Big-12 is better than the Pac-12. Got it. 

[PhiladelphiaUte]

Now?  We’ve been hearing that already!  The zoobs have even gone so far as to say once the Big 12 adds UCF, Cincy, Houston, and ybU, it’ll be even better than the Big 12 is RIGHT NOW!

I’m serious!

[Central Coast Ute]

Even as they’re staring at a 7-15, soon to be 7-17 record against the PAC 12 they claim to be better than them. They’re seriously insane.
Personally I’m glad they’re joining. The BIG 12 will be relegated to mid-major status and and the Utes won’t have to play the tds as much. It’s all good.

[PhiladelphiaUte]

“[BYU, Houston, Cincinnati, and UCF] bring quality football programs that keeps the league higher in rank than PAC-12.” — SSJarvis, just 2-hrs ago

[astUTE]

“So now we will endlessly get to hear how the Big-12 is better than the Pac-12. Got it. “

I’m perfectly happy with that, as long as we get to hear it from the distance of NOT PLAYING THEM ANY MORE!

[CincyUte]

Another classy move by BYU.  The Big XII desperately needs this.  Kudos.

[UteFanatic]

So all the best teams left, the PAC/B1G/ACC ignored the rescue cries of the ugly leftovers, and then as a desperate attempt to survive they resorted to adding four G5 teams?

This conference isn’t so “BIG” anymore. Needs a new name.

Medium 12?

Little 8.4?

Leftover 8 + 4?

G6?

 

 

[UrbanLiar]

A Dime a Dozen

[noneyadb]

Rejected-XII
Ex-Wives Conference
Little-XII

[PlainsUte]

Misfit Dozen

[EagleMountainUte]

“Notre Dame of the West”

[BJA 13]

I would imagine that BYUs fanbase won’t travel so well once they join the conference. 

Outside of Dallas/Florida, the destinations don’t seem overly-appealing, and that’s a long way to go for a game:(add Florida, UCF and Ohio, Cincinnati and Houston to this map) 

 

[Central Coast Ute]

That’s funny they added UT and OU to the map. They’ll be gone before these teams join.

[UrbanLiar]

It’s almost a reversal of the Pioneer trek in the 1800’s…

[Stone]

Travel in that revamped conference will be interesting – definitely not an easy road trip for fans in Utah (or the west, where TDS’s main fanbase is located). Then again, I am not typically driving to Utah road conference games. I would enjoy going to each of the revised Big12 conference locations at least once – but I enjoy college towns and the great plains, so I may be an outlier. For example, Ames and Manhattan are not exactly on the typical vacation hot-spot list, but going to a football game there would be a blast.

As to the strength of the conference, it will certainly take a big hit with the loss of UT and OU. But it is still a decent conference. If we are honest, the Pac12 has not exactly been all that great lately (last weekend being a prime example). The Pac12 certainly has more legacy-type teams that have storied histories and are high-profile, but on-the-field performance lately is not terribly impressive. So I don’t feel Pac12 schools are in a position of strength to be talking much smack about the strength of another conference (Kansas State dominated Stanford last weekend). 

[Central Coast Ute]

I also would love to visit all of those schools for a game. Heck, it’d be cool to say you’ve been everywhere.
I haven’t heard many people say the PAC 12 has been fielding better competition or is stronger than anyone else. I have seen people say that without UT and OU, the Big 12 is not a P5 conference, and those people are right. Just like without USC and UCLA, the PAC 12 is not a P5 conference. Unfortunately on field success doesn’t have anything to do with it. It’s all about money. If football success was the driving factor, Texas wouldn’t be going to the SEC.

[Charlie]

The Midwest is far to go then you add Florida, West Virginia and Ohio. The other schools will hate the road trip for BB with whoever they pair with the Y. UCF is another outlier maybe they can pair the two. Could be rough winter travel to get thru with no more trips to Cali to enjoy. Texas can have plenty of awful winter travel to Dallas.

[belli1976]

@ BJA. there are 350000 Mormons in Texas. If they get 2% of the in state mormon population, that is a decent BYU crowd.

[Heike]

2% of 350K is 7500. I’d hardly call that a decent crowd.

[belli1976]

@heike. Most college stadiums are around 50000’capacity. 7500 is 15% of the stadium. For an away game, that is a decent showing.

[Duhwayne]

Welcome to the P 4 1/2.

[Puget Ute]

1- Congrats to byu. Good for them. This will be a fun football conference and a fantastic hoops conference.
2- I see byu as the #4-5 football team and #7-9 basketball team in the conference, for at least the next 5 years or so until they can grow as a program.

[GameForAnyFuss]

The new hierarchy in football is now as follows:

SEC

Alliance (PAC12, ACC, Big 10)

Big 12, ACC, MWC, WAC

Everyone else

[Stone]

Not sure if this is based on money or game performance, but either way, I would put the Big12 a level above the AAC, MWC, and WAC. The Big12 is taking the best schools from that level. In terms of game performance, the Big12 is pretty solid compared to the Alliance conferences. That may not last if funds do not keep up, but for now, the conference has some great teams.