He laughed at anyone who thought it wasnt inevitable…remember all of his claims of secret sources?
Boy…has he flip-flopped
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While I was not pumping the PAC12 move, I do know from very good sources that PAC12 was 100% in play.
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I wonder if it was the same sources that said we were being “vetted” by the Big 10 years ago.
There’s enough smoke there that I think there was fire somewhere (but that can mean a lot of different things, with different levels of plausibility). It’s one thing when it’s just folks on a message board talking, but another when there are disconnected sources in the news mentioning us and TCU as potential Pac-12 members. (Certainly more than when we were allegedly being considered by the Big East a few years before we joined.)
But thing that didn’t happen didn’t actually happen, so there’s not much to do with that actual information.
I thought it was floated to put pressure on the Big XII to add us. At the time the PAC12 looked like it was going to poach and TCU was our partner. Baylor was a no go due to religious affiliation and they were rumored not to want Tech (location) or OSU. All four being added including UH would have been a dream come true. The PAC12 didn’t waste any time shooting it all down.
That’s possible, but:
(a) We sort of tried to do something like that in 2016, and it went very badly. Not sure we would try that again.
(b) It didn’t really come out until after we committed to the Big 12.
(c) The story seemed to come more from Fort Worth than Houston.
We are in an excellent spot in the B12. Everyone on our campus knows we made it by the skin of our teeth. I honestly don’t see any rationale for making demands as far as scheduling goes. (Remember, they really didn’t want us)
Maybe, just maybe, Bowlsby sold us to the other members at the end by committing to ample northern access to the Houston market via scheduling. That would be a reasonable accommodation if the group truly was against our entry.
I say we hunker down and improve our program, grow our donors, and let the conference make the schedule. We have plenty to keep us busy right here in the 713.
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Having spent the last several years complaining about none of the P5 teams willing to play us, and I frequently see comments about us not wanting to play G5 teams . . . . . I do understand hypocritical when I see it . . . . .
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Once we start playing in the Big 12, I won’t necessarily mind playing G5 schools out of conference now and then. I definitely wouldn’t mind keeping Rice on the schedule, given that it’s usually both a lopsided victory, and for all intents and purposes, a home game for us, regardless of where it is played.
But other AAC and CUSA schools don’t do much for me.
At least two OOC games should be against other P5s.
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Particularly while we’re getting our bearings, I’d lean as much as possible G5 scheduling. We have nine conference games, probably, and I think the conference requires at least one out-of-P5 gam (though I’d probably want one anyway).
Of the G5s, I’d prefer play close teams. Which means AAC/CUSA/SBC. Or if anyone not-close wants to do 2-for-1 I’d definitely hear them out…
Aldine was right about us going to the big12 if OU and UT left which was his 2nd prediction and it wasn’t a given even if the 2 left that we’d get invited so give him credit on that.
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But he spoke in absolutes about everything he has been wrong about.
he has been wrong about more than a few things despite his mocking people who disagree with him.
As far as UH to the big 12, it wasn’t considered impossible. What made it a long shot was UT leaving in the first place since very very few posters thought UT would leave. UT not extending the grant of rights started changing those opinions and the fear then became that UH May be left out.
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I used to agree with this, but have since given it more thought.
If you split the Texas schools, say UH, TCU east with WVU, ISU, Cincy and UCF, then you have another problem. The east division now has three big recruiting states with Texas, Ohio and Florida while schools in the west only get Texas. That would seem very unfair as well for recruiting and media exposure.
I could easily see, the 4 Texas schools in a west division to balance recruiting and exposure with Florida and Ohio. Being Texas centric, we tend to forget those two states. Each school would still have plenty of crossover with the east getting two Texas schools every year anyway. Plus, the added bonus of getting Texas vs Ohio/Florida.
Also not really sure how much WVU, Cincy and UCF really want to push Texas recruiting when they already have rich areas near them. WVU tried it will Holgerson and it did not work too well with his Texas ties.
The thing is he mentioned the pac then the big12 if the 2 left but he was sure they were leaving bc they didn’t up the GOR. We had to still fight to get into the big12 with tillmam and the LT Gov getting involved. They could have taken Memphis over us. There was the belief that the other 8 would still not want us bc of fear so I give him cr bc I was thinking they’d leave us out regardless. He does talk to our AD vs us that don’t.We have a lot of negativity so I welcome his positivity and he got it right as the 2nd prediction.
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If the Texas schools get split up the Houston school and the DFW school don’t end up in the same place, but that’s a good point.
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And we WOULD have, if the PAC 12 had expanded when they had the perfect chance! Their foolish decision to stand pat just means THEY are the ones who will be raided now if anything happens in re alignment…and their failure to do anything means Big 12 had the time they needed to rebuild, and that included us…
I think UH to the pac12 probabilities we’re high until 2016- 2018. Tx has since then passed laws that target a segment of student athletes and are contrary to pac12 affiliations, which essentially locks the conference out of the state.
Regarding viability, the conference has not lost a single member since it’s formation almost 100 years ago. Colorado, Utah and Arizona schools are not leaving the pac12 to play in a conference UT and OU escaped.
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The PAC isn’t going to be raided. Lol
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If the B1G decides to expand, PAC is the direction they will look…to USC and UCLA…Would they say yes? Who knows? If something like that happens, anything could happen as a result…People are just going to have to wait a year or 2 and see what happens… Maybe nothing…or maybe something very significant…
and it won’t expand west of the Rockies.