What's Texas hiding?

[woolybug25]

Put on your aluminum foil hats and hear me out. At one point or another, the thought of Texas becoming an independent has crossed all of our minds. They have the huge fan base, ability to negotiate tv contracts and could benefit any cfb team's schedule. I personally started thinking about this because of a couple events:

1) Texas stayed with the Big12 even though it looked like it might be falling apart. They could have left the Big12 for any other conference in the country, but instead stayed. It almost feels like they want to hunker down and watch how everything unfolds. As other teams defect to other conferences, they can "monitor the landscape". This would make a move to independence quite simple if:
a) Texas puts image out that they will stick by Big12 as it crumbles, leaving the image that they were left behind by the conference.
b) "super conferences" (at whatever size they end up being. They dont necessarily need to morph into 16 team conferences in order to break up other conferences) leave Texas in a position where they could make an argument in which they dont fit either geographically, historically or educationally.

2) Scheduling ND and BYU to three game series not only shows apt to scheduling big name out of conference games (opposite of their scheduling strategies of late), but scheduling them with an independent and another school positioning themselves for independence.

My point is this, i'm not saying that it is going to happen, but there is opportunity for teams like Texas and BYU to change the landscape of football towards Notre Dame's advantage in respect to staying independent.

Thoughts?

 

[Jerry]

I agree that as far as ND's independence is concerned a huge program like Texas becoming an independent would make things easier on ND (as far a staying an independent is concerned). I think if Texas joined a "super conference", especially the Big Ten, I think it could force ND's hand.

 

[dales5050]

My point is this, i'm not saying that it is going to happen, but there is opportunity for teams like Texas and BYU to change the landscape of football towards Notre Dame's advantage in respect to staying independent.

Thoughts?

Great point and I 100% agree.

I think in 5 years you are going to see 4-5 BIG teams go indy. It simply is the next step. Now that the conferences are making so much money in regards to TV contracts, the 1-2 teams that 'anchor' the contracts are going to want a bigger slice. The only way to do that is to get your own pie.

 

[KPENN]

This isn't gonna be a trend. In my opinion BYU's decision to go independent was more about them wanting out of the MWC. This is simply a ploy, within the next few years they will be a member of the Big 12 or Pac 10.

 

[ACamp1900]

Texas is hiding the best recruiting in the country... a very out of control alumi base... some good fans, and one hell of a football team...

and they ain't hiding any very well these days...

as far a what their plans are... I believe they want to keep thing together and put the big 12 back to 12 at some point... if it doesn't happen I do believe Indy status is a very real backup plan but nothing more...

 

[]\/[GoBlue]

I agree that as far as ND's independence is concerned a huge program like Texas becoming an independent would make things easier on ND (as far a staying an independent is concerned). I think if Texas joined a "super conference", especially the Big Ten, I think it could force ND's hand.

I don't think the Pac12 or the Big10 would take Texas, not with their 'Longhorn Network', I think that's what might of soured the deal with the pac. And I know it goes against the Big10's revenue sharing.

 

[GreatGolson]

i agree with Acamp, theyre gunna try to rebuild the Big 12, if not plan b is to go indy, plan C is to go to the big 10. plan c would start the end of the world as we know it

 

[johnnykillz]

Plan C is not going to EVER happen. Texas would sooner join the SEC over the Big 10. The Big 12 will remain for some time. Texas has no real need to be independent, as they have everything we have plus conference affiliation resulting in more dollars... All we should look forward to, related to Tejas, is beating them in a few years.

 

[woolybug25]

Texas has no real need to be independent, as they have everything we have plus conference affiliation resulting in more dollars....

They have to share their BCS winnings (and they make their fair share of it) with all of the rest of the B12. I realize that their slice is now bigger because of the negotiations with the B12 as teams were fleeing, but that wont last forever. How does getting a share of the rest of the B12 dollars equal the amount of money they would have if they just kept ALL of their BCS money (serious question, its not meant to be condencending)? Usually only one of the teams from the B12 is in a BCS game... and that team is usually Texas.

So to answer your question, my assumptive at best answer, would be:

1) Get to keep all of their BCS money.
2) Can schedule whomever they want. (ie: ND, BYU, etc)
3) Detach themselves from being seen as a team in a conference, rather somewhere "special and unique". Something we as ND fans/alumni know to be a great strength. College football is cyclicle, having the "special and unique" card will always keep you strong. How do you think we have stayed relevant the last 15 years?

 

[johnnykillz]

So to answer your question...

Who's question? Texas receives more money than other teams in their conference.

 

[irishtrain]

Great point and I 100% agree.

I think in 5 years you are going to see 4-5 BIG teams go indy. It simply is the next step. Now that the conferences are making so much money in regards to TV contracts, the 1-2 teams that 'anchor' the contracts are going to want a bigger slice. The only way to do that is to get your own pie.

Man you guys make me proud of this site, this is just what I meant when I said in another thread there are 20 teams out there that could go indy. Just by the mere fact that these large conferences want more tells you that this may not be correct. Meaning- they want things locked up NOW. What Notre Dame has is good and desirable-to keep it you just have to win. Texas/BYU /etc. are big enough to chart their own course if they win. These conferences need this to perpetuate themselves not the teams in it. Its like in Blazing Saddles when they say 'boys we got to protect our phoney balony business here'. You may actually see these mega conference details turn into a push for more major independents. Well done boys and thats why this is such a good site.

 

[woolybug25]

Who's question? Texas receives more money than other teams in their conference.

My bad, I guess I was just commenting rather than answering a specific question, but I digress.

I noted that Texas recieves more money in my previous statement. The B12 had to do so in order to keep Texas squating. I also noted that this will not last forever, and I would argue that "their share" is less than what they would recieve if they kept all of their BCS money like we do. The representative from the B12 (I realize sometimes there are more, but in general) in BCS games is usually Texas. So the Big12 wins in that transaction. Are the revenue sharing from the other teams really more than the share Texas has to give out?

Mathletes... someone figure this part out.

 

[johnnykillz]

I think this is way too speculative to truly calculate. Just my personal opinion. Texas will do what's best for Texas, until Oklahoma starts getting the best of them again...

 

[TDHeysus]

Thoughts?

i think this says that the imminent 'doom' forecast for Notre Dame's indpendent status, is not so imminent.

 

[kmoose]

My thoughts are that the only thing Texas was hiding, was their fear of not being the biggest (or at least one of the biggest) fish in their conference pond. Of the Conferences that Texas would realistically bolt for: the Big 10, the SEC, the PAC-10; each of those Conferences has at least one or two teams that could claim that their tradition rivals, if not exceeds, Texas'. Ohio State and Michigan in the Big Ten, Alabama, LSU, Florida in the SEC, USC and UCLA in the PAC-10. Who, other than Oklahoma, has a football tradition that even approaches Texas', in the Big 12? With Nebraska gone, Texas is one of only two (Oklahoma being the other) apex predators in the Big 12. Hubris is a common trait, in academe. It's merely my opinion, that Texas officials couldn't stand the thought of having to "start over", as the new fish, in some other pond.

 

[Junkhead]

I think there should be one huge super conference with 100+ teams.

 

[condoms SUCk]

as far a what their plans are... I believe they want to keep thing together and put the big 12 back to 12 at some point... if it doesn't happen I do believe Indy status is a very real backup plan but nothing more...[/QUOTE]

I agree, Texas will stay put and see what happens.
Pac-10-travel cost for non money making sports will cost lots of $$$$$$.
Big Ten- a little closer than the Pac-10 but then they would have to share the stage w/ osu, mich, nebraska, penn st. Not sure they would like that. Plus Nebraska just left to get away form thier a$$es so they would be supper pissed.
Big East-hahaha yea right
SEC-well after the NCAA gets done investigating their whole freak’n conf there may not be much of the SEC left.
Big 12(or what’s left of it anyway)- they get to be kings of their own conf and therefore get to call all the shots. Plus the lesser pee-on teams have to put up with their B.S. because after all they are texas.
Independence does look nice BUT I don’t think Texas would ever get the BcS deal that ND has, so that does make a difference.
Just my two cents

 

[phork]

Texas going independent any time soon will kill ND, for the simple fact that we can't compete with them at this point in time. So if we get special rules as far as the BCS is concerned, so would they. In the end ND & Texas as independent would be relegated to NON-AQ status, which means one of us would be left out even in dominant years.

 

[BGIF]

Put on your aluminum foil hats and hear me out. At one point or another, the thought of Texas becoming an independent has crossed all of our minds. They have the huge fan base, ability to negotiate tv contracts and could benefit any cfb team's schedule. I personally started thinking about this because of a couple events:

1) Texas stayed with the Big12 even though it looked like it might be falling apart. They could have left the Big12 for any other conference in the country, but instead stayed. It almost feels like they want to hunker down and watch how everything unfolds. As other teams defect to other conferences, they can "monitor the landscape". This would make a move to independence quite simple if:
a) Texas puts image out that they will stick by Big12 as it crumbles, leaving the image that they were left behind by the conference.
b) "super conferences" (at whatever size they end up being. They dont necessarily need to morph into 16 team conferences in order to break up other conferences) leave Texas in a position where they could make an argument in which they dont fit either geographically, historically or educationally.

2) Scheduling ND and BYU to three game series not only shows apt to scheduling big name out of conference games (opposite of their scheduling strategies of late), but scheduling them with an independent and another school positioning themselves for independence.

My point is this, i'm not saying that it is going to happen, but there is opportunity for teams like Texas and BYU to change the landscape of football towards Notre Dame's advantage in respect to staying independent.

Thoughts?

I don't see the correlation of your title "What's Texas hiding" with what appears to be you agenda of promoting Texas Independence - again. Independence has been a big thing in Texas since 1836. LIke their State the University had a run with Independence before joining an organization. Actually UTx has had two runs of independence. They're currently in their 4th Conference. The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association included most of the current SEC and ACC. The Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association was the forerunner of the Southwest Conference which begat the Big 12. Texas won about a 1/4 of the TIAA/SWC Championships.

Which raises the question. Why would they want to leave?

Texas is the big fish in the pond. Be it the SWC pond or the Big 12 pond. They would be capable of playing in any conference but they'd be one of half dozen teams competing for a guaranteed BCS slot. The odds are better for them now.

As as Independent they would not have the same position as ND. ND earned that spot as an Independent. And one that has been negotiated downward in recent years. Would conferences Texas spurned guarantee them a slot for an 8th place finish? If so, who gives up their slot to accomodate them?

The Big 12 has 8 Bowl Ties-Ins. UTx doesn't have any. ND rides has an arrangement with the Big East for Bowl slots. Again would any conference Texas spurned offer them one of their negotiated slots? Bitterness doesn't encourage such relationships.

Texas could make more money ... blah, blah, blah. Don't look now but Texas is the #1 moneymaking program. (See Forbes and CBS).

The 12 Most Valuable Teams in NCAA Football | Business Pundit

Not only are the Texas Longhorns the most valuable college football team, they are also the most valuable NCAA team in any college sport.

(UTx passes ND this year by about #11 million dollars. UTx made $12 million of premium seating/skyboxes.)

Does does give some of their bowl money (and NCAA Basketball Tourney Reveue) to the Conference for distribution to cannon fodder they've beat up on for 100 years. They also get money in return via revenue sharing. Remember the Big 12 has 8 bowl slots.

Bobby Bowden was a solid college coach but FSU jumping INTO the weak ACC guaranteed his way to the College Hall of Fame. He still might have made it as an Independent but FSU would have had a lot more losses. Without tough conference foes to batter his team and incur injuries he could schedule an occasional ND.

UTx is not looking to schedule ND to bolster an independent run. Texas could have added ND when the NCAA expanded to 12 games a year. Instead they ran to cupcakes like Florida Atlantic and Louisiana Monroe. The rise of Division Play in the Big 12 with a Championship game fostered the same kind of "managed scheduling" the SEC has used since it started Division Play. Nebrask leaving the Big 12 putting the Big 12 out of a Conference Championship Game is what prompted UTx to want to add someone like ND to their schedule. That was plainly stated in a press release by UTx. No hiding anything.

 

[woolybug25]

I don't see the correlation of your title "What's Texas hiding" with what appears to be you agenda of promoting Texas Independence Easy tiger, the title was meant to be in jest. Not trying to say that Texas is hiding some evil plan. I just threw something up to get people to open the thread (it got you to open it, right?)- again. Independence has been a big thing in Texas since 1836. LIke their State the University had a run with Independence before joining an organization. Actually UTx has had two runs of independence. They're currently in their 4th Conference. The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association included most of the current SEC and ACC. The Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association was the forerunner of the Southwest Conference which begat the Big 12. Texas won about a 1/4 of the TIAA/SWC Championships.Totally agree, but I would argue this strengthens the theory of them considering independence.

Which raises the question. Why would they want to leave? I thought my last response to "why" was at least thought provoking, maybe not? I would type it out again, but I dont think anyone read it the first time.

Texas is the big fish in the pond. Be it the SWC pond or the Big 12 pond. They would be capable of playing in any conference but they'd be one of half dozen teams competing for a guaranteed BCS slot. The odds are better for them now.
Texas will always be a "big fish". My original argument (if it can even be called that, never assumed that a ton of teams would become independent. Really, only certian schools could pull it off. In my opinion, Texas is one of them.

As as Independent they would not have the same position as ND. ND earned that spot as an Independent. Texas hasn't earned it?And one that has been negotiated downward in recent years. Would conferences Texas spurned guarantee them a slot for an 8th place finish? They wouldn't need to, the BCS would certianly let a top 8 Texas team play in the BCSIf so, who gives up their slot to accomodate them?I guess whatever team finished 9th in the polls. They would be shoe ins for at large bids as well

The Big 12 has 8 Bowl Ties-Ins. UTx doesn't have any.Because they are not independent. Why would they need their own tie ins? ND rides has an arrangement with the Big East for Bowl slots.I am sure that whatever conference their other sports played, would allot them a similar deal. Again would any conference Texas spurned offer them one of their negotiated slots? Bitterness doesn't encourage such relationships.But agreements to schedule teams in their conference does.

Texas could make more money ... blah, blah, blah. Don't look now but Texas is the #1 moneymaking program. (See Forbes and CBS).
So this would somehow make them less likely to want more money?

Does does give some of their bowl money (and NCAA Basketball Tourney Reveue) to the Conference for distribution to cannon fodder they've beat up on for 100 years. They also get money in return via revenue sharing. Remember the Big 12 has 8 bowl slots.Until someone can show me the math otherwise, I will continue to be skeptical that their share of the 8 bowls is bigger than the amount they would get if they kept all of their BCS money. Keep in mind, one of the 8 bowls, Texas plays in... usually the one the nets the most money

Bobby Bowden was a solid college coach but FSU jumping INTO the weak ACC guaranteed his way to the College Hall of Fame. He still might have made it as an Independent but FSU would have had a lot more losses. Without tough conference foes to batter his team and incur injuries he could schedule an occasional ND.

UTx is not looking to schedule ND to bolster an independent run. Texas could have added ND when the NCAA expanded to 12 games a year. Instead they ran to cupcakes like Florida Atlantic and Louisiana Monroe. The rise of Division Play in the Big 12 with a Championship game fostered the same kind of "managed scheduling" the SEC has used since it started Division Play. Nebrask leaving the Big 12 putting the Big 12 out of a Conference Championship Game is what prompted UTx to want to add someone like ND to their schedule. That was plainly stated in a press release by UTx. No hiding anything.Texas has now scheduled ND and BYU. They will play both BYU and UCLA in 2011. Playing two larger OOC games is not the norm for them. This year in particular, they have shown that they are trying to fill their future OOC games with tougher opponents. I believe this is in contrast to their prior scheduling philosophy, whether it has anything to do with thoughts of independence or not.

Just trying to provoke some conversation, not confrontation. [/spits in hand, offers handshake]

 

[ACamp1900]

I'm just glad Texas doesnt hide their cheerleaders from us.... I say G'Damn!!!

Hottest cheerleader outfits in Texas... that's right I said it.

 

[johnnykillz]

Just trying to provoke some conversation, not confrontation. [/spits in hand, offers handshake]

You got the answer you were looking for, Pee Wee Herman...

 

[woolybug25]

You got the answer you were looking for, Pee Wee Herman...

Well geez, thanks... I guess... are you taking your ball and going home?

If you don't like me or the thread, then don't bother responding to it. I'm not trying to be a dick, just trying to make some conversation in the dead time before the season. In a thread, I may add, that is labeled as one to discuss "other college football". So far, you haven't added any real insight, just general blasts towards me. So unless you have something to add, I don't see any real reasons to insult me.

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

Texas-BYU agree to home-and-home series in 2013-14

 

[johnnykillz]

Well geez, thanks... I guess... are you taking your ball and going home?

If you don't like me or the thread, then don't bother responding to it. I'm not trying to be a dick, just trying to make some conversation in the dead time before the season. In a thread, I may add, that is labeled as one to discuss "other college football". So far, you haven't added any real insight, just general blasts towards me. So unless you have something to add, I don't see any real reasons to insult me.

Lol! I'm not smart enough.

I never blasted you. Pee Wee Herman is one of my boyhood heroes. How can that offend anyone?

 

[BDIrish4ever]

I would love BYU and Texas to go independent. I have never understood why some major schools would want to share revenues with schools who contribute little to the financial success of the conference. From a financial standpoint, I doubt that Northwestern in the Big 10 or Vanderbuilt in the SEC have truly brought anything into the conference but a solid academic standard in the major revenue sports.

 

[Irish_Angst]

I think there should be one huge super conference with 100+ teams.

I was just thinking that. One super conference with 120 teams should fix everything!

But best not to get carried away... 121 teams would be too much (literally & figuratively). And no playoffs... that would interfere with classes.

/snark

 

[Irish_Angst]

I would love BYU and Texas to go independent. I have never understood why some major schools would want to share revenues with schools who contribute little to the financial success of the conference. From a financial standpoint, I doubt that Northwestern in the Big 10 or Vanderbuilt in the SEC have truly brought anything into the conference but a solid academic standard in the major revenue sports.

Good point. Northwestern & Vandy in their respective conferences offer a symbiotic relationship in that in return for making the conference grade point average improve, they get a share of the revenues.

Really no need for me to reiterate your statement other than I don't often get a chance to use "symbiotic relationship" in a post and couldn't pass up the opportunity.