The solely query nows what ESPN and others are keen to pay to hold its video games. The Big 12 will add one other 5 million TV properties with the additions of BYU, Houston, Cincinnati and UCF, however that doesn’t clear up the time-zone conundrum. The Big 12’s prime games will always be stuck in head-to-head battles with the most effective inventory of the new-and-improved Big Ten and SEC.
If you’re the Pac-12 and in search of an advantageous partnership, you’d first flip to the ACC (28 million-plus TV households). If you’re the Pac-12 and looking to poach applications, you’d most likely flip to San Diego State (1.1 million TV households within the Pacific Time Zone). And the world views of the standard college presidents and chancellors in the Pac-12 footprint don’t mesh easily with those of the Big 12’s leaders. Like the Pac-12, it’s watching the Big Ten and SEC position themselves as mega-conferences in entrance of what goes on to be an expanded College Football Playoff. The holdover TV markets within the Big 12 have a mixed 10.25 million tv households. The Pac-12, even with out the Los Angeles TV market, has 12.4 million.
While it seemed the Big 12 had made a decision, they knew that no vote had been taken. The questions surrounding Dana Holgorsen and Clayton Tune intensified after the blowout loss. Holgorsen had staked the whole year on a breakout season from Tune, but the first end result spelled gloom for this system. Later that month, the Big 12 was ignored of the “historic Alliance” forged between the ACC, Big Ten, and Pac-12.
The AAC had agreed to work with ESPN to engineer a coup to take down the Big 12. As the self-appointed czar of school football, ESPN hoped to lure panicked schools away from the Big 12 to destabilize and eventually decapitate the 25-year old league. The Worldwide Leader used their kingmaking capability adelphi university dorms and the AAC as bait. My lasting impression of my short follow look-in was the vitality. Players that wanted to practice, needed to be coached and had energy for his or her teammates.
By that afternoon, Bowlsby and the school’s executives understood that fighting UH’s bid would be too pricey. Instead, Houston could be welcome into the Big 12. Patrick had to work quickly and began inserting holiday-morning calls to the presidents and chancellors of Texas Tech, TCU, and Baylor.
He also called Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby to urge UH to be included. Patrick then spoke to more than a half dozen State Senators with connections to the three schools. Patrick instantly understood the weight of Tilman’s request. It went beyond political expediency; it went to private and state pride, too. Early on Labor Day morning, Khator, Fertitta, and Pezman spoke on a convention call to debate what they knew and tips on how to reply. A sense of bewilderment set over the three; how may this be taking place again?
To their credit, I’m advised they had been each dialed into his explanation. Some of the identical hysteria swept over the Pac-12 in the wake of the USC/UCLA news. But it’s been changed by logic, purpose and a seek for good choices.
Every participant that has spoken publicly about that day credit that assembly with helping to refocus the season. Coincidentally, the University of Houston would open the season on Labor Day weekend in opposition to Big 12 member Texas Tech. Many Cougar followers at NRG Stadium had been excited but apprehensive about the Big 12 information and, behind the scenes, UH leaders felt the identical. The wounds of the 2016 growth charade had not totally healed.