Houston Wants to Sue to Get Into Big XII

[Lehigh Football Nation]

http://www.chron.com/local/education/campus-chronicles/article/UH-should-be-in-Big-12-board-chair-says-6089909.php

Seems more like pouting right now, but with the Big XII perhaps hurt by the lack of a championship game, I wonder if UH might be a long-term solution if the Big XII needs to get to, um, 12 teams.

In particular, I wonder if they might take Houston and one of either Memphis, UCF or USF.

[NoDak 4 Ever]

Rumor has it in these parts that Houston and Memphis are the most likely candidates.

Wichita's lack of a football team is hurting them although I'm not sure they really want to be in the Big XII

[Daytripper]

This will be interesting to follow. For those that don't know, there has been long-standing bitterness between UH and the Big 12 from the beginning of Big 12's existence. UH felt (and I agree) that they got jobbed by not being chosen as a charter member. A lot of it had to do with politics in Austin....imagine that?

[NoDak 4 Ever]

This will be interesting to follow. For those that don't know, there has been long-standing bitterness between UH and the Big 12 from the beginning of Big 12's existence. UH felt (and I agree) that they got jobbed by not being chosen as a charter member. A lot of it had to do with politics in Austin....imagine that?

The Big 12 can't afford to be choosy at this point. They lost two very strong schools to the SEC and are at risk of becoming irrelevant if Texas ever jumps. They need to get their numbers up, badly

[Franks Tanks]

Rumor has it in these parts that Houston and Memphis are the most likely candidates.

Wichita's lack of a football team is hurting them although I'm not sure they really want to be in the Big XII

No school will be asked to join a Power 5 conference without having a football team. The is absolutely no chance that Wichita State will be invited to join.

Houston makes a ton of sense so it probably won't happen. UCF or UCONN are the most attractive schools not currently in a P5 conference IMO.

[Daytripper]

Houston is doing everything it can to position itself to be part of the P5....they have a brand new stadium and a new high-profile coach from a national champion. I hope they get it....

[FargoBison]

Rumor has it in these parts that Houston and Memphis are the most likely candidates.

Wichita's lack of a football team is hurting them although I'm not sure they really want to be in the Big XII

KU would burn to the ground before Wichita got into the Big 12.

[NoDak 4 Ever]

KU would burn to the ground before Wichita got into the Big 12.


I think it's more K-State. KU is the BB king of Kansas, the only sport they care about. It's K-State that's dying for relevance.

[FargoBison]

I think it's more K-State. KU is the BB king of Kansas, the only sport they care about. It's K-State that's dying for relevance.

Well I think both of them would do everything in their power to keep Wichita out, that said Wichita doesn't have a football program and that is a requirement for any P5 conference. Best the the Shox can hope for is the MWC or American but again football is a problem there.

[NoDak 4 Ever]

Well I think both of them would do everything in their power to keep Wichita out, that said Wichita doesn't have a football program and that is a requirement for any P5 conference. Best the the Shox can hope for is the MWC or American but again football is a problem there.

I think they're happy in the MVC for now. When you can still get a 1 seed out of a mid major, you're doing ok.

[FargoBison]

I think they're happy in the MVC for now. When you can still get a 1 seed out of a mid major, you're doing ok.

Yeah, they can be the Gonzaga of the MVC. It works well for them.

[TheRevSFA]

Hey maybe they should set up a conference with all of the texas teams except for UTEP...

gotta think of a catchy name. Southwest conference? Nah, that'll never hold together :)

[NoDak 4 Ever]

Hey maybe they should set up a conference with all of the texas teams except for UTEP...

gotta think of a catchy name. Southwest conference? Nah, that'll never hold together :)

Clearly it didn't ;)

[TheRevSFA]

Couldn't detect the sarcasm there?

[Catatonic]

The Legislature should pressure the presidents of the Big 12 schools to "step up" and let the University of Houston into the conference, the chairman of UH's Board of Regents, Tilman Fertitta, said Thursday.
"Put pressure on the presidents;, say, 'If you don't do this, we're not going to fund you for this,'" Fertitta said in a meeting with the Houston Chronicle's editorial board Thursday. "It's just the way it is. That's the way to do it."

Fertitta clearly does not understand how utterly insignificant the UH is in Texas politics. Baylor was able to threaten its way into the B12 back in the day based on political clout at the time, but UH has no influential power broker and is viewed mostly as an overly large, not very good urban commuter school in a bad neighborhood.

Also working against Houston's B12 membership, the school does not add anything to the current mix that the conference could use to leverage a better TV contract--they don't add "brand" and they don't expand the current footprint.

Sorry, Houston, ain't gonna happen unless the B12 finds itself in desperate straits.

[NoDak 4 Ever]

Fertitta clearly does not understand how utterly insignificant the UH is in Texas politics. Baylor was able to threaten its way into the B12 back in the day based on political clout at the time, but UH has no influential power broker and is viewed mostly as an overly large, not very good urban commuter school in a bad neighborhood.

Also working against Houston's B12 membership, the school does not add anything to the current mix that the conference could use to leverage a better TV contract--they don't add "brand" and they don't expand the current footprint.

Sorry, Houston, ain't gonna happen unless the B12 finds itself in desperate straits.


They kind of are. They need back to 12, and it seems like they would like to be up to 14 so they can do divisions and a championship game, that kind of screwed them this year.

[Catatonic]

They kind of are. They need back to 12, and it seems like they would like to be up to 14 so they can do divisions and a championship game, that kind of screwed them this year.

That isn't their take. Their current TV contract spreads mega bucks among fewer teams than other P5 conferences, giving each school a better bottom line. The 10 schools in the conference all signed over rights to TV revenue to the conference so if a school leaves, the revenue remains with the conference (a notion that has not been tested in court), and they believe it was the "tie" between two of their schools that kept them out of the play offs, not the number of conference members or their lack of a championship game.

At least that's the public face they are putting on it....personally, I suspect most members of the B12 understand the way forward is to expand, but to do so without looking desperate. It puts them in a better bargaining position.

They have also said that if they expand at all it will be east, to give West Virginia company and to expand their footprint to new states. UCF probably has a better shot than Houston, although I am sure the B12 would prefer, say, Clemson.

Texas is clearly the elephant in the room. If they leave, the conference collapses. But they have no incentive to leave. No other conference will have grant their demands. Might as well stay and have their way in the B12.

[TheRevSFA]

Tillman Fertitta, he's known to torch opponents properties in Galveston (schlitterbahn). Watch out TCU...

[DSUrocks07]

That isn't their take. Their current TV contract spreads mega bucks among fewer teams than other P5 conferences, giving each school a better bottom line. The 10 schools in the conference all signed over rights to TV revenue to the conference so if a school leaves, the revenue remains with the conference (a notion that has not been tested in court), and they believe it was the "tie" between two of their schools that kept them out of the play offs, not the number of conference members or their lack of a championship game.

At least that's the public face they are putting on it....personally, I suspect most members of the B12 understand the way forward is to expand, but to do so without looking desperate. It puts them in a better bargaining position.

They have also said that if they expand at all it will be east, to give West Virginia company and to expand their footprint to new states. UCF probably has a better shot than Houston, although I am sure the B12 would prefer, say, Clemson.

Texas is clearly the elephant in the room. If they leave, the conference collapses. But they have no incentive to leave. No other conference will have grant their demands. Might as well stay and have their way in the B12.
In that case, Pitt and Memphis makes the most sense for them than Houston.

[Laker]

In that case, Pitt and Memphis makes the most sense for them than Houston.

I don't think that Pitt would leave the ACC for the Big 12 just to be West Virginia's travel partner.