DDT

DDT's take on Big 12 Expansion
Candidates to join the Big 12, if and when the conference expands to enable a playoff are, according to the latest reports: UH, BYU, Memphis, UCF, Cincinnati, USF, Tulane, UConn, Boise State, San Diego State, and Colorado State.

First choice: Houston. Let’s get the Cougars back in the conference. They’ve downsized some since the days of the Astrodome, but they’re a Texas school and the old rivalries are there. The Cougars will have to spend some money and upgrade if they want to be competitive, but it’s doable, and, as to a venue, there’s Reliant Stadium. They can fill it up when they play Texas and OU.

Second choice: BYU. They have a stadium and football credibility, and they’ve applied before. Timing wasn’t right, before, but the times they are a-changin’. However, they want to enter as “football only.” That really wouldn’t make them a full member, and they don’t play other sports on Sunday.

Third choice: Memphis. Big stadium (the Liberty Bowl) and considerable hoops credentials.

Four and five: Either one of UCF or USF. Central Florida is probably the best choice. New stadium, Disneyworld, all that. South Florida has a pro stadium to play in, but both UCF and USF must compete with Florida, Florida State and Miami in recruiting. Maybe the Big 12 would give them an edge.

Sixth choice: Cincinnati. Decent program, football and basketball, decent stadium for football, and good entrée to the Midwest for Big 12 squads to recruit in competition with them. Recruiting-wise, the Big 12 could give the Big 10 a run if Cincinnati got in.

Other candidates: Tulane, UConn, Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State. Tulane has the stadium (the New Orleans Dome) but not enough budget, and little tradition. The Greenies should probably drop back to DivOneAA (FCS) and play in a smaller stadium.

UConn? Not really. Too far east, and bringing them in makes about as much sense as TCU joining the Big East a few years ago, and women’s hoops programs in the Big 12 would not like to play the national champion UConn Huskies women year-in, year-out.

San Diego State: Too far west, and they play in big ol’ cavernous QualComm Stadium, an NFL relic. It would be half empty when they play the likes of Iowa State, or when they play Kansas. In the case of KU totally empty.

Boise State: Impressive football resume, but their hoops program would suffer in the Big 12. And they must get rid of that ridiculous blue turf.

Colorado State: They’re a mid-major. Period. They’d get slaughtered in the Big 12. Look at Colorado. With a lot more resources than Colorado State, they couldn’t keep up. Stands to reason that CState would quickly disappear in the Big 12

DDT

Note: A recent story that circulated in the press said that Big 12 fathers were also considering Air Force, Rice, SMU, and Temple. Of the schools DDT lists here Boise State, San Diego State, and Memphis were not on their list.

DDT sez: Of the four others the Big 12 is considering, none would measure up. Air Force is hobbled by military restrictions and will never be a Top Ten team; Rice and SMU wouldn't be able to keep up, and SMU's stadium is too small. Temple—Temple from Philadelphia?—is too far east with no connection to southwestern and midwestern programs. It was enough of a stretch admitting West Virginia to the Big 12, but Temple won't work. Neither will UConn, which has shown up on several lists.