Report: Colorado Buffaloes To Remain In The Big 12 Until 2012
by Jon Woods on Aug 24, 2010 4:07 PM MDT
in Buffaloes Football Season
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PrintGreat, I post a story about how the Ohio State game all but locks us into moving to the Pac-10 in 2011 and head to the dentist. Before I can even get into the dentist's chair, Kyle Ringo publishes a report that the Buffaloes will remain in the Big 12 until 2012.
University of Colorado officials are planning to remain in the Big 12 Conference through the 2011-12 school year and join the Pac-12 Conference two years from now as originally announced in June.
"That is our plan and that is what we are working on," athletic director Mike Bohn told the Camera today.
I've read that story a few times now and I don't quite buy it. Bohn's quote is that they are working on it, but no where does he say that they are not also working on leaving next year. We get it, the CU athletic department is strapped for cash and for them to move to the Pac-10 a year early, concessions will have to be made by the Big 12. We also know that Bebee and the rest of the conference would rather both Nebraska and Colorado move on as soon as possible, provided they get their money. Colorado staying until 2012 is not good for the Big 12. It doesn't help them move on logistically, it doesn't help them move on as a brand, and it isn't going to give the member universities some huge chunk of change once the exit fee is divided up. This is all about posturing plain and simple, and someone is going to have to blink first. CU has nothing to lose by being patient and staying for another year, the Big 12 does.
Be prepared to hear a lot more over the next few weeks, this isn't done yet. The good news is the dentist gave me the all clear. No cavities for this guy.
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I don't think the Big XII has that much to lose.
Certainly no more than the Pac 10, which will have 11 teams as well. It’s not ideal, but if we’re talking about a lot of money, the Big XII can certainly make an 11 team schedule, even using 9 conference games. The Big Ten has been doing it for years.
It would be interesting to see how the schedule is set. Do they give CU four home games and five away games? Make their schedule difficult? Give them teams at home that don’t draw well?
I’m not so sure CU doesn’t have anything to lose if the schedule is being drawn up in a league where 10 out of the 11 schools see them as outsiders. Would they be able to draw up a horrable schedule like H: Baylor, Iowa St, K State, OK State and A: Texas, OU, Tech, A&M, Mizzou?
You'd see it stick to something very similar to what would have been next year
Minus Nebraksa of course. It would be a pain in the ass.
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Although it sounds like a bigger pain in the ass to CU fans. I think they want to move on more than the average Big XII fan.
Personally, I would like another year of CU in the Big XII, especially if it means another Texas/CU game. It’s easier to get my wife to travel for that game.
I don't think they could do that
CU already has 5 OOC games with the Ohio State game. Switching to a 9 game conference schedule would give us 14 games. I don’t know how all the paperwork reads, but I see no reason why CU would want to cooperate and drop an OOC game for an additional Big 12 game. Hell, aside from OU and UT at home, I’d say that every single OOC game is preferrable to any Big 12 game (@ Hawai’i, Cal, @ tOSU, Fresno, CSU in Denver).
But CU will be a member of the Big XII.
If the Big XII votes to have 9 conference games, CU will either have to leave the conference or play their conference slate. What is the other choice? Try to convince other schools to vote with you? I don’t see that happening.
I’m guessing this will get settled, but if I’m the Big XII, I see no reason to help CU with their share should they breach the agreement by not giving two years notice. I think you’re underestimating the Big XII’s bargaining position here.
Is it as simple as that?
The Big 12 could just vote to change things immediately? (honeslty, I don’t know). And why couldn’t CU just tell them to cram it? We’ve got signed contracts for 5 OOC games (in this world, I’m pretending that the Ohio State contract is signed). could the conference really FORCE us to cancel a game and forfeit whatever penalty? What about all the other schools in the league? Presumably it would be easier for a lot of them to drop the West Midland Fightin’ Seminarians or whatever, but I’m sure some have full, robust OOC slates that they’re not keen to drop, with penalties they’re not keen to pay. Again, I don’t know the specifics, but just like we have to give years of notice to leave, wouldn’t there have to be something in the league agreements that would prevent such a sea change so quickly?
I agree with you- the Big 12 has a strong hand with regard to leaving. We have zero leverage other than trying to convince all parties that a clean break is for the best. I’m just not so sure that it would be in anyone’s interest to strongarm anyone into an untenable position out of spite.
I'm not sure, but all of the talk was about switching to a 9 game round robin in 2011, after Nebraska and CU left.
So I would imagine that the other teams have been scheduling with the assumption that there would be 9 conference games.
The Pac Ten currently has 9 conference games every year, so they would have to change as well in order to accomodate 4 non-conference (+ Hawaii) in 2011 [which they would do anyway in order to get a CCG if CU joins].
Since the membership of each conference is changing, the scheduling has to change. I’m just assuming that is done on 50% or 75% voting basis, since nothing in the Big XII must be unanimous.
except Cal is one of the OOC games
So we convert that to a Pac 12 game, and we have a 13 game schedule. Here’s another reason why it’s in the best interest of the Big 12 to compromise- they get more money. As it is, we forfeit 50% this year and 50% next year. So, if we would get $100 a year in revenue sharing, we would get $100, and the conference would get $100. If we leave a year early and agree to a 1 year 80% penalty (dropping the retrofit), the Big 12 would get $180, and we would get $20 + whatever from the PAC 12 in ‘11. I’m sure it doesn’t equal completely, but it’s pretty close I think. The Big 12 benefits by getting 100% of our share next year.
As a complete aside- I just got my Cal tickets in the mail. Man do these seats suck.
Presumably it would be easier for a lot of them to drop the West Midland Fightin’ Seminarians or whatever...
I was looking through the media guide online and I found this nugget in the section about season openers.
1921: Colorado 10, Denver 7—Art Quinlan’s 35-yard field goal gave CU an early 3-0 lead, though Denver, then known as the Ministers, rallied to take a
7-3 halftime lead. With less than seven minutes remaining, Quinlan and Walter Franklin teamed on a 40-yard TD pass.
Could DU have been the Ministers of Defense prior to Reggie White assuming the name?
But what if other schools
have 4 OOC games – and without even looking at their schedules, my guess is that the great majority, if not all of them, do. Would they be willing to vote to drop one of their OOC games? I doubt Iowa State would drop its N. Iowa win to take UT on the road. So, I don’t see a 9 game schedule happening.
I think you underestimate CU’s bargaining position here.
by BuffulanceMan on Aug 25, 2010 8:16 AM MDT up reply actions
But everyone has been assuming that we were going to the 9 game round robin in 2011.
So why would they have scheduled a 4th OOC game?
Right.
But what is the difference between playing a 9 game round robin without CU and having to cancel a non-conference game like everyone had been assuming, or playing a 9 game conference schedule incorporating CU and having to cancel a non-conference game?
The only team that is affected is CU, everyone else should already have been assuming we would go to the normal 9 game round-robin after CU left before 2011.
by Texas Wahoo on Aug 25, 2010 12:44 PM MDT up reply actions
I think
the Big 10 played a 9 conference round robin schedule with an 11 team conference just fine for several years.
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It's not just the Big 12 with the strong hand
The Pac-10/11/12 wants that CCG as soon as possible for contract negotiation reasons. I think it’s their interest to cough up a little cash to help their newest member move his stuff sooner rather than later.
Yea thats a really good point.
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Can't have 9 game schedule for 11 teams in Big XII
It’s a minor point, but if the Big XII is left with 11 teams, a 9 game conference schedule for every team doesn’t work mathematically (number of teams x number of conference games per team needs to be divisible by 2) . One team would have to play only 8 conference games, which could make problems for determining a conference champion. They could do an 8 game schedule like they do now, but not 9. The Big X also does 8 conference games per team each year.
That's a good point. I wonder if they could have CU play 8 games (to account for their extra OOC game) and everyone else play 9.
It will certainly be strange, reguardless.
This is a terrible outcome
We need to leave after this season, period. CU administrators have to get this done as soon as possible. Being in limbo benefits nobody and all it will result in is more dumb articles such as the one about a former UCLA Chancellor not wanting CU & Utah to join the PAC Ten. Plus, it will effect our recruiting efforts
by CleBUFFS on Aug 24, 2010 5:31 PM MDT via mobile reply actions
Crazy, right?
Yech, what a terrible situation.
My only hope is that Mike Bohn made these comments (and had something to do with getting the article out there) so that it would get the Big 12 and the Pac 10/2 rolling on helping to figure out a solution. It’s definitely partly CU’s responsibility to come up with a solution, but it’s not all on us. The moves by Nebraska and Utah speeding up the time-table for expansion were not our fault. It is definitely in EVERYBODY’S best interest for all of the moving to be finalized in time for 2011, so hopefully we’ll get some help in making it happen.
Hopefully…
DAG
by DavidAGerhardt on Aug 24, 2010 10:53 PM MDT up reply actions
Probably Bohn playing games
Staying in the league as a lame duck team does nothing to help any party involved. Best thing for the Big 12 to do is to let us out as quickly as possible to limit the embarrassment of essentially having their league raided and broken up as well as move on with their rebranding efforts. I’m sure this isn’t the last we have heard on this and I still expect us to make the move next season.
As far as the articles they are going to continue as long as the process goes on so we might as well get used to them. The best thing the program can do to shut some of these guys up is win. Finish at the top of the big 12 north with Nebraska this season and all of a sudden these articles will take a different tone. Its easier to be a punching bag when you are at the bottom of the standings.
Question...
Is there a hard deadline for getting a decsion made? Certainly at some point all the parties involved have to make a decsion on which way it goes in order to execute the season schedule (naturally by next Sept, we need to know where we are playing so the charter pilot will get the team to the right city!). I would assume this would have to be finalized this Spring at the absolute latest..
Just wondering if there is a firm date, or if it could drag on somewhat indefinately.
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