What does Big12 Expansion mean for Baylor?
Coming off of two consecutive 4-8 seasons, the Baylor football program took a big step forward by winning seven games in the 2010 season - the last season of what we all know as the former Big12 conference with 12 total teams, including Texas A&M, Missouri, Nebraska, and Colorado.
After the first six games of the season, Baylor held a 4-2 record and faced a home game against Kansas State, plus games on the road against Colorado and Texas. The Bears went on to win all three games, moving to 7-2 on the season and earning the No. 22 ranking in the country.
Baylor would go on to lose the final three games of the regular season and the bowl game against Illinois that season, but the 7-6 finish was the catalyst for several 10 and 11 win seasons that followed.
Fast forward to the 2016 off-season and things have changed quite a bit with the Baylor program. The Bears are now two-time Big12 Champions and have three straight double digit win seasons since 2013.
However, the Baylor program was in the headlines for all of the wrong reasons going into Big12 Media Days earlier in the month. Former head coach Art Briles was dismissed this off-season and the entire program had been in flux for over a month.
Interim head coach Jim Grobe faced several tough questions to start Big12 Media Days, but by the end of that day questions quickly shifted to Big12 Conference Realignment - essentially taking the focus off Baylor and onto the ever-popular topic of conference expansion.
That alone could be viewed as a win for the Baylor program, but how would the Big12 expanding to 12 or 14 teams ultimately affect the Bears?
Remember the old Big12 Conference? Remember the North and South Divisions? Remember a Championship Game?
The usual suspects for Big12 Expansion have already been lobbying the Big12 since the conference announced it would continue 'exploring' the idea of conference expansion - Memphis, Cincinnati, BYU, Houston, ECU, South Florida, SMU, and Central Florida.
One could argue the Baylor program experienced it's greatest successes and best seasons in the current 10-team Big12 Conference, right? Most Big12 fans and followers believe the 10-team, round-robin approach where every team plays every season is a strength of the conference, but compared to other Power 5 conferences with 12-14 teams and championship game - has it really been a strength when looking at the end results, the national rankings and national championships?
I would say no, this is not a strength. The conference needs to expand and get back to 12 or even 14 teams. Winning a conference title is great, but having a seat at the table in a conference with sustainable growth for the future is more important.
Plus, the Big12 did not just decide to explore expansion. Only a few months ago, the Big12 announced that a recent study indicated the conference members could make upwards of $20-25 million more dollars per season by expanding to only 12 teams - more if the conference moved to 14 teams.
More money is great, but the current Grant of Rights through ESPN is signed through the 2025 season. Any conference expansion and new TV deal would be great for the conference, however, extending this Grant of Rights beyond 2025 would also be a priority for the Big12 in any negotiations.
What are your thoughts on conference realignment? What teams should the Big12 Conference look to add? How many teams should be added, two or four? What will the divisions look like after conference expansion?
Most of all, how will Big12 Conference expansion affect the Baylor Bears?
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