Can the Big 12 be saved?

No... end of blog.

Okay, that's not the end of the blog. It certainly doesn't look good for the Big 12, though. Texas A&M reportedly leaving is another sign of the lack of confidence some have with the new Big 12 plus the resentment many feel towards the Longhorn Network.

We thought the Big 12 would be okay,
but now Texas A&M has everyone in a panic.

While A&M leaving might not signal the end,  most people (myself included) do think it's the first domino. The big domino, of course, would be Texas deciding to go independent with its own network, which would force Oklahoma and Oklahoma State to go elsewhere. Then the Big East and Pac-12 will fight for the scraps of what's left.

However, we were all pretty sure the Big 12 was collapsing last summer, then Dan Beebe pulled a miracle out of his you-know-what and kept the league together. So, for the eternal optimists, let's look at some possibilities for keeping the Big 12 around.

If Texas and Oklahoma decide to stay, the league can survive with just nine teams. The Big East only has eight football schools at the moment (with TCU being the ninth next season and Villanova considering becoming the tenth). So, that's one option. Just play eight league games with four non-conference games, and I'm sure schools like Texas A&M and Nebraska would be good options for non-conference opponents.

What about expansion? Even though Texas A&M does not have the broad appeal of Texas, there is no denying the Aggies have a huge fan base that the Big 12 would sorely miss. Adding some fans and markets might benefit the Big 12 if the league chooses carefully.

First of all, the rumors about Notre Dame? Ridiculous. Why not go after the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers, too? The Irish are stubborn and proud about being independent, and that won't change.

BYU is just starting to try out the independent thing. I doubt they give up soon. Maybe down the road, however, if they are finding it to be more challenging than they originally thought, the Big 12 should stay in touch. Don't hold your breath on that one, either.

The problem about adding teams is the teams have to make sense financially more than they do geographically. The existing conference schools don't want to share their revenue with schools that don't bring much to the table. TCU, Houston, and Tulsa all make sense geographically, but how much do they add as far as television markets? Not much. The Big 12 already has a stranglehold on the Tulsa market with Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Ditto with Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston due to the Longhorns.

Would TCU walk away from the Big East for the Big 12?
It would take a sweet deal, but I wouldn't rule it out.

However, A&M leaving certainly hurts those Lone Star State markets. Adding Houston and TCU wouldn't totally replace the influence of Texas A&M, but they might help. And yes, I could absolutely see TCU backing out of the Big East agreement, because being in the Big 12 would make a lot more sense for them. The Horned Frogs would love to grow rivalries with the Longhorns, Baylor, and Texas Tech. They would only back out of a deal with the Big East, however, if Dan Beebe made some sort of proposal that made everyone confident the Big 12 would stick around for a long, long time. Otherwise, it would be foolish for TCU to roll the dice and join the Big 12 only to suddenly find itself without a league in two years.

So, let's say, for the sake of argument, the Big 12 adds Houston and TCU. That's 11 teams. Why not go for 12 so the Big 12 actually has 12 teams again? Sorry, Tulsa, I don't see one of the smallest FBS universities getting an invite. Adding a television market makes sense here, and I don't think the Big 12 can steal from the other big conferences. So, while Arkansas and Louisville would be great, I don't see either leaving their current situations.

Memphis wouldn't add a great football team, but the Tigers
would bring a new TV market and a nice hoops program.

How about Memphis? The Tigers have tried to get into a BCS conference for years (hasn't everyone?), and would jump at the chance. They add a nice television market, and while their quality of football isn't great, it's not about that. It's about adding television money. Plus, the Tigers would add a great basketball program, not that hoops has any leverage, but I think a program as well-supported as Memphis has to count for something. I probably think about basketball more than most, but I think a hoops league with Kansas, Missouri, Kansas State, Texas, and Memphis would be pretty cool. Again, though, conference realignment is about two things: football and money. Memphis doesn't have great football, but the Tigers would add a brand new television market, something that TCU, Houston, and Tulsa can't boast.

If the Big 12 added these three teams (TCU, Houston, and Memphis), it gets the bonus of having a Big 12 Championship game again because it would have twelve teams. Jerry Jones would be quite happy about that news, as he could again bid to host the Big 12 Championship game at Cowboys Stadium.

Taking the financial part out of it, I personally think it would be cool to also add UTEP and SMU. Then the Big 12 could have a Lone Star division (Texas, Texas Tech, TCU, SMU, Baylor, UTEP, Houston) and a North division with everyone else (Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Iowa State, Memphis).

That's a total pipe dream, however. It's only something I'd try on a video game. Unfortunately, I think we may all be saying that about the Big 12 in the very near future.