Baylor could be the ultimate game changer.

[GTCrew]

Baylor, particularly combined with Texas Tech, could be a poison pill that is too much for the Pac 10 to agree to take. (Tech alone kills the Big 10 invite) Could the PAC 10 deal be DOA? That leaves Texas actually needing the Big 12. I like the idea of the ultimatum as a 'get out of jail free' for the PAC10 six, but I could see the ultimatum coming from Texas' moving plans falling apart under political pressure.

If Texas stays in the Big 12, then we will not see major realignment.

Now consider the excellent point brought up in another thread that there is a lot of money being left on the table by going with bowls versus a playoff.

This episode may have woke up the Big 12 and ACC in particular that the best way to prevent the superconference raid would be a playoff with the conference champions.

 

[beej67]

Baylor fits the Pac 10's profile well, though. Their sports other than football are outstanding, and their academics are the cream of the Big 12.

 

[ND_jacket]

Baylor fits the Pac 10's profile well, though. Their sports other than football are outstanding, and their academics are the cream of the Big 12.

No, it doesn't fit academically. (Maybe for the non-revenue sports, but it doesn't fit the academic profile of the Pac-10 as a bunch of big research universities.) Baylor is just barely a research university. They were just upgraded by Carnegie to High Research Activity in 2006. They'd probably be an upgrade from Okie State or even TTU, but a definite downgrade from the massive research budget at Colorado. Remember, "academics" here has nothing to do with undergraduate education and everything to do with research and graduate education.

 

[GTCrew]

Baylor fits the Pac 10's profile well, though. Their sports other than football are outstanding, and their academics are the cream of the Big 12.

I don't disagree, but Baylor is like A&M. Nothing wrong with them, just redundant if you have Texas. They add no TVS, money, "wow" factor, etc.

I think the Pac 10 wants Colorado, Texas and Oklahoma and are willing to take OSU and TT to get them.

I don't know if they are willing to take OSU and TT to get just Texas and Oklahoma.

 

[GTLiebs]

No, it doesn't fit academically. (Maybe for the non-revenue sports, but it doesn't fit the academic profile of the Pac-10 as a bunch of big research universities.) Baylor is just barely a research university. They were just upgraded by Carnegie to High Research Activity in 2006. They'd probably be an upgrade from Okie State or even TTU, but a definite downgrade from the massive research budget at Colorado. Remember, "academics" here has nothing to do with undergraduate education and everything to do with research and graduate education.

Which is funny considering the students who are involved in this conference stuff won't do much graduate work and almost no research.