Poll Results: 70 Percent Of Oklahoma State Fans Think Big 12 Will Die Slow Death

The most surprising part of these poll results is that those of you who voted that the Big 12 will actually thrive crept into the double digits. I told Carson this on our podcast, but I think I’m more optimistic than most about the future of the Big 12. I think I might be with the “will thrive” people.

I’ve really struggled with how to think properly about this because there are so many tentacles to try and get your arms wrapped around, but the reality is that the Big 12 is currently making money. A lot of it. $300M last year ($30M to each team) and will make even more with a conference championship game.

There is no incentive for anyone to go anywhere except for maybe OU (and even that is pretty debatable). The issue for the Big 12 is going to be this: Figure out how to keep pace with future contracts with TV networks on a per/team basis. You don’t have to make SEC or Big 10 money, but you do have to make per-team SEC money (which you are currently pretty close to).

The issue is that now your properties are not as valuable, and those other conference are beginning to sign some outrageous contracts. So where does the Big 12 go? Does it try and contend with those conference in terms of ESPN and FOX or does it try to ink deals with, say, Netflix and Hulu? Is that a wise financial move in the future or does it just sound sexy?

These are the decisions the Big 12 will have to make now that it has decided to stay at 10 teams. I think there’s a space for the Big 12 to really thrive over the next decade and beyond. I’m just not sure who I trust to find it.

Tuesday poll question: Following the no expansion announcement, the Big 12 will …

— Pistols Firing (@pistolsguys) October 18, 2016

Let’s get to your comments.

okstate1990: The B12 will be fine. The Conference, the Universities and the Networks will figure it out — there are some pretty smart people involved despite the arrogance of UT. 2025 is a long way off. There’s no need to panic and add teams (especially the ones available) just because the media and fans think they should.

At some point, people may realize that the B12’s round robin schedule is the way to do it and the 14/16 member conference idea wasn’t so great. TV Networks are evolving very rapidly now; how do we know what the networks are going to even look like much less be able to afford in 9 years? It may turn out that the B12 is at an advantage only having 10 teams splitting fewer pie pieces.

Levin: there are only a few P5 caliber schools not yet in a P5 conference. (BYU, Houston, Cincy) Those schools will add value to whatever conference they join, no question. The Big 12 will be fine without them for now, but will we be kicking ourselves later for not adding them when we had the chance?

Chris: Wonder how other leagues are viewing the petulant behavior of OU during all this? Not a team player at all having constant tantrums since 2011. The league is dead, but I bet Ou doesn’t get an offer until Boren is gone.

TJ: I think maybe the big 12 accidentally is ahead of the curve on this. They protected their recruiting base just as much their financial base.