I'm not sure how you're feeling about the Big 12 situation going forward, but I'm somewhat excited about it to be honest. To explain the money situation, from what I understand, is to think of it like this: ISU will get increased revenue by splitting current revenue streams 10 ways instead of 12. ISU's percentage of the cut relative to the other teams remains the same. In the future, if a new TV deal is put into place for more dollars, ISU's revenue will grow relative to that increase (although the amount it grows relative to Texas, OU, A&M, etc., remains the same).
Here are the rest of my thoughts about this:
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Money: I don't have a problem with the way the revenue is distributed. I think it's fair that Texas, Oklahoma, and A&M get more money than ISU. Without them, we aren't a BCS conference. Bottom line is that ISU is going to get more money in the short term splitting the revenue less ways, and in the long term (assuming the conference stays together), gets to be a part of a better TV package. I'd rather continue taking the $8-$10 million from the Big 12, than to be a part of the $1-2 million the CUSA would offer. Then if you look at the Big East (which I don't entirely buy was on the table), their TV deal stinks too. Rutgers got $5-$6 million in football from their TV deal, and that's split only 8 ways. Adding the remaining Big 12 North teams to that kind of a deal, and ISU was looking at getting probably $3-$4 million, about half (or maybe more) of what it got this past year. Not a good situation either. Last way to think of it: no matter what, Texas was getting paid whether they went Pac 10, Big 10, SEC, or stayed. In my mind, I might as well support the deal that gets ISU paid too.
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It's time to put-up or shut-up: A lot of the talk about this has been money and TV. Makes sense, because that's what's driving realignment. But what I'm most excited about, is playing in a 10 team conference. People are bitching about not getting love from the conference, and having to play a much tougher schedule in Football and Men's Basketball. I say bring it on. Lots of people are speculating that the Big 12 could go down this road in a few years again, when negotiating a new TV deal, and ISU will be in trouble yet again. We have a few years to build up basketball and football. ISU was dealt some tough blows with coaches and bad luck. We have the pieces in place to turn it around, and if we can't turn things around in 4-5 years with the people we have running things, it isn't going to happen. If we turn out to be bottom dwellers after 4-5 years, then I think we will have to face the fact that we just aren't putting a BCS-level athletic team on the field/court, and move on. In my opinion, what's the point of being in a BCS conference, if you can't be competitive in said conference?
Don't get me wrong, it could be rough. It is a much harder schedule. But playing the "oh no, we have to play Texas and Oklahoma more" card is a mid-major attitude. I want it to feel like making a bowl game or getting to the NCAA tournament is an accomplishment, and this current setup will feel this way.
Chances are, a lot of this drama is going to come up again in a couple of years from now. We have to do what we can and get paid as much as we can. We are going to find out what ISU Athletics are made of with current administrators and coaches. It's going to be hard, but it's a bitch-move to back down and act all scared.
What are your thoughts with the "new" Big 12?
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