While most of the noise regarding Florida State and a possible move to the Big 12 has been coming out of the greater Tallahassee metroplex (see Andy Haggard), expansion rumors have been fairly quiet in Big 12 territory.
The only person in the Big 12 willing to say anything? Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds, who told Kirk Bohls of the Austin-American Statesman that Florida State is not currently on the league’s radar.
“They’re a long ways away,” Dodds told me.
In distance or prospects of joining the Big 12, I asked.
“Both,” he said.
“There’s no traction” on this story, Dodds said. “There’ve been no conversations between Florida State and the Big 12.”
Keep in mind the Big 12 is split on the issue of expansion; that’s gone a bit under-reported in all this FSU drama. New commissioner Bob Bowlsby will take over officially on June 15 and one of his first priorities — which is now likely the top priority given the latest brouhaha — is supposed to be addressing expansion.
So even if some members of the Big 12 are interested in FSU, there’s an internal hurdle the league needs to clear before any program can be considered. Dodds says he’s a 10-team supporter, and like it or not, Texas’ opinion still carries significant weight.
Texas and Oklahoma don’t want to expand back to 12 teams and have a conference championship and make MORE $$$$$ because they know that chances are at least one of them would not get to play in that game every year. Just plain stupid. Where is the new commissioner on expansion or is he just going to be a yes man for UT and OU?
Its like realignment follows a script and only the key players change. Remember this one from last August:
Alden says Mizzou committed to Big 12
By Mike DeArmond – Posted on 12 August 2011 The Kansas City Star
COLUMBIA – Mizzou Athletic director Mike Alden told The Star:
“Missouri is committed to the Big 12. We’re not going to get into responding to speculation about all the scenarios that could be taking place.”
Read more here: http://campuscorner.kansascity.com/node/1963#storylink=cpy
Why in the world do news outlets even report what the talking heads SAY at this stage of the game? Of course both sides are looking into it. Of course they’d be foolish not to.
It would be MORE refreshing for the talking heads to simply state “Our policy is to not discuss speculation at this time.” There’s no need to go above and beyond (like FSU’s prez) to make it sound like they are committed to the ACC to the max.
I sure do miss the days of old, when the likes of Warrick Dunn, Tommy Frazier, L. Philips, Charlie Ward, and all the great players of the 80s and 90s,… When schools like FSU, Nebraska, and Miami didn’t rebuild, they reload! Everybody knew what Osborne was going to do but nobody could stop them. And if only FSU had a clutch kicker maybe they would have had a couple more National Titles, man it was awesome to watch the two legions going at it (Osborne n Bowden). However I definitely did not enjoyed watching the Tigers being doormats to the power house teams, and hated the fact that we couldn’t compete with the big boys.
If someone would’ve told me back then that LSU will be amongst the best and fans of other programs will storm the field and tear the goal post down after defeating LSU, I would literally die laughing, just because being average was such a norm, just like the Saints and their paper bags. Winning is contagious, and fans no longer except mediocrity, I just want to take all this in for as long as possible and hope that LSU will maintain this winning attitude and develop a long tradition. Anyone can win one or two championship in any given year, but to do it once or twice every five or tens years, only an exception handful can claimed that, like the great traditions at Alabama and USC. One day I hope LSU fans can claim it also. So as of right now, I will take all this in and enjoy this moment while it last, because when the struggles begin there’s no telling how long it will last.
Geaux Tigers!
@fiesty…OU or UT NEVER played in a big 12 championship game in the same year. They were in the same division. You might want to rethink your logic.
As a Florida State fan I just don’t know how to feel if FSU really wants to join with a conference that nearly went defunct now twice in the last few years. Plus if we and say Clemson or some other ACC or BE joins then the divisions will more then likely be split west & east then north & south like the big 12 once had.
@gorrilladun….
That’s why they don’t want a conference championship game. They are in the same division and only one of them can participate in it. That’s why the two AD’s don’t want to go back to 12 members without seeing the monitory benefits of a conference championship game.
What is DeLoss commenting on expansion to include Florida State or anyone else? I thought they had a new commissioner that should be commenting about expansion. DeLoss should keep his mouth shut and let the new commissioner do the talking unless it’s just status quo when the former commissioner didn’t do his job.
Somebody said it above…you can’t pay attention to what’s said for public consumption right now about realignment.
It is important to note what Deloss Dodds has said in the past on the subject. He indicated he likes the ten team Big XII, but wouldn’t stand in the way if the conference members by consensus want to expand. I doubt Dodds has changed his position, or would be a roadblock if this marriage looks like it might be consummated.
Wow! Deloss Dodds is still alive?
OU should have left when they had the chance. Wait and see…This league will turn into another SWC with UT calling all the shots.
It’s interesting how many people post stuff about the Big XII, and UT, without obviously knowing much about either.
UT has ONE vote out of TEN in the Big XII. UT has no more real influence that any other team in the conference. It’s true the defections of the last two years left the Big XII in bad shape, but Chuck Neinas did a superlative job of bringing peace and stability back to the conference. The whiners, and teams with a supposed axe to grind against UT are gone, and the conference has a very healthy new TV contract. All ten teams are all in on tier one and tier two TV rights for the life of that contract, fifteen years, meaning nobody is leaving the Big XII from this point on. As a matter of fact, the conference is fast becoming a destination conference for some other teams that don’t have such a good deal in their conferences.
Reference the comment about Oklahoma leaving when it could…Oklahoma never was going anyplace without both Oklahoma State and UT…and the Sooners are happy to be in the Big XII, especially as they’re in the process of developing their own Oklahoma network for tier three rights.
The Big XII is much healthier, and happier, than some people want to give it credit for being.
Translation –
Texas: “FSU, you must kiss the ring and bow down before us like everyone else in this conference.”
So glad my school’s in a conference that treats all of its members fairly and with respect – go B1G!
-QG
Hey QG,
Who are you kidding? I’m guessing it’s only a matter of months before you start whining about how all the attention goes to Ohio State.
You would have earned a lot more respect in the Big XII had you not had an abysmal record versus the Big XII South, including 1-8 against Texas.
I guess your motto is “if you can’t beat ‘em, run away.”
Remember “roll left” in 1996? That one always leaves a smile on my face:)