Big 12 2023

[Limey Frog]

I heard a second or third hand story attributed to a WVU athletic director or some such, that the State of WestVirginia could only support ONE top shelf athletic program, and that they weren’t about to divide the pie with Marshall. WVU won’t give Marshall the cred of playing them at all, much less home-and-home.

If SMU wants to build a P5 football program with their own (considerable) resources, good for them. Welcome to the party. If they want to coattail TCU, using TCU resources, I have no sympathy for them. Let them build their own P5 football program on their own dime. Otherwise TCU has no more business in an annual home-and-home “rivalry” with them than TCU has with Tarlton or University of North Texas.

An annual home-and-home with SMU is not a smart business deal for TCU. SMU as an occasional buy game or an occasional two-for-one is a better business deal for the present day TCU football program. TCU basketball doesn’t do annual home-and-home games with SMU basketball any more. And shouldn’t if SMU would use such a series for their business advantage and TCU ‘s disadvantage.

/end rant

That's true of West Virginia; it isn't true of north Texas. Historically I would say that football in the state of Texas has benefitted from there being more programs rather than fewer. Would football at schools like TCU, Baylor, and SMU ever have reached the levels they have (at different times) reached if it weren't for the rabid, internecine culture of in-state rivalry that fueled the SWC? I don't think so. Would TCU have survived the long, dark night of the '60s-'90s unless we'd been tethered to that culture? Again, I think not. I think if you pick TCU football in 1970 up and drop it western Iowa, it slides into obscurity and never comes back. Yes, a lot of people did the hard work of bringing our program back and, in one sense, we didn't ride anyone's coattails. But in another sense, I think what has been done in Fort Worth is only possible within a broader context of college football in the state of Texas. SMU is part of that culture and history, and in a very real and important sense I think we owe what TCU football is partly to SMU football's existence.

Again, college football generally, and in Texas in particular, is nothing without rivalries. That isn't a "business" proposition, it's a cultural one.

Play the Ponies; beat the Ponies; pown the Ponies.

Honor thy father and mother, so that thou mayest have long life in the land, etc. etc. etc.

 

[Dman890]

I’m thankful that no one here is actually in control of our scheduling

 

[Frozen Frog]

Sometimes you have to beat up on the little one to show who is still the big dog. When the SWC dissolved it opened a door for TCU. No longer were Texas and A&M able to beat up on TCU to keep them down. TCU winning 10+ games a year was a kink in their armor. It led to questions as to who was the best team in Texas. It wasn’t settled on the field.

I think A&M going to the SEC was a mistake, and I think it’ll be disastrous for Texas. They’ll make more money, but their teams will suffer. They won’t be able to dominate the conference like they could in the SWC and Big 12. They are going to have a lot more down years than in their prior conferences. You can pound your chest and yell all you want, but at some point you have to prove you’re the best.

December 31st is coming!

 

[Big Frog II]

SMU's gameday management this past September disqualified them from hosting us again in my opinion. Running out of water when it was 100+ degrees in the stands in addition to 50+ minute lines for concessions proved to show exceedingly rinky dink facilities management. They were prepared for their typical sub 5,000 actual attendance (when this game was a near sellout). They staffed and stocked their concessions accordingly which was downright dangerous in that my wife (we're mid 60s and in good physical condition) became very dehydrated, not to mention hungry. It was quite obvious SMU's priorities lie elsewhere than football.

Even prior to that game, our contact in the TCU Athletic Department told us that our days of playing in Dallas are behind us. He mentioned that we may force SMU to host us at Jerryworld (admittedly far from optimal) as it has become more friendly to hosting this game. Of course, we would host our part of the series at the Carter. I hated it when Baylor offered TCU a series either only played in Waco or a 2 Waco/1 Fort Worth (I can't remember) in 1995 when Ann Richards and/or Bob Bullock saved their arses with political strength, but SMU threw their host card away this past September.

It was horrible.

 

[DelFrog]

SMU every other year, all in FW. Other possible OOC replacement opponents, Rice, Tulane, Army, Navy.

 

[TCUdirtbag]

Colorado - Colorado State is no longer an annual rivalry, as Colorado’s AD felt it was no longer in their best interest to be an annual rivalry. They last played in 2019. They will play in 2023, 2024, 2029, 2030, 2033, 2034, 2037, 2038.

Utah - BYU was a P5-Independent matchup, and will now be a P5-P5 match up.

Independent-G5

I’ll give you CU-Colorado State. But pretending ND isn’t P5 and BYU isn’t G5 is an eye-roll worthy stretch.

 

[TCUdirtbag]

SMU every other year, all in FW. Other possible OOC replacement opponents, Rice, Tulane, Army, Navy.

You know there’s no way SMU agrees to this, right?

 

[Planks]

Would TCU have survived the long, dark night of the '60s-'90s unless we'd been tethered to that culture?
SMU is part of that culture and history, and in a very real and important sense I think we owe what TCU football is partly to SMU football's existence.

I understand what you are saying, but the past is the past. What happened in the 60s-90s is now irrelevant. It’s time to look to our best interests for the future. TCU is currently two wins away from a national championship. If we aspire to continue to be the type of program that can be in the national championship conversation moving forward, then we can’t be worried about little brother SMU. We have to be selfish.

We “owe” SMU absolutely nothing. Our decision making needs to be 100% focused on what benefits the future of TCU and TCU alone. If we can fire Gary Patterson after everything he did to help build our program, we can drop SMU off of our schedule. History be damned. The future is all that matters.

 

[Eight]

I’ll give you CU-Colorado State. But pretending ND isn’t P5 and BYU isn’t G5 is an eye-roll worthy stretch.

morning yoga with planks

 

[Limp Lizard]

Just get us our bye week with no more than 6 games left. 5 or 4 would be about perfect. Fresh but in rhythm for the conference championship game.

 

[Hoosierfrog]

I heard a second or third hand story attributed to a WVU athletic director or some such, that the State of WestVirginia could only support ONE top shelf athletic program, and that they weren’t about to divide the pie with Marshall. WVU won’t give Marshall the cred of playing them at all, much less home-and-home.

If SMU wants to build a P5 football program with their own (considerable) resources, good for them. Welcome to the party. If they want to coattail TCU, using TCU resources, I have no sympathy for them. Let them build their own P5 football program on their own dime. Otherwise TCU has no more business in an annual home-and-home “rivalry” with them than TCU has with Tarlton or University of North Texas.

An annual home-and-home with SMU is not a smart business deal for TCU. SMU as an occasional buy game or an occasional two-for-one is a better business deal for the present day TCU football program. TCU basketball doesn’t do annual home-and-home games with SMU basketball any more. And shouldn’t if SMU would use such a series for their business advantage and TCU ‘s disadvantage.

/end rant

Sounds a lot like what went on one of the longest consecutive rival games ended…
…when Baylor went to B12 And stopped playing us.

 

[TCUownstheBig12]

Independent-G5

Plays partial ACC schedule. And c’mon…same idea.

 

[hiphopfroggy]

We made the playoffs with SMU on our schedule.

Keep SMU forever.

 

[One Frog Nation]

Lot of SMU hate here, but as an old-timer (‘98 so not that old) we sucked at one time. We played. We blew them out of the water for years, we played. Sonny beat us, twice. We played. Drop the bs Nicholls St games and keep SMU, it’s a tune up game and D1. No reason you can’t play them, preserve 100 years of tradition plus a 45 min road game, and schedule a good power 5 game. I agree they need to have people/facility’s that accommodate large crowds.

I don't see SMU on TCU's schedule after 2024, so TCU may be thinking that a new approach might be needed. Still time to add them but.....

 

[An-Cap Frog]

Non-conference scheduling doesn't matter...you might as well schedule for $$$

 

[Prince of Purpoole II]

SMU's gameday management this past September disqualified them from hosting us again in my opinion. Running out of water when it was 100+ degrees in the stands in addition to 50+ minute lines for concessions proved to show exceedingly rinky dink facilities management. They were prepared for their typical sub 5,000 actual attendance (when this game was a near sellout). They staffed and stocked their concessions accordingly which was downright dangerous in that my wife (we're mid 60s and in good physical condition) became very dehydrated, not to mention hungry. It was quite obvious SMU's priorities lie elsewhere than football.

Even prior to that game, our contact in the TCU Athletic Department told us that our days of playing in Dallas are behind us. He mentioned that we may force SMU to host us at Jerryworld (admittedly far from optimal) as it has become more friendly to hosting this game. Of course, we would host our part of the series at the Carter. I hated it when Baylor offered TCU a series either only played in Waco or a 2 Waco/1 Fort Worth (I can't remember) in 1995 when Ann Richards and/or Bob Bullock saved their arses with political strength, but SMU threw their host card away this past September.

This is where I am on the game. I really think we ought to dump it despite the decent arguments to the contrary. At a minimum TCU should never again play at Ford Stadium

 

[Boomhauer]

Playing SMU cost us a bye week which might’ve caused us to lose to KSU. If we can’t schedule them without having to play 10 straight weeks with no bye then pass. Also, wouldn’t play another road game unless they fix the stadium issues.

 

[eh0215]

SMU is fine. The FCS game needs to go.

 

[CountryFrog]

Every thread that even mentions the schedule will eventually devolve into a debate about SMU.

 

[Eight]

Every thread that even mentions the schedule will eventually devolve into a debate about SMU.

*using the work of others as i have nothing to say with my own words

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