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DMN: Is Big 12 in danger? Chuck Neinas, man who once saved conference, gives his take

TopFrog

Lifelong Frog

Is Big 12 in danger? Chuck Neinas, man who once saved conference, gives his take​

Kevin Sherrington, The Dallas Morning News

Chuck Neinas ran the Final Four, College World Series, Big Eight and the visionary outfit that wrested the TV remote from the hands of the NCAA, turning college football into a money-making machine in the process. He sat on the USOC’s board of directors and chaired the NCAA Olympic and International Relations Committee. No job was too big. DeLoss Dodds once called him “the best administrator I’ve seen in 30 years in college athletics.”

And Texas’ former athletic director made that proclamation before his old boss pulled off his greatest trick of all:

Bailed out the Big 12, even as lifeboats were being lowered.

Feel like trying it again, Chuck?

“No [expletive] way,” he said.

Read more at https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nc...ce-saved-conference-gives-his-take/ar-AAYF5Cq
 

vicarfrog

Active Member
Interesting that he said ESPN killed the SWC.

That is interesting, I've heard multiple takes that it had something to do with the changing media landscape and how a strict regional conference just didn't interest the whole country. I've also heard it was the "cheating." But we all know the real answer is that the University of Texas killed the SWC :)
 

Eight

Member
Maybe it was the fact the the SWC got caught more. Maybe it was because a small private and huge commuter school (SMU and UH) were regularly beating the big boys.

you think those schools were cheating any more than ou, than nebraska, than the sec powers?

the big difference was those conferences didn't turn on each other as opposed to the swc and that goes back to broyles trying to get texas to go with them to the sec and texas wouldn't make the move at that time

lack of vision and leadership in the swc and texas was pissed that arkansas made the right move when they made the jump

no accident in a very short time period the swc went to [ Finebaum ] and the cotton bowl fell behind a bowl game that before was an afterthought game

some have the vision and courage to see the future and others are stuck in the past
 

Virginia Frog

Active Member
"By the time Neinas handed the reins to Bob Bowlsby in 2012, the league had been stabilized. Neinas got everyone to sign a grant-of-rights through 2025 that kept anyone else from leaving, because if they did, it meant forfeiting their TV revenues to the league."


This is the single best thing CN did for the B12 (from TCU's point-of-view.) IMO.

I'm just loving it to see UT have to be humble towards us (TCU and all the other "lowly" B12 members) on their exit journey. Otherwise, without the GOR, they'd shoved it and spit on us on the way out. Yea, they could pay us off and roll but IMO they just can't stand to part with the cash. ( I hope they are stuck in the Twelve through the entire term of the GOR.)

Largely, I can't wait for the new 12 team conference without the Longboys. For football especially, it's going to be a competitive league with anyone-can-win-any-game (save Kansas.) No longer will TCU have to bow to the del Contees forever and ever.


All the chatter about SWC and the what-if about "if" A&M, Cornhuskers, UM and U Colorado continued in the B12 is correct but we, TCU Nation, would have short sheeted if that had not occurred. It's worked out great for us!

UT is really a conference cancer. In another 10-15 years, there'll be a movement to force-out the SEC "lessers" - MissSt, Vandy, USouCar, etc. - so they can increase their payday disproportionate to everyone else. And UT will be right in the middle of it.

I hope I'm around to see that.
 
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Pharm Frog

Full Member
"By the time Neinas handed the reins to Bob Bowlsby in 2012, the league had been stabilized. Neinas got everyone to sign a grant-of-rights through 2025 that kept anyone else from leaving, because if they did, it meant forfeiting their TV revenues to the league."
For football especially, it's going to be a competitive league with anyone-can-win-any-game (save Kansas.)
This is not good news for @CountryFrog ’s marriage.
 

vicarfrog

Active Member
I Thought the article was pretty good / basically said big 12 will be in middle class which is about right. Big 10 and Sec contracts too big to not create tiers

And you know how there is even the middle class spectrum?

Secure middle class - Lives in a respectable 2 story house in a one of the new neighborhoods with an excellent school system
Solid middle class - Lives in more of an older neighborhood, but respectable house and school system
Lower middle class - Out of the apartment but in a tired neighborhood with a declining school system.

After reading "Gary's Shirtless Revenge" comments from other posts, I feel good that the Big 12 = secure middle class, ACC = solid middle class, & PAC 16 = lower middle class.
 
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