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Feb 10, 2023Liked by Mike Vernon

Why do you think we will win more games in the Big 12, I like my chances against everyone in Big 10 west and some in the east too, I think outside of OSU and Michigan Big 12 is a better football conference. The only benefit I see to staying in the Big 12 is keeping a foothold in Texas for recruiting. I also thought the Big 10 was getting $50-70 million more a year than the Big 12, we'll need that money to keep our staffs intact and hopefully add sports.

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All good points. Especially for paying staffs (if other conference salaries balloon). BIG + UCLA, USC is a gauntlet.

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Feb 10, 2023Liked by Mike Vernon

If memory serves, we're now, by a decent margin, the biggest revenue for new Big XII. The conference is exploiting us by virtue of these basketball moves.

We need to get where we belong now, B1G. Not just for athletics, but for academics as well.

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B1G obviously is a great option. But a lot of Power Five schools have won LESS after moving. That's a tradeoff I don't really want.

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From a performance perspective, I don't see hoops being phased, and HCLL has what seems a pretty nice pipeline for recruiting coming from B1G country.

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"The early-exit agreement is a reduction from the $160M the schools were obligated to owe if they left before 2025."

Texas and OU were obligated for the ~$160 million whether they left this year or 50 years from now. What they saved were any Grant of Rights obligations. Obviously coming to an agreement keeps it out of the court room and every school that's left the Big 12 has negotiated down the cost to leave.

As far as winning football games, there's plenty of mediocre football programs in the Big 10 where KU could win games. Like in 2018 when KU buried Rutgers by 41 points, it was KU's biggest win of the season (in a 3-9 campaign with 1 Big 12 win by 1 over TCU). Top end of Big 10 is better, but I think middle and lower end of Big 12 is stronger.

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All fair points. You still have to think over time you'll be the bigger fish in the Big 12. Also, USC and UCLA will be a part of that new B1G.

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I think it's more likely our hoops is a little less successful in the Big 10 and our football is a little more successful. Even in 2022, which was our most successful football season since 2008, we only managed 3-6 against the Big 12. We'll get a good idea of where we stand when we play Illinois this fall. If Illinois wipes the field with us, maybe the middle and bottom of the Big 10 is better than I give it credit for. But if KU wins, that would bode well for how we would compete in the Big 10 (Illinois was tied for 2nd in the Big 10 West last season).

If you use ESPN's 2022 Power Index, they have KU dead last in the Big 12, but better than 4 Big 10 schools. I think Big 12 football is better than people give it credit for. If we had Alabama or Ohio State carrying our flag, the Big 12 would be perceived differently.

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I like the idea of adding basketball schools (zig when others are zagging). Creighton (typically near top of attendance ) has Midwest draw and creates a natural rivalry in the B12. Gonzaga would be the best grab. Butler is a larger untapped portion of B12 (Indiana I believe).

Regarding B1G … Nebraska can be heard saying …to be very careful for what you wish for. Every move you make creates new problems and challenges that you aren’t familiar with or see coming. If we laid all of our problems on the table, I’m going to pick up the ones I’m familiar with.

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