Big 12 Insider: Valero move a huge step
The Alamo Bowl’s announcement of a title sponsorship deal with Valero potentially could be the biggest news in the history of the bowl.
The nation’s largest oil refiner is undergoing a period of rapid growth that is taking its national footprint well past its traditional Texas roots. The association with the bowl could help expand its national awareness to new levels, while helping the bowl at the same time.
It’s not too far of a stretch to imagine the Valero Alamo Bowl becoming one of the major players in the college football bowl landscape because of the association with the local company.
Dreams of breaking into the Bowl Championship Series could be more of a reality than ever before for the Alamo Bowl. Having a local sponsor that will be impacted by its association with the bowl game every day will provide more of a tangible benefit for the local bowl than recent previous associations with Sylvania and MasterCard.
The association with Valero should enable the bowl to maintain its current place in the bowl structure and maybe even think about improvements when its deal with the Big Ten and Big 12 conferences expire in three seasons.
Several recent developments could provide an opportunity for growth – even if the local bowl doesn’t hook up with the BCS.
The Big 12 made an expected decision last week when it went with stadium capacity, familiarity and past history after selecting Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City for its 2008 championship game. The conference also made another predictable decision when it hooked up with Jerry Jones’ new Dallas Cowboys’ Stadium in Arlington for championship games in 2009 and 2010.
While the Big 12 championship game will be coming to the Alamodome this December, it’s hard to believe the Big 12 will make a regular habit of placing the Alamo City as part of its regular rotation. Maybe an isolated championship game here or there, but nothing of a continual return should be expected. There are simply too many seats in Kansas City and Arlington in comparison with the Alamodome – and all the gorditas, pan dulce and margaritas in the world won't make up for that fact.
But San Antonio might have a way to improve its relationship with the Big 12. Cotton Bowl officials have hit the pavement over the last several weeks to meet with college football leaders this spring about their move to the Cowboys’ stadium. Their hopes are to make the game a part of a revamped BCS.
That’s where San Antonio fits in. If the Cotton Bowl successfully makes the jump to the BCS, the Big 12 might need a bowl to serve as a replacement. The ideal solution for the Cotton Bowl’s traditional New Year’s Day kickoff would be found in San Antonio.
It will cost more money for the Alamo Bowl to move up the Big 12’s pecking order, but Valero provides hopes that have never been in place before. Builders Square, Sylvania and MasterCard never were able to make much headway in improving the bowl’s selection with its conferences.
That could change if the Cotton Bowl climbs into the BCS. It might not even be beyond the realm of possibility that a large nighttime parade could be staged in downtown San Antonio each New Year’s Eve. And the Alamo Bowl played the following day could follow that.
Those thoughts once would have been construed as fanciful dreams – at least earlier.
But with Valero involved with the local bowl game, Alamo Bowl officials can dare to now think about making them.
The number
$106 million – The Big 12’s revenue for the 2006-07 season, a single-season record for the conference.
Interestingly, the conference only had one team that played in a BCS bowl game last year – compared to several previous seasons when it had two teams.
The conference’s previous top revenue season was in 2005, when it collected $105.6 million.
Jawjacking
“We want to tell them about our future, how positive it looks. We’re a whole new entity that they really haven’t considered yet,” Cotton Bowl executive director Rick Baker, who told the Dallas Morning News about an innovative plan to crisscross the country selling the bowl’s move to the new Dallas Cowboys’ stadium in Arlington to coaches and college administrators.
The list, part I
Here’s a list of the Big 12 teams, ranked on their performance during the first 11 seasons of the conference in football.
1. Texas (105-33 overall, 68-20 in conference games) – Only one losing season in Big 12 history.
2. Oklahoma (98-41 overall, 62-26 in conference games) – Conference-best four titles – all claimed by Bob Stoops.
3. Nebraska (106-36 overall, 62-26 in conference games) – Have had more head football coaches – four (Tom Osborne, Frank Solich, one-game interim coach Bo Pelini and Bill Callahan) – than any Big 12 school in conference’s history.
4. Kansas State (98-41 overall, 57-31 in conference games) – Orchestrated biggest upset in conference history with 2003 conference title.
5. Colorado (74-61 overall, 50-38 in conference games) – Claimed four North Division titles in five seasons from 2001-05, including 2001 championship.
6. Texas Tech (82-54 overall, 50-38 in conference games – Never had a losing season record since Big 12 formed.
7. Texas A&M (78-55 overall, 49-39 in conference games) – Aggies have won only one bowl game during Big 12 era
8. Missouri (64-68 overall, 36-52 in conference games) – Still looking for a share of its first conference championship since 1969.
9. Oklahoma State (65-64 overall, 34-54 in conference games) – Finished as a ranked team only once since Big 12 was formed.
10. Iowa State (53-77 overall, 26-62 in conference games) – Gene Chizik becomes only the Cyclones’ second head coach in Big 12 era.
11. Kansas (50-77 overall, 23-65 in conference games) – Finished with one winning record in Big 12 era – a 7-5 mark in 2005.
12. Baylor (32-92 overall, 11-77 in conference games) – Bears notched three of their 11 conference victories last season.
The list, part II
Here’s a look at the Big 12’s revenue progression over the last 11 seasons. Figures are for total revenue for an academic year, along with the percent growth from the previous year.
Year – Revenue Growth
2007 - $106 million +2.9 percent
2006 - $103 million -2.5 percent
2005 - $105.6 million +3.7 percent
2004 - $101.8 million +13.7 percent
2003 - $89.5 million +7.4 percent
2002 - $83.3 million +9.3 percent
2001 - $76.2 million +13.7 percent
2000 - $67.0 million +6.9 percent
1999 - $62.7 million +13.4 percent
1998 - $55.3 million +1.1 percent
1997 - $54.7 million
Five things I think I think
1. It’s hard to argue with the Big 12’s logic in returning to Kansas City and taking a gamble to take its championship to Jerry Jones’ new stadium in Arlington. The Big 12 has always gravitated towards its two perceived major media markets in the Kansas City and Dallas-Fort Worth areas. But the conference should remember to occasionally take its premier events to some of the other cities. The basketball championship this past March in Oklahoma City was the most memorable and best run of any championship the conference has staged. And San Antonio knows how to get behind a big event – as will be seen in the Dec. 1 football championship game.
2. Something tells me that UT coach Mack Brown privately is relieved to have missed out recruiting celebrated prep quarterback-turned-college washout Ryan Perrilloux.
In case you missed it, Perrilloux was indefinitely suspended from LSU’s team last week after his arrest at a Baton Rouge casino late last month. Perrilloux, 20, tried to use his brother’s identification to get onto the Hollywood Casino gambling boat.
Earlier, Perrilloux’s name surfaced in a federal criminal investigation in New Orleans shortly after the Tigers’ Sugar Bowl victory over Notre Dame. Perrilloux has not been charged in that probe.
UT quarterback Colt McCoy’s squeaky clean image has never been more reassuring for Brown than when he reads those stories.
3. Baylor and Notre Dame are considering plans to play a game in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in 2012. While the Irish are in the midst of a turnaround under Charlie Weis, that game still would have trouble selling out at either the new Cowboys Stadium, Texas Stadium or the Cotton Bowl. A better location would be the home field of either school.
4. It’s refreshing to see Colorado willing to step up in a four-season home-and-home contract agreement the Buffaloes are negotiating with Hawaii.
Some coaches would blanch from a difficult game against an emerging power like the Warriors. But Colorado coach Dan Hawkins is familiar with the benefits of traveling to Hawaii after coaching at Boise State.
It’s also a marked contrast from UT, which backed away from a game against Hawaii several seasons ago when June Jones started turning the program around.
5. The balance of Big 12 basketball power for the upcoming season could swing on whether two players decide to remain in the NBA Draft or opt to return back to college.
Among the Big 12 players who are still wavering include OSU guard JamesOn Curry and A&M forward Joseph Jones. Both players clearly would benefit from returning to college for another season of seasoning.
Quick outs and dribbles
•–Two of the Big 12’s biggest non-conference challenges for the first week of the season will be featured prominently on ESPN’s family of networks.
OSU’s visit to Georgia will be shown by ESPN2, beginning at 5:45 p.m. on Sept. 1. And KSU’s trip to Auburn will be ESPN’s featured Saturday night broadcast, beginning at 6:45 p.m. on the same date.
•–Michigan has a hole in its 2008 football schedule, preferring an opponent for the first or fourth weeks of the season. The Wolverines likely won’t play a Mid-American Conference school after already booking two games with teams from that conference.
Wonder if a Big 12 team would be willing to accept the challenge of playing at the so-called “Big House?”
The most likely team would be KSU, particularly as OSU already has a tough home game assured with Georgia as the return from their game this season.
But Michigan athletic director Bill Martin told the Detroit News that his preferred opponent would be Rutgers, particularly if a return game could be arranged to play the Scarlet Knights at the Meadowlands in a later season.
•–ISU football coach Gene Chizik has stirred up a hornet’s nest after asking the school for a team chaplain to become a paid football staff member.
More than 100 ISU faculty members have signed a petition opposing Chizik’s proposal. They say that Chizik’s plan would promote Christianity over other religions.
“Are you going to have counseling for Jewish students? Muslim students? There’s no such thing as one religion or one version of Christianity,” Hector Avalos, a professor for religious studies at ISU, told the Des Moines Register.
•–Kansas forward Brandon Rush’s decision to return to college for next season was spurred by more than worries about his placement in the draft.
Brandon Rush tore a ligament in his right knee while landing awkwardly in a lay-up attempt just before he withdrew from the NBA draft.
The Jayhawks now will have their leading scorer returning next season. But his recovery, which is expected to take about six months, will be a key component in their national title hopes.
“I believe that Brandon Rush will prepare harder than ever to put himself into a position that he will be a very high NBA draft pick after his junior season,” Kansas coach Bill Self told the Kansas City Star.
•–New Colorado coach Jeff Bzdelik’s talent upgrade has continued after the Chicago Tribune reported that Wake Forest transfer Casey Crawford chose the Buffaloes over Northwestern after transferring from the Demon Deacons.
Crawford, a 6-9, 225-pound forward-center who played sparingly for Wake Forest last season, must sit out next season. He will have three years of eligibility with the Buffaloes.
Crawford will become the second addition to Colorado’s roster since Bzdelik took over. Cory Higgins, a 6-4 guard who is the son of Golden State Warriors general manager Rod Higgins, will join the Buffaloes as a freshman.
Higgins chose Colorado over Georgia and Nevada-Las Vegas.
•–Two names to remember this summer as perhaps the players most on the spot when Nebraska begins fall practice will be safety Larry Asante, a transfer from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College, and cornerback Armando Murillo, a transfer from Eastern Arizona Community College.
With cornerback Zackary Bowman’s condition still considered iffy, both those players could grab immediate playing time for the Cornhuskers.
And considering that Nebraska’s biggest question mark coming into the season will be its secondary, pivotal early tests against Southern California quarterback John David Booty and Missouri quarterback
Chase Daniel loom as huge.
•–Organizers are expecting as many as 30 Heisman Trophy winners to honor Hesiman winners John David Crow and Earl Campbell at a charity golf tournament at Austin’s Barton Creek Golf Club from June 28 to July 1.
Contact (214) 631-7747 for more information about participating in the tournament.
•–Think A&M athletic director Bill Byrne isn’t intrigued with playing a yearly game at either Arlington or Dallas? Check out what he said in his weekly internet column last week.
“Having a constant presence (in the Dallas-Fort Worth area) would not only provide a significant financial windfall for us, but also a positive impact on the entire welfare of Texas A&M University.”
Some have speculated that moving the A&M-Tech game to the new Cowboys’ stadium in Arlington could generate more than $4 million per school in ticket revenue.
•–Dallas stumbled out of the Big 12’s basketball championship rotation when it couldn’t find a viable alternative for placing women’s games at SMU’s Moody Coliseum. Dallas previously had used Reunion Arena, which will be torn down in the future.
Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg said that conference schools preferred not to use home venues of schools not in its conference. That decision doomed Dallas and also first-time bidders Tulsa and Omaha as well.
•–I owe former Nebraska Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers a mea culpa. During a recent Big 12 insider I wrote that detailed the schism between different elements of the Husker football alumni, I mentioned that Rodgers and Jeff Kinney played at different golf tournaments that were held on the same day.
It turns out that Rodgers played at both tournaments, finishing with nine holes at a tournament run by the athletic department after earlier attending a meeting of former Nebraska players as I stated.
•–The Omaha World-Herald reported in an extensive question-and-answer with Nebraska athletic director Steve Pederson that the Cornhuskers have commitments for more than $31 million of the $40 million goal for the Tom and Nancy Osborne Athletic Complex. Pederson told the newspaper that the commitments have come from 5,500 individual donors.
The $31 million figure is a combination of $24 million already donated and $7 million in commitments to the project the school has not yet received.
•–Big 12 football coaches have endorsed the idea of an early signing period for recruiting, joining coaches from the Atlantic Coast Conference who have approved a similar plan. The idea would be for the early signing period to be held the Wednesday before the third week in December.
Coaches in the Southeastern and Pac-10 conferences have voted against the proposal.
The change would enable to schools to save money on recruiting budgets and also reduce the amount of time that coaches have to worry about recruiting athletes. But critics say it would also turn the football season into an extended recruiting period.
•–Big 12 athletic directors and coaches have made it known that they don’t want an extension of the Bowl Championship Series beyond a plus-one format, which would provide a championship game after the current BCS games.
•–Nebraska wide receiver Maurice Purify has been authorized to participate in a pre-trial diversion program in connection with his recent arrest. Purify was charged with two counts of assault, resisting arrest, trespassing and failure to comply after a May 5 incident at a downtown Lincoln bar. Police reports indicate that Purify allegedly threw a man over a table and then struck him several times, along with allegedly striking the victim’s girlfriend.
The decision makes it unlikely that formal charges would be filed against Purify, who is counted as one of the Cornhuskers’ key offensive players this season.
•–OSU has taken an early jump in its bid to boost national awareness on wide receiver Adarius Bowman with the launch of website bowman12.com. The website features profiles, streaming video and photos of the Cowboys’ first-team All-Big 12 player.
•–Back in the old days, the preseason football magazines usually didn’t come out until late June at the earliest. But in the rush to do things quicker, Lindy’s national magazine was released before Memorial Day and Athlon’s annual magazine soon will be released.
UT was placed second nationally in Athlon’s preseason list, trailing only Southern California. Other Big 12 teams ranked in the top 25 included OU at seventh, Nebraska at 18th and A&M at 23 rd.
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