The Big 12 has been looking to expand the conference for quite some time. With only 10 schools, the conference hasn’t been living up to it’s name — literally. If the expansion were to occur, there would be several schools vying for a spot. Among the names being tossed around the rumor mill? Colorado State.
Editor of the Loveland Reporter Herald Mike Brohard joined Gil Whiteley and Doug Ottewill this morning to discuss the possibility of CSU moving to the Big 12.
The conference move would be a huge upgrade for the Rams, shifting from the Mountain West. But with the competition of other solid schools like BYU, Memphis, Cincinnati, UConn and Central Florida, it’ll be a challenge to steal one of the possible slots.
But there is some hope, and right now the biggest thing CSU has going for them is their new Sonny Lubick Stadium.
“It’s still a bonus because it’s a bigger stadium,” Brohard said, “It’s a newer stadium and it’s on campus. Which makes it more attractive.”
With any move like this, the television market plays a vital role. CSU’s attendance and record doesn’t exactly draw packed stadiums. So, the question is: Will an area like Fort Collins draw a large enough market of people wanting to watch?
“Does the Big 12 think they can get a foothold in the Denver television market by adding CSU?” Brohard asked. “It’s a market that they felt they lost when CU Boulder went to the Pac-12.”
CSU might offer the ideal market, and though it can be argued that Fort Collins and Denver are two separate entities, the school definitely draws fans from the Denver area, a top-20 television market.
“The next time they will talk about it is on May 31,” Brohard said. “Whether or not they will make a decision is one thing, whether or not they will make it public is another.”
So despite the speculation and hopes that CSU fans have in the possible move to a Big 12 conference, it’s probably best to sit back, watch and wait.
To listen to the full conversation, click on the podcast below…
https://soundcloud.com/milehighsports/5-11-16-mike-brohard-joins-gil-and-doug-to-discuss-the-chances-for-csu-getting-into-the-big-12?in=milehighsports/sets/gil-whiteley
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