One expert's view on Clemson and Big 12

May 22, 2012, 2:42 PM

Bobby Burton is someone that has been in the recruiting/football world for decades and runs the 247Sports Texas site. Here's what his sources are telling him as of this morning as it relates to conference expansion:

While Florida State and Clemson would be "attractive" additions to the conference, there is little question that Notre Dame is considered the key piece to the equation, according to a well-placed Texas source familiar with the continually evolving discussions.

"Florida State and Clemson, as good as they are, would not be accretive (financially) to the conference," the source said. "Adding them would not change the money for the other members, at least not significantly."

Other media sources have said the additions of Clemson and Florida State would increase conference payouts, so that might be a point of contention in negotiations involving the addition of teams. But, again, the Irish fall under a different category.

"Notre Dame is different," the source said. "That's why (Notre Dame's) Olympic sports make sense as long as there's some side agreement with football."

According to the source, just partial involvement from Notre Dame on a four-game, home-away rotational basis with the Big 12 changes the money for every team in the conference.

"Some very important media people believe that two away games, if they are the right two, from Notre Dame are worth more than everybody else's home games in the Big 12 except Texas and Oklahoma or when the other teams (in the Big 12) are playing Texas and Oklahoma. That's the general line of thinking."

Of course, the Irish have no real impetus to move its football program to a conference at this time.

Only a mid-June meeting concerning the future of college football's post-season could push Notre Dame into a conference full-time so the Irish can contest for a football national championship.

While Florida State, Clemson and perhaps other ACC schools want to change conference affiliations so they can control or pool their tier 3 football rights for larger money than the recently negotiated ACC deal, it's still a wait-and-see proposition on whether or not they move to the Big 12, according to the source.

"I'm telling you, (Texas) likes Florida State and Clemson. Texas likes Georgia Tech, Maryland and Pittsburgh. They like Louisville. The issue is this meeting (in June) and where that puts Notre Dame," the source said.

Could there be an announcement of FSU and Clemson joining the Big 12 prior to that meeting?

As we mentioned yesterday, Notre Dame continues to be the wild card in conference realignment and the University of Texas, particularly athletic director Deloss Dodds who has been called "the driving force" behind the play for Notre Dame, appears dead-set on making the Irish the top priority in its plans for the future of the Big 12. "It's always possible. FSU and Clemson are attractive (programs), but I don't see it as of this morning," the source said

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One expert's view on Clemson and Big 12

Re: One expert's view on Clemson and Big 12

Re: One expert's view on Clemson and Big 12

+1 and agreement on most points. I suspect, however,

Re: One expert's view on Clemson and Big 12

blah blah blah 247blog blah blah blah***

I dont believe it, that is a load of junk

That is probably UT's opinion

The Mostly Eastern Schools of the Big XII Network.

Re: One expert's view on Clemson and Big 12

It's funny to see grown men cherry-pick rumors on T-Net.***

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