The Big 12 Conference’s alliance with Fox Sports and TBS has been good for all parties involved.
Fox Sports’ nine nationally televised Big 12 football games drew an average audience of 65 million viewers in 2002. Six games on TBS averaged 88 million viewers, and seven regional Fox broadcasts averaged 60 million, according to figures Fox provided this week during the league’s coaches meeting.
Kansas coach Mark Mangino said there was a chance the Jayhawks’ Sept. 27 home game against Missouri would be part of this year’s TV package.
“That would be great,” Mangino said. “The more TV exposure, the better.”
Kansas didn’t draw much attention last year during a 2-10 campaign. The season-opener at Iowa State was KU’s only televised game last fall.
The Big 12 coaches met Monday and Tuesday in Dallas to discuss a variety of topics.
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ACC expansion: Big 12 coaches are paying close attention as the Atlantic Coast Conference attempts to expand from nine teams to 12. The ACC would like to lure three Big East teams — likely Miami, Boston College and Syracuse — to create a superconference on par with the Big 12 and Southeastern conferences.
NCAA rules require a league to have at least 12 teams before it can play a conference title game. Such events generate as much as $12 million a year for their leagues.
If the ACC does expand, the 11-team Big Ten could follow suit. For leagues such as the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-10 to expand, they must raid other conferences for members. College football could change drastically by the time the Bowl Championship Series contract expires after the 2005 season.
“It’s unclear what impact it would have on the Big 12,” Mangino said.
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New rules: Donnie Duncan, senior associate commissioner of the Big 12 and chair of the NCAA rules committee, met with coaches to discuss rules changed in the offseason.
The NCAA eliminated the two-yard “halo” rule on kick returns, but return men still must be given an unimpeded opportunity to catch the ball. The penalty for failing to do that or for contacting a player who has signaled for a fair catch will be increased from five yards to 15 yards.
Kansas State fans were livid last season when a Southern California special-teams player made a vicious hit on return man Aaron Lockett as the Wildcat waited to make a catch.
Mangino said players making that type of intentional hit could be ejected.
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Branching out: Big 12 coaches voted unanimously to make proposals to conference athletic directors, faculty representatives and presidents to participate in future coaches meetings. Those groups attended coaches meetings in the old Big Eight Conference, but have been absent since the league expanded.
“It gives us a chance to know each other and share thoughts,” Mangino said. “We get to see their viewpoint, and they get a chance to see ours. It gives us a chance to share views on rules and implementations.”
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What’s next: The NCAA allows schools 20 days in April and May for spring recruiting. Mangino’s staff used its final day Friday.
KU’s coaches will turn their attention to evaluating players on tape and preparing their summer recruiting board.
The staff also will be busy with camps, including one-day camps June 3 in Wichita and June 5 in Stilwell.
KU’s one-day camps for seven-on-seven teams and linemen will be June 7 before summer camp June 8-11.
For more information, go to www.kuathletics.com/football/camp.
(All Times Central; Subject to Change)
Sept. 8 Arkansas State, 6 p.m.
Sept. 15 at Minnesota, 7 p.m.
Sept. 22 New Mexico, 6 p.m.
Sept. 29 *at Iowa State, 1 p.m.
Oct. 6 *at Texas A&M, 1 p.m.
Oct. 13 *Nebraska, 6 p.m.
Oct. 20 *at Oklahoma, 2 p.m.
Oct. 27 *Texas Tech, 2 p.m.
Nov. 3 *Texas, 1 p.m.
Nov. 10 *at Missouri, 1 p.m.
Nov. 17 *Oklahoma State, 1 p.m.
Aug. 25 Fresno State (Thrope Classic)
Sept. 1 Colorado State (Denver)
Sept. 8 San Jose State
Sept. 15 at Washington State
Sept. 22 *Kansas
Oct. 6 *at Kansas State, 1:10 p.m.
Oct. 13 *Texas A&M
Oct. 20 *at Texas
Oct. 27 *at Oklahoma State
Nov. 3 *Missouri
Nov. 10 *at Iowa State, 1 p.m.
Nov. 23 *Nebraska
Sept. 8 Northern Iowa, 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 15 Iowa
Sept. 22 at Ohio
Sept. 29 *Baylor, 1 p.m.
Oct. 6 *at Nebraska
Oct. 13 *at Missouri
Oct. 20 *Oklahoma State, 1 p.m.
Oct. 27 *at Texas A&M, 1 p.m.
Nov. 3 *Kansas State, 1 p.m.
Nov. 10 *Colorado, 1 p.m.
Nov. 17 *at Kansas
Sept. 1 Southwest Missouri, 6 p.m.
Sept. 8 UCLA
Sept. 15 Wyoming, 6 p.m.
Sept. 22 *at Colorado
Oct. 6 *at Texas Tech
Oct. 13 *Oklahoma
Oct. 20 *Missouri
Oct. 27 *at Kansas State
Nov. 3 *Nebraska
Nov. 10 *at Texas
Nov. 17 *Iowa State
Sept. 8 at Southern California, 2:30 p.m.
Sept. 15 Louisiana Tech, 6:10 p.m.
Sept. 22 New Mexico State, 1:10 p.m.
Sept. 29 *at Oklahoma, 2 p.m.
Oct. 6 *Colorado, 1:10 p.m.
Oct. 13 *at Texas Tech
Oct. 20 *Texas A&M, 1:10 p.m.
Oct. 27 *Kansas, 1:10 p.m.
Nov. 3 *at Iowa State, 1 p.m., 1 p.m.
Nov. 10 *at Nebraska
Nov. 17 *Missouri, 1:10 p.m.
Sept. 1 Bowling Green, 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 8 Southwest Texas, 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 15 at Michigan State
Sept. 29 *Nebraska
Oct. 6 *at Oklahoma State
Oct. 13 *Iowa State
Oct. 20 *at Kansas
Oct. 27 *Texas
Nov. 3 *at Colorado
Nov. 10 *Baylor, 1 p.m.
Nov. 17 *at Kansas State, 1:10 p.m.
Aug. 25 TCU (ABC), Noon
Sept. 1 Troy State, 6 p.m.
Sept. 8 Notre Dame (ABC), 7 p.m.
Sept. 15 Rice
Sept. 29 at Missouri
Oct. 6 Iowa State
Oct. 13 at Baylor, 6 p.m.
Oct. 20 Texas Tech
Oct. 27 Oklahoma
Nov. 3 at Kansas
Nov. 10 Kansas State
Nov. 23 at Colorado
Aug. 25 North Carolina (ESPN), 6:45 p.m., Hispanic Student Scholarship Fund Game
Sept. 1 at Air Force
Sept. 8 North Texas, 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 15 Tulsa, 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 29 *Kansas State, 2 p.m.
Oct. 6 *Texas (Dallas), TBD
Oct. 13 *at Kansas
Oct. 20 *Baylor, 2 p.m.
Oct. 27 *at Nebraska
Nov. 10 *Texas A&M, 2 p.m.
Nov. 17 *at Texas Tech
Nov. 24 *Oklahoma State, 2 p.m.
Oklahoma State
Sept. 1 at Southern Mississippi (ESPN), 11 a.m.
Sept. 8 Louisiana Tech, 7 p.m.
Sept. 15 Northern Arizona, 7 p.m.
Sept. 22 *at Texas A&M
Oct. 6 *Missouri
Oct. 13 *Texas
Oct. 20 *at Iowa State, 1 p.m.
Oct. 27 *Colorado
Nov. 10 *Texas Tech
Nov. 17 *at Baylor, 1 p.m.
Nov. 24 *at Oklahoma
Sept. 1 New Mexico State
Sept. 8 North Carolina
Sept. 22 at Houston
Sept. 29 *Texas Tech
Oct. 6 *Oklahoma (Dallas)
Oct. 13 *at Oklahoma State
Oct. 20 *Colorado
Oct. 27 *at Missouri
Nov. 3 *at Baylor, 1 p.m.
Nov. 10 *Kansas
Nov. 23 *at Texas A&M
Sept. 1 McNeese State, 6 p.m.
Sept. 6 at Wyoming, 9 p.m.
Sept. 22 *Oklahoma State, 6 p.m.
Sept. 29 Notre Dame, 1 p.m.
Oct. 6 *Baylor, 1 p.m.
Oct. 13 *at Colorado
Oct. 20 *at Kansas State, 1:10 p.m.
Oct. 27 *Iowa State, 1 p.m.
Nov. 3 *at Texas Tech
Nov. 10 *at Oklahoma, 2 p.m.
Nov. 23 *Texas
Texas Tech
Sept. 8 New Mexico
Sept. 15 at Texas-El Paso, 7:05 p.m.
Sept. 22 at North Texas (Irving)
Sept. 29 *at Texas
Oct. 6 *Kansas
Oct. 13 *Kansas State
Oct. 20 *at Nebraska
Oct. 27 *at Baylor, 2 p.m.
Nov. 3 *Texas A&M
Nov. 10 *at Oklahoma State
Nov. 17 *Oklahoma
