This piece looks at the pros and cons of a merger between the two minor leagues. Turns out the Big12 would actually get a boost from this (from a media interest perspective) while the ACC would flounder a little bit. And this is with FSU, Clemson, and Miami still in the ACC.

Final verdict is the Big12 brings nothing to the table and so what little the ACC still has would have to be shared with the Big12.

To think the Big12 once had 3 Iconic CFB programs and 3 Big Market programs and now it has 0.

I think we can all agree about Texas and Oklahoma, but Nebraska is a bit of a reach on being an iconic and/or big market program after the last couple of decades.

George Costanza said:

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I think we can all agree about Texas and Oklahoma, but Nebraska is a bit of a reach on being an iconic and/or big market program after the last couple of decades.

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Nebraska isn't what it once was, but at the time of its departure, it was still considered iconic. Otherwise it wouldn't have gotten into the B1G. Perhaps you would prefer the term "storied". Regardless, Nebraska is still a bigger brand than anything currently in the "Big"12.

The only brands in the Big 12 that are national brands for decades are Arizona and Kansas basketball. Nobody else really moves the needle in either of the two major sports, except for maybe BYU and its Mormon following, but most left-leaning universities hate them.

Basically, football matters first. Then market size. Then, its men's hoops. And finally, academics (AAU basically). Both Arizona and Kansas have parts of those 4 components, but schools like Colorado, Utah, Arizona State, and BYU could give you something if you're the B1G and the SEC, but none of them will be above UNC (the prize), Florida State, Clemson, Virginia, Miami, or Va Tech. You can argue about NC State, Duke, Ga Tech, Louisville, Stanford, and Pitt being better or worse than those Big 12 teams I listed. Obviously, Notre Dame is another animal.

Tech, OSU, KSU, ISU, Baylor, TCU, UH, UCF, Cincy, and WVU can argue about having some of the 4 priorities for expansion, but I just don't see any of them having enough to move up, similar to SMU, Syracuse, BC, Wake, and Cal from the ACC.