What would a Florida State Big 12 football schedule look like?

By Kevin Kelley - May 15, 2012

Florida State-Oklahoma — Phil Sears-US PRESSWIRE

There’s been a lot of talk the past few days about Florida State possibly being interested in leaving the ACC for the Big 12.

Last week, Chip Brown wrote that the Seminoles should consider a move to the Big 12 for financial reasons. Saturday FSU Board of Trustees Chairman Andy Haggard openly blasted the new ACC television deal and said “…we would be in favor of seeing what the Big 12 might have to offer. We have to do what is in Florida State’s best interest.”

Then on Monday, FSU President Eric Barron released a statement in response to the rumors.

Putting all the rumors and statements aside, what if the Florida State Seminoles did move to the Big 12? What would their football schedule look like?

First of all, if the Big 12 added Florida State, they would likely add a 12th member as well. The team most likely to grab that spot is Louisville.

Then the Big 12 would split back into divisions in order to stage a championship game. This is what the Big 12 divisions might look like with Florida State and Louisville:

Big 12 East

Big 12 West

For purposes of this alignment scenario, I went with an East-West designation. This pits Florida State with new rivals Louisville and West Virginia in the East. It also keeps Oklahoma and Oklahoma State together and the four Texas schools together in the West.

The placement of Florida State and West Virginia in the East also balances the divisions. Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas continue to reside in the same division as they did from 1996 through 2010.

Since the Big 12 plays a nine-game conference schedule, that means Florida State would play every team in their division and four teams from the West each year.

Let’s say in 2014, Florida State draws Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas. That’s four tough games outside of their division to go along with games against Kansas State, Louisville and West Virginia.

Then there’s the non-conference slate. Florida State would surely keep in-state rival Florida on the schedule, a team they have played every year since 1958.

But FSU in the Big 12 could end or reduce the frequency of their match-up against the Miami Hurricanes. The Noles and Canes have played every season since 1969 and 56 times overall. More than likely, FSU wouldn’t play a Big 12 schedule with Florida and Miami every season.

The Citadel is already scheduled for 2014, so that leaves Florida State with one non-conference opening. That will probably be filled by a middle or lower tier FBS school.

Taking all of the above into account, here’s what a Florida State Big 12 football schedule could look like with 2014 non-conference games:

FBS School (middle to lower tier)
Iowa State
The Citadel
at Kansas State
at Texas
Oklahoma
TCU
Kansas
at Oklahoma State
Louisville
at West Virginia
Florida
Big 12 Championship Game

That’s a very tough slate for the Seminoles. Granted, they may not face Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas all in the same season, but it could happen.

Although a move to the Big 12 would be more beneficial financially for Florida State, they will likely face a significantly tougher football schedule than what they currently see in the ACC.

View Comments (22)

Comments (22)

Be nice if the add two more and make it a big 14. I say try n snag Clemson n Va Tech or BYU adds in a nice tv market for any of those. Also makes the conference more up to speed with the SEC.

Not sure that Clemson or Va Tech add anything, to be honest. BYU would help, but does the Big 12 really want two extra TV deals (BYU and Texas, granted both are through ESPN) in addition to whatever their network contract is?

Regardless, if it is a East/West split, adding BYU will almost certainly require an Eastern team. Any chance Florida State tries to lobby for Miami? ‘Canes have even weaker ties to the ACC than does FSU.

Va Tech adds a top 15 team year in and year out
but I can’t see them being interested

I think the BXII would only play 8 conference games each year – and most schools in the east would play Okla and Texas on an alternating years.

Clemson and FSU already agreed to join big 12 but can withdraw at any time because sec wants 16 team conference so there interested to. But both will leave ACC to either Big 12 or SEC.

I agree Zack — But I really do not think Louisville is in the mix to move to Big XII anymore. The Big XII & the SEC are set-up to virtually cannibalize the ACC. Eventually, the 2 conferences will be able to pick whoever they want. UL is probably out.

I can’t see how going to the sec would help either, they would always be playing second to Bama LSU n Florida for tv market an stuff. Going to the big 12 would open a different confernse that has no ties to those tv markets. In turn the big 12 would do more for them to get those markets.

Zach B is wrong. The SEC will not admit a new team in the same state as an existing member. Florida and South Carolina will prevent FSU and Clemson from ever joining the SEC. Same goes for Georgia Tech, Louisville and any of the Texas schools in the Big XII.

Any SEC expansion will come form outside their footprint.

if anything it would help not hurt imagine the crowds at clemson vs. georgia and other close schools. It makees the sec better.

and fsu wil be better than florida the next few years they wont be able to make them not join and other sec states have more than 1 team.

The whole Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, and Kentucky not allowing other “in-state” teams to join SEC doesn’t make sense to me. How many teams are in the SEC? How can 4 have “majority vote” or am I misunderstanding something. I would like FSU to join the SEC. Texas basically had the same tone about other Texas schools, but didn’t TCU just join Big XII…

Any vote in the SEC requires 75% to pass so 4 teams can block!

why are auburn and alabama in the SEC?

FSU is a football school stuck in a basketball conference . The B12 is a perfect fit for them and the conference.

same with clemson and vt

florida state, miami, clemson, and louisville would make solid 14 teams… byu, virginia tech, boise state would be good candidates if they wanted 16.

I would not be surprised if the Big 12 eventually expended to 16 teams. We do own trademark rights to that name. Who knows if – or when – that might happen. This Big 12 fan would love to see Florida State enter and to bring Miami with them. Also, Louisville, Clemson, Virginia Tech and Maryland would be nice additions in this fan’s opinion. A Big XVI EAST Division consisting of Florida State, Miami, Louisville, Clemson, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Iowa State, and Maryland would be a wonderful complement to a Big XVI WEST Division of Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech, Texas Christian, and Baylor. Great conference! What disgruntled ACC football team would not see this as a desirable option? But leave BYU out of the picture. They would not fit geographically and their refusal to play on Sunday when the rest of the conference has registered no objections is a needless scheduling obstruction.