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Cease & Desist · Talkin' Tech

• 0:39
  SPEAKER_03: Welcome in, everybody, to the Talk and Tech Podcast powered by Guns Up Nation, part of the Guns Up Nation Podcast Network.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_03: I am your host, Steven Rodriguez, my co-host Tristan McGonagall.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_03: Tristan, how you doing today, man?
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_02: I am doing a okay, my man.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_02: A lot has happened.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_02: I feel like we can't even breathe this offseason.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_02: The content's coming to us.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_02: We don't have to make any of it.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_03: I know.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_03: We originally had a plan to do the defensive backs episode of the offseason series, but we decided to push that back a week because more expansion stuff is happening.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_03: This is strictly going to be more of that.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, the Big 12 is suing ESPN.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_03: We had to talk about it.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, there's so much going on right now.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_02: The drama is free, and it shouldn't be because this is some Netflix quality stuff.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_02: But I mean, it's it's it's fascinating to watch, but at the same time, Texas Tech is not in the most certain position thanks to our friends in Austin.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, the our friends, uh, not so much.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_03: Um, they are the scum of the earth, and uh they are officially part of the SEC.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_03: The uh all 14 teams voted yesterday, I believe.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, and it was unanimous.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_03: Of course, you're gonna let OU and Texas into your conference, they're two of the biggest brands in college sports.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but they notified after the last time you listened to us, they didn't necessarily uh they were really just rumors at the time.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_03: A lot of blue check marks were saying it's true, and then eventually it did come true.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, Texas and OU uh said they weren't gonna extend their media rights deal with the Big 12 past 2025, and they officially asked admittance and got admittance to the SEC.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_03: So uh that is the latest in realignment.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and just the worst.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_03: They stink.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_03: I hate this.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, absolutely.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_02: So uh uncertain times, no doubt.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_02: I like to see the Big 12 is fighting back, though.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_02: I see the remaining eight are like, where's my money?
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, I I do I do appreciate the Big 12 taking their swings to at least you know make them burn them for what they did.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_02: Because what they've what they've done is I'm not a lawyer, but it seems borderline illegal because you're you're messing with a lot of contractual items, you're breaking a lot of contracts right now.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm tired of people using like the bitter ex-girlfriend um metaphor and all that, because these contracts are worth like upwards to a billion dollars.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_02: So, and we're talking about communities that are gonna be heavily impact this.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_02: We're talking about millions of dollars being lost out of Lubbock because of this, and that's a that affects thousands of jobs.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_02: So, people really need to stop treating it like it's a meme, like it's a joke.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_02: Um, that kind of that just kind of chaffs me because it's it's it's way more than that, but obviously that's just mainly salty UTOU fans acting like they actually contributed anything to this.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, all there's just a lot of saltiness going on right here.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_03: We should say that Texas and OU both have made statements that have said they plan to fully uh you know go through with the 20 until 2025 staying in the Big 12.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_03: We all know that's kind of not true.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_03: They are looking to get out as soon as possible, but they have to say this stuff for legal reasons, like what you just said about you know maintaining the TV deal and everything like that.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_03: But we all know UT and OU are not planning on you know staying in the Big 12 until 2025.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_03: They obviously want to get over to the SEC as soon as possible.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_02: That's why they did this now, and that's that's what leads us to the main problem right now is that ESBN was the orchestrator of all of this.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_02: Um, obviously, this is all allegedly.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_02: I'm not I don't think our podcast will be using court or anything like that.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_02: But but obviously, ESPN has constructed this from the beginning.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_02: ESPN's out to kill the Big 12 because one, it gets them out of their contract with the Big 12.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_02: It's a very lucrative contract, it's only a little less than the SEC.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_02: And two, it gets the UT and uh OU over to the SEC much quicker.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_02: And the way in that that that's an ESPN only league, they're gonna have full rights to that.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_02: So they're trying to get out of the contract with the Big 12 so they don't have to pay a dime to the remaining schools and the conference to get their money makers over to the conference that they completely own.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_02: Because remember, the Big 12 is half and half.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_02: Because with this, not only are they killing the Big 12 to get out of their contract and hyper focus all their money onto one space, they're also cutting Fox out of it, too.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_02: Because Fox also has a contract with the Big 12 as well.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_02: So they're killing like three, four, five birds with one stone, but obviously it reeks of corruption.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_02: So this is this isn't supposed to be happening because now they're incentivizing the American conference allegedly to go after uh Big 12 teams, uh, so they can collapse the conference.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, I guess I'm mad at the American for doing this, but um, the ESPN has full rights to the American as well.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_02: So my guess is that ESPN's in the driver's seat with that, more so than the American trying to make their move, which obviously they would try to make a move on the Big 12, but the timing of it is focused to get UT and OU out of this and ESPN out of the the cooker with the with the contract.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, definitely.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, if you have if you don't believe it now, it's it reigns true.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_03: The TV uh networks they own college sports, they own college football, they own college basketball, they make the decisions.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_03: Unfortunately, I think this is kind of the end of uh and it and some people say the end was back when AM left for a business decision.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_03: This is no longer about rivalries and about the tradition and about the camaraderie of college sports.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_03: It's no longer about that.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_03: It's about how much money can you make and how big is your program.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_03: That's what it is now.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_03: And unfortunately, I don't think that's changing.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_03: I I do appreciate the Big 12 and Bob Bowlesby for actually, you know, standing up for once and suing uh what he thinks is wrongdoing to his conference.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_03: That's what he should do.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but I I think it might just be a little bit too late.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I I understand that.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_02: And the people that are criticizing the Big 12 for doing this doesn't make any sense.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, legal contracts are supposed to be protected, and all Bob is doing is trying to protect said contract because there seems to be a breach of an agreement.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_02: So he's trying to make his member schools as much money as he can, whether the Big 12 survives or not, and that's his job.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_02: And I think Bob is doing a very good job right now.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_02: People are giving Bob a lot of hate when this is clearly parking garage back alley handing the Nola folder over, kind of stuff with ESBN and UT and OU because no one knew.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_02: No one knew.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_02: And you would think with a with a program like UT, you would get out way earlier than this.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_02: And they say that it's been going on allegedly for over a year.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_02: So this it's all so fishy.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_02: I don't blame Bob because what's one man supposed to do with that kind of thing, but I do appreciate his reaction to making sure we can all get us all the money we can be for an uncertain future, because this may be the most money Texas Tech and the remaining programs ever make ever again in a TV contracts and uh slash conference.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_02: So it's good for the security of the schools, and it's a good burn.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_02: Like ESPN deserves this if they're doing this to teams because they are like you were saying, TV contracts control everything, rivalries are gone.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_02: They are ruining college football.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_02: I know we're gonna say that because we're on the bad end of this stick, but super conferences are not what the sport was supposed to be.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_02: The sport was supposed to be regional rivalries, going down the street, talking mess to your friends, and and just enjoying the pageantry of your school.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_02: It has nothing to do with a minor league NFL.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_02: So, and that's what we're heading towards.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_02: And anyone that's denying it is just has an interest in the change.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, exactly.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_03: I think that with because these fan bases that are in the quote unquote super league uh are so large, of course, you're gonna get a good amount of people saying, you know, this is good for the sport.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_03: And then, of course, you have the major network that is ESPN going in on your TV screen saying, This is good, you know, U T and O U run that Big 12 conference, and now they're coming to the SEC.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_03: It's just gonna be insane games with Alabama.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_03: These brands are so intense.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_03: What they're not looking at looking for is the little guy.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_03: It's like us, it's Iowa State, and we're not necessarily the little guy, quote unquote.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_03: We're still a huge brand and a huge university, but we do get left out in the grand scheme of things.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_03: And so uh meh, I was listening to Dan Levitard's podcast uh the other day where he was interviewing the former ESPN president John Skipper, and it was super interesting.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_03: I'm not a big Levitard guy, but listening to this, I saw a former ESPN, you know, thought it would be interesting, and he really said something important about the state of where we at, where we're at.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_03: Basically, you either get bigger or you die.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_03: And unfortunately, I think Texas Tech needs to start realizing that and needs to start understanding and being more selfish with their next moves in the coming months, years, whatever.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_03: We need to not necessarily side with the Big 12 right here.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_03: We need to think about what's good for us in our next moves.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_03: And I to me, we've been very, very cautious with how we move and how we go about our business.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_02: I completely understand your stance on that.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_02: I just want to make one more point about the Big 12 collapsing and other people talking about how you know that their conference is going to be in a better state.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_02: What people don't realize is yes, OU and UT were the tent poles for the conference, but you can start you can start breaking down every conference that way.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_02: It's not fair that the Big 12 is getting treated like that.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_02: Whenever the Pac-12 is Oregon and USC, you take those two out, what's that conference now?
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_02: Go to the Big Ten, you take out Michigan and Ohio State, take those two out.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_02: What are they now?
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_02: Go to the ACC, especially, take out Clemson and Florida State, what are they now?
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_02: So people, it's it's it's really unfair that people are ripping on the Big 12 for being quote unquote unvaluable without UT and OU.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_02: Whenever every conference pretty much is built that way, you know, there's gonna be the powerhouses, and then there's gonna be everyone else.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_02: That's how the sport has always been structured, and there's nothing wrong with that.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_02: And to get with what you're saying, with Texas Tech needs to be selfish, I I agree.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I do I do think we need to form a good partnership with, say, Oklahoma State and go hard at the Pac-12.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it's not a for sure thing that the Pac-12 will take us.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_02: I do think we're a great brand, and any place would be lucky to have us.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_02: But I think the reason why Texas Tech and everybody else is putting up a united front is because if you hold out for as long as UT and OU are in it, you are guaranteed Oogle's amounts of cash, which is security for your school.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_02: It puts you in a better position going forward.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_02: So everyone is looking out to make sure that they're as safe as they can be for as long as they can be.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_02: Because once the Big 12 collapses, then everyone's in a panic and no one's quite sure what happens after that.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_02: So everyone's holding on to this to time.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_02: We're holding on to number one, time and money, and those two are very important with the future of the rest of us eight.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_03: It's true.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_03: What you're saying is true.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_03: What I think the balance needs to be with this is if the Pac-12 does come calling, we no longer are unite it with the Big 12.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_03: We no longer stand with this whole ordeal of sticking it to UT and ESPN and OU.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_03: We need to bounce when we have our opportunity.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_03: This no longer needs to be about the unity of the remaining eight.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_02: Just yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_02: I understand that.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_02: Just remember that we would be exactly in the same spot as UT and O U are in right now.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_02: We still would have to pay out a huge contract to get out of this because we're we'd it's equal.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_02: We'd have to pay just as much as UT and OU do to get out of this.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that's just something to remember that it's it's better to stick it out now for the stability, time, and money so that you don't lose any of that.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_02: So I would understand if the Pac-12 came calling.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_02: I just I think that if you hold out until the Big 12 collapses, I don't think an invitation like that necessarily goes away.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_02: I don't think it's like a job offer where if you know it's Texas Tech would still be Texas Tech.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_02: It's it can that there's still it'd still be one of the best options out there for the Pac-12 if they want to expand.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_02: So, and another thing is it's just we don't know if that kind of invitation's been given and if it and if it'll come.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_02: So I totally I think I think we're making the right moves right now.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_02: I think the big 12 remaining eight are making the right decisions for everybody.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_02: And honestly, I know I know like it's kind of petty to want to stick a TSB and their UTNOU, but they're ruined.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_02: They they could be putting all of us in a coffin, and we just don't really know yet.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_02: So we might as well burn them, make them pay, and hopefully result in a good result for college football as a whole for doing so.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_03: I just don't think there's any way that this is gonna turn out good for us.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_03: I don't think this cease and desist letter, this this lawsuit, if it does come to that, I don't think the Big 12 even wants it to come to that.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_03: I think they're just trying to send a message here.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_03: But I just even if you do get some money out of it, that's nothing to ESPN.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_03: That is nothing to Texas or OU.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_03: They're still going to the SEC, they're still going to be the brand that they are, the network that they are.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_03: This to me, it's just it's not pointless because I'm glad we're actually trying to take a stand.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_03: I just, like I said earlier, I think it's a little too late on that end.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_03: And I think there is some blame for Bob because he wasn't more active in this, in knowing this could possibly happen.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_03: That's your job as the commissioner of your conference, is to know what's going on.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_03: And clearly he didn't know what was going on.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_02: And it kind of comes back to what I said earlier about this seem what seems like a parking garage sort of deal.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_02: But you, I mean, it's he's the he's the face of the conference, so he's gonna get all the blame, and he's paid very well to do that.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_02: So I I completely understand that frustration.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm I I under the idea of burning UTNOU feels good, and like you said, they're still gonna be the brand that they are, they're still gonna have all this money, but it's not just about burning them, it's also about making sure TechStech is secure with a nice bank account.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_02: So going forward, so we can still because think about the kind of pay cut we could be potentially seeing.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_02: Even the Pac 12 are not gonna be making as much money, it's not a huge drop-off, but it's still quite a bit for an athletic department, or even worse, if we have to go down to perhaps a G5 level, which I don't think would happen.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_02: I think the Big 12 would hold together before that happens.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it's still substantially less likely that you know we get even close to the same kind of paycheck.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_02: So it's just it's it's security for the future.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_02: It's like it's like any person, you know, you always want to have money in your savings account.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_02: So if you lose your job or if something comes up, you have the savings to fall back on to make sure that you're in a good spot moving forward.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that's what we're trying to do right now.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, absolutely.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_03: So uh I think I think both you and me agree that this is the right move.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_03: I'm glad the Big 12 is actually doing something and not just, you know, laying down and dying.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_03: But also, we should talk about what was in that letter that Bob Bowlesby sent to ESPN and basically saying, accusing them of what they're doing.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_03: Um, he said that Bob Bowlesby said ESPN reached out to at least one of the eight remaining Big 12 members in an attempt to convince the school to leave for the American conference.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_03: Like you said earlier, the American conference.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_03: Allegedly, yes.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_03: Um like you said, the American conference is under ESPN's media rights.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_03: So uh that makes sense.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_03: That makes sense that a network as powerful as ESPN would try to get the Big 12 to move to just a uh just strictly ESPN media rights with both the SEC and the American instead of this combo deal that the Big 12 has going on with Fox and ESPN.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_02: I don't think it's a coincidence that media interested people, especially around ESPN and their ilk, are making propaganda saying that the Big 12 is worth less than the American without UTNOU.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I I don't think that's a coincidence.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_02: I think they're trying to set, I think they're trying to scare the Big 12 into thinking that the American's the best they can do.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I think that's how deep this is going.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_02: I think that's how corrupted this is right now.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and I I what's great about that is because ESPN clearly overplayed their hands.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_02: They they they told the American to make an offer to Big 12 teams.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_02: And once the Big 12 teams saw this offer, even if it was likely, they're they probably uh offered the Big 12 teams 150% of what the other members make.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um, that would make sense.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_02: But it's still a fraction of what we make in the Big 12.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_02: So no business leader in their right mind would give up two, three, four times of that a year, even if it's gonna end in three years, um, to just drop down to that immediately.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_02: So obviously the Big 12 team probably immediately told uh the Big 12 office saying, Hey, the Americans going after us.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_02: This is what they offer.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_02: They're trying to get us away.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_02: So do something about it.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_02: So they could I think this is uh ESPN getting completely reckless, thinking that they completely control and own the sport, that they won't get caught.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_02: It happened.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_02: This is what happens whenever a a business gets way too big for its britches and then forgets that the law exists.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_02: So it's I think that's what we're seeing right now.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and I mean we can have different opinions on what's actually gonna happen because of this, if ESPN's actually gonna get off or get away with this, do whatever.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_03: Obviously, this is not like set in stone what they're doing, but it's it's just what we believe is going on um over there.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_03: And uh to me, um it's less about sticking it to ESPN, making them pay for what they've done, and more so accepting and moving on as a university and as a brand.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_03: We need to survive.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_03: We don't if we don't need to go down with the ship and you know try to uh uh uh attack ESPN for all that they've done and attack UT and attack OU and do all that.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_03: We need to focus on ourselves, we need to focus on getting to a power level conference and growing with where the sport is going.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, on the like it or not, this is where the sport's going.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, the media rights and the TV deals control everything that goes on with the sport.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_02: I I I think I think you're you're right here, and I think that's what our university probably realizes.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_02: I think most people may recognize this as a swan song for the conference, saying that we're gonna we're gonna go out like a firework.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_02: So um I I I mean I do appreciate that.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_02: So I I don't think that uh Kirby Hokt and President Skubanek are sitting here thinking about uh um okay, they are thinking about that, but they're their main focus.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_02: I was gonna say, like keeping the Big 12 together, but they're also thinking about moving on to the pack.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_02: You know they're in conversations with that.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_02: So, but if you listen, I mean I'm sure we'll get to the Pac-12 media days in a moment.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_02: Um, we just don't know if that's a for sure thing.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_02: So, but I know I know that our our leaders are looking out for Texas tech before the Big 12.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_02: I don't think it's it's the other way around.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_02: I don't think we're looking after the Big 12 before us.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_03: I I'm I hope we wouldn't, you know, because that is we're us and not the Big 12.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_03: We're not the Big 12, we're Texas Tech.
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_03: So let's focus on us.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_03: But to that point, to Pac-12 Media Day, there was a lot of mixed signals I got from uh the reports of Pac-12 Media Day because people were, of course, asking about if they were looking into expansion.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_03: They even asked specifically about Texas Tech if they were gonna if they were looking at them.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_03: Some reports said that yes, the PAC would love to expand.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_03: Some were saying no, nobody has any uh intentions of doing any of that.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, I mean, we could talk about it from the commissioner of the Pac-12, the new guy, and I'm gonna butcher his last name, but it's like George Klevkov, I think is how you say it.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_03: Um, he said expansion opportunities are a quote-unquote priority for the Pac-12 moving forward.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_03: He did say that.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_03: He also declined to answer a question on whether the league has had discussions with Texas Tech specifically.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_03: He also said he believes expansion is quote unquote required, but there has been interest or is not required.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_03: I'm sorry, but there has been interest shown from others about joining the conference.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_03: Also said there's no risk at staying a 12th team.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_03: So he's basically going back and forth on all this.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_02: He's playing both sides.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, something to know about him, he's he's like a former manager of the MGM in Las Vegas, so he's he is not academic inclined at all.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_02: He's all about the sports and all about the product.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_02: So I feel good about that.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_02: I'm glad we don't have an intellectual over at leading the Pac 12 because those that's what the kind of schools that's the vibe of the conference in general, though.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_02: But I'm glad they went ahead and went for a casino guy.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I I like the way that sounds declining to say that they've been talking to Texas Tech, I think bodes well for us.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_02: Um, because I think if it was a flat out rejection, I think different language would have been used.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_02: So um, but there are also other reports of the big Pac-12s schools not being interested in adding Big 12 remaining Big 12 schools.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_02: But if the Pac-12 is interested in expanding, the Big 12 schools are legit their only option at this point.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_02: They they're not gonna get any better than a Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, um, because there's no one else out there that would want to join them.
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_02: There's there's no one, they're no the Pac 12 is not going to poach any other P5 programs.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_02: They're the poorest conference, and they're way out on the West Coast.
• 21:45
  SPEAKER_02: They have unideal broadcasting times for the rest of the country.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_02: So if they want to expand, they have no choice but to add us.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_02: So I think I can feel good about that.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I think, yeah, everything you said is true.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, they should want us.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_03: And I they should win Oklahoma State too.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know why they wouldn't.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_03: But they did say something also interesting.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_03: He said that new schools entering the Pac 12 possibly would not have to have AAU accreditation.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_03: So the AAU, of course, is the Association of American Universities.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_03: Only 64 universities in all the United States have that uh specific accreditation.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_03: But it's like it's, I mean, it's a pretty prestigious honor, but to make that a requirement for your conference is pretty ridiculous.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_03: But the if anybody's going to do that, it's the Pac 12.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_03: And so for him specifically to say they are not allowing that, uh, or it's not required for a new team that's trying to enter the Pac-12.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_03: It's a good thing for tech.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, which which which is a converse of what the Big Ten said.
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_02: The Big Ten said you have to be AAU.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, we I don't think we had any sort of eyes on the Big Ten.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_02: I personally would not like to be in the Big Ten.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_02: I think that uh I would rather be in the PA, uh, but that's just a personal fan opinion.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it what that was great.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_02: Whenever you said that, that gives me further hope that they are talking to Texas Tech.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and the good thing about Texas Tech is we are, like I brought up last episode, is why we'd be a great addition to the Pac 12, is we are a tier one Carnegie research institution, which means we put we pour millions, actually billions at Texas Tech into our school and research, which is a huge thing.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_02: It's very, it's a very um prestigious thing to do.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_02: So that that's that bodes well.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_02: We're we're a good academic school.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_02: Um, with that, we we do line up with it.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_02: So obviously the AAU is more of a it's more of a segnif.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_02: It's it's kind of like a I don't know what word I'm looking for, but it's more of a cherry on top.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_02: It's it shouldn't be an end-all be-all for an athletic conference.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, no doubt.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_03: But uh something that's also interesting is to say that specifically, you won't have to have that.
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_03: There are two schools in the remaining eight that do have that.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_03: So Kansas and Iowa State both have AAU accreditation.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_03: So for him to say that you're not or you don't need it, I mean, Texas, that's Texas Tech, that's Oklahoma State, that's Kansas State, that's that's who he's talking about here.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and uh, because I know I uh Iowa State and Kansas have eyes on the Big Ten.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know if that's gonna play out for them.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe they come with us to the Pac-12 if we're fortunate enough to get an invite.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but yeah, I think I think he'll speaking directly to the big the remaining eight with with that statement, and that that boats well.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_02: And there's some there's some other crazy stuff going on on the big side, big 12 side as well.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_02: There's rumors saying that the remaining presidents uh are gonna be in talks with the Pac-12 about making a merging a super conference to a Pac-20.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_02: Um, obviously that's just in the rubber meal, but it's not it when it's not necessarily a bad idea whenever you're trying to combat the SEC and Big Ten influence.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_02: Because one, obviously, you're getting a huge you're getting thousands and thousands of fans being folded into your uh conference immediately, but then you have the whole middle America, you have a lot of central time zone there, you have a lot of valuable programs, and that that kind of offsets what's going on in the east.
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_02: So I don't think it's a dumb idea at all.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but I don't know if it necessarily the Pac-12 feels like they're in that position yet.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_03: No, and well, and what goes into that is uh, and this is from the Levitard interview with John Skipper.
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_03: He was talking about good expanding your conference into different states is so important because then you can start talking about those TV sets in Texas, in Oklahoma, in Iowa, in Kansas.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_03: That always helps because if you already have a school in your conference that's in that state, it doesn't bring in those extra TV.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_03: Uh I don't know if it's like views, I don't know how they measure it, but uh you can now do that if you get in a state like Texas or get in a state like Oklahoma that has a lot of TVs.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_03: It's not necessarily about the Lubbock market or the stillwater market, it's about being in that state.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_02: Excellent point.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_02: A lot of people are so caught up in a 10 to 20 year old idea that it's about the market they're in.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_02: And that's complete, that's for so far from the truth.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_02: It's about the brand, it's about how it's about their fan base, it's about their alumni base, it's about how many of their fans are gonna be turning on the TV to watch the game.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_02: It's not about how many people are in Lubbock.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, the people in Lubbock are watching Texas Tech, but it goes so on so far beyond that.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_02: I would, it's I don't think it's a hot take to say that Texas Tech has more fans than the University of Houston.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_02: So just because they're at Houston doesn't mean they have more fans.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_02: I would wager to say that the city of Houston cares more about AM and UT than it does the uh U of H.
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I'm not knocking on U of H, and I'm not saying they could potentially get to that point, but the idea that media markets matter that much is an antiquated idea.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_02: It's certainly about the the fan following and the states that they're in, not exactly the city that they're in.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, no, 100%.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_02: Rolls Alabama would be a nothing brand in Tuscaloosa.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_02: I think they're just stuck to Tuscaloosa.
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_03: Have any of y'all been to Tuscaloosa?
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_03: It's not great.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, it's it's in Alabama, it's a college town, it's fine, but it's not like Lovick has a hundred thousand people in it.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_02: So well, they wouldn't be adding the University of Oklahoma because of Norman.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_02: So it's it's it's all about the brand, it's all about the following.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_03: It's true.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_03: And I I did want to bring a point in, and and I needed to say this, I hate saying this.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_03: Texas AM was ahead of the game with all of this, and uh, it's a shame because at the point that they left for the SEC, we were very, very similar.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_03: We were right next to each other in terms of brand recognition, in terms of all that financially, everything.
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_03: And they have gone up and we have gone down since that whole thing happened.
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_03: And it it this is just to the point that we are falling behind and we need to pick it back up and we need to be selfish and think about what's best for us moving forward.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_03: We stuck by UT's side for far too long.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_03: AM did the right thing, getting away from UT's stranglehold now.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_03: And look at them, they are a uh they have only grown as a brand.
• 27:51
  SPEAKER_03: So I'm sorry, no, you're good.
• 27:54
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I was gonna say, no, I I agree with you as much as I hate the Aggies, and I hope we take their their same step.
• 28:00
  SPEAKER_02: Whenever they left the Big 12, TechSech did not vote to fight it.
• 28:03
  SPEAKER_02: They said, good luck, have fun.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_02: It's probably in it's a probably a good move.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_02: So um, and unfortunately, their success has come a bit out of at our expense because whenever they left, one, they're getting recruits better than we can now, and two, that means we brought in TCU, who has performed obviously very solidly in getting our recruits as well.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_02: That does not help, and the rise of baylor doesn't help either.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_02: We're unfortunately the furthest behind in the Power Five Texas League, and it shouldn't be like that.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and a lot of that has to do with the on-field product.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_02: If we start winning, all that changes everything.
• 28:37
  SPEAKER_02: There's no drug like winning.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_02: Winning always changes everything, everything.
• 28:42
  SPEAKER_02: So that's a that's on the that's on the school leadership as well.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_02: You know, obviously, firing Mike Leach put us into a depth that we unfortunately still have not crawled out of.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_02: It's been over 10 years now, and that's really disappointing.
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_02: So our leadership has failed us in that sense.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so we have to we have to hope that Matt Wells can hopefully put together some wins.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_02: But thankfully, even Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche uh journal has said wins don't matter when it comes to conference alignment.
• 29:06
  SPEAKER_02: It's all about the brand and what you bring to the table.
• 29:09
  SPEAKER_02: So, and I I think we're very lucky to say that Texas Tech is obviously the third most valuable brand in the state of Texas, where we look at everything that's not the win column.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_02: Because you know, you're looking at the school that has a huge enrollment, a huge fan base, and is backed up by a lot of money.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, TCU and Baylor are also backed up by a lot of money, but they don't bring that tier one research um education and all that, and they don't bring the huge fan base, they don't bring the huge enrollment.
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_02: We're talking about an uh elite private school in the sense that they're very expensive and just they're not exactly everybody's cup of tea.
• 29:40
  SPEAKER_02: You know, state schools just attract people better, so unless you're Notre Dame.
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_02: So, and for obvious reasons, it's just the the barrier to entry is much lower whenever you have affordable education.
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_02: So, um, but you you get what I'm trying to say.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, absolutely.
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_03: Um man, this whole thing is wild.
• 30:00
  SPEAKER_03: I I can't I can't believe that we started a podcast a year ago and now the Big 12 is falling apart.
• 30:07
  SPEAKER_02: I know, man.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_02: And I I think I think a lot of us initially were saying, like, hey, it's gonna be great to get out of the UT shadow.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_02: And I think we all kind of feel that way.
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_02: I I I think it's natural to be nervous for Texas Tech right now, too.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_02: Um, because we the our our future is uncertain.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_02: And and the the fact of the matter is UT and OU did put all of us in this position at the end of the day.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_02: So you could be mad at them.
• 30:28
  SPEAKER_02: I we know it's a business decision, but that business decision is gonna put a huge gut punch into a lot of local economies and a lot of tradition and a lot of fan bases, it's gonna hurt.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_03: So those those business decisions are ruining the sport, and that's and and that's not me saying that isn't gonna change anything, even if the head of ESPN starts saying, Well, I guess that would probably change something, but uh the more people that say that, it's just not gonna go back to what it was, it just isn't, and that's the depressing part of all this.
• 30:56
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm sorry to put you know, all y'all listening in a bad mood, but that's we need to grow with what how it's moving.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, the beauty of the college football is it it connects random places across the country to each other.
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_02: So, like if you're out of conference games, even in conference games, um and uh bowl games and all that, it's it's so fun to connect a city like Boise, Idaho, with a city like Riley, North Carolina.
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_02: You know, like that's so random, and it just brings two fan bases that are connected for football to have fun together.
• 31:25
  SPEAKER_02: And now, since everything, all of it's gonna be so conglomerated into the southeast, it's gonna become a southeastern sport.
• 31:31
  SPEAKER_02: And the less the rest of the country is gonna start to lose interest big time because they're gonna start building a wall.
• 31:36
  SPEAKER_02: And the speak the talk of it is eventually the SEC has got their eyes on making their own kind of league almost.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_02: They're looking to kind of surpass the NCAA and uh pretty much make theirs the end all be all.
• 31:46
  SPEAKER_02: And the losers in that is not just us out here who gonna have to have to find a sort of second-level thrive, or hopefully the P5 with the with the Pac-12.
• 31:55
  SPEAKER_02: Um, power conferences is not even gonna be a word anymore in a little bit.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it's just gonna be the SEC and everybody else.
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_02: The losers in this as well are the teams like South Carolina uh and and uh Mississippi State and Arkansas.
• 32:09
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you're gonna be in the richest conference, so you're always gonna be at the table with the big boys, but now you're gonna be looking at never being able to succeed ever again.
• 32:17
  SPEAKER_02: Like this just some of these some of these schools are gonna have the resources over you that they just you just cannot surpass.
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_02: So it's it's it ruins their tradition as well, and it's gonna they're gonna take a hit as well.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_02: Their wallets will be nice, but um at the end of the day, you've already seen that it's taking a hit with all of them.
• 32:32
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, those are all pretty, I mean, they've had good football programs in the past, and they just have not in the last 10 years.
• 32:37
  SPEAKER_03: It's kind of like us, except you know, they're in the SEC and we're not, and so we're not getting that paycheck.
• 32:44
  SPEAKER_03: But uh that's why I just want to move on to the Pac-12 and stay competitive and be in a power level conference.
• 32:52
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know what the term is gonna turn into, but just be in a conference with other teams that people will look upon as being the top of the sport.
• 33:01
  SPEAKER_02: For sure.
• 33:02
  SPEAKER_02: I definitely want to be in that conversation no matter what, because Tech's Tech has been in that conversation for well over half a century, like 80 years now.
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_02: So we we deserve a spot at the Big 12, uh of the big boy table.
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_02: You know, you step on our campus, you feel that energy, you feel that tradition, you see our stadium, you see our arena, and you and I don't know how who can look at that and say, Yeah, that's a G5 school.
• 33:23
  SPEAKER_02: You know, that's that's it's a huge stadium.
• 33:26
  SPEAKER_02: We'd be the biggest stadium in like any G5 league.
• 33:28
  SPEAKER_02: We'd have the biggest fan base in any G5 league.
• 33:31
  SPEAKER_03: With with the new additions that we have to campus, the womble, the new baseball facility that we're building, the the indoor track and field/slash football training center that we already have.
• 33:44
  SPEAKER_03: We are a massive university, we're a massive brand.
• 33:47
  SPEAKER_03: We do not need to fall behind.
• 33:49
  SPEAKER_03: So this is big on leadership in the in the next steps moving forward.
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, from President Skuvenek to Kirby Oka to all these people, the uh you know, the people that actually have a voice and a say in all this, uh, they need to do the right thing.
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely, man.
• 34:03
  SPEAKER_02: So uh I actually did all my notes before any of this broke out.
• 34:06
  SPEAKER_02: Should I share these notes with you about the next steps of what tech should do?
• 34:10
  SPEAKER_02: Sure.
• 34:11
  SPEAKER_02: Go ahead.
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_02: All right, man.
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_02: So as we know, UT and OU have made it official, and uh all the Big 12 teams have come out and said y'all are the worst.
• 34:19
  SPEAKER_02: So I kind of I kind of wrote out a list.
• 34:21
  SPEAKER_02: Like if I am the the head of the Big 12 or the tech or tech sec, this is what I do.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_02: It's you buy like we already had this conversation.
• 34:27
  SPEAKER_02: You buy time, you sue the heck out of UTOU and ESP and get every dime you can before this before this possibly implodes.
• 34:34
  SPEAKER_02: But if I'm Bob, this is what I do first.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_02: You put out feelers to other power five teams.
• 34:39
  SPEAKER_02: This you see it, perhaps there is interest of perhaps moving into a league where you have more power.
• 34:44
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe you can you can you can make establish yourself as a stronger brand.
• 34:48
  SPEAKER_02: I'm talking about maybe the Arizona schools.
• 34:50
  SPEAKER_02: I think the Pac-12 is in trouble now.
• 34:51
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe you're talking to Nebraska or Colorado again.
• 34:54
  SPEAKER_02: I don't think that's likely.
• 34:55
  SPEAKER_02: I'm just saying you you you lose nothing if you don't try.
• 34:58
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah, you should you should try.
• 35:01
  SPEAKER_03: I don't think I don't think it's uh any I don't think any of those schools are are even thinking about doing that.
• 35:06
  SPEAKER_02: But yeah, and and to get to get to my next point with that is the power the Big 12 is still gonna be recognized as a power five conference in the NCAA, even if you to you know you leave.
• 35:15
  SPEAKER_02: That puts us in a really strong position if you know the Pac-12 isn't something that works out, because this whole idea that the American's gonna pillage the Big 12 doesn't make any sense.
• 35:23
  SPEAKER_02: It's 100% gonna be the inverse.
• 35:25
  SPEAKER_02: I do not see any Big 12 team thinking that oh, it's over, let's call it quits, let's go make a fraction of what we do and be and can be forgotten as a brand in the American.
• 35:33
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so after that, you go you these are the schools you call tomorrow to make sure that it's to see if you you have someone backfill once you TNOU leave.
• 35:42
  SPEAKER_02: BYU.
• 35:43
  SPEAKER_02: You have to call BYU.
• 35:45
  SPEAKER_02: They are a national brand, they are a power five team in every way, sense of the form.
• 35:50
  SPEAKER_02: The only problem with them is their political baggage.
• 35:52
  SPEAKER_02: A lot of people are gonna have problems with their religious affiliation and what that belief system entails.
• 35:57
  SPEAKER_02: But I would I would encourage you to think that perhaps you're being hypocritical because we have Baylor and TCU in this conference as well.
• 36:04
  SPEAKER_02: It those they have the same baseline beliefs.
• 36:07
  SPEAKER_02: I understand there's a difference between Mormonism and Christianity, but the things that people are mad about match up.
• 36:12
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm I'm not saying you you you're right or wrong either way.
• 36:14
  SPEAKER_02: I'm just saying that if you have Baylor in the league, what leg do you have to stand on with trying to keep them out?
• 36:19
  SPEAKER_02: So and a lot of people are gonna say, kick Baylor out.
• 36:21
  SPEAKER_02: That's not how it works.
• 36:22
  SPEAKER_02: You can't just kick out teams because of their affiliation like that.
• 36:25
  SPEAKER_02: You have to wait.
• 36:26
  SPEAKER_03: And well, then you have to wait until the meteorites deal is over with to even think about doing that.
• 36:31
  SPEAKER_03: That's not until 2025, unless the whole thing disperses.
• 36:34
  SPEAKER_02: Even after that, I think Baylor is more valuable of a program than anything you could pick up.
• 36:37
  SPEAKER_02: And I'd rather play Baylor than anyone else we can bring in.
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_02: I'd rather play.
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_03: But now it's but now is TCU that is TCU as valuable of a program as a BYU or a Houston?
• 36:47
  SPEAKER_02: No, not at no, I think BYU is more valuable than both of them.
• 36:49
  SPEAKER_02: I'm not arguing you kick out those two for BYU.
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_02: I'm saying that BYU is the clear-cut, very high choice, is what I'm saying.
• 36:57
  SPEAKER_02: So I I do on if they're a large enrollment, they got great academics.
• 37:00
  SPEAKER_02: They're like the Notre Dame for Mormons.
• 37:02
  SPEAKER_02: So it's it's it would be a steal ad, and I know they want to be in it too.
• 37:06
  SPEAKER_02: So number two, you call UCF.
• 37:09
  SPEAKER_02: UCF has been put uh performing way too well.
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_02: They have 70,000 students at their school, they're the largest school in the in America.
• 37:15
  SPEAKER_02: I'm not ridiculous joking with you.
• 37:18
  SPEAKER_02: You you immediately get a huge fan base in Florida that injects the some passion into the fan base, too, if they're thinking they're making it step up, which it is.
• 37:25
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and you plant your flag in Florida, you got Orlando, because a lot of people have criticized the Big 12 for not being in big cities.
• 37:30
  SPEAKER_02: I know you and I just talked about media markets, um, but it it is nice to have bigger cities within the conference as well, not just small college towns.
• 37:37
  SPEAKER_02: Um, the next city you call the next city, the next team you call is Cincinnati.
• 37:42
  SPEAKER_02: Cincinnati is also a uh a school that deserves a power five invite if if all falls apart.
• 37:48
  SPEAKER_02: You get into Ohio, they'd be the second power five team in Ohio.
• 37:51
  SPEAKER_02: They're competitive in all sports, they have a great football and basketball tradition.
• 37:56
  SPEAKER_02: So it's it's another huge enrollment, very big school, probably the biggest second biggest in Ohio.
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_02: I didn't look that into it, but I would assume so.
• 38:03
  SPEAKER_02: And it gives West Virginia a closer ally.
• 38:05
  SPEAKER_02: They have someone that drive, they have somewhere to drive to.
• 38:07
  SPEAKER_02: Don't forget that West Virginia is still in this conference, and I don't think they're a shoe-in for the ACC either because they tried last time and it didn't work out for them.
• 38:13
  SPEAKER_02: Um, number this is where I start to kind of get uh flip-floppy is Houston.
• 38:21
  SPEAKER_02: You know, Houston again, they deserve it.
• 38:24
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm I hate to be jerked to Houston and all that, but does it do Texas Tech, TCU, and Baylor any favors to put Houston in the same playing ground as us?
• 38:36
  SPEAKER_03: This is the whole this is the whole argument that AM was saying when they didn't want UT in the comrades, right?
• 38:40
  SPEAKER_03: They want to be the only Texas team in the SEC, just like if we had a choice, we would be the only Texas team in the Big 12.
• 38:47
  SPEAKER_03: But uh, we don't have much ground to stand on with that.
• 38:49
  SPEAKER_03: But adding another Texas team doesn't do a ton for us right now.
• 38:53
  SPEAKER_02: It doesn't, but you also you also get a little more command and recruiting in Houston, so players get to come go home to play in their home stadium and all that.
• 39:01
  SPEAKER_02: I know that that that does matter, but obviously the best players are still gonna go to AM, LSU, UT, and all that.
• 39:07
  SPEAKER_02: That's not the argument we're trying to make.
• 39:08
  SPEAKER_02: We're trying to salvage as much as we can to kind of beat off anybody else in Houston.
• 39:12
  SPEAKER_02: So there's a good argument there, and it is an interesting matchup for the for the remaining Texas schools.
• 39:18
  SPEAKER_02: It would be fun to have Houston come to Lubbock and and Waco and all that because it is a strong brand, they do deserve it, and they got the shaft last time the Southwestern Conference fell apart.
• 39:28
  SPEAKER_02: They probably should have been in the Big 12 over Baylor, they were doing really well, they have a bigger fan base.
• 39:33
  SPEAKER_02: Politics got Baylor in over U of H.
• 39:35
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so they do.
• 39:37
  SPEAKER_02: I think that is a great fallback.
• 39:39
  SPEAKER_02: I also have down some others to consider is Boise State.
• 39:43
  SPEAKER_02: Um, very, very exciting brand.
• 39:45
  SPEAKER_02: People love Boise State.
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_02: I don't think there's a person out there that hates Boise State, and they seem to stay competitive in football at all times.
• 39:50
  SPEAKER_02: Once they kind of got going, their trade hasn't stopped.
• 39:53
  SPEAKER_02: They've ruled the Mountain West, and they're not very happy in the Mountain West at this point.
• 39:56
  SPEAKER_02: They do think that perhaps they are dragging the conference along with their consistent success and TV time.
• 40:02
  SPEAKER_02: They actually have their own independent media contract separated from the Mountain West because of that.
• 40:07
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so I think that'd be a fun perhaps look at because they're they're kind of close to BYU.
• 40:11
  SPEAKER_02: Idaho has a large Mormon population as well.
• 40:14
  SPEAKER_02: Uh so yeah, that's kind of a fun mix in.
• 40:16
  SPEAKER_02: Please interrupt me anytime you want to comment about any of these schools because we're just gonna keep going, otherwise.
• 40:20
  SPEAKER_03: No, I mean, I think I think your top three for sure are the three to look at.
• 40:24
  SPEAKER_03: And then once you get to four, like you said, it gets a little dicey.
• 40:27
  SPEAKER_03: Do you want Boise?
• 40:28
  SPEAKER_03: Do you want Houston?
• 40:29
  SPEAKER_03: I'm sure you're gonna mention Memphis, I'm sure you're gonna mention a few others that uh you know.
• 40:34
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I yeah, I think you're right.
• 40:36
  SPEAKER_03: Those three, those first three, and then the fourth one is kind of do, but I wanted to ask you this before you name the other ones.
• 40:42
  SPEAKER_03: Do you how many teams do you add?
• 40:44
  SPEAKER_02: I think you add four.
• 40:45
  SPEAKER_02: I think you go to 12 first.
• 40:47
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 40:47
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I I think I think getting panicking and going 14 to 16, I think you oversaturate the league way too quickly.
• 40:53
  SPEAKER_02: I think you kind of ease into it.
• 40:55
  SPEAKER_02: I think you get you get the schools that you think will have lasting, lasting value to the conference.
• 41:00
  SPEAKER_02: You know, you need you need schools that put put a lot of money and support into the programs because you don't want to pull into pull in a a team that's just gonna get there.
• 41:08
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, they're doing well right now, but what about in five, six, 10 years?
• 41:12
  SPEAKER_02: How are they doing then?
• 41:12
  SPEAKER_02: Are they still putting all the effort in it that they are right now?
• 41:15
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, I think that's what we got to look for.
• 41:16
  SPEAKER_02: And that's why I'm saying these are schools you call first, and then everything, everybody else you kind of play out and see.
• 41:21
  SPEAKER_02: I think you go to 11 or 12.
• 41:23
  SPEAKER_02: I think I think that's what you should try to do first.
• 41:25
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and then you could be the Big 12 again.
• 41:28
  SPEAKER_03: Wow, what a what a weird concept.
• 41:30
  SPEAKER_03: 12 teams and the Big 12.
• 41:32
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I mean, I and here's some other ones that I thought perhaps you should you could consider that you should kind of do the auditions again, is is SMU.
• 41:39
  SPEAKER_02: You know, they've proven a lot lately.
• 41:41
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and you do maintain that sort of Texas drive-able competitive league that that garters a lot of interest within the state.
• 41:48
  SPEAKER_02: It's a smaller school, unfortunately.
• 41:49
  SPEAKER_02: And we were talking about how the border entry to TCU and Baylor is bad, it's it's much higher with SMU.
• 41:55
  SPEAKER_02: So it's it's certainly on the outer edge of what I look at, but it it would be a fun matchup.
• 42:01
  SPEAKER_02: I think bringing SMU to Lubbock is pretty fun, you know.
• 42:03
  SPEAKER_02: Like that's an old Southwest conference rivalry.
• 42:06
  SPEAKER_02: So and that's kind of what I'm throwing out there.
• 42:08
  SPEAKER_02: Memphis, like you said, you got you got Memphis in Tennessee and S.
• 42:12
  SPEAKER_03: Just put in just put in like 60 million dollars or whatever to renovate their football or basketball stadium, something like that.
• 42:18
  SPEAKER_03: So they're auditioning.
• 42:20
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, I'm saying Memphis may not be that bad of an option.
• 42:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, exactly.
• 42:25
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I I think perhaps they should be a little higher on this.
• 42:27
  SPEAKER_02: I'm not real, I'm not even doing it in order at this point.
• 42:29
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 42:30
  SPEAKER_02: The first to call were kind of my order.
• 42:32
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but uh Memphis, you know, famous, famously good at basketball.
• 42:36
  SPEAKER_02: And they they're renovating the Liberty Bowl, which needs a lot of work.
• 42:39
  SPEAKER_02: It's just a concrete dome right right now.
• 42:41
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and uh they they've been very good in football.
• 42:45
  SPEAKER_02: Tennessee has not scheduled them, bit of Banderville has not scheduled them, they don't want to schedule them.
• 42:49
  SPEAKER_02: So they they they just beat Ole Miss last time they came to town.
• 42:51
  SPEAKER_02: They're a very competitive team, they're a top of the American.
• 42:54
  SPEAKER_02: I think you should definitely take a look at them.
• 42:56
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and they're it's a pretty big school.
• 42:58
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, so I it's and it's also, like I said, in the middle of the SEC territory.
• 43:02
  SPEAKER_02: They can kind of break into a bit, kind of disrupt that a bit.
• 43:05
  SPEAKER_02: Um, Colorado State.
• 43:07
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, I'd rather Colorado, obviously, but Colorado State, they it's a lot of students, it's a lot of it's there's a lot of support there.
• 43:14
  SPEAKER_02: The stadium's very nice, the athletics, it's nice, but the product has not been the best.
• 43:19
  SPEAKER_02: They haven't been very good in a while.
• 43:21
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so it's it's it's yeah, you're looking at potential and the potentials there, but you'd also like to see a little more stability immediately.
• 43:27
  SPEAKER_02: For sure.
• 43:28
  SPEAKER_02: Also, I hear said a couple wild cards.
• 43:30
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, here's a wild card, is like San Diego State.
• 43:33
  SPEAKER_02: I think yeah, I was I was gonna mention them actually.
• 43:35
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, they they've they've skyrocketed and they have a very big school and they're building themselves their own football stadium, so they don't have to play in that crazy that charger stadium anymore.
• 43:44
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it looks like they're really making a true effort to become an athletic department in California, which is which is cool to see.
• 43:49
  SPEAKER_02: So I think I think that kind of breaks into the West Coast, as a little intrigue, give San Diego into a strange or weird ass conference that we'd have.
• 43:57
  SPEAKER_02: And uh he's he's Here's all of the emergency for whatever reason.
• 44:01
  SPEAKER_02: You can't get any of these emergencies.
• 44:03
  SPEAKER_02: Southern Florida, Tulane, Tulsa, New Mexico, Wyoming.
• 44:06
  SPEAKER_02: Just whatever.
• 44:07
  SPEAKER_02: You know, like I don't think we'd ever get to that point.
• 44:09
  SPEAKER_02: But you didn't have Akron?
• 44:10
  SPEAKER_02: No zips?
• 44:11
  SPEAKER_02: No, no Acron.
• 44:12
  SPEAKER_02: No Mac.
• 44:13
  SPEAKER_02: No Mac teams.
• 44:14
  SPEAKER_02: No Mac?
• 44:15
  SPEAKER_02: No, no, no.
• 44:15
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 44:16
  SPEAKER_02: Well, that's but I already brought up the Pac 20.
• 44:20
  SPEAKER_02: So that was those were my notes.
• 44:22
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I I just because I thought that's what we're gonna be talking about this episode, because I don't think the Pac-12 is a certain thing.
• 44:28
  SPEAKER_02: I feel good about it, but I don't think it's it's like 100% gonna happen.
• 44:32
  SPEAKER_02: I think we gotta have options to retain the league because it's our second best choice.
• 44:36
  SPEAKER_02: If we can't get into the pack, I don't think we're going to the ACC or Big Ten.
• 44:39
  SPEAKER_02: So I this is our best option to keep the eight together and then uh add BYU, please, and and these others that have proven themselves to be consistent winners.
• 44:49
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I mean, I would much rather steal than join the American.
• 44:53
  SPEAKER_02: That is one thousand percent.
• 44:55
  SPEAKER_03: That is a given, especially if all this stuff does end up being true about ESPN and the American and the SEC all kind of teaming up for a uh to destroy the Big 12, which would just be awful.
• 45:07
  SPEAKER_02: I I I really hate to think of the repercussions of Texas Tech if we're in the American.
• 45:13
  SPEAKER_02: It's painful to think about it, because obviously, one, I'd want us to be a perennial leader in that conference, but two, it's just how badly does that tarnish the brand, you know, like to to to accept that you're on the same level as U of H, SMU, Tulsa, Tulane.
• 45:30
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I think Texas Tech would like to think of themselves as a big boy because I think we are, and those aren't necessarily big boys.
• 45:36
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe U of H is, but it's it just doesn't do us any favors being there.
• 45:41
  SPEAKER_03: Well, and this just comes this just comes back to show how much football matters.
• 45:45
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, it's seriously, it's the sport, it's like it's like four-fifths of the whole thing.
• 45:51
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, uh, basketball's a big part of it, but not nearly as much as football.
• 45:56
  SPEAKER_03: And we've had a more than solid basketball program the last few years, more than solid baseball program, but ultimately in the grand scheme of things, football is what gets you the recognition.
• 46:07
  SPEAKER_02: 100%.
• 46:08
  SPEAKER_02: That's and it's what pays for all the other sports.
• 46:10
  SPEAKER_02: Thankfully, at Texas Tech, we have a basketball program that pays for itself, which is not common, that's not very common.
• 46:16
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but outside of that, you know, baseball as successful as we be have been, and you sell it out all the time, it's hard to supplement that at too with all the travel.
• 46:23
  SPEAKER_02: So these are huge teams with lots of equipment that you need to pay for to move them around.
• 46:27
  SPEAKER_02: And college baseball just doesn't have the same sort of paycheck that basketball and football have.
• 46:31
  SPEAKER_03: They also play so much, they play so many games.
• 46:34
  SPEAKER_03: That's all that costs everywhere.
• 46:35
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, that's ridiculous.
• 46:37
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 46:38
  SPEAKER_02: So that's not a reflection on the baseball team.
• 46:40
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so we gotta make sure that we put ourselves in the best position to move forward in the Pac-12s.
• 46:45
  SPEAKER_02: That it's a great football, basketball, and baseball league compared to the other options.
• 46:50
  SPEAKER_02: So, and I think Tex Tech can win there.
• 46:52
  SPEAKER_02: I'm I'm ready to see some more W's on our schedule.
• 46:55
  SPEAKER_02: I'm tired of being blown out being blown out by OU.
• 46:58
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it is getting old.
• 47:00
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, so it's it's gonna be nice to kind of shake it up, give TechStech a fresh start, and see what kind of noise we can make somewhere else.
• 47:06
  SPEAKER_02: It's time for us to stand on our two legs.
• 47:08
  SPEAKER_02: We don't need UT.
• 47:09
  SPEAKER_03: No, we don't.
• 47:10
  SPEAKER_03: I'm so like of all this, and you mentioned it earlier.
• 47:13
  SPEAKER_03: I'm so I'm happy to get off of their stranglehold on us because they have had it since we have been at university, and uh, it'll just be nice to get away from them for once.
• 47:25
  SPEAKER_02: For sure.
• 47:25
  SPEAKER_02: So it's gonna be funny seeing AM and UT bicker for real now.
• 47:29
  SPEAKER_02: Uh it's not gonna be out of any of those crap anymore.
• 47:32
  SPEAKER_02: But um, I I still think that Tex Tech's gonna be fine.
• 47:36
  SPEAKER_02: And obviously, this podcast isn't going anywhere, we're not going anywhere.
• 47:40
  SPEAKER_02: Tex Tech could be playing in the sun belt, and I'm still gonna be a diehard fan.
• 47:43
  SPEAKER_03: Sun belt, fun belt, baby.
• 47:45
  SPEAKER_03: Texas state, Texas State, Texas Tech.
• 47:48
  SPEAKER_03: Let's not have that game.
• 47:49
  SPEAKER_02: Obviously, obviously, us and the listeners, our fandom doesn't depend on who we play.
• 47:54
  SPEAKER_02: We love Texas Tech, it has nothing to do with that.
• 47:57
  SPEAKER_02: So obviously, the tradition is who you play and adds to the excitement.
• 48:01
  SPEAKER_02: But I at this point, I just hope we can forge a new future that's even more fun.
• 48:05
  SPEAKER_02: You know, there's yeah, playing UT and YoU is fun, but winning and making it making your your brand different is even more fun.
• 48:13
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, all that ended in 2011.
• 48:15
  SPEAKER_03: So we need to grow and we need to realize that.
• 48:18
  SPEAKER_03: So come on, tech.
• 48:19
  SPEAKER_03: It's kidded or done, Scooby and curbs.
• 48:23
  SPEAKER_02: All right, man.
• 48:24
  SPEAKER_02: I think that's this was like just one long rant.
• 48:27
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, no, but it was good.
• 48:28
  SPEAKER_03: That's I mean, it's just giving you an update on what all's going on, our opinions on it.
• 48:33
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, sorry if we sounded a little doomer at some points, uh, a little down in the dumps, but uh it is uncertain, and y'all need to realize that it is uncertain.
• 48:42
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but I uh we do we're positive about the direction of Texas Tech, where we're going.
• 48:47
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, so you know, we'll just see what's to come, and we'll we will get back to our regularly scheduled programming starting next week, talking about some defensive backs at Texas Tech.
• 48:59
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, and then we'll go linebackers, defensive line, all that fun stuff until football season starts.
• 49:03
  SPEAKER_03: Because no matter what happens, we are playing a Big 12 schedule this football season.
• 49:09
  SPEAKER_02: So, how funny would it be if we like held OU and UT actually to 2025?
• 49:14
  SPEAKER_03: The that would be great, it'd be hilarious.
• 49:17
  SPEAKER_03: I think OU and UT are going to get the most crap at away games this season.
• 49:23
  SPEAKER_03: They are going to absolutely hear it from Iowa State, from Tech, from Baylor, from uh Kansas State, from Kansas, all that all the five Kansas football fans.
• 49:35
  SPEAKER_03: But uh, yeah, I mean they're gonna they're gonna get an earful.
• 49:39
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 49:40
  SPEAKER_02: I I'm looking forward to it.
• 49:41
  SPEAKER_02: I'm I'm looking forward to the to the heckling on the farewell tour.
• 49:44
  SPEAKER_02: So uh it's a new era, it's a new dawn and an uncertain time for the sport.
• 49:48
  SPEAKER_02: And and on the side, the thing is we keep talking about football, it also affects basketball.
• 49:53
  SPEAKER_02: Like even college basketball is changing at this point, too, because it's following college football.
• 49:57
  SPEAKER_03: So uh that's really that's something that's going under the radar is the Big 12 dispersing is so bad for college basketball.
• 50:04
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, that is the strongest.
• 50:06
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, I know the ACC has the pedigree, but we have been the best conference to college basketball, top to bottom, the last at least five to ten years.
• 50:15
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's gonna be really depressing.
• 50:16
  SPEAKER_02: And these it's such a fun league.
• 50:18
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I'm always excited to play everybody too, you know.
• 50:21
  SPEAKER_02: Even if it's Kansas, lol Kansas, they're blue blood in basketball in Kansas State.
• 50:25
  SPEAKER_02: They're they're solid as well.
• 50:26
  SPEAKER_02: Everyone is solid, so it's it's gonna be sad.
• 50:29
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but maybe maybe we'll be talking about playing UCLA, which is really cool too.
• 50:33
  SPEAKER_03: That's big time.
• 50:34
  SPEAKER_03: If a Bill Walton again, if Bill Walton's calling our games, I am so excited.
• 50:38
  SPEAKER_03: I want to hear that goofy MF or call and say something about Lubick and how he did peyote in the middle of Palo Duro or something.
• 50:49
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, the content will be sublime, and it's also a strong baseball conference.
• 50:53
  SPEAKER_02: So um we have we have a lot to look forward to.
• 50:55
  SPEAKER_02: Thankfully, we've got a lot of um uh inventory at TechStech University, even if the wins aren't on the football field.
• 51:01
  SPEAKER_02: We have a lot to offer otherwise.
• 51:03
  SPEAKER_02: So I feel good about it, guys.
• 51:04
  SPEAKER_02: We're gonna land on our feet no matter what.
• 51:06
  SPEAKER_02: So let's keep our heads up.
• 51:08
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, just but I'm gonna I'm I'm in full-blown hate ESB and UTOU mode.
• 51:14
  SPEAKER_03: Yep, absolutely, me too.
• 51:15
  SPEAKER_03: All right, man.
• 51:16
  SPEAKER_03: Let's end her off with some songs of the week, like we do every single week.
• 51:22
  SPEAKER_03: This one, because Bob Bowlesby, as soon as he got the news that OU and Texas were leaving, went straight to the bar and had himself a beverage.
• 51:30
  SPEAKER_03: We are gonna talk about our bar songs of the week, which is basically just kind of like you go into a bar and the music starts coming on, and you I don't know about you, but I have like this fun, like it would be super fun if like a song that everybody came on and everybody in the bar just starts singing it.
• 51:47
  SPEAKER_03: That's what I envisioned for this song of the week.
• 51:49
  SPEAKER_03: Something you want to listen to when you're drinking, you're out with the people.
• 51:54
  SPEAKER_02: I I feel that, and the easy answer is Red Raider coming at you.
• 51:58
  SPEAKER_07: Red Raider coming at you with a free of Texas win.
• 52:06
  SPEAKER_07: Red Raider coming at you on a beautiful Red Raider is right again.
• 52:19
  SPEAKER_03: For Texas Tech fans, maybe.
• 52:21
  SPEAKER_02: I'm just I'm just joshing.
• 52:22
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I'm gonna go with an absolute classic.
• 52:24
  SPEAKER_02: My favorite drinking song of all time.
• 52:26
  SPEAKER_02: I think it's the best drinking song of all time.
• 52:29
  SPEAKER_02: I know there's some real competitors out there, but it's five o'clock somewhere.
• 52:32
  SPEAKER_02: Alan Jackson, Jimmy Buffett.
• 52:33
  SPEAKER_02: I know that's it's a basic answer, but you ask me what what my favorite song to hear while I'm drinking, and that's it.
• 52:39
  SPEAKER_02: Uh it you it is by far my favorite drinking song.
• 52:47
  SPEAKER_06: Make it a hurricane before I go and sleep.
• 52:51
  SPEAKER_06: It's only half past twelve, but I don't care.
• 52:57
  SPEAKER_03: It's five o'clock somewhere.
• 53:00
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, absolutely.
• 53:01
  SPEAKER_03: That's a good one.
• 53:02
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, you cannot go wrong with Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett.
• 53:06
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, you really can't.
• 53:07
  SPEAKER_03: That's a classic.
• 53:08
  SPEAKER_03: There's nothing more I can say about it.
• 53:10
  SPEAKER_03: Are you gonna follow up with a classic, or do you got uh a different one?
• 53:14
  SPEAKER_03: No, I have a classic.
• 53:15
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, with these type of songs, bar songs, drinking songs, you need something that the people know.
• 53:21
  SPEAKER_03: My song of the week is only wanna be with you by Hootie and the Blowfish.
• 53:25
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, just a classic.
• 53:27
  SPEAKER_03: It's just such a jam, obviously.
• 53:29
  SPEAKER_03: Hootie, Darius Rucker's band before he became a solo artist.
• 53:33
  SPEAKER_03: He still performs with him occasionally.
• 53:35
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, it's such a jam.
• 53:36
  SPEAKER_03: Only Wanna Be With You.
• 53:37
  SPEAKER_03: It's it's that's my song of the week.
• 53:39
  unknown: I don't want to love you, but you wanna win my ring.
• 53:43
  SPEAKER_07: Well, there's nothing I can do.
• 53:47
  SPEAKER_07: I only want to be with you.
• 53:52
  SPEAKER_02: Great, easy 90s pop song.
• 53:55
  SPEAKER_02: That's and it's just yeah, that's that's that's a good one, dude.
• 53:57
  SPEAKER_02: It kind of contrast with mine.
• 53:59
  SPEAKER_02: So, but two very happy upbeat drinking songs.
• 54:01
  SPEAKER_02: It is it is the weekend.
• 54:02
  SPEAKER_02: We are recording recording this on a Friday, so I'm gonna go ahead and take advantage of those two.
• 54:07
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, absolutely.
• 54:08
  SPEAKER_03: Well, we're moving this weekend, so we're not gonna be uh taking all that advantage of, but uh, we are excited to get to the new place, but uh uh just just not gonna be having as much fun as we could have.
• 54:19
  SPEAKER_02: Well, y'all are moving down the street, okay?
• 54:20
  SPEAKER_02: You're making it act like you're you're you're crossing states here.
• 54:23
  SPEAKER_03: It's still it's still always more than what you think it is.
• 54:26
  SPEAKER_03: Like we keep packing boxes and we're like, we do not have this much stuff.
• 54:30
  SPEAKER_02: Moving is such a pain in the butt.
• 54:32
  SPEAKER_02: I hate it so much.
• 54:33
  SPEAKER_02: You know, being a being a young professional, you do it so much.
• 54:36
  SPEAKER_02: So it's ridiculous.
• 54:38
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 54:39
  SPEAKER_02: Well, good luck to that.
• 54:40
  SPEAKER_02: The good thing about moving is you you get these totally qualified moving drinks, so yeah, absolutely.
• 54:46
  SPEAKER_03: The course lights kind of um, but all right, man, we're gonna end it off like we always do with some plugs.
• 54:52
  SPEAKER_03: You can follow both me and Tristan on Twitter.
• 54:54
  SPEAKER_03: Tristan is at Tristan Mick.
• 54:55
  SPEAKER_03: I'm at L underscore S underscore Rodriguez.
• 54:57
  SPEAKER_03: You can follow the pod on Twitter at talking tech pod.
• 55:00
  SPEAKER_03: We're almost at 700 followers.
• 55:02
  SPEAKER_03: Hit that follow button.
• 55:03
  SPEAKER_03: You can always rate and review and subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts and on Spotify.
• 55:11
  SPEAKER_03: You can follow our Songs of the Week playlist.
• 55:13
  SPEAKER_03: It is on Apple Music and Spotify as well.
• 55:16
  SPEAKER_03: You can send us, I think I'm gonna make a new email because my email for the pod is being spammed by so many different weird accounts now.
• 55:24
  SPEAKER_03: So I think we're gonna get a new email for you for if y'all want to send us your uh DM us.
• 55:29
  SPEAKER_03: Uh yeah, DM us on Twitter.
• 55:31
  SPEAKER_03: Like, send us, like just talk to us, and uh you can always interact with us, we'll interact back.
• 55:36
  SPEAKER_03: So uh we're gonna end it off like always, always Wreck Em Tech.
• 55:39
  SPEAKER_04: Wreck'em Tech.
• 55:40
  SPEAKER_04: Uh wow.
• 55:41
  SPEAKER_04: First of all, uh got a lot of respect for Steven and Tristan.
• 55:47
  SPEAKER_04: Uh their program, tough guys, just uh a lot of fun.
• 55:51
  SPEAKER_00: I love the game of basketball, but I also love West Texas, and I love Stephen and Tristan.
• 55:56
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm extremely proud.
• 55:57
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I don't know where we go from here.
• 55:59
  SPEAKER_00: I'm I think I'm just gonna sit back down.
• 56:01
  SPEAKER_00: It's just not getting better than this.
• 56:03
  SPEAKER_01: I just want to tell Steven and Tristan thanks for coming out.
• 56:07
  SPEAKER_05: The energy uh was really, really good in there today.
• 56:10
  SPEAKER_05: Uh we fed off of it.
• 56:11
  SPEAKER_05: I think it goes back and forth, but tremendous.
• 56:14
  SPEAKER_05: Uh great job, and um, you know, just just proud of our guys for the way they responded.