Column: CSU to Big XII? Keep dreaming big, Ram fans

“Dream on, dream on, dream on, dream until your dreams come true.”

Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler may be a once-wild rock star, but his advice should be adored, just as his first hit single “Dream On” is by music fans the world over.

Colorado State Rams fans have a reason to dream big; they’ve seen massive improvements take place in an incredibly short period of time.

Jack Graham’s legacy as Athletic Director will be defined by being the visionary who introduced the fans, coaches and likely even President Tony Frank to the idea of building a brand new, on-campus stadium. He must also be thanked for hiring some of the top coaches in college sports, including Jim McElwain. Over McElwain’s four seasons the Rams football team went from 7-17 his first two years combined and improved to 18-9 the last two, with two bowl berths.

Ram fans have been reminded what a winning football program is all about over the last two seasons, and with ground being broken on the new stadium this summer, fans understand their state-of-the-art facility is only two years away.

So, why not continue those big dreams?

Currently, backers of the green and gold are hoping the Big XII comes calling, seeing the new stadium and Colorado State’s dedication to excellence not only in the realm of athletics but in the classroom as well.

The Big XII is at least exploring expansion following the loss of multiple teams to other conferences, leaving only 10 teams and no conference championship. Adding two teams would give them 12, they could break it into divisions and have the divisional winner play one another for the Big XII championship. That championship game would bring in lots of extra revenue through television and corporate sponsorship, benefiting the league.

They’re already one of the Power 5 Conferences, but with their peers boasting bigger conferences – the SEC is 14 teams, Pac-12 is a dozen – the Big XII wants to keep up.

Plus, it just makes sense for the Big XII to have 12 teams.

So, which teams are potential targets?

Dave Sittler, a journalist covering the conference for 40 years, said this a month ago:

Sources: If Big 12 expands, look for Houston to top candidates list not BYU. Probably a pipe dream, but Big 12 would love a Nebraska return.

— Dave Sittler (@DaveSittler) June 27, 2015

Houston makes sense due to the football fanatics in Texas and the massive television opportunities. Plus, Texas, Texas Tech, TCU and Baylor are already part of the conference. Nebraska was mentioned at Big XII media day by Bill Snyder of Kansas State, but there’s no chance of that happening. The Orlando Sentinel – among others – believe BYU would be a great choice but Sittler argues the location is part of the issue.

Location among obstacles for BYU. Cincy makes more sense because of location. https://t.co/6jOakGKy3g

— Dave Sittler (@DaveSittler) June 27, 2015

So, add Cincinnati to the list. And the University of Central Florida. And USF. And Boise State. And Memphis.

Where does that leave Colorado State? Pretty far down the list, it seems.

In fact, few examine CSU as a possible Big XII expansion school. Sports Cheat Sheet does, ranking the Rams No. 3 behind BYU and Houston, citing the Colorado State’s “less than stellar attendance record.” ESPN throws the Rams a bone, too, citing the $200M stadium being built.

But what else makes CSU a great fit? Fort Collins has been ranked as one of the top places to live, one of the greatest college towns and a place outdoor people absolutely love. The quality of life in FoCo is quite high, a gem in the Rocky Mountains fans from Texas will want to travel to.

Colorado State has not only dedicated money to the football stadium, but to hiring quality coaches across sports as well as improving Moby Arena in recent years. And, the university has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into upgrading and creating new classrooms, a new Lory Student Center, re-designing the West Lawn as well as overhauling the dorm facilities for students.

How do the Rams make it into the Big XII? The conference adds the Rams and either BYU or Boise State, making for an automatic rivalry between those teams and each are in the mountain time zone.

It seems slim at the moment, but could happen. You never know.

So keep dreaming big, Rams fans.