CSU to Big 12? What Rams need to move into Power 5

Colorado State Rams fans are ready for their school to climb up and out of the Mountain West and into a Power 5 conference.

You can tell by looking on twitter, where @CSUtoBig10 and @CSUtoBig12 are accounts fans have created to promote the school’s athletic programs and their desire to move up.

Of course, a move into the Power 5 would bring an opportunity to compete in the bigger, nationally televised bowl games and even to compete for a national championship. For now, those are just dreams which cannot be fulfilled.

On Sunday, Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated pondered “What’s next for the Big 12?” Will they be expanding and go from 10 teams to 12? Will they be adding a conference championship game? Could they be creating a television network?

“I think the next few months are vital for us,” Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby told Thamel of SI.com. “We’ll begin to see a few more pieces of the puzzle and undertake a more thorough assessment of what our opinions are.”

Simply, the Big 12 has to figure out if a larger conference is, indeed, more profitable than a smaller one. And, while it seems to make sense to simply add two more teams, the Big 12 has offered up a legislative amendment which will be voted on Jan. 15 by the 10 FBS conferences; they want to waive the need for 12 teams in a conference to have a championship game. That would mean only needing 10 teams for a championship, which would immediately impact and aid the Big 12.

If the amendment goes through, it would mean no real need by the conference to expand. If it’s shot down, they could be looking to add two more teams; would one of them be Colorado State?

Simply, CSU seems like a long shot to make it into the Big 12. But, they were mentioned by Thamel, meaning they’re on the radar, at least.

So, what does Colorado State need to do – specifically in football – to move up to the Big 12?

First and foremost, they need to win. Between the departed Jim McElwain, who set up the school with a culture of winning and talented players, and now the addition of Mike Bobo, who set a school record for wins in his first season (7); victories are coming. This isn’t a down in the dumps program, this is a Rams team on the rise. For a third straight season we’re here in a new stadium – this time, Arizona’s – for a bowl game, and CSU can win a second in three tries if they knock off Nevada this evening.

Second, the Rams need a bigger stadium. Well, it’s on the way. Still, will the on-campus stadium be big enough? With a capacity of “over 40,000” when including standing room only “seats”, Colorado State’s would still be the smallest of any in the Big 12. McLane Stadium, the new home of the Baylor Bears, and TCU’s Amon Carter Stadium each seat 45,000, or 5,000 more than the new home of Rams football will fit. Plus, Colorado State’s attendance numbers have been less than spectacular, even with winning as of late. In this 2015 season, Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium saw an average attendance of 24,917; capacity is 32,500. Some believe the new stadium’s opening in 2017 will help attendance numbers, but that could only be on a short-term basis.

Finally, the most important thing Colorado State needs to move into the Big 12 is a regional partner. For now, Brigham Young and Cincinnati seem to be the odds on favorites to join the conference, if they do decide to expand. Well, BYU would be a perfect regional partner for CSU, if everything were to somehow fall into place. Not only is BYU located just next door in Utah, but they and Colorado State have a history of playing one another and not liking one another. BYU holds the all-time lead with a 39-27-3 record against the Aggies/Rams, but the last time the two played each other was 2010, the Cougars’ last in the Mountain West.

So, could Colorado State make the jump from the MW to the Big 12? Certainly! Will they? Many things will have to fall into place for it to actually happen.

Still, Rams fans should feel encouraged their school is being mentioned in expansion talks by the national media, and if everything comes together like a perfect storm, Colorado State could see their dreams come true.