Daily Bears Reports 8/8: Big XII Expansion; CampBU

Expansion

From NBC Sports, New Mexico is throwing it’s hat into the Big XII expansion ring already brimming with hats from other programs also looking to join the league.

New Mexico president Robert G. Frank penned a letter to Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby shortly after the Big 12’s expansion announcement, toting the Lobos’ credentials to join the league.

Writes Frank:

“Sports reporters, ESPN broadcasters, and all the other outlets are advancing many names for possible Big 12 expansion. None of those universities or colleges can match the athletic and academic prowess of The University of New Mexico (UNM), a school which is not only within the Big 12’s regional footprint, but is a research institution with a diverse student population and a rich cultural history. UNM fits the core values of the conference’s peer institutions, and has a collegiate fan base and media base to match.”

SBNation also carries the story here.

Some of New Mexico’s arguments, as outlined in the president’s letter:

New Mexico is a big researcher. Frank cites the Center for World University rankings, which, according to him, suggests UNM would be second in the Big 12 in "research productivity," only behind Texas.

New Mexico has a bunch of well regarded academic programs, including a medical school, a law school and a fine arts program.

The Albuquerque-Santa Fe media market is 48th in the country.

"UNM’s athletic facilities are modern and constantly evolving," including renovations to a basketball arena and the installation of "the largest scoreboard in the Mountain West."

New Mexico would have finished fifth in the Big 12 in the Director’s Cup standings in 2011-12.

Here’s another SBNation Article that missed previous Daily Bear Reports but since where talking expansion, now is a good time to reference it. Can Oklahoma and Texas work together in Big XII expansion?

CampBU

Another Meet the Bears video from Baylor vision that somehow did not get loaded up to YouTube has Trayvon Blanchard and Patrick Levels interviewing fans and players during the Meet the Bears event. You can access this video through this link here.

Sic ‘em Bears!