If CSU goes to the Big XII, the Big XII is clearly headed towards an implosion. If CSU is seen as additive, it means that the Big XII is truly in trouble. It also means that they are stupid; blinded by the smokescreen of a new stadium and the false promises of delivering a robust Denver TV market. Denver is a pro-sports town. What scraps are left for the college types are unequally distributed amongst CU, CSU, Wyoming and Air Force (and frankly Nebraska), with CSU near the hind teat. CU's experience in the Pac12 should be enough to scare off the Big XII. They are seeing that hopes that folks in a pro market might tune in for a game are nothing short of an illusion. CSU will be a negative cost-center and downward market-driver for the conference. Period. End of discussion.
Beyond TV sets, there has to be a concern about competitiveness and dragging down attendance and excitement across the Big XII. CSU has none of the success that TCU and Utah had in football that led to their invitation into the Big XII and Pac 12. Even with it, those two schools struggled for a little while. Without it, CSU will settle in as a cellar-dweller from the get-go, which will kill their attendance (fair weather is not an adequate description of those SOBs) after an initial uptick from the bigger teams coming into their new stadium. The attendance of their opponent when they hit the road will also suffer. Women's basketball and volleyball might compete, but men's basketball will get trounced at every turn, continuing the long tradition of Moe-B-Jim being more of a morgue than a basketball venue.
And what fan base in the Big XII is dying for a match up with the Sheep? Other than us (and maybe AFA), and mainly out of history, no one in our conference really cares that much about playing those worthless turds. Is Texas? No. Texas Tech? No. Kansas might...as such a match might portend a victory. K-State? Meh. Baylor? No. Iowa State? See Kansas discussion. TCU? No. West Virginia? Uh, no. Oklahoma? Ha. Oklahoma State? No. So, the only teams that are likely excited at the prospect of CSU joining are the two that think they might be able to pick up a win.
Come to think of it, maybe we should kick them out of the MWC...