Any thoughts on the recent conference realignments and how it will impact the brand? Nice article below on the subject.

For now, the Big Ten has 12 schools and the Big 12 has 10. The Pacific-10 is at 11 and about to become 12 after Utah was invited
Wednesday.

Whatever the conferences stand for anymore, it's not accuracy.

And marketing experts say the names probably won't change - at least for now.

It has to do with the value of a brand. Each conference has built an
identity, some for decades, and experts say that's too valuable to just
throw away.

Besides, there are trademarks involved, so the Big Ten and Big 12 can't just switch names, even if they wanted to.

And should the Big Ten ever go to 14 schools, it's out of luck. The Big 12 trademarked "Big 14" in 1997.

Just in case, the Big 12 still has the "Big Eight" name trademarked, too.

So what do the conferences think?

Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe wouldn't say much in a teleconference Tuesday
about whether the conference will consider changing names.

"I don't know, we'll have to decide all of that," Beebe said. "I don't
want to give my indication now of what I think and have members saying
'What the heck are you thinking about?' It's something we'll consider
as we go forward."

Big Ten and Pac-10 officials didn't return calls.

This isn't the first shift in conference numbers. The Big Ten has included 11 schools for nearly 20 years.

In 1996, the Big Eight made the shift to the Big 12 with the addition of
four Texas schools. Before it was called the Big Eight, it was
unofficially known as the Big Six, then the Big Seven - all titles
accurate to its number of schools.

Developing a brand is an important aspect of conducting any business, especially athletic
conferences, said Ed O'Hara, owner and creative officer of SME
Branding, a strategic brand development agency in New York.

SME Branding has helped more than 100 Division I schools and several
conferences - recently the Pac-10 - define and shape their brand
identity.

"It's more than the name," he said. "It's what they mean. It's what they stand for."

O'Hara said changing a conference's name could drastically alter its public perception.

"These conferences have great tradition and history," he said.

He added that it could hurt the Big 12 to field fewer schools than its
name promises, though the opposite might not affect the Big Ten.

William Carner, an adjunct marketing professor at Missouri, said it doesn't
make sense for the conferences to re-brand themselves.

"Every time you change a brand name, you have to rebuild a brand," he said. "That takes time and money."

Unlike the Big 12, which has brand identity, Conference USA's members have shifted several times.

"Nobody is really able to tell you who is in Conference USA," he said.

He said the Big Ten's reputation for academic success has helped its
brand. And belonging to the Big 12 isn't too shabby, either.

"MU being a member of the Big 12 is a lot better than being a member of the
Mountain West, both from the standpoint of athletics and everything
else," he said. "That's part of the branding."

But can fans live with the now-inaccurate names? At least one person doesn't think so.

"I think people would think it would be illogical to keep a name that has
a number in it that is not descriptive of how many teams are in the
conference," said Joyce Claterbos, a marketing lecturer in the Kansas
School of Business.

She said people develop a brand image largely based on their experiences with a product. That
consumer-product interaction must remain consistent for the brand
loyalty to stay strong, she said.

"Because Nebraska's going away and Colorado's going away, we won't have that consistency," she said.
"And the brands are no longer important to us."

But sports fans most often buy into a team, not an entire conference, said David
Carter, a sports marketing consultant and a professor of marketing at
the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business.

"There is a conference affinity," he said. "But it pales in comparison to your
own team's affinity and your lack of affinity for your rival."

Carter said the Big 12 would probably make a name change if it sticks with 10 teams.

"But I would say let's hold off and see," he said.

Nick McMillian, the general manager of Johnny's Tavern downtown, said he
doesn't see a lot of conference loyalty either - until tournament time
comes around.

"Everyone wants the Big 12 to do well against national teams," he said.