imes.But its part of football and we have to take it on the chin.

When Oklahoma president and Big 12 board chair David Boren reeled off the five criteria the league would use to evaluate expansion candidates, athletic competitiveness, fan base, media market and overall reputation were all self-explanatory.The fifth category Boren listed, however, seemed less so.After all, what do academics have to do with athletic affiliation?According to a pair of Big 12 professors, quite a bit.You have to bring something more to the table beyond academics -- but academics do matter, said Keith Gaddie, a professor of political science at Oklahoma.Youre judged by the company you keep, and you want to marry up rather than marry down.Its a nuanced thing. But its an important thing.Indeed, ever since schools began associating for athletic purposes, academics have played a part.Just before the turn of the 20th century, the Big Ten was formed as a public institution answer -- athletically and academically -- to the prestigious private schools on the East Coast such as Harvard and Yale. While athletic guidelines were implemented at the outset of what would later be called the Big Ten, the presidents from Purdue, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as from Northwestern and Chicago, put academic standards into place such as restricting eligibility to full-time students who were not delinquent in their studies. Those have served as the bedrock of the Big Ten to this day.Even in recent years, the Big Ten has only admitted schools that are also members of the renowned American Association of Universities, a collection of leading research institutions that maintain a strong system of academic research and education. The only Big Ten school thats not one of the associations 62 schools, Nebraska, was one when it joined the Big Ten in 2011 but has since lost that status.Theres little tangible effect to sharing a conference with strong academic partners. Directly, it doesnt lead to more federal grants or extra research dollars. But according to Timothy Day, Ph.D., a professor of biomedical sciences at Iowa State, the intangible impact is significant.Big picture, the academic perception at the conference level is important in the way we think of ourselves and the way others think of us, Day said.Gaddie calls this the halo effect.If youve got several programs perceived to be academically strong in your conference, that halo washes over you, he said. Youre going to be judged by things around you.Gaddie points to what academic powerhouses Stanford and Cal have done for the academic reputation of the rest of the Pac-12. When Oklahoma was considering a jump to the Pac-12 six years ago along with Texas, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, Gaddie said he compared the SAT and ACT scores of Oklahoma with other Pac-12 members.Except for Cal and Stanford and probably Washington, OUs average ACT and SAT scores were [comparable to] most of the existing Pac-12, Gaddie recalled. But you look at that peer group, the Pac-12 gets this halo effect from Stanford and Cal, even though the programs are not that dissimilar from those in the Big 12.Its not difficult to understand why academics this time around could especially play a key part in the event the Big 12 elects to expand.The Big 12s academic reputation was gutted when Colorado, Nebraska, Texas A&M and Missouri all left the conference from 2010 to 2012. All four were American Association of Universities?members at the time. As a result, the Big 12 has just three American Association of Universities members remaining in Texas, Kansas and Iowa State.That isnt all.Of the Power 5 leagues, the Big 12 also has the fewest number of schools classified as Carnegie Tier 1, which is based on research activity. Texas Tech, West Virginia and Kansas State joined Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Iowa State as Carnegie Tier 1 institutions this year, nearly doubling the leagues tally from the year before. Yet by comparison, 12 of the SECs 14 schools achieved Carnegie I, as well.This is the prism through which the Big 12s presidents and chancellors will be evaluating expansion. Its why academics figure to loom large as the league seeks to bolster the way prospective students and faculty might view the conference and its members academically.As you look around, you want to bring someone in that can lift things up, rather than pull things down, Gaddie said. You want them to match or enhance the existing reputation of your university.Along with Rice and Buffalo, Tulane is the only American Association of Universities school out there that competes at the FBS level yet doesnt also have a home in a Power 5 conference.But Gaddie, who previously taught at Tulane, notes there are other universities the Big 12 is considering that could match or enhance league academically that have superior athletic programs to Tulane.As Gaddie points out, UConn is a state university with Carnegie Tier 1 status.U.S. News & World Report ranks another Big 12 expansion candidate, Brigham Young, as the No. 66 national university, just behind Georgia and just ahead of Texas A&M. It also ranks the U.S. Air Force Academy 30th in the liberal arts category.Cincinnati and Houston, also candidates, are also both Carnegie Tier 1 schools, and the same goes for Colorado State and Central and South Florida.Above all, these candidates are being measured by the football they play, the markets they bring and the fan bases that follow them.But when it finally comes time to deciding on members, academics will matter, too.Were hoping for dynamic members that add value, Day said. All the way around. Cheap Broncos Jerseys . Self was acquired from the Buffalo Bandits in a trade for Alex Hill midway through last season, and made his debut in Rochester on March 16, 2013. Peyton Manning Jersey . The Dutchmans tenure got off to a poor start when referee Guido Winkmann awarded a penalty within two minutes for Niklas Starks clumsy challenge on Alexandru Maxim. http://www.cheapbroncosjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=authentic-dennis-smith-jersey . Oyama had six birdies and two bogeys at Kintetsu Kashikojima in the event also sanctioned by the Japan LPGA Tour. "I have been having this neck ache thats been affecting my golf recently," Oyama said. Karl Mecklenburg Jersey . Roman Josi had a goal and an assist to lead the Predators to a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday night. Tom Jackson Jersey . R.J. Umberger scored twice to lead the Blue Jackets to a franchise-record for consecutive wins with a 5-3 victory Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Kings.Joleon Lescott says he wants to stay at Aston Villa and help the club he has supported since he was a boy return to the Premier League. Villas relegation after 28 years in the top flight was confirmed with a 1-0 defeat at Manchester United on Saturday.Their future remains uncertain, with Eric Black still caretaker manager and no permanent successor yet on the horizon, but Lescott has vowed to fight on through the most difficult time in the clubs history. The fall and fall of Villa Aston Villas fall has been years in the making, but how did it happen? Of course I want to be part of the battle. Im here for as long as Aston Villa want me, he told Sky Sports.I was a Villa fan growing up, so it hurts as much as some of those fans out there, even though they might not think so.As an individual I can only take my part in the blame but I dont think its ever as bad as what people portray in the press. But were not going to dwell on that and use it as an excuse. Aston Villa caretaker manager Eric Black says it is a difficult day for the club Weve not been good enough this season and thats why we are where we are.ddddddddddddVillas 24th defeat of the season compounded one of the worst Premier League records a side has put together, despite a recently-appointed new board of directors gutting the club of its failing staff, fans have continued to protest in earnest.Lescott said: The criticism has been a bit of both; warranted and, at times, unfair. Throughout the season we have given reasons for people to jump on us, but there hasnt been so many reasons at times.But its part of football and we have to take it on the chin. When things are going well you love it but when things arent going well its horrible to be a part of. Its a tough time at the minute and we owe it to the club and the fans to keep striving forward. Aston Villa succumbed to their 24th defeat of the season at Old Trafford In the back of our minds is to get promotion next season, but weve got some games left. Eric has come in and done a great job. Its disappointing but we showed a level of pride and desire today that probably hasnt been there enough throughout the season, and its led to us being relegated.Now its been confirmed that we are going to go down, hopefully its a weight off our shoulders and we can play with a level of freedom and give these fans what they deserve.Weve got some home matches left and, as an individual and collectively, were still determined to put performances in to honour the fans. Also See: Match Report As it happened The fall and fall of Villa Villa fixtures ' ' '