Big 10 Expansion Thread -Big Ten ready for a playoff .. finally?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

More mixed signals coming out of Oklahoma. The communication between schools is a major reason the other schools are leaving. Now Oklahoma is learning about what the other schools already know.

Oklahoma confused by Big 12 Network talk - College Football - Rivals.com

[MacroGuru]

This thread gives me a head ache..

[Ksyrup]

kbohls kbohls by McMurphyCBS
Have heard one of Big 12's major concerns about WVa: extending the runway at its airport. Didn't know Morgantown had an airport. Just saying

[timmynausea]

Tweet from West Virginia sportswriter Mitch Vingle:

Credible source says WVU in phone meetings with Big 12 today that could extend into tonight.

[Easy Mac]

So you're saying West Virginia is run by a bunch of 13 year old girls.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

kbohls kbohls by McMurphyCBS
Have heard one of Big 12's major concerns about WVa: extending the runway at its airport. Didn't know Morgantown had an airport. Just saying

Expanding the Morgantown airport is something that's inevitable with growth of Morgantown, but Clarksburg airport (roughly 20 minutes away) will be able to handle T. Boone Pickens' jet by the time OSU plays in Morgantown.

The real "concern" on this was one Senator calling in a favor from a former Senator.

Supposedly WVU is in good shape to get its 2nd invite to the Big 12 and the discussion is whether or not to add Louisville as well and just go to 12. If true I assume Texas is firmly against going to 12.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

The Big 12 and Big East = Two Drunks at a Bar Trying to Hook Up : Outkick The Coverage

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

So you're saying West Virginia is run by a bunch of 13 year old girls.

Much of the world is run by people who act like 13 year old girls

SI

[timmynausea]

Here's the latest Chip Brown tweet:

Orangebloods.com will have an update in the War Room tonight about how the Big 12 is shaping up to be an 11-team league.

[MrBug708]

What kind of half assed conference runs with 11 members, when their conference name doesnt reflect it?

[RomaGoth]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

The Big 12 and Big East = Two Drunks at a Bar Trying to Hook Up : Outkick The Coverage

Love this:

9. Funniest suggestion for how to solve the West Virginia-Louisville battle? A teeth-off.
The fan base with the most teeth gets the Big 12 invite.
Given that Kentucky and West Virginia have the worst teeth in the United States -- this is an actual stat -- this has reality show written all over it.
It's like The Biggest Loser meets teeth. Someone steps up to a dentist with their mouth closed and we all write down how many teeth we think they have. Then they open their mouth and the tally goes up on a screen.
To the victor goes the spoils, the fairest method to decide conference realignment of all. It's the electoral college of teeth.

[Ksyrup]

That's funny, but the reality is, Louisville really doesn't represent Kentucky. For good or bad.

In other words...I think they win that batle hands down.

[DeToxRox]

The SEC Digital Network just posted this:

By: Sean Cartell
SEC Digital Network

COMPLETE MISSOURI COVERAGE AT THE SEC DIGITAL NETWORK

University Of Missouri: What You Need To Know
Missouri-SEC Connections: A History
Homecoming Tradition Traced To Missouri
Missouri To The SEC: The Dortch Report (Basketball)
Missouri To The SEC: Barnhart's Take

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Given the ever-changing conference paradigm over the past year, the Southeastern Conference has continued to demonstrate its commitment to maintaining its stature as one of the nation’s premier conferences by welcoming the University of Missouri as the league’s 14th member, Commissioner Mike Slive announced Monday.

Missouri joins Texas A&M University as the league’s two new institutions who will begin full membership on July 1, 2012. It is the first expansion of the SEC membership since Arkansas and South Carolina joined the conference in 1992.

Missouri was a charter member of the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1907, which became the Big Six Conference in 1964, the Big Eight Conference in 1964 and the Big 12 Conference in 1996.

Geographically, it is a natural fit as the state of Missouri touches more states (Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee) that currently are home to an SEC institution than any other state that is not in the league’s previous 13-member footprint. Like the majority of the cities in the SEC, Columbia, Mo., is a college-centered town with a metropolitan population of 164,283, making it the fifth-largest city in the state of Missouri.

With an enrollment of 32,415, the University of Missouri boasts a strong academic resume, as it is one of only five universities nationwide with law, medicine, veterinary medicine and a research reactor on one campus. Six of Missouri’s sports teams last season led the Big 12 in graduation rate for their respective sports.

Culturally, Missouri is as well known for its barbecue, country music, history and rich tradition as the majority of the current states of the SEC.

Missouri is one of only 35 public U.S. universities invited to membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU). It will become the fourth SEC school that is part of the AAU, joining Florida, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.

*******************

Monday’s announcement marks just the fourth time in the history of the conference that the SEC will expand its membership. In a landscape that has seemed ever-changing in recent years, the SEC has exemplified stability as 10 of its original 13 members remain.

The league began as a 13-team league until Sewanee’s departure from the conference in 1940. After Georgia Tech’s move to independent status in 1964, the league had 11 members before Tulane departed in 1966, leaving the SEC as a 10-team conference for more than two decades.

At the start of the decade of the 1990s, a similar shift in conference alignment allowed Arkansas and South Carolina to join the SEC. The benefits have been nothing short of outstanding.

Soon after joining the league, the Razorbacks claimed the 1994 NCAA Championship in men’s basketball and finished as the NCAA runner-up the following year. They made their first appearance in the SEC Championship football game in 1995, appearing again in 2002 and 2006.

The Arkansas women’s basketball team made its first-ever Final Four appearance in 1998 before winning the WNIT the next season. The level of track and field in the SEC was quickly raised with the addition of the Razorbacks. Arkansas’ men won cross country national titles in 1992, 1993, 1995, 1998, 1999 and 2000. Men’s NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships came every year from 1993-2000 and again in 2003, 2005 and 2006. The men also claimed NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships from 1993-1999 and again in 2003.

South Carolina won the Women’s NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship in 2002, becoming, at the time, just the second different SEC team to claim an NCAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship. The past two seasons have been magical ones for the Gamecocks, as they have captured back-to-back NCAA Championships in baseball and advanced to the SEC Championship game in football for the first time in the program’s history.

On September 25, 2011, Texas A&M was announced as the league’s 13th member, beginning with the 2012-13 academic year.

*******************

Missouri took to the field for the first time in 1890, making it one of the first SEC institutions to begin playing football. Kentucky played a three-game schedule in 1881, but didn’t play again until a decade later. Vanderbilt also began its football program in 1890.

Don Faurot was one of the early founders of Missouri athletics, as he was a three-sport standout for the Tigers from 1922-24. He served the school as its football coach from 1935-56 and continued on as the athletics director until 1967. Faurot is known for the creation of the Split-T formation in 1941. The formation’s option play still today serves as the basis for many present-day schemes, including the Wishbone, Wingbone, Veer and I-Formation.

Faurot compiled a record of 101-79-10, making the school’s first modern-day bowl appearance in 1939 when it advanced to the Orange Bowl. Until 1994, the year prior to his death, Faurot was heavily involved in the annual Blue-Gray football game in Montgomery, Ala.

The Tigers rose to national prominence under head coach Dan Devine in the 1960s, when Devine’s winning percentage of .767 was the best in the nation during that decade. In 13 seasons at Missouri, Devine posted a record of 93-37-7 and eight players earned First-Team All-America honors. His 1960 Missouri squad finished with an 11-0 record and defeated Navy 21-14 in the Orange Bowl. The 1965 squad went 8-2-1 and defeated Florida in the Sugar Bowl. The Tigers won the Big Eight Conference in 1960 and 1969 under Devine.

Since 2007, the football Tigers have claimed three Big 12 North Championships. Under current head coach Gary Pinkel, Missouri posted a 12-2 record in 2007 and defeated Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl.

The Tigers began playing basketball in 1906 and enjoyed the greatest amount of success under legendary head coach Norm Stewart from 1967-99. In 32 years, Stewart led Missouri to 634 wins and 333 losses for a .656 winning percentage, the best in program history. Stewart’s teams won 20 or more games 17 times, including a school-record 29 wins during the 1988-89 season. He won eight Big Eight Conference championships and six conference tournament titles.

Missouri started competing in the sport of baseball in 1891 and won the College World Series in 1954, marking the school’s first national title in any sport. The Tigers have made six CWS appearances in the program’s history, including three national runner-up finishes (1952, 1958, 1964).

The Tigers also have had great success in the sport of track and field and won the NCAA Men’s Indoor Championship in 1965. The soccer and softball teams have been proficient as of late with soccer winning the 2009 Big 12 Championship and softball claiming that title in 2011.

It was dated October 22nd, but was clearly not supposed to go out because it has since been taken down.

RT @ClayTravisBGID: No way this is a spoof, SEC was set to announce Mizzou on 10/22. All the pages are here. bit.ly/uWSp2f”

[Young Drachma]

Wow. Internet fail

[timmynausea]

West Virginia gets Big 12 invite - CBSSports.com

[timmynausea]

And some follow up tweets from Pete Thamel of the New York Times:

Just confirmed @McMurphyCBS report. Big 12 had 7 a.m. call. Source said Louisville was informed an hour ago that WVU is in.

The Big 12 will stay at 10 teams. I could never buy them adding both and going to 11. Why slice the pie even more?

This is the best news for the Big East since UConn cut down the nets. League still has a heartbeat. Losing both could have been fatal.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

The SEC Digital Network just posted this:

It was dated October 22nd, but was clearly not supposed to go out because it has since been taken down.

RT @ClayTravisBGID: No way this is a spoof, SEC was set to announce Mizzou on 10/22. All the pages are here. bit.ly/uWSp2f”

This may throw a couple of wrenches in things. Mizzou will still go to the SEC, but the lawyers may have some more cleanup to do over the weekend.

[I. J. Reilly]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

This may throw a couple of wrenches in things. Mizzou will still go to the SEC, but the lawyers may have some more cleanup to do over the weekend.

What would they have to clean up? I can't see how Star or anyone else would have grounds to litigate if the Big-12 is still intact, and with adding WVU they certainly are. The current delay is just a matter of Slive not having the votes yet, isn't it?

[miked]

Well, no WVU, SU, and PIT means no BE. I don't want to see them pick up ECU, UCF, and other crap.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by I. J. Reilly

What would they have to clean up? I can't see how Star or anyone else would have grounds to litigate if the Big-12 is still intact, and with adding WVU they certainly are. The current delay is just a matter of Slive not having the votes yet, isn't it?

No. The votes are there and have been for some time. The reports of the votes not being there were Big 12 maneuvers to try to put doubt into the situation. Mizzou has been repeatedly assured by the SEC that the votes are there. The delay has been the legal wrangling over the buyout and the timing of the move in relation to any Big 12 moves.

The problem is now that Mizzou hasn't officially left the conference yet, but a SEC notice was (wrongly) posted saying we were moving. That adds tampering into the mix. They'll get it worked out, but it might cost someone a couple million extra as a result. Surprised the SEC made this mistake, but it happens.

[JonInMiddleGA]

The sad part of that press release is how hard they're reaching to try to justify the addition culturally. Can't see anyone in the current footprint buying that load of hogwash, but hey, I guess some flack had to try.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

dola......

It's a premium article so you can't read the details, but PowerMizzou.com just posted an article titled 'Exit Approaching'. Not hard to figure out what will happen today.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Latest argument in the Big 12 seems to be over how many teams to grab. Majority (KU, KSU, Baylor, OU, OSU, TTech, and ISU) want to go to 12 teams. UT wants only 10. Would guess that the 'war room report' from Chipper today will push the UT point of view in the hopes of pressuring a couple of the majority to change their opinion. That's the way it's worked in the past and it's doubtful it will change anytime soon.

Can't wait for Mizzou and A&M buyouts to be finalized. I'm guessing we'll get a LOT more info about this clusterf#$% once that happens.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

dola

More info on ramifications of early post from Mr. SEC...........

MrSEC.com

[timmynausea]

Here's the official press release on WVU joining the Big 12. It will be effective as of the 2012-13 school year, and supposedly WVU will take over Missouri's proposed 2012 Big 12 conference schedule.

West Virginia University To Join Big 12 Conference

IRVING, Texas - The Big 12 Conference Board of Directors have voted unanimously to accept West Virginia University as a full conference member effective July 1, 2012. The Mountaineers will begin competing in the Big 12 beginning with the 2012-13 athletic season.

West Virginia is the second new member to join the Conference since it began in 1996 after the addition of TCU earlier this month.

"The Big 12 Presidents and Chancellors are excited to welcome another outstanding institution to the Conference," said Burns Hargis, Chair of the Big 12 Board of Directors and President of Oklahoma State University. "The addition of West Virginia, while expanding the reach of the Big 12, brings an impressive institution with esteemed academics and a proud athletic tradition into the Conference. This is another step in building a strong foundation for the future of the Big 12."

"The Big 12 is a perfect fit for West Virginia University," said WVU President Dr. James P. Clements. "It is a strong conference that, like WVU, values quality academic and athletic programs, and has a great tradition of success. This is a very exciting time for WVU and Mountaineer nation. I am confident that the future of WVU athletics has never been more promising."

West Virginia University, located in Morgantown, sponsors 17 varsity sports. Men’s sports include baseball, basketball, football, soccer, swimming & diving and wrestling. Women’s sports are basketball, cross country, gymnastics, rowing, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field and volleyball. The Mountaineers also boast a co-ed rifle squad. The Big 12 sponsors every sport the Mountaineers participate in except rifle and men’s soccer.

"We are excited to add West Virginia to our exceptional lineup of Conference members," said Big 12 Interim Commissioner Chuck Neinas. "They bring an excellent overall athletic program to the Big 12 and allow the league to expand into an area that boasts a passionate group of fans and alumni throughout its region."

Since its inception 15 years ago, the Big 12 has won 42 team national championships and 492 NCAA individual crowns. In addition, more than 3,700 student-athletes have earned All-America First Team accolades for their play on the field with more than 500 being recognized with Academic All-America honors.

Beginning with the 2012-13 season it is expected that the Big 12 Conference will be comprised of 10 Universities ? Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech and West Virginia. The Big 12’s footprint will encompass five states with over 36 million people. More than 4,100 student-athletes from across the United States and around the World compete annually in the 23 sports sponsored by the Conference.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by timmynausea

Here's the official press release on WVU joining the Big 12. It will be effective as of the 2012-13 school year, and supposedly WVU will take over Missouri's proposed 2012 Big 12 conference schedule.

Pretty funny that they have eliminated Mizzou from the list of schools on that release before they've even officially withdrawn from the conference.

[Toddzilla]

at this point, after WVU accepts, Missouri should decline the invite and put the Big 12 at 11 teams just to fuck with them

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Toddzilla

at this point, after WVU accepts, Missouri should decline the invite and put the Big 12 at 11 teams just to fuck with them

Which would be followed immediately by an article at Orangebloods.com by Chip saying 'See! See! I TOLD you they were going to move forward with 11 teams!'.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

The sad part of that press release is how hard they're reaching to try to justify the addition culturally. Can't see anyone in the current footprint buying that load of hogwash, but hey, I guess some flack had to try.

To be fair, the Big 12 did something similar in their statement........

"The addition of West Virginia, while expanding the reach of the Big 12, brings an impressive institution with esteemed academics and a proud athletic tradition into the Conference."

I wouldn't call #164th amongst major universities 'esteemed'.

More info on the battle over number of teams in the Big 12. From the Louisville Rivals website...........

So what happened between Thursday's good-feeling vibes that the Big 12 was going to take both teams and move to 11 and Friday's likely addition of just one team?

While no one outside those board rooms and athletic director's offices knows exactly what happened, two Big 12 sources Friday morning told CardinalSports.com it came down to money and Texas.

One Big 12 source said both Kansas schools were on board with 12 members, Texas Tech prefers 12 members, Iowa State is in favor of Louisville, Baylor likes Louisville and both Oklahoma schools prefer the conference moving back to 12 members. So why stop at 10?

Texas would appear to be the lynchpin that holds the TV grant of rights deal together. The rest of the Big 12 want Texas to agree to the TV rights deal and may have caved to the request to stay at 10 teams.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

To be fair, the Big 12 did something similar in their statement........ I wouldn't call #164th amongst major universities 'esteemed'.

I can only assure you that, if I had seen that earlier, I would have almost certainly not only skewered it but probably would have begun mocking it almost immediately.

From a sports perspective, I think it's a very reasonable choice under the circumstances. To try to put an academic spin on it ... well, at least we now know whatever happened to

[Ksyrup]

Will be interesting to see how the WVU thing shakes out, as far as when they leave. The FSU people have been talking about this for weeks with the rumor of WVU leaving the BE, and now that it's happening, it's going national - FSU wants out of its series with WVU. It was forced upon FSU as part of the BE/ACC settlement, and there's no incentive to playing a tough OOC team (especially considering we have UF on the schedule every year). But I wonder how the BE 27-month thing will factor in to the outcome, seeing as though the games are for 2012 and 13.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Mr. SEC confirms Mizzou move to leave comes today. Also reiterates that WVU will start play next year in the Big 12.

Missouri withdrawal happening today | MrSEC.com

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

To be fair, the Big 12 did something similar in their statement........



I wouldn't call #164th amongst major universities 'esteemed'.

More info on the battle over number of teams in the Big 12. From the Louisville Rivals website...........

WVU has a ton of Rhodes Scholars


EDIT - It looks like 25. It's all in how you spin it.

[Logan]

The Big 12 statement said WVU will make the switch before the 2012-2013 season starts, but the Big East is holding firm on 27 months. Someone from Syracuse (I think) is speculating that a $20 million exit fee would decrease that timeframe.

[Swaggs]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Will be interesting to see how the WVU thing shakes out, as far as when they leave. The FSU people have been talking about this for weeks with the rumor of WVU leaving the BE, and now that it's happening, it's going national - FSU wants out of its series with WVU. It was forced upon FSU as part of the BE/ACC settlement, and there's no incentive to playing a tough OOC team (especially considering we have UF on the schedule every year). But I wonder how the BE 27-month thing will factor in to the outcome, seeing as though the games are for 2012 and 13.

I'm going to guess that it gets pushed back a number of years.

WVU seems to really want to have a presence in DC, so I doubt the Maryland series goes away soon. And, we are going to want to maintain the Backyard Brawl with Pitt. With 8-9 conference games, I doubt they are going to want to tune up with one of those two AND FSU.

[Swaggs]

Originally Posted by Logan

The Big 12 statement said WVU will make the switch before the 2012-2013 season starts, but the Big East is holding firm on 27 months. Someone from Syracuse (I think) is speculating that a $20 million exit fee would decrease that timeframe.

$20 million has been the number I have repeatedly heard for a BE team to make an immediate exit. WVU reportedly want into overdrive several weeks ago, hitting up big donors, when it sounded like we had a very good shot to make it into the SEC.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Mr. SEC confirms Mizzou move to leave comes today. Also reiterates that WVU will start play next year in the Big 12.

Missouri withdrawal happening today | MrSEC.com

"OK, have your vendor change the date on that release from October 22 to October 28 and hit send."

[Logan]

Are the terms of that BE/ACC agreement transferable? Rutgers is desperate for a BCS team to come to Jersey next season, especially after TCU got removed from the home schedule. We'd welcome you with open arms .

[Ksyrup]

DanBeebe Fake Dan Beebe
Is there a dead squirrel in your front yard or street? If so, congratulations, now you can cater a West Virginia tailgate!

[bronconick]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Will be interesting to see how the WVU thing shakes out, as far as when they leave. The FSU people have been talking about this for weeks with the rumor of WVU leaving the BE, and now that it's happening, it's going national - FSU wants out of its series with WVU. It was forced upon FSU as part of the BE/ACC settlement, and there's no incentive to playing a tough OOC team (especially considering we have UF on the schedule every year). But I wonder how the BE 27-month thing will factor in to the outcome, seeing as though the games are for 2012 and 13.

Don't forget @USF next year of all things. Spetman is a moron. "Let's play 11 BCS conference teams in one year!"

[DeToxRox]

Logan, you guys can have our entire non conference schedule next year if you'd like. Seriously, take it. It's okay.

[Ksyrup]

Fake Dan Beebe going off on WVU right now.

DanBeebe Fake Dan Beebe
West Virginia. Good lord. That state is basically Nebraska, if it traded all its money for hills and oxycodone addictions.

[sterlingice]

Wait, Nebraska has money, aside from Warren Buffett, and doesn't have oxycodone addicts?

SI

[General Mike]

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Will be interesting to see how the WVU thing shakes out, as far as when they leave. The FSU people have been talking about this for weeks with the rumor of WVU leaving the BE, and now that it's happening, it's going national - FSU wants out of its series with WVU. It was forced upon FSU as part of the BE/ACC settlement, and there's no incentive to playing a tough OOC team (especially considering we have UF on the schedule every year). But I wonder how the BE 27-month thing will factor in to the outcome, seeing as though the games are for 2012 and 13.

WVU is confident it will be in the Big 12 on July 1st of next year so we have to drop a game and the FSU game makes the most sense. An agreement to push the series back 5 years or drop it altogether is probably in the best interest of both schools.

[CU Tiger]

Apparently the SEC has applied to join Mizzou...an announcement should come shortly.

[molson]

I'm so cynical at this point that I wonder in the the back of my mind if the Big East and Big 12 websites are also "insider blogs" and that we're going to hear this is all really "on hold" in the next few days.

So I keep hearing too that the Big East has the BCS bid for another 2-3 seasons no matter what. Is that STILL true even if everyone buys out the necessary exist clauses and there's a 5-team conference next year?

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by molson

I'm so cynical at this point that I wonder in the the back of my mind if the Big East and Big 12 websites are also "insider blogs" and that we're going to hear this is all really "on hold" in the next few days.

So I keep hearing too that the Big East has the BCS bid for another 2-3 seasons no matter what. Is that STILL true even if everyone buys out the necessary exist clauses and there's a 5-team conference next year?

They would get a waiver like the WAC did for one year while they reform the league or whatever. That being said, those schools would lose millions if the league lost its BCS bid early. No matter how bad this commissioner is, there's no way that happens and there are lots of schools that would prefer a two-year date in a shaky BCS league (where they can be competitive) over the alternative.

[Atocep]

To add to what Dark Cloud posted, the NCAA requires a football conference to have 8 schools. You can get a waiver of up to 2 years though.

The BCS does not have a rule in place for minimum teams in a conference.

The current BCS agreement ends in 2013 though so the pressure is on the Big East to put itself in position to keep its AQ status for the next agreement. I don't see it getting removed early, but keeping it will definitely depend on who gets added between now and then.