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

[britrock88]

Originally Posted by mckerney

Nah, that's just, uh, following the contour of the Earth. It just looks weird laid out flat on a map...

[Radii]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Then again Bacon & Eggs would have been better than L&L.

everyone would be fighting to get into the clearly superior Bacon division.

[kcchief19]

Originally Posted by mckerney

Though geographically incorrect East and West is still better than Leaders and Legends.

Talk about horrible branding. Buddy and I were trying to figure out what Big Ten teams were in what division. Can't figure it out. Yet we know the divisions of the Pac 12 and SEC.

[Young Drachma]

Maryland's Board of Regents meeting tomorrow. Might have a decision as soon as then.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/st...en-move-monday

[Swaggs]

This just doesn't make sense unless it is part of a grand plan to form a contiguous Eastern bloc of teams from PA down to North Carolina (Maryland, UVA, UNC, maybe Rutgers or GT?)

[cuervo72]

Eh, at this point they'll extend from the midwest to the Atlantic, which isn't bad. (assuming Rutgers also goes)

[Logan]

Big Ten expansion with Maryland, Rutgers motivated by TV money - Pete Thamel - SI.com

[britrock88]

Originally Posted by kcchief19

Talk about horrible branding. Buddy and I were trying to figure out what Big Ten teams were in what division. Can't figure it out. Yet we know the divisions of the Pac 12 and SEC.

It goes like this. Michigan's fight song has the line "the leaders and best," so they're in the Legends division, naturally. The 6 in the Legends division are the 3 Ms (Mich/MSU/Minn), the 2 Ns (NU/Neb), and Iowa. The Leaders' membership is kind of like the line from "Old McDonald Had a Farm" - P-I-P-I-OW (PSU/Ind/Pur/Ill/OSU/Wisc).

...when even the mnemonics are that bad, you're in trouble.

[Drake]

Don't talk to me about Maryland and Rutgers. I'm still trying to come to terms with Penn State as part of the Big Ten.

[Young Drachma]

I guess we'll just see what happens. Rutgers is like big-time college football's ultimate girl in the friend zone.

[Young Drachma]

Or maybe that's UConn.

[cuervo72]

I thought it was only guys who got friend zoned?

[digamma]

Originally Posted by Swaggs

This just doesn't make sense unless it is part of a grand plan to form a contiguous Eastern bloc of teams from PA down to North Carolina (Maryland, UVA, UNC, maybe Rutgers or GT?)

With the exit fee going up, there is no chance GT leaves the ACC. Just don't have the $$$. Heck, they don't even have an athletic director right now.

[Wolfpack]

Originally Posted by Logan

Big Ten expansion with Maryland, Rutgers motivated by TV money - Pete Thamel - SI.com

This just cries out for a "Master of the Obvious" meme.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Young Drachma

Or maybe that's UConn.

I think they're more like the friend zone chick's less hot friend who everybody just kinda knows but really isn't much more than an afterthought. Plus we think she's maybe dating some dude or something.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I think they're more like the friend zone chick's less hot friend who everybody just kinda knows but really isn't much more than an afterthought. Plus we think she's maybe dating some dude or something.

I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Georgia.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by molson

I don't buy that the NYC market is some big prize that Rutgers could deliver either. If that was the case conferences would have been falling over themselves forever to get them, certainly in the last few years with all the conference movement and Rutgers being a more successful program. But if you're looking for a team from the non-BCS ranks (the big east having been excluded now), they're the obvious one left I guess.

Agreed - I don't see Rutgers or Maryland as great prizes, but if the end game is 4 16-team superconferences you might as well pre-emptively jump on them lest you end up having to add a Louisville or BYU that really doesn't fit.

In trickle down effects that very few people care about, this keeps screwing with lacrosse due to NCAA requirements that any conference with 6 members must sponsor the sport. Within the last few months we've seen the creation of possibly the best conference ever in any NCAA sport (UVa/UNC/Duke/Maryland/Syracuse/ND - all top 10 teams and having a chance at taking 5 of the 7 available at-large spots) and now the dissolution of it combined with the potential Big 10 lax conference with Maryland/Rutgers/Penn State/Ohio State/Mich - need one more.

[miked]

I would think academics also plays a small role as well. You get 2 bigger markets (whether the schools could deliver it is unclear, but you get the access and footprint). You get 2 good academic schools, and really the pickens in the area that fits with your footprint aren't amazing.

I guess it also helps that RU is 9-1 and one UL win away from the Orange Bowl, but at worst should get 2nd place and a bowl against a good ACC team.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by miked

and a bowl against a good ACC team.

Not so fast there my friend

[miked]

LOL, I guess 3rd place in the ACC ain't what it used to be.

I'm still hoping for a Miami loss, GT win, and the chance to see GT-RU in Miami.

[cuervo72]

lol@lacrosse

[General Mike]

Originally Posted by miked

LOL, I guess 3rd place in the ACC ain't what it used to be.

I'm still hoping for a Miami loss, GT win, and the chance to see GT-RU in Miami.

Well Miami has self imposed a bowl ban so GT will play FSU in the ACC Championship game. Can't say I would be excited about finally getting to a BCS Bowl and playing a 7-6 opponent. The Ultimate RU Screw.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by General Mike

Well Miami has self imposed a bowl ban so GT will play FSU in the ACC Championship game. Can't say I would be excited about finally getting to a BCS Bowl and playing a 7-6 opponent. The Ultimate RU Screw.

I wouldn't worry too much about that (i.e. Tech ain't beating FSU)

Oddly enough, if you end up as the BE #2 and play the ACC #3 in the Russell Athletic Bowl (formerly Champ Sports, formerly 7 other names, formerly Tangerine Bowl), you'd probably get UNC, which could be 8-4.

Not sure how much pressure the conference would apply to that bowl to take a potentially 6-7 GT as the runner-up.

[molson]

I'm not being intentionally obtuse here but what exactly is a "footprint" and why does it suddenly matter so much? Is the idea just to have the widest geographic reach possible, to be in as many markets as possible? It's just odd to be that this is the suddenly such a huge consideration for athletic conferences. Especially when college football TV viewing habits have never been so heavily reliant on market size (the huge media markets in the northeast have never been very into college sports, and schools in the middle of nowhere like Notre Dame have national followings and their own network deals.) There's a ton of smaller athletic programs in major markets, are we going to see more of these suddenly become relevant? Is the Big 10 or Big 12 going to after Temple, Northeastern, the University of San Francisco? (I'm not comparing the success of those programs to Rutgers or Maryland, but their relationships to the huge metro areas they're in is comparable.) Or is there a certain level of athletic competence a program has to get to before they're considered "the school from the big market", and then suddenly, they're seen as delivering that market even if they never have historically.

[General Mike]

Also still in favor of the Humanoid and Animals divisions for the Big Ten

Humanoids - Ohio State, Michigan State, Illinois, Purdue, Indiana, Nebraska, Rutgers
Animals - Michigan, Penn State, Northwestern, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Maryland

[General Mike]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I wouldn't worry too much about that (i.e. Tech ain't beating FSU)

Oddly enough, if you end up as the BE #2 and play the ACC #3 in the Russell Athletic Bowl (formerly Champ Sports, formerly 7 other names, formerly Tangerine Bowl), you'd probably get UNC, which could be 8-4.

Not sure how much pressure the conference would apply to that bowl to take a potentially 6-7 GT as the runner-up.

UNC isn't bowl eligible either.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by General Mike

UNC isn't bowl eligible either.

{snaps fingers} Dang it, forgot about that.

Rutgers better hope they get the Orange Bowl then ... the options for the Russell Athletic are (likely) 6-7 GT, 7-5 Miami or Duke or 7-5 (likely) NC State.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

{snaps fingers} Dang it, forgot about that.

Rutgers better hope they get the Orange Bowl then ... the options for the Russell Athletic are (likely) 6-7 GT, 7-5 Miami or Duke or 7-5 (likely) NC State.

Ending up in that bowl game would be considered a failure at this point since we are in the driver's seat for the BCS bid. There's no opponent that will make that game tolerable.

And yes, there's some serious irony behind that statement because this would still be the best bowl game we ever ended up in.

[General Mike]

Definitely. Just like 2006 when Rutgers was 10-2 and triple OT away from a BCS bid and instead had to play 7-5 Kansas State in the Texas Bowl.

Heck, ESPN is projecting Syracuse as playing WVU in the Pinstripe Bowl. To me that's a better opponent then any of the ACC teams that would play in the Tangerine Bowl. Not a better destination, but still better.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Logan

Ending up in that bowl game would be considered a failure at this point since we are in the driver's seat for the BCS bid. There's no opponent that will make that game tolerable.

If that happens then you have to become the biggest GT fan evah.

GT beats FSU for the Orange Bowl
FSU gets bumped down to the Chik-Fil-A Bowl
3rd place might becomes Clemson at either 11-1/10-2
(or vice versa, if the CFA Bowl insists on Clemson, then you get 11-2/10-3 FSU)

(assuming that the BCS does not take a 2nd ACC rep)

[Logan]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

If that happens then you have to become the biggest GT fan evah.

GT beats FSU for the Orange Bowl
FSU gets bumped down to the Chik-Fil-A Bowl
3rd place might becomes Clemson at either 11-1/10-2
(or vice versa, if the CFA Bowl insists on Clemson, then you get 11-2/10-3 FSU)

(assuming that the BCS does not take a 2nd ACC rep)

Interesting scenario. But yeah I'll still punch myself in the junk if we screw this up.

[ISiddiqui]

Please take a video if you do

[General Mike]

Sounds like it's a done deal on the Maryland side.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by General Mike

Sounds like it's a done deal on the Maryland side.

Thank god.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by molson

I'm not being intentionally obtuse here but what exactly is a "footprint" and why does it suddenly matter so much? Is the idea just to have the widest geographic reach possible, to be in as many markets as possible? It's just odd to be that this is the suddenly such a huge consideration for athletic conferences. Especially when college football TV viewing habits have never been so heavily reliant on market size (the huge media markets in the northeast have never been very into college sports, and schools in the middle of nowhere like Notre Dame have national followings and their own network deals.) There's a ton of smaller athletic programs in major markets, are we going to see more of these suddenly become relevant? Is the Big 10 or Big 12 going to after Temple, Northeastern, the University of San Francisco? (I'm not comparing the success of those programs to Rutgers or Maryland, but their relationships to the huge metro areas they're in is comparable.) Or is there a certain level of athletic competence a program has to get to before they're considered "the school from the big market", and then suddenly, they're seen as delivering that market even if they never have historically.

There are lots of articles about this. It was first driven by AQ status in the case of The Big East west. The rest is driven by modern tv changes. Conferences with their own tv networks generating cash and wanting to expand their base, when other leagues are doing the same.

It's not about competitiveness, that's secondary to market access and academics. Especially as it relates to the Big Ten in this case. Plus you have to believe both new entrants will rise to the occasion by being the stewards of the new league in their rich recruiting turf. And that's part of this too.

But the only thing separating college sports from the pros is playing aren't paid to play.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by General Mike

Sounds like it's a done deal on the Maryland side.

Originally Posted by Logan

Thank god.

Yeah a Baltimore Sun article said the Regents vote is non-binding and the Chancellor can make the final call, but that they expected a majority of Trustees to go with it.

[Young Drachma]

Take this with a huge grain of salt, but one source is reporting a press conference at 3pm in Maryland.

[Swaggs]

Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN
Maryland's board of regents unanimously approves move to Big Ten, source tells @ESPN

Pretty hard to believe that this all materialized (at least in public) so quickly.

I'm glad for Maryland (and hopefully Rutgers). Hopefully, the ACC gets cannibalized by this. If the SEC is feeling randy, now is a good time to pick up VPI and a NC school and fill in those final two Southeastern states that have been missing from the footprint.

[Logan]

Our announcement is expected tomorrow.

[Swaggs]

Originally Posted by Logan

Our announcement is expected tomorrow.

Good. I'm glad that Rutgers not only landed on their feet, but made a huge leap forward (and not with the ACC). The increased funds should really propel you guys forward.

[ISiddiqui]

Wow, that did move quick!

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Swaggs

Good. I'm glad that Rutgers not only landed on their feet, but made a huge leap forward (and not with the ACC). The increased funds should really propel you guys forward.

Appreciate it. I was very happy when you guys got out, not just for all the good talk we've had over the years but you deserved it after carrying the conference (and representing in major games) for such a lengthy period.

[Logan]

ESPN now reporting tomorrow's Rutgers move.

[molson]

I wonder if there's any way Boise St. can go back to the Mountain West. They only went east for the BCS access, and that's gone. Of course if the Big East replaces Rutgers and UConn with two western schools, than the Big East might be just as western-focused as the Mountain West.

Edit: Of course, the Big East's "footprint" will still have the Dallas, Houston, and Philadelphia markets, so I guess in modern football that makes it better than the MWC, and we'll just have to look forward to years and years of Boise St/Cincinnati thrillers rather than developing regional rivalries with Air Force, Nevada, etc.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by molson

I wonder if there's any way Boise St. can go back to the Mountain West. They only went east for the BCS access, and that's gone. Of course if the Big East replaces Rutgers and UConn with two western schools, than the Big East might be just as western-focused as the Mountain West.

Stop trying to make fetch happen Gretchen, it's not going to happen.

Boise State will make more in the Big East and the competition is better than the western-focused Mountain West especially once they add BYU and probably Air Force.

[molson]

Originally Posted by Young Drachma

Boise State will make more in the Big East and the competition is better than the western-focused Mountain West especially once they add BYU and probably Air Force.

Until the Big 10 or Pac-10 decide they want to get into the Houston/Dallas/Philadelphia markets.

[MacroGuru]

Originally Posted by Young Drachma

Stop trying to make fetch happen Gretchen, it's not going to happen.

Boise State will make more in the Big East and the competition is better than the western-focused Mountain West especially once they add BYU and probably Air Force.

I hope to hell they do add BYU..although I would love to see BYU in the Big12 before the Big East, but I think that ship sailed.

I think it is becoming apparent that we need to hitch on to one of the conferences even though are schedules are decent (Next years is amazing), I just don't think it will give us the access we need.

[miked]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

If that happens then you have to become the biggest GT fan evah.

GT beats FSU for the Orange Bowl
FSU gets bumped down to the Chik-Fil-A Bowl
3rd place might becomes Clemson at either 11-1/10-2
(or vice versa, if the CFA Bowl insists on Clemson, then you get 11-2/10-3 FSU)

(assuming that the BCS does not take a 2nd ACC rep)

Did Miami already self-ban? I must have missed that. Where does VT fit in this?

[digamma]

Originally Posted by miked

Did Miami already self-ban? I must have missed that. Where does VT fit in this?

Miami self imposed. Virginia Tech has to win to be bowl eligible and would go to the Music City, Belk or Independence Bowls most likely. Maybe the Sun.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by molson

Until the Big 10 or Pac-10 decide they want to get into the Houston/Dallas/Philadelphia markets.

It's a bit more complicated than that.