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

[digamma]

I'm almost positive I'm going to the Ga Tech game. Only question is whether it is a father/son trip or the whole family.

[digamma]

Some unconfirmed reports that the ACC will reshuffle divisions, with the main thrust being Louisville coming into what is now the Coastal and Geogia Tech moving over to what is now the Atlantic.

[Toddzilla]

Originally Posted by digamma

Some unconfirmed reports that ...

Redundant to point out in this thread IMO

[Wolfpack]

Apparently ESPN (maybe Heather Dinich specifically) thought enough of it to check it out. Their Twitter feed ESPN_ACC mentioned contacting the league office about it and got a reply that it wasn't true.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

LOL......someone's still a bit bitter about Mizzou leaving the Big 12.

"Our bad years are not that bad. Take a school like Mizzou. Our bad years are better than their good years."

-Deloss Dodds, Feb. 11th, 2013

But I hear UT isn't obsessed about Mizzou, so that's good. I hear he usually brings up Mizzou in articles where he's being attacked by a reporter over the state of his program.

[britrock88]

UMKC leaves the Summit for the WAC.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by britrock88

UMKC leaves the Summit for the WAC.

I guess they figure it helps WAC keep auto-bid and differentiation to boot. TLDR: Easier path to a bid.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by britrock88

UMKC leaves the Summit for the WAC.

Fantastic news for UMKC. Should really help the draw. They play in Municipal Auditorium here in KC, which still holds the record for most NCAA basketball championship games hosted. Love to see more good basketball down there.

[Kodos]

OSU AD Smith: 'Strong likelihood' of sharing division with Michigan - CBSSports.com

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

'Inside Maryland Sports' saying mutual interest between UNC and SEC. Also said that FSU remains a likely B12 target when next round of moves begins.

Jeff Ermann ‏@insidemdsports

The #SEC also remains a viable option for #UNC. Legit mutual interest, per multiple sources. Heels a crown jewel of the realignment picture.

[Kodos]

Huh. I saw an article the other day saying UNC had an offer from the Big Ten.

[Kodos]

Here it is:

Maryland 247 site reporting North Carolina has Big Ten offer, Virginia on deck? - Land-Grant Holy Land

[albionmoonlight]

Big 10 makes more sense to me than SEC. But, of course, what makes sense is rarely a consideration with these conference moves.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Kodos

Here it is:

Maryland 247 site reporting North Carolina has Big Ten offer, Virginia on deck? - Land-Grant Holy Land

It's the same source that I cited. Inside Maryland Sports is also Maryland 24/7. The two conferences are courting the same teams. Just waiting to see which one wins out.

[Kodos]

At this point, I think the best I can hope for is a Big 20, with one division made up of established Big 10 teams, and the other all the newer, eastern schools.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Kodos

At this point, I think the best I can hope for is a Big 20, with one division made up of established Big 10 teams, and the other all the newer, eastern schools.

What would the divisions be called at that point?

[Kodos]

East and West. West would be the traditional Big Ten teams. But anything would be better than what we currently have as far as names are concerned. It'd basically be the traditional Big 10 in one division, and the best of the Big East/ACC in the new division.

I'd like to see us bring in Kansas too.

So, one division:
Indiana
Michigan
Michigan State
Wisconsin
Ohio State
Illinois
Minnesota
Purdue
Northwestern
Iowa

Other division:
All the rest

[Kodos]

What would UNC, Virginia and Georgia Tech bring to the Big Ten? - Land-Grant Holy Land

[Radii]

Man i think within 3 or 4 years I will end up not following college sports at all. This is so depressing.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by Radii

Man i think within 3 or 4 years I will end up not following college sports at all. This is so depressing.

You mean you aren't excited by the idea of getting annual doses of those soon-to-be-classic UNC v. Arkansas or UNC v. Iowa battles?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Radii

Man i think within 3 or 4 years I will end up not following college sports at all. This is so depressing.

I'd rather see GT join the SoCon than the B10. Maybe even the Atlantic Sun.

Talk about a zero interest situation for me, this would be it.

[Kodos]

Yeah, this stuff isn't fan driven.

[Swaggs]

You guys are getting an idea on what it has been like to be a (former) Big East fan the past 10-12 years.

It will be interesting to see if the "bigger is better" model holds up over time (if it comes to fruition).

[BishopMVP]

Hypothetical question - if UNC leaves, does it make sense for Duke (and maybe Wake Forest) to drop football to FCS and join the C7? What if FSU/Clemson/VT/NC State also leave for the Big12 or SEC?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

Hypothetical question - if UNC leaves, does it make sense for Duke (and maybe Wake Forest) to drop football to FCS and join the C7? What if FSU/Clemson/VT/NC State also leave for the Big12 or SEC?

I've thought it made sense for Duke, GT, and Wake (as well as Vandy) to all drop football to I-AA for years.

[Marmel]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

Hypothetical question - if UNC leaves, does it make sense for Duke (and maybe Wake Forest) to drop football to FCS and join the C7? What if FSU/Clemson/VT/NC State also leave for the Big12 or SEC?

Why would they do that?

[Radii]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

You mean you aren't excited by the idea of getting annual doses of those soon-to-be-classic UNC v. Arkansas or UNC v. Iowa battles?

I know in part I'm just being an old man who hates change here, but I have yet to find a way to care about UNC vs Boston College or UNC vs Virginia Tech. Adding Pitt, Syracuse and Notre Dame and losing Maryland may end up being the last straw for me even if UNC doesn't move. I've never liked bigger conferences either. 12 schools is too many for a basketball conference, 16 is just ridiculous. So far this year I've watched 6 of their 26 games, even in the Matt Doherty years I would have watched 20 games by now. Ah well, curmudgeon out!

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by Marmel

Why would they do that?

Duke is one of the few schools that makes more money off basketball than football (or if they aren't now, would be once the ACC football deals shrink considerably with FSU/Clemson/VT/etc departures). Under that scenario, a cobbled together ACC, even if it added UConn and Cincinnati, would be about equal at basketball to a C7+ with Georgetown, Villanova, Marquette, Butler, Xavier, St. Louis, etc. Plus they seem to have more in common with the northeast schools than the teams that would be left in the ACC (Miami?, UVa, GT, WF, BC, Louisville, Syracuse, Pitt, UConn?, Cincy?, ND?)

Just wondering at what point they would cut the cord with no local schools around other than WF (who could go with them) and UVa.

[Marmel]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

would be about equal at basketball to a C7+ with Georgetown, Villanova, Marquette, Butler, Xavier, St. Louis, etc.

This number is going to be awfully low.

Anyway, nobody of any significance has, or will be leaving the ACC, so it doesn't matter.

Oklahoma to the Big10 is the next big move.

[Kodos]

I think you will be proven wrong, sir.

[Radii]

Originally Posted by Marmel

Anyway, nobody of any significance has, or will be leaving the ACC, so it doesn't matter.

I know you're looking at this from a different angle, but, the ACC was founded 60 years ago by seven schools, and during that first year added an 8th. One of them (South Carolina) left in 1971. A second is leaving in the next year or two. Its a significant thing.

[Marmel]

Originally Posted by Kodos

I think you will be proven wrong, sir.

Of course it is possible, anything is, but much less likely than the crazy theories that are thrown around here all the time.

[Marmel]

Originally Posted by Radii

I know you're looking at this from a different angle, but, the ACC was founded 60 years ago by seven schools, and during that first year added an 8th. One of them (South Carolina) left in 1971. A second is leaving in the next year or two. Its a significant thing.

I understand what you are saying, but is anybody really going to miss Maryland? And didn't the ACC end up in a better spot overall with (Louisville + ND baskeball) - Maryland?

[tarcone]

I thought the B1G made it clear it was going East. I dont think any more Midwest schools are getting in. But that is speculation. UCLA could be next for all I know.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by Marmel

Oklahoma to the Big10 is the next big move.

I doubt it. The B1G will continue to pursue AAU Universities. Money is king, but so long as they can find AAU schools that will improve their market footprint, they will prioritize those over schools with perceived lesser academic reputations.

[Radii]

Originally Posted by Marmel

I understand what you are saying, but is anybody really going to miss Maryland? And didn't the ACC end up in a better spot overall with (Louisville + ND baskeball) - Maryland?

From a fan perspective, i don't think any conference has ended up in a better place. Not a single one.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

I doubt it. The B1G will continue to pursue AAU Universities. Money is king, but so long as they can find AAU schools that will improve their market footprint, they will prioritize those over schools with perceived lesser academic reputations.

Nebraska loses AAU status - Big Ten Blog - ESPN

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Nebraska loses AAU status - Big Ten Blog - ESPN

And you'll note that Nebraska lost that status after they had already been admitted to the B1G.

[digamma]

Don't know if anyone has noticed but Missouri hasn't lost a hoops or football game in the B1G this year.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

And you'll note that Nebraska lost that status after they had already been admitted to the B1G.

Actually before they were admitted but after they were accepted. Either way, it was a pretty embarrassing situation for the B10.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Actually before they were admitted but after they were accepted. Either way, it was a pretty embarrassing situation for the B10.

Somewhat embarrassing. But accepting a school that was at the time a member of the AAU and had been for over a century is still a big difference from considering a school that has never been a member of the AAU and is not a likely candidate to become a member anytime soon.

My point still stands that AAU membership matters to the B1G, and they'll continue to prioritize expansion that looks at AAU members (excepting of course Notre Dame) over those that aren't.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by Marmel

Of course it is possible, anything is, but much less likely than the crazy theories that are thrown around here all the time.

I don't see how UNC or UVA (either with each other, or with a GT/Duke) to the B1G is crazy. There's a decent sized hurdle in each case (The B1G doesn't think UVA brings a big enough media market, UNC will be very reluctant to leave Duke behind), but they're the most logical moves on the board.

[tarcone]

Nebraska was brought in because of their culture. They are a Midwest school. They were what the B1G was looking for in a 12th member. And they were the anti-PsU, so to speak.
Maryland and Rutgers were a brought in because of their AAU status, East coast footprint and a nod to the academics (academia?) for allowing the conference to bring in Nebraska.
The B1G wasnt going to let Nebraska go anywhere else. That school is as Midwest as it gets.

[britrock88]

UNC will probably be ready to leave Duke behind as soon as Krzyzewski retires, though Lord knows when that will be.

[Marmel]

West Virginia discovers it is a pain in the ass to send your volleyball team to Iowa one week and Texas the next. Who knew?

Big 12 agrees to look at WVU's travel problems - The Exponent Telegram : Sports

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Really interesting interview with Kevin Harlan this morning on local radio. He was at a gathering with some B10 officials yesterday. Said that two officials told him very similar things.

-Said that B10 is definitely going to 16 teams and is considering 18 or 20 teams.
-Said that Texas is actively courting the B10 and is looking to find a way out of the Longhorn Network mess by merging it with a conference network. Also, ESPN would likely not block any move like that because they are losing millions each year on the deal due to the block of HS sports.
-B10 still believes that KU cannot join the B10 without KSU coming along. Could be a deal breaker if that doesn't change.
-B10 is still interested in bringing Mizzou into the conference. They believe that Mizzou would move if other former Big 8 teams were brought into the conference.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Ouch.

Big East Conference, ESPN agree to TV rights deal - ESPN

[molson]

Originally Posted by Marmel

West Virginia discovers it is a pain in the ass to send your volleyball team to Iowa one week and Texas the next. Who knew?

Big 12 agrees to look at WVU's travel problems - The Exponent Telegram : Sports

It makes too much sense for college football and basketball to become separate semi-pro leagues, and then for all other sports to engage in regional collegiate athletics.

[Kodos]

Would love to see UConn in the Big Ten because I could easily catch some IU games.

[corbes]

Originally Posted by molson

It makes too much sense for college football and basketball to become separate semi-pro leagues, and then for all other sports to engage in regional collegiate athletics.

+1