Big Ten Expansion

jamiche

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I know this topic has been discussed but I don't think that it is beneficial to the league to expand without at least one of ND and TX. In addition to athletics both schools enhance the academic standing of the league. I would prefer the league stay as it is than add Nebraska or Missouri. There's talk of adding Rutgers, Syracuse and Pitt in order to access the east coast TV market but I'm not sure those schools would pull many viewers.
 

I don't see Texas being comfortable with the revenue sharing set up in the Big Ten. They have the entire Big XII set up in their favor, which is one of the the main reasons Nebraska wants out.

Yes, they're good athletically and academically, however, they know that, and they're going to go with whoever bends over backward to get them. I don't want the Big Ten to stoop to that level. Let the Pac 10 deal with that.
 

I tell you, the more I read about these conferences realigning, the less I know. The views seem to be all over the place. Just as you stated above, do they expand more west and south, or go east? From what the writers say, it seems inevitable that it's going to happen. Almost as if everyone is milling around waiting for the first move to be made. Also the ultimatum for Nebraska and Missouri for this Friday, will that even happen?
 

Point brought up by a writer named Matt Zemek........One issue that seems to be getting ignored in this larger discussion is the notion that conferences don’t have to align themselves the same ways for football and basketball. The Big East’s configuration for football is manifestly different from its basketball alignment. Georgetown and Villanova and Seton Hall and Marquette aren’t about to contend for a BCS bowl bid. Notre Dame seems to be just fine with its basketball life in the Big East. No one seems to have much of a problem with it.
 

Point brought up by a writer named Matt Zemek........One issue that seems to be getting ignored in this larger discussion is the notion that conferences don’t have to align themselves the same ways for football and basketball. The Big East’s configuration for football is manifestly different from its basketball alignment. Georgetown and Villanova and Seton Hall and Marquette aren’t about to contend for a BCS bowl bid. Notre Dame seems to be just fine with its basketball life in the Big East. No one seems to have much of a problem with it.

That is a valid point, but not germane to the discussion. Those teams are affiliated with different conferences because they play DI-AA football (or in the case of ND, are an independent). There are no teams now, or ever in the past, who play at the highest level in both sports and have more than one conference affiliation. What you seem to suggest is a scenario wherein, for example, Notre Dame would stay in the Big East in basketball and move to the Big Ten in football. For obvious reasons, the Big Ten wouldn't let that happen. Teams who are DI-A have to make a choice to go all-in with a conference or not. The conferences won't let it be otherwise.
 


http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/Big-12-is-feeling-squeeze-060610 dpodoll68, if I'm comprehending this correctly, he's suggesting Kansas stay in one conference in football and another in basketball. It's most likely a moot point anyways. I wasn't aware of the restrictions you mentioned. I only posted the above info because there are so many viewpoints out there and I hadn't seen that one yet.
 

I wish the BT would get it over with and offer ND this ultimatum "either you join and maintain some control of your own destiny or we are inviting Pitt, Syracuse, Rutgers, Missouri, and Nebraska." That would leave no Big East, no Big 12, no attractive potential partners for ND for non-football sports and they would have to accept the invite.
 

http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/Big-12-is-feeling-squeeze-060610 dpodoll68, if I'm comprehending this correctly, he's suggesting Kansas stay in one conference in football and another in basketball. It's most likely a moot point anyways. I wasn't aware of the restrictions you mentioned. I only posted the above info because there are so many viewpoints out there and I hadn't seen that one yet.

No "restrictions", per se, it's just that the conferences will never allow this to happen. If they did, all teams would be angling to get the best deal for both their basketball and football teams, which would not necessarily be the same. For a hypothetical, let's say Texas wants to be in the ACC in basketball, and the SEC in football, because it deems those the best conferences in the respective sports. Is that great for Texas? Absolutely. Is it great for the conferences? No, it's terrible. Texas would milk the other conference members for all they're worth in their affiliated sport, while offering nothing in terms of the other sport. It's giving the individual institution far too much power. Conferences as an idea might as well cease to exist if teams were given carte blanche to join whatever conference they pleased for each individual sport.
 

Texas would milk the other conference members for all they're worth in their affiliated sport, while offering nothing in terms of the other sport.

Technically speaking there will be a loose affiliation. However we will add nothing to the academic community nor provide any public service of any kind, this much I promise.
 



I wish the BT would get it over with and offer ND this ultimatum "either you join and maintain some control of your own destiny or we are inviting Pitt, Syracuse, Rutgers, Missouri, and Nebraska." That would leave no Big East, no Big 12, no attractive potential partners for ND for non-football sports and they would have to accept the invite.

No they wouldn't. If the Big 10 and Pac 10 expand, the SEC will too, and they would LOVE to have ND added to thier football roster. ND still holds a lot of cards here. Chances are the Big 10, SEC and ACC would all bend over backwards to bring them on board.
 

No they wouldn't. If the Big 10 and Pac 10 expand, the SEC will too, and they would LOVE to have ND added to thier football roster. ND still holds a lot of cards here. Chances are the Big 10, SEC and ACC would all bend over backwards to bring them on board.

It pretty much would. If ND has to join a conference, the only one that makes sense is the BT. They know it, you know it, the SEC knows it.
 

It pretty much would. If ND has to join a conference, the only one that makes sense is the BT. They know it, you know it, the SEC knows it.

The Big 10 certainly makes the MOST sense. But ND is not going to be in the position of Kansas or Iowa State. No matter what happens, they will find a spot waiting for them in a major conference, one way or another. The SEC is not ideal, but it would hardly be a disaster for them.
 

SEC

There is NO WAY that a school that prides themselves on academics and history like Notre Dame does will ever join the SEC. Ever!

Now the ACC, that's a different story
 



The Big 10 certainly makes the MOST sense. But ND is not going to be in the position of Kansas or Iowa State. No matter what happens, they will find a spot waiting for them in a major conference, one way or another. The SEC is not ideal, but it would hardly be a disaster for them.

ND being affiliated in anyway with the SEC or ACC would be a huge disaster...conference alignment is more than just sports...its academics as well...plus its recruiting...if ND joins the SEC they wont be playing all those Big10 schools every year and they lose a huge recruiting base in MI, OH & IN because they play no local teams. Yes, they will still be a draw, they are ND, but playing MI, MSU, Purdue etc is huge to their recruiting...plus USC. Then they cream puff the military academies. In the SEC, no way ND plays all those Big Ten teams when their conference schedule will include the SEC teams...anything but the Big Ten kills their midwest recruiting and they know it...
 






Well, we will see, if it does happen, the dominoes will start to fall.

Nebraska alone, or Nebraska with Missouri, does nothing for me. Nebraska is a middling school that is a fading football power. No value added. Mizzou is even worse. ND and/or TX or nothing.
 

So Nebraska is essentially a done deal, but do you think the Big Ten will stop there? If so they should call themselves the Big 12 :) Delany has said that they could expand in phases... what do you think phase 2 would include? Obviously Missouri wants in very bad and very soon, but if they are invited, who else do we invite? Rutgers? Syracuse? UConn? Pitt? Or maybe they invite two of them and hope to force ND's hand? If ND says no, then who would get the invite?

I always thought that the idea of Texas joining was ridiculous, but that email with Ohio St. made me realize it's possible. I don't believe it'll happen though and that they'll end up in the Pac-10. I think the Pac-10 expansion will happen within the next couple weeks with the only detail to work out being Colorado/Baylor.
 

Nebraska alone, or Nebraska with Missouri, does nothing for me. Nebraska is a middling school that is a fading football power. No value added. Mizzou is even worse. ND and/or TX or nothing.

I could not agree more. TX is my number one. I hate Texas, but that would be the best fiscal and athletic move. ND is a close second. All the others make me yawn. Homerun or nothing.
 




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