Big Ten Expansion??

[Ernest T. Bass]

Some decisions soon???

http://www.indystar.com/article/2010...pansion-effort


I haven't looked for it, but I'd also read fairly recently that some think the Big10 wants to really shake things up and expand to 16 teams...seems a bit extreme to me, but I suppose anything's possible.

[Greenwood Red]

I'm not really interested in Pitt,Suckracuse and Rutgers being in the Big 11. I would love to see ND and Mizzou in the 11 but that makes 13 and that won't work so I guess the best of the other 3 would be Pitt. I understand the reason they are looking at the others is the East coast TV market but they just don't feel like Big Ten schools.

[Ernest T. Bass]

Originally Posted by Greenwood Red

I'm not really interested in Pitt,Suckracuse and Rutgers being in the Big 11. I would love to see ND and Mizzou in the 11 but that makes 13 and that won't work so I guess the best of the other 3 would be Pitt. I understand the reason they are looking at the others is the East coast TV market but they just don't feel like Big Ten schools.

That's why I wish I could easily find the story (I'll try to look later)...but it was saying that the five teams that they wanted to add were: Notre Dame, Texas, Rutgers, Missouri, Pittsburgh...and if they couldn't get ND, they would try for Syracuse. I'm sure (I hope) this was someone's fabrication of a story...I don't think a conference should be that far apart geographically. But, those are some pretty big additions- financially, educationally (for the most part), and in all other ways.

[BeaArthursPackage]

Originally Posted by Ernest T. Bass

That's why I wish I could easily find the story (I'll try to look later)...but it was saying that the five teams that they wanted to add were: Notre Dame, Texas, Rutgers, Missouri, Pittsburgh...and if they couldn't get ND, they would try for Syracuse. I'm sure (I hope) this was someone's fabrication of a story...I don't think a conference should be that far apart geographically. But, those are some pretty big additions- financially, educationally (for the most part), and in all other ways.

I read something about this, too, but it had A&M instead of ND. The reasoning was that this is the direction most people see conferences going eventually, with the Big 11 most likely leading the way. The Big 11 has always been on the leading edge in terms of innovation, so it makes sense. Then the other conferences would once again be playing catch-up, and there would probably be a scramble to scoop up whatever decent schools are left of the Big 12, which would cease to exist.

I'm not crazy about conferences more or less abandoning regional ties, but I like the idea of 16 team super-conferences. I think it would make for more entertaining conference matchups in football and basketball, and allow for some good new rivalries.

[JHetfield99]

While I'm still not a proponent of expansion, I've warmed to 12 or even 14. 16 simply sounds like too many. It'd take 16 years until you played the entire conf home and away in football. It sound like at least 14 is the greatest likelihood.

I really, really do not want 16. The most common thing you've seen in blogs is the Big Ten adding Mizz, Pitt, Rutgers, Cuse, and then -- because attrition has more or less forced them to -- ND becomes the 5th and final. The problem is the Big Ten wants ND and if just one or two Big East teams is poached, that probably won't be enough to force ND to come along, since they'd likely be able to find a couple more teams (Memphis and E Carolina probably?) to keep the Big East just above water for football, though I'd still question if they'd keep an auto-berth to the BCS.

If Texas is on the table (and it sounds like they're not, especially since it would require state-house approval) then A&M would also be coming, and I'd say have the other joining be Mizz.

Assuming no Tex schools, my hope is that 2 of the 3 are Mizz and ND. Nebraska would be cool but probably isn't considered to have enough academic prowess to join.

I'm not really a fan of Rutgers, Pitt, or Cuse which seem to be mentioned in almost any discussion. Pitt is probably the greatest example of being currently good in both revenue sports and having a great amount of academic prestige, but they bring very little in terms of television numbers and a small fanbase. I'd guess they are as many or more PSU fans in Pitt as hometown fans.

Rutgers is a great academic institution, but not that great in sports and I still question if it would cause much of a murmur in the all-pro-sport-all-the-time NY/NJ area. They are seen at a gateway to the huge NY-metro market, but I'm still not buying that anyone there would care other than Big Ten alums who happened to have already moved there.

I think of Cuse as a poor man's Rutgers in assets they bring except they do have a tremendous bball program. Football would have been seen as an asset a decade ago and now is anything but. I'd also guess their fanbase and faculty probably has the least amount of interest in leaving a conf they were one of the founding members of (for Hoops anyway.)

So if it's gotta be 14, and Texas isn't in the discussion, I guess my hope is that it's Mizz, ND, and another large state institution, so Rutgers or Nebraska.

[tmart937]

It's simple. Take Missouri and the name Big 12.

[JHetfield99]

I've posted quotes and links to this blog in an earlier post in this thread. I had forgotten about the blog until I saw it linked on one of the CBS msg boards in reference to one of Dennis Dodd's updates.

I think it's well thought out, thorough, and open minded while logical and nearly emotion-free. The blogger is an Illini fan who makes a living as an atty. The only point he makes through out his posts that I disagree with is a disposition that the Big Ten will invite Syracuse. Of the candidates that have been seriously debated, I only give Pitt (or UConn and BC if we're counting them as in the serious debate) a lower chance of being invited than 'Cuse.

http://frankthetank.wordpress.com/

If you are short on time, I recommend just reading the latest posts, 4/19 and 4/12. Those are lengthy but interesting.

If you have some sick desire to read and keep reading any type of useful analysis of Big Ten expansion, and have little time constraint, I recommend scrolling to the bottom and reading the 8 or so entries chronologically so you can see how and why his opinion on the size of and school choices has changed. As I said I hadn't read the blog for a couple months and have literally just burnt over 2 hrs catching up. This includes reading most every other explanatory link he had with in his post. I found several intriguing, including the ESPN Don Ehlmeyer ombudsman piece on live tv scheduling and how announcers/producers can screw up t he flow and presentation of a terrific game.

If this is the first time you've seen this blog, and really have no life, go back to his original post on this subject which I believe was late Dec or mid-Jan. He does a great job looking at initial candidates and putting a probability value on them.

[JHetfield99]

Found this old archive linked in an article about current talks of superconferences: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...40/1/index.htm

Lots of good stuff in there from things that never change (ND's preference to remain independent), to whoops! (how foolish the Big East was to not placate PSU much sooner before they joined the Big Ten), how relatively few CFB games use to be on tv (and thus it wasn't the national popularity smash it is now) and just seeing how things hashed conference alliance-wise and how all of this expansion and super-conf discussion occurred once before

[dahat62]

The four letter reported today that invitations went out to four schools about joining the Big 11.....Nebraska, Rutgers, Missouri & Notre Dame.

All schools have denied any contact from the Big 11 per report.

[tmart937]

This just in. The 4 letter reports Nebraska in in the Big 10 or is it 11...no wait 12. Also the rest of the former Big 12 will go to the Pac-10. Except for maybe Colorado who reports to have no offer from the Pac-10.

Who will be the first to start a new thread with this info?

[Greenwood Red]

Originally Posted by tmart937

This just in. The 4 letter reports Nebraska in in the Big 10 or is it 11...no wait 12. Also the rest of the former Big 12 will go to the Pac-10. Except for maybe Colorado who reports to have no offer from the Pac-10.

Who will be the first to start a new thread with this info?

Or the first to post the same thing on 2 message boards.

[tmart937]

Originally Posted by Greenwood Red

Or the first to post the same thing on 2 message boards.

Yeah I'm sure you've never done anything of the sort. Thanks internet police.

Never mind I see where your bitterness comes from. The fact you tried to regurgitate Showwalters RIP John Wooden thread and got 0 replies.

[hubble74]

Originally Posted by tmart937

Yeah I'm sure you've never done anything of the sort. Thanks internet police.

Never mind I see where your bitterness comes from. The fact you tried to regurgitate Showwalters RIP John Wooden thread and got 0 replies.

Damn Tfart swinging the hammer.

[Greenwood Red]

Originally Posted by tmart937

Yeah I'm sure you've never done anything of the sort. Thanks internet police.

Never mind I see where your bitterness comes from. The fact you tried to regurgitate Showwalters RIP John Wooden thread and got 0 replies.

FYI-RIP threads are a way of life on any board-and if I was going to rip something off god help me if I don't have sense enough to find a better source than Showpu$$y.