Big Ten Expansion

[endaround]

On Homer's show they had a source(someone with Madison most likely, they are actually in Madison today) saying Missouri is not on the table

[ryne100]

There is just no upside at all to adding Missouri. Missouri needs the Big Ten far more than the Big Ten needs Missouri. Missouri adds nothing at all to the Big Ten except another team. Meanwhile, Missouri benefits from being associated with much better academic and athletic universities, not to mention all the extra money they'll get. Why should Missouri get to reap the rewards while bringing nothing to the Big Ten? Almost every other school in consideration would bring huge benefits to the conference either academically, athletically, or both.

This is exactly on. Missouri is the fallback option for the Big Ten if they can't get Notre Dame. Once the Big East is decimated and are at 15 schools, they can go to Notre Dame and say "Hey, last chance. You can join or we're taking Missouri." That way they have some leverage and if Notre Dame stays stubborn they can still go to 16. In the end I say the Big Ten gets Nebraska, Syracuse, Rutgers, Maryland and Notre Dame.

 

Edit: Also, let's not pretend you need to be competitive in football or basketball. It's a bonus but it's not even a top 2 priority. Every move needs to add more TV markets for the Big Ten network and/or put pressure on Notre Dame (and be a part of the AAU).

[PeaveyFury]

In an absolutely stunning development, KCTV in Kansas City is reporting that Texas and Texas A&M are now looking to join the Big Ten. Negotiations are underway, and an agreement could be reached shortly.

 

http://www.kctv5.com/sports/23860558/detail.html

[homer]

Missouri is the fallback option for the Big Ten if they can't get Notre Dame

-----------------------------

 

Listen, I'm not saying Mizzou is the end all be all option but to completely discount them as "not Big Ten worthy" or whatever is extremely shortsighted. They bring in additional TV markets, they're an AAU member, and they're geographically desirable. Would Notre Dame be a better fit? Yes. Is Mizzou a bad fit? Absolutely not.

[igor67]

Call me crazy. but in that scenario described it sure seems like the PAC-10 gets kind left hanging. Oklahoma St. and Colorado isn't exactly an impressive haul by themselves. The SEC doesn't really need much and landing Oklahoma is a pretty big coup. I'm kind of surprised that the Oklahoma's and Texas' would split up that much, as they seemed to have some pretty deep rivalries. Still I like adding Texas academically and athletically. That would put us at 14 with room to add 2 more schools, and all kinds of room to be choosy.

[TheCrew07]

No it's not, but as ryne100 pointed out, it would be a huge win for the big 10 network. Texas is football crazy, has a ton of population, what a huge geographic expansion it would be.

 

The only down side, I absolutely hate Texas.

[berniebrewer4life]

Call me crazy. but in that scenario described it sure seems like the PAC-10 gets kind left hanging. Oklahoma St. and Colorado isn't exactly an impressive haul by themselves. The SEC doesn't really need much and landing Oklahoma is a pretty big coup. I'm kind of surprised that the Oklahoma's and Texas' would split up that much, as they seemed to have some pretty deep rivalries. Still I like adding Texas academically and athletically. That would put us at 14 with room to add 2 more schools, and all kinds of room to be choosy.

Oklahoma and Texas could still play every year in a non conf game. Still, i would LOVE to have texas in the Big Ten.

[hawing]

Texas + Nebraska + Penn State in the Big "Ten" just might spell despair for any other current Big "Ten" volleyball program. Everyone else will be like the Jays, Rays and Orioles in the AL East (current standings notwithstanding).

 

I know this doesn't matter to 99 percent of bf.net, but it does to me, and perhaps Jimbo.

[sbrylski]

Wow, imagine getting Texas, Nebraska, and eventually Notre Dame. That has to have been the best-case scenario for the conference, and it is currently looking extremely plausible.

[ryne100]

Eh, I don't really believe the Texas talk. It's out of the Missouri area and it sounds like Missouri people trying to create panic to make sure they're not left put. I know that pretty 'conspiracy theorist' of me but I don't see it happening. It would probably make more money for Texas in the short term, but they are capable of releasing their own TV network and the Big Ten wouldn't let that happen.

[owbc]

Now that the dominoes have started to fall, it's just a matter of time before everything falls into place. College sports will most likely be dominated by 6 super-conferences: The ACC, Big East, Big Ten, SEC, Pac-10, and the Mountain West/new Big 12 combination. I do not see schools like Kansas or K-State being added to eastern conferences.

 

Although the Big 10 started this whole thing, it will likely be reacting from here. The Pac-10 will take it's Big 12 teams and the leftovers will merge with the Mountain West to form a new BCS conference. The Big 10 will then need to match the Pac-10 and will likely add Rutgers, Missouri, and Pittsburgh to move to 15 teams. With the Big East in jeopardy, Notre Dame will finally give in and join to bring the Big 10 to 16 teams.

 

The second stage will then occur a year or two later. I think there are 2 possibilities:

1) The Big East restocks by taking Memphis and/or a few A-10 schools like Dayton, Xavier, or Temple

2) The SEC and ACC gobble up the remaining Big East schools, resulting in only five 16-team super-conferences.

 

Scenario #2 has scary implications for Marquette, since they could possibly be bypassed by the SEC/ACC and left to join the A-10/Big East reject conference.

 

Overall, I think it is a very exciting time for college sports. Big 12 fans will be the losers, while every else has much to gain by seeing the power conferences battle it out. I also think a football playoff will be implemented almost immediately after the dust settles. Every conference will have a championship game, so there will be 6 undisputed BCS teams. Throw in the top 2 non-BCS schools and you have a perfect 8-team playoff.

[Baldkin]

Big 10 goes to 16, by adding Nebraska, Sarycuse, Rutgers, Texas and A&M.

At least, that's my prediction.

[PeaveyFury]

Big 12 fans will be the losers, while every else has much to gain by seeing the power conferences battle it out.

 

Big East fans almost certainly will be losers in all of this too, especially if the Big Ten does decide to go to 16. Lots of rivalries to be lost throughout too, especially depending on where the SEC grabs its additional teams from.

 

Am I the only one to believe that if the Big Ten goes to 16 teams and doesn't get two of Nebraska/Notre Dame/Texas, that they may have lost in the big picture as well? I love the conference makeup if they add the Huskers and stay at 12, but if we jump to 16 by adding the likes of Rutgers, Pitt, Mizzou, whomever, I think the Big Ten clearly falls to 3rd in the conference power standings.

[TooLiveBrew]

In an absolutely stunning development, KCTV in Kansas City is reporting that Texas and Texas A&M are now looking to join the Big Ten. Negotiations are underway, and an agreement could be reached shortly.

 

http://www.kctv5.com/sports/23860558/detail.html

Wow. Don't have much more than that at the moment. I still think it would suck, as I did for the Pac-10/Pac-16, but... wow.

[JoeHova]

Scenario #2 has scary implications for Marquette, since they could possibly be bypassed by the SEC/ACC and left to join the A-10/Big East reject conference.

If the Big East gets destroyed, I think a Catholic league will be formed by Marquette, Georgetown, Villanova, DePaul, St. John's, Seton Hall, Providence, and a few other schools- maybe Dayton or Xavier or St. Louis or Creighton or St. Joe's or Holy Cross or one of the Loyolas (Chicago or Baltimore).

 

The reason I think that will happen is that several of those schools are extremely desirable from a basketball standpoint but none have D 1-A football teams so they won't be attractive to one of the football super conferences. I doubt Marquette wants to go back to the Horizon League when they are top 10 in the country in attendance. I think the basketball-only schools would find a way to make a new conference work rather than join existing 2nd or 3rd tier leagues.

[PKBadger]

Am I the only one to believe that if the Big Ten goes to 16 teams and doesn't get two of Nebraska/Notre Dame/Texas, that they may have lost in the big picture as well? I love the conference makeup if they add the Huskers and stay at 12, but if we jump to 16 by adding the likes of Rutgers, Pitt, Mizzou, whomever, I think the Big Ten clearly falls to 3rd in the conference power standings.

Athletically, perhaps. But both Rutgers and Pitt have a great deal to offer academically, and the money brought in by the NYC/NJ market would be an enormous advantage.

 

I've warmed up to Rutgers lately. They're actually a much better school than I gave them credit for. In the latest edition of the Academic Ranking of World Universities (more prominent and reliable than Princeton Review/US News & World Report rankings), Pitt and Rutgers rank 50th and 55th, respectively -- for comparison UW is 17th, Penn State 45th, Ohio State 62nd. Rutgers is a growing football program that could play Penn State and other high profile opponents at Giants Stadium. They also fit into the public land grant, state flagship, research-focused AAU-member model that the Big Ten was built on.

 

Lot of factors besides sports here. I do think that pulling ND is the ideal case scenario, but the Big Ten will win no matter what.

[TracyThom]

I haven't seen the Texas / A&M talks to the Big Ten anywhere besides the Kansas City TV website. Nothing on Rivals, ESPN, or Orangebloods. I don't believe it.

[sbrylski]

I haven't seen the Texas / A&M talks to the Big Ten anywhere besides the Kansas City TV website. Nothing on Rivals, ESPN, or Orangebloods. I don't believe it.

New source...

 

http://chicago.sbnation.com/2010/5/18/1477553/big-10-coaches-meet-in-chicago

 

That's a great read that explains the motives very well. Also links to this quote...

 

 

Same source that broke with the Nebraska to Big 10 story:

 

Big Ten targeting only Texas and ND as of this afternoon, pending the outcome of A&M’s status with the SEC.

Tomorrow will be a big, big day in college sports.

 

More linkage:

 

http://frankthetank.wordpress.com/2010/06/10/its-all-about-texas/

My understanding is that Texas DOES want to join the Big Ten despite public posturing.

 

In essence, both sources are saying Texas always would have preferred the Big 10, but didn't have the freedom to chose their own destiny. But with the SEC now wooing A&M, who doesn't particularly want to join the Pac 10, Texas may now be free to do what is best for them and only them, that being joining the Big 10. And the window is right now.

 

In other words, this is all a huge mess, who really knows what's true and what is not, and I can't imagine being behind the scenes right now. Multi-million dollar game of poker going on.

[sbrylski]

Interesting that at this very moment, the Big Ten, Pac-10, and Big 12 all have 11 teams.

[TracyThom]

Yes, but those additional links really only refer to the Kansas City station as well as some anonymous poster on an internet message board. I'd love to see it, but I'm still not buying it.

[Jimbo]

Texas + Nebraska + Penn State in the Big "Ten" just might spell despair for any other current Big "Ten" volleyball program. Everyone else will be like the Jays, Rays and Orioles in the AL East (current standings notwithstanding).

 

I know this doesn't matter to 99 percent of bf.net, but it does to me, and perhaps Jimbo.

The very same thoughts entered my mind last night. John Cook and the 'Huskers coming to the Big Ten would put two of the nations top four programs in the conference. I guess the Badgers won't be winning any titles again for a few decades. My HR manager is an Illinois grad and big time into volleyball. I'm curious to her thoughts.

 

I was thinking about other non-revenue sports. Track and CC don't play round-robin, so no issue there. Probably negligiable for women's hoops except for a return to an unbalanced schedule. Plenty of room in the soccer schedules. The Big Ten doesn't recognize hockey.

 

If they have to go with twelve schools, I guess I could live with that. I refer they get rid of Penn State instead. Sixteen schools is too much for me, it would no longer feel like a conference.

[CheeseheadInIllinois]

Scenario #2 has scary implications for Marquette, since they could possibly be bypassed by the SEC/ACC and left to join the A-10/Big East reject conference.

This would be where all of the football-driven realignment would spiral into the non-1A football conferences. As a Missouri Valley fan, I'd love a scenario where the non-football playing Big East schools grab 7-8 of the northeastern A-10 schools and allow the MVC to poach Xavier, Dayton and St. Louis and perhaps lure their former MCC conference-mate Butler as well.

 

Also, speaking of the non-football and basketball implications, does anyone know if the Big Ten allows associate members for individual sports? The Iowa State wrestling program is likely to be left without a home.

[NeedMoreFans]

Well, Boise St. just left the WAC for the Mountain West. That conference is all of a sudden looking halfway decent, too.

[T B0NE 10]

The Mountain West could end up even looking better if some Big 12 castoffs can't find a conference

[logan82]

Nebraska is approved to join the Big Ten. Live press conference right now on BTN.