Big Ten Expansion

[JoeHova]

If the Big Ten can't get Texas and/or Notre Dame, I hope they stay at 12 teams for a while. Also, if Texas goes to the Pac-10, Jim Delany seems to have misplayed his hand big time. The Pac-10 would be saddled with some pretty undesirable schools (Texas Tech, OK State) in that Pac-16 scenario but they get the biggest prize in college sports, which wouldn't have happened if Delaney hadn't ruined the Big 12. On the other hand, there's no question that Nebraska makes the Big Ten a stronger brand so maybe it was the right move anyway.

[berniebrewer4life]

If the Big Ten can't get Texas and/or Notre Dame, I hope they stay at 12 teams for a while. Also, if Texas goes to the Pac-10, Jim Delany seems to have misplayed his hand big time.

I donno about that. During the presser with Delany, he mentioned how important it was that all teams are equal, which is a subtle reference to Texas. While i would LOVE to have Texas in the Big 10, i don't want them if it means they get an unequal share of the goods, thus hurting the rest of the conf. ND will come if the Tx schools go to the pac 10, causing the SEC/ACC to raid the Big East. I don't, however, see any scenario where both Tx and ND join the Big 10.

[PeaveyFury]

Glad to have Nebraska on board. I think Texas going to the Pac-10 is only a misplay if the Big Ten was truly focused on Texas and felt they had a legitimate chance to bring them in. As such, the outcome still shows projections of a Pac-10 network bringing in less revenue per school than the Big Ten, even with the biggest prize in college sports in the fold. Nebraska only expands the brand and enhances the rivalries. Not to mention the additional revenues of a probably conference title game.

[logan82]

Texas would be weird as I consider the Big Ten a midwest conference. Nebraska may not really be the midwest(neither ir Pen State really) but they are close.

[owbc]

When it comes down to making the final decision, the geographical misfits will not sign off. Texas was never going to move to the B10 and Kansas/K-State will never go to the ACC or Big East. The only reason the Pac-10 decision makes sense is because they are taking enough teams to make a "Pac-10 East" division.

 

The new Mountain West will look quite formidable in both football and basketball. It is somewhat unfortunate for Kansas basketball that they will have to play in the Rockies all the time, but that's what the school gets for having poor academic standards.

[PeaveyFury]

Listened to a bit of Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe's teleconference from this afternoon, and he truly sounds like a man that knows he's going to be out of a job shortly.

[sbrylski]

When it comes down to making the final decision, the geographical misfits will not sign off. Texas was never going to move to the B10 and Kansas/K-State will never go to the ACC or Big East. The only reason the Pac-10 decision makes sense is because they are taking enough teams to make a "Pac-10 East" division.

I don't really think geography has much to do with out - only to the extent that it influences rivalries, and the peanuts in travels costs that it adds to the big picture.

 

I don't know which rumors to believe, but it sure seems to me that Texas's best fit is the Big 10 - money, academics, prestige... only ego and politics would hold it back, but with Big 12 allegiances fading each day and Oklahoma being the first team from the Big 12 South to consider breaking the brokered Pac-10 deal, Texas ego is the only hurdle left. They don't hold much leverage with the Big 10, because they should know that the Pac-10 will never be a better option than a fair inclusion into the Big 10.

[T B0NE 10]

If Notre Dame would have just accepted that invite a couple months back, would any of this be happening?

[trwi7]

If Notre Dame would have just accepted that invite a couple months back, would any of this be happening?

Sounds like Texas started talking about moving from the Big 12 first, which likely would've torn apart the conference anyways. So I'd imagine yes.

 

Matt Hayes has a piece on what the conferences might look like in 2012.

You know, you look at that and it actually makes some sense.

[PKBadger]

Those conference projections do make a lot of sense. The only thing I would change is putting Clemson in the SEC and leaving UVa in the ACC....no particular reason, other than it seems like a better fit (from an outsider's perspective).

[sbrylski]

Am I the only one who still expects Texas to join the Big 10?

[PeaveyFury]

Am I the only one who still expects Texas to join the Big 10?

 

Possibly. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif ESPN is reporting that the Big 12 South schools will probably make the move to the Pac on Tuesday, and that's coming from their own sources, not websites like orangebloods.

 

The one thing that could really hurt this play by the Pac is A&M's looming decision. If they decide to go to the SEC and break from Texas, not only does the Pac lose the fanbase and market of A&M along with the rivalry with Texas, but they also then have a 16th spot that Texas would probably ask them to bring Baylor in to fill. Exactly what they tried to avoid by adding Colorado so early in the process.

[JJHardy7]

The one thing that could really hurt this play by the Pac is A&M's looming decision. If they decide to go to the SEC and break from Texas, not only does the Pac lose the fanbase and market of A&M along with the rivalry with Texas, but they also then have a 16th spot that Texas would probably ask them to bring Baylor in to fill. Exactly what they tried to avoid by adding Colorado so early in the process.

 

That's true, but if they lose A&M that isn't a huge loss. I don't get why A&M would break from Texas. I really don't think from a sports perspective (at least football and basketball) A&M brings all that much to the SEC. It is all about markets, but A&M seems more like a consolation prize than anything else. It will be interesting if they decide to do that.

 

The issue (possibly) with the Big 10 and getting the Big 12 South teams to go is if they are still trying to move all 6 of the schools into one conference they simply can't do that with the Big 10 since they already were at 11 before they added Nebraska. I will say that is all a moot point if all 6 do not go to the Big 10. I guess we'll see how serious that discussion was in the next few days.

[sbrylski]

Am I the only one who still expects Texas to join the Big 10?

 

Possibly. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif ESPN is reporting that the Big 12 South schools will probably make the move to the Pac on Tuesday, and that's coming from their own sources, not websites like orangebloods.

I'm not sold Texas really wants to do that. I think they're just helping to break up the Big 12 to give them freedom, and gaining some leverage in negotiations with the Big 10. I think their meeting Tuesday is possibly there way of giving the Big 10 somewhat of a deadline to cave into some of their demands, whatever they may be.

 

Maybe I'm reading way to far into it, but something just doesn't seem right about the popular rumors.

[craigharmann]

Living an hour from Austin, I'd love Texas to join the Big 10. But, it really looks like they're heading toward the Pac-10. There's still a few moves to be made, I think, but my guess is that the rest of the Big 12 teams join the Mountain West. I think down the road, that conference will be fun to watch!

[sbrylski]

Stuff like this leads me to believe Texas hasn't really decided anything yet...

 

"It is both premature and inappropriate to speculate on what our UT system regents will discuss at next Tuesday's meeting," athletic director DeLoss Dodds said in a statement. "But as the dynamics of the Big 12 continue to change around us, we will utilize additional time to continue our work and evaluate our options."

Source

 

Maybe, for the sake of politics, they are trying to push A&M to the SEC by feigning Pac-10 interest (which A&M doesn't like), and once they're off Texas's back they'll flip flop to the Big 10, who maybe doesn't want A&M.

 

Or maybe more likely, there is a faction at the University of Texas that still want to join the Big 10 that need to be convinced.

 

But I don't think anything is over yet.

[craigharmann]

Stuff like this leads me to believe Texas hasn't really decided anything yet...

 

"It is both premature and inappropriate to speculate on what our UT system regents will discuss at next Tuesday's meeting," athletic director DeLoss Dodds said in a statement. "But as the dynamics of the Big 12 continue to change around us, we will utilize additional time to continue our work and evaluate our options."

Source

 

Maybe, for the sake of politics, they are trying to push A&M to the SEC by feigning Pac-10 interest (which A&M doesn't like), and once they're off Texas's back they'll flip flop to the Big 10, who maybe doesn't want A&M.

 

Or maybe more likely, there is a faction at the University of Texas that still want to join the Big 10 that need to be convinced.

 

But I don't think anything is over yet.

What is known is that the Regents meet on Tuesday and there's a press conference scheduled for Tuesday afternoon for Texas. If it isn't the Pac-10, that would be one of the bigger surprises ever pulled off, because most "experts" and those in the know seem to think they're going Pac-10.

[RockCoCougars]

If all of this nonsense doesn't prove that college sports is all about the money, I don't know what does. Part of the allure of college sports to me has always been the geographic rivalries. Now, because the Big 12 doesn't provide the University of Texas with enough revenue, their student athletes could be forced to fly from Texas to Pennsylvania or Indiana for conference games. Doesn't sound like much of a focus on the 'student' portion of 'student-athlete' to me. I can imagine that the 'small sports' will be hurt by the travel expenditures as well.

[craigharmann]

Now, because the Big 12 doesn't provide the University of Texas with enough revenue, their student athletes could be forced to fly from Texas to Pennsylvania or Indiana for conference games. Doesn't sound like much of a focus on the 'student' portion of 'student-athlete' to me. I can imagine that the 'small sports' will be hurt by the travel expenditures as well.

Or, Washington or Oregon, if they join the Pac-10.

[PeaveyFury]

Oklahoma publicly acknowledges that they talked to the Pac-10 today, Texas is supposedly meeting with the Pac but 'exploring all their options'.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5279373

 

Meanwhile, the Mountain West is looking at Missouri and Kansas if the Big 12 does fold.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5279018

[craigharmann]

Meanwhile, the Mountain West is looking at Missouri and Kansas if the Big 12 does fold.

I don't think it's premature to say if the Big 12 does fold, but when. Nebraska and Colorado are gone, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St., Texas, and either Texas Tech or Texas A&M seem to be the 4 going to the Pac-10, so what are you left with? Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas St., Missouri, Baylor and either Texas Tech or A&M as your conference? Who are you going to pull in to replace all of those teams? And it's going to be a stronger conference? Nope. The Big 12 is toast. It was toast as soon as Notre Dame turned down the Big 10.

[PeaveyFury]

Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas St., Missouri, Baylor and either Texas Tech or A&M as your conference?

 

Tech is going to the Pac regardless, A&M is either going to the Pac or SEC, so neither will be left in the Big 12. I agree that the Big 12 is on borrowed time, barring some late change of heart by the Longhorns or Sooners.

[RockCoCougars]

Why not restart the SWAC? I don't get the motivation to join the PAC 10, which hasn't been a football powerhouse, even before USC screwed themselves for years. Obviously, these decisions are driven mostly by football.

[Fatter than Joey]

Why not restart the SWAC?

 

You mean the SWC -- The SWAC is the conference with Jackson St., Grambling, MVSU, etc.

[logan82]

I doubt Memphis is being considered but I ran across this and found if fairly ridiculous.

 

 

FedEx’s chief executive, Fred Smith, has told conferences his company

would pay one of them up to $10 million a year if they invite Memphis,

CBSSports.com reported Saturday

.