B1G Expansion and more Conference Realignment

[VectorVictor]

Last time I checked, alumni don't *just* stay in the state in which they obtained their degree. They typically settle elsewhere, and there happens to be a lot of B1G alumni in D.C. and Baltimore.

 

Plus, there have been multiple stories about how New York City has a significant audience for college football in general--if you can get them watching Nebraska, Ohio State, or Michigan via Rutgers (or before, Syracuse, when they were rumored), then adding the woefully under-performing local school in Rutgers pays off.

 

Also, Fox Sports supposedly buying the YES! network in New York may play into this as well. (link goes to Frank the Tank page where someone brought this up)

 

Don't forget that Fox Sports is also the minority owner of the BTN.

[Excel]

http://www.cbssports...gers-to-big-ten

 

A little silly to say that the Big Ten would invite Carolina for football only, but Carolina is the crown jewel. They are the center of the ACC, coveted by the SEC and maybe with a little push Big Ten bound?

 

What makes you say UNC is coveted by the SEC? You have a wider base of football knowledge...or should I say that it goes back farther in history than mine does but I don't remember hearing much talk or seeing much action toward UNC on their part. Florida State? Sure. UNC. Not really...at least not recently.

[Hingle McCringleberry]

If the tea leaves are to be believed, there will be a vote in Maryland tomorrow, and one at Rutgers on Tuesday. Word is, the end game gets Ga tech and UNC in as well, although who knows when, or if, that will happen.

link/source?

 

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8651934/maryland-terrapins-accept-invitation-join-big-ten-sources-say

There ya go...

[TGHusker]

The only conceivable reason I could see for taking Maryland is because Under Armour's owner is a booster for them. But apparently he doesn't donate enough to their athletic dept because they have had to cut multiple sports teams because they are broke.

 

This move makes zero sense to me at the moment. This is my hope: people have been talking about the B1G having great lawyers and may have found a loophole in the 50-mil exit fee from the ACC. They could just be toying with Maryland to prove to Florida State, Georgia Tech, VaTech, UVA, and UNC that those loopholes exist. And when Maryland applies to join the B1G, Delaney throws it back in their face and snatches up 4 of the GOOD programs instead. Grabbing FSU, GT, VaTech, and UNC or ND would shake the college football landscape and force the other 3 super conferences to take shape.

 

Looks like in a few years, the only real conferences that will be left are the B1G, SEC, Big 12, and Pac 12. Exciting world we live in.

I can't believe Maryland would be considered. Pathetic sports. ND is my 1st choice, then if you can somehow grab FSU, GT or VT it would be great for football. GT and FSU would bring good recruiting areas into the fold but would add a lot of travel miles - the only drawback. I understand the draw of Rutgers - TV market and potential in football. Maryland adds nothing IMHO. It'd rather go after VT if it is about location - being closer than GT or FSU.

For sentimental reasons, I'd like to see Kansas Basketball in the conference. That would be a very good addition - not much in the other sports. Wt NU football, we may still pull a lot of the KC TV market - Kansas would strengthen that but not add a new market like Rutgers would or a school in the south.

[Hingle McCringleberry]

Last time I checked, alumni don't *just* stay in the state in which they obtained their degree. They typically settle elsewhere, and there happens to be a lot of B1G alumni in D.C. and Baltimore.

 

Plus, there have been multiple stories about how New York City has a significant audience for college football in general--if you can get them watching Nebraska, Ohio State, or Michigan via Rutgers (or before, Syracuse, when they were rumored), then adding the woefully under-performing local school in Rutgers pays off.

 

Also, Fox Sports supposedly buying the YES! network in New York may play into this as well. (link goes to Frank the Tank page where someone brought this up)

 

Don't forget that Fox Sports is also the minority owner of the BTN.

 

 

I think this plays out and when done, the ACC is basically dead. Clemson/FSU go SEC, we get some combo of Ga Tech/ND/UNC.

[Caven]

So does that mean:

1. We get Wisconsin back in our division

2. They completely re-do the divisions so that the west isn't completely stacked

3. They just add one of the new east coast teams to the west

 

 

I hope that with what happened at Penn State and their expected fall and Wisconsin's rise that they fix the divisions to just be straight east/west.

 

 

ETA: ACC might end up being what the Big East used to be - a very strong basketball conference with 1-2 decent football teams.

[mrandyk]

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8651934/maryland-terrapins-rutgers-scarlet-knights-join-big-ten-sources-say

 

Guess it's official. I hope we see East and West divisions.

 

West: Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Northwestern, Minnesota, Michigan State, Wisconsin

 

East: Michigan, Ohio State, Purdue, Indiana, Penn State, Maryland, Rutgers

[Caven]

I would think we will almost have to go to a 9 game schedule in order to play each other often enough. I almost hope we go to a 4 pod system with rotation of which pods combine to form the divisions. If we do that then we can play everyone 2/4 years out of pod and in the pod every year.

[krc1995]

I want this to go away. If it cannot go away, I want there to be a dress appropiately clause in their contract. I hate their football uniforms. I do like turtle soup

[krc1995]

So then the ACC is blowing up? Our pee wee herman AD might like to visit Miami annually.

[WoodyHayes1951]

http://www.cbssports...gers-to-big-ten

 

A little silly to say that the Big Ten would invite Carolina for football only, but Carolina is the crown jewel. They are the center of the ACC, coveted by the SEC and maybe with a little push Big Ten bound?

 

What makes you say UNC is coveted by the SEC? You have a wider base of football knowledge...or should I say that it goes back farther in history than mine does but I don't remember hearing much talk or seeing much action toward UNC on their part. Florida State? Sure. UNC. Not really...at least not recently.

 

 

 

There are plenty of bird chirping over the years but lets go with modern day stuff

 

The SEC doesn't have a school in North Carolina. One of only two Dixieland states that the SEC isn't in.

 

The Carolina fanbase is also very, very huge and it is one of the Signature Public Universities of the South(and arguably the First).

 

NC is also one of the fastest growing states and quickly becoming a top recruiting state.

[Junior]

I really don't want to lose the annual michigan game... that thing is really going to be a good one, I think.

[The Duke]

The ball is starting to roll towards the 4 16-team Super Conferences. Selfishly I wish the Big Ten could add a few of our old Big 8 brethren, especially Oklahoma. But the problem that the Big Ten or any other conference runs into when trying to add an Oklahoma or a Kansas is that if you take one of them you have to take their state partner school as well. For example: if the Big Ten wanted Oklahoma they would also have to take Oklahoma State. I think this has to do with how those state's laws are written or something like that...don't quote me on this though.

 

With the addition of Maryland and soon to be Rutgers to the Big Ten, if the conference is going to go to 16 then I think they have to make a big push to add 2 of these programs listed below in no particular order:

• Notre Dame (Everyone knows this is the Big Fish that the Big Ten wants. They are a perfect fit culturally, geographically, demographically. The only reason Notre Dame is not in the Big Ten already is because they are dead-set stubborn on being independent.)
  
• Oklahoma (Imagine the last week of conference play in November; Michigan vs Ohio State & Nebraska vs Oklahoma...ummm yes please!!! But remember if you take Oklahoma you have to bring along Oklahoma State.)
  
• Kansas (Football wise this doesn't move the needle at all, but the Jayhawks would be a great addition for the conference in terms of basketball. If you take Kansas though you have to bring along Kansas State.)
  
• Missouri (The biggest quesiton here is would Missouri really want to leave the SEC for the Big Ten? I think they would. Culturally it gets them back more into the midwest, and I don't think they could turn down the type of money the Big Ten Network would bring them each year. Plus it restores the Missouri-Nebraska rivalry.)
  
• Iowa State (Similar to Kansas in that football wise it doesn't move the needle at all nationally. However the Big Ten is all about culture & geographical fits. They also love their rivalries and this would bring the Iowa-Iowa St battle for the CyHawk trophy into the Big Ten fold.)
  

​

Do I think any of these teams listed will be added? I am very skeptical at the moment. Would I like to see 2 of these teams added? Sure I would, but everything I have read over the last few days doesn't give me any indication that the Big Ten wants to expand West. More likely is that they expand South near SEC territory. Potential teams mentioned are: Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, or Virginia.

 

At the end of the day the ball is rolling towards Super Conferences in College Football. And the other thing we know is the addition of Maryland & Rutgers to the Big Ten is only a pawn move by Jim Delaney. His big move is still out there....but it is coming. The only questions now are: Who? And When?

[Minnesota_husker]

I would think we will almost have to go to a 9 game schedule in order to play each other often enough. I almost hope we go to a 4 pod system with rotation of which pods combine to form the divisions. If we do that then we can play everyone 2/4 years out of pod and in the pod every year.

 

I dont mind the idea of Pods.

 

Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin

Ohio State, Northwestern, (NEW team), Indiana

Michigan, Michigan state, Purdue, Illinois

Penn St, Maryland, Rutgers(NEW team)

To do this, you need to add two new teams obviously Notre Dame would be the crown jewel addition.

 

 

 

 

Could always go after a scrub like Iowa State or try and get K-state...

[Micheal]

Adding these schools does add money but does nothing for on field strength for the league.