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Big Ten and other Conference Expansion

Which Teams Should the Big Ten Add? (please limit to four selections)

  • Boston College

    Votes: 32 10.2%
  • Cincinnati

    Votes: 19 6.1%
  • Connecticut

    Votes: 6 1.9%
  • Duke

    Votes: 21 6.7%
  • Georgia Tech

    Votes: 55 17.6%
  • Kansas

    Votes: 46 14.7%
  • Maryland

    Votes: 67 21.4%
  • Missouri

    Votes: 90 28.8%
  • North Carolina

    Votes: 39 12.5%
  • Notre Dame

    Votes: 209 66.8%
  • Oklahoma

    Votes: 78 24.9%
  • Pittsburgh

    Votes: 45 14.4%
  • Rutgers

    Votes: 40 12.8%
  • Syracuse

    Votes: 18 5.8%
  • Texas

    Votes: 121 38.7%
  • Vanderbilt

    Votes: 15 4.8%
  • Virginia

    Votes: 47 15.0%
  • Virginia Tech

    Votes: 62 19.8%
  • Stay at 12 teams and don't expand

    Votes: 27 8.6%
  • Add some other school(s) not listed

    Votes: 25 8.0%

  • Total voters
    313
BuckeyeNation27;1658743; said:
I used to want to kick Penn State out.......but if they joined the BE combined with their pussy scheduling, they can schedule themselves into a BCS game every single year, maybe even a NC game. let's keep them close enough to stomp on if they ever feel like pretending they're big time again.

You know, every time you Buckeye fans put the knock on Penn State or Michigan, you also put a knock on the overall strength of the conference, the OSU schedule and the right to claim achievement when the Buckeyes beat them. There's a part of "SEC, SEC, SEC" mentality that I admire...
 
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Buckrock;1658751; said:
If you look strictly from a ratings perspective; Texas, Missouri and UConn (or Rutgers/Syracuse) make the most sense. That gives B10 14 teams. East and West divisions to reduce travel and expenses for non revenue producing sports.
At first thought I did not like the UConn idea, but upon taking a brief look at some facts and figures I think it could potentially be a good fit.

Although Storrs is snoozy town in the middle of the woods and doesn't have the charm of any of the Big Ten cities I've visited, UConn is definitely heading in the right direction as a university (both academically and athletically).

It's also not as far as it might seem. Storrs is about the same distance from Happy Valley as Happy Valley is from Columbus.

The other nice bonus is that, while UConn might not have a huge footprint in any major market, it definitely makes a dent in both the NYC and Boston Markets. Additionally, it probably puts the Big 10 Network in all the households in the Providence market (population of ~1.6 mil in the metro), the Hartford market (~900k metro), the New Haven market (~900k metro), the Stamford market (~900k metro), and the Springfield, MA market (~700k metro).

Although Rutgers puts the BTN in more homes, UConn is somewhat similar academically, at least undergrad wise and is rapidly improving. They also don't have nearly the financial troubles that Rutgers does. The football team will be a middle to bottom of the pack team, similar to a Northwestern, and their basketball team would certainly add more credibility than Rutgers would.

I think UConn and Missouri would make fine additions to go along with Texas.
 
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mross34;1658776; said:
At first thought I did not like the UConn idea, but upon taking a brief look at some facts and figures I think it could potentially be a good fit.

Although Storrs is snoozy town in the middle of the woods and doesn't have the charm of any of the Big Ten cities I've visited, UConn is definitely heading in the right direction as a university (both academically and athletically).

It's also not as far as it might seem. Storrs is about the same distance from Happy Valley as Happy Valley is from Columbus.

The other nice bonus is that, while UConn might not have a huge footprint in any major market, it definitely makes a dent in both the NYC and Boston Markets. Additionally, it probably puts the Big 10 Network in all the households in the Providence market (population of ~1.6 mil in the metro), the Hartford market (~900k metro), the New Haven market (~900k metro), the Stamford market (~900k metro), and the Springfield, MA market (~700k metro).

Although Rutgers puts the BTN in more homes, UConn is somewhat similar academically, at least undergrad wise and is rapidly improving. They also don't have nearly the financial troubles that Rutgers does. The football team will be a middle to bottom of the pack team, similar to a Northwestern, and their basketball team would certainly add more credibility than Rutgers would.

I think UConn and Missouri would make fine additions to go along with Texas.

I live in Connecticut and was having a conversation yesterday with a Syracuse grad and a UCONN grad about the potential for either to move to the Big Ten. They made the point that, even if it did make sense from a football and financial standpoint, they don't believe they or their respected alumni associations would ever be happy with such a move.

Essentially, their argument was that it boils down to the fact that both schools are now, will continue to be, and always have been (well, at least in UCONN's case), basketball schools first. They pointed out that the schools themselves are physically located in areas that I agree can fairly be classified as "basketball first," and that their alumni primarily live in regions that show more interest in college basketball than college football. Now, one may argue that that may change to a certain extent if either school were to join a football power conference like the Big Ten, but they both indicated they wouldn't want to do that if it meant sacraficing traditional basketball rivalries, both with one another and with Big East schools like Georgetown. And frankly, I think their opinions probably are pretty representative of the alumni and the fan bases generally. I still see Rutgers as a more likely candidate if only because I don't think their fan and alumni base is nearly as tied to traditional Big East basketball rivalry.

And, while I suppose State Penn brass and alumni identify themselves slightly more with the East Coast than the rest of the Big Ten--who are decidedly Midwestern--Syracuse and UCONN are just as decidedly East Coast schools. Seriously, while the Big Ten may be respected well-enough out here academically, there's still a largely baseless air of pompousness that accompanies academic discussion undertaken with those educated on the East Coast. I could very well see this coming into play to a small extent.
 
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sepia5;1658800; said:
Seriously, while the Big Ten may be respected well-enough out here academically, there's still a largely baseless air of pompousness that accompanies academic discussion undertaken with those educated on the East Coast. I could very well see this coming into play to a small extent.

I don't think anyone on the East Coast, considers their public universities to be equals to the Big Ten. There is however, particularly in NYC and Boston, an air of if it ain't the Ivy League it ain't shit to the degree that people with degrees from Northwestern, UCLA or even Chicago are viewed as second tier--slightly better than most but still unworthy.

Also, UCONN is not an AAU member and doesn't seem to be on any short list to get there soon. No way they get an invite over AAU members Pitt, Rutgers or Syracuse.
 
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cincibuck;1658760; said:
You know, every time you Buckeye fans put the knock on Penn State or Michigan, you also put a knock on the overall strength of the conference, the OSU schedule and the right to claim achievement when the Buckeyes beat them.

I could care less how good or bad Michigan or Penn State is...beating those fucks is just as satisfying when they're 3-8 as it is when they're 11-0.
 
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MaxBuck;1658820; said:
If the Big Ten is really talking seriously to Texas, and if the Texas legislature doesn't put the kibosh on it, then Texas will be our 12th member.

According to most opinions on shaggybevo.com, A&M may hold a fair amount of sway on what goes on (even to the extent of going where UT goes or nothing happens).
 
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I'd be curious if having a powerhouse conference with Texas, osu, um, psu would be more marketable in nyc than trying to drum up interest in a mediocre and grossly inferior local fb program like Rutgers or Syracuse
cincibuck;1658760; said:
You know, every time you Buckeye fans put the knock on Penn State or Michigan, you also put a knock on the overall strength of the conference, the OSU schedule and the right to claim achievement when the Buckeyes beat them. There's a part of "SEC, SEC, SEC" mentality that I admire...

And yet gator finds a way to treat the vols with the disdain they deserve. Nothing wrong with keeping them successful yet ordinary.
 
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MililaniBuckeye;1658821; said:
I could care less how good or bad Michigan or Penn State is...beating those fucks is just as satisfying when they're 3-8 as it is when they're 11-0.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get that part.

But now let's go to part 2. Michigan and Penn State go a collective Indiana/Vandy/Wazoo/Kentucky for the next ten years and the rest of the Big 10 is an occasional Iowa/Wisky/Sparty GREAT YEAR, you know 9 - 4 and a trip to the Citrus Bowl - then what the hell happens to OSU?

You know what happens. OSU becomes WVA or Ga Tech, the kings of an inferior conference, and well, yeah, they looked pretty good but look at the comp... and then they play Toledo, Bowling Green and Ohio U and you think that should get them in an NC game. Milli, the same sword we use to cut down good teams in the ACC/Big East will cut against the Buckeyes if PSU and Michigan turn to mush.
 
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MililaniBuckeye;1658427; said:
Colorado. Pacific 10. Really?

There's a hell of a lot more California expats in Colorado than there are midwesterners.


cincibuck;1658760; said:
... you Buckeye fans ...

...SEC" mentality that I admire...

Remember kids, Cincinnati is only tangentially part of Ohio.


cincibuck;1658914; said:
But now let's go to part 2. Michigan and Penn State go a collective Indiana/Vandy/Wazoo/Kentucky for the next ten years and the rest of the Big 10 is an occasional Iowa/Wisky/Sparty GREAT YEAR, you know 9 - 4 and a trip to the Citrus Bowl - then what the hell happens to OSU?

The same thing that happened to Miami in the 80's & FSU in the 90's.
 
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