Big Ten and other Conference Expansion

[jlb1705]

Honestly, I'm not too worried about this. Pac 10's television contract isn't any better than that of the Big 12, and Texas wouldn't be given the disproportionate split that they now get.

On the academic side, and I do believe that some influence in Texas' decision will come from a desire to placate a faculty that is really [censored]ed off at the administration right now, the Pac 10 does have Stanford, Cal, UCLA and Washington. They also have Arizona State, Washington State and Oregon State with no formal academic consortium to match the CIC.

As I detailed in an earlier post, travel distances are actually worse than to Big Ten campuses.

So, the Pac 10 offers far less money, less of an academic component and greater travel distances. The only positive that I can see in their pitch would be better Olympic Sports--not that the Big Ten is bad in this regard given the last 20 years of Directors' Cup standings.

I agree with all of that.

It wouldn't just be distances though, it would be time zones are also a problem. Pac-10 road games would be two hours later, and they play a lot of night games - I stay up and watch 'em. Half of the Big Ten is in the central time zone with most of Texas.

The only advantage I see in the Pac 10 for Texas is baseball. Baseball is a big deal for Texas, but it's not what's going to drive their decision.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

The only advantage I see in the Pac 10 for Texas is baseball. Baseball is a big deal for Texas, but it's not what's going to drive their decision.

The desire to be part of the Big Ten Hockey Conference will.

 

[BuckTwenty]

This becomes an even bigger problem if we ever get some sort of playoff, which is more feasible if the b12 crumbles and forms three mega conferences, west, heartland, south... Maybe the acc/big east join forces too.

BCS conference schools
-12 -- BigXII
-10 -- Pac 10
-11 -- Big 10
-12 -- SEC
-12 -- ACC
-8 -- Big East

= 65 BCS teams

65 / 4 new conferences = 16 team conferences (East, South, West, Heartland) + 1 current BCS team left out


Now the crazy talk...

West = Pac 10 + 6 teams (presumably from the Big XII, MWC, or WAC)
Heartland = Big 10 + 5 teams (presumably from the Big XII, Big East, ACC, SEC, or Ntre ame)
South = SEC + 4 more teams (presumably from the Big XII, ACC, Big East, or Conf USA)
East = ACC & Big East band together + possibly ND or Navy

What makes it interesting is that we could see the addition of quite a few teams that weren't originally in BCS conferences (TCU, Utah, BYU, ND, Navy, Memphis, Boise State, among others) jump into the new 4-team league, which could mean that quite a few teams that were in BCS conferences now on the outside looking in. Then what? The makings of a 5th superconference made of former BCS teams and the best of the non-BCS conferences that weren't brought into the new superconferences? Interesting to think about.

The problem with this scenario is that the team with the most to gain might end up being the SEC. They would immediately go hard after Florida State, Miami, and Oklahoma to be 3 of their 4, and I think it would be hard to fathom them losing out on any of those 3 if teams were scrambling for invites to new conferences or risk not being included in any of them.

 

[BigWoof31]

The problem with this scenario is that the team with the most to gain might end up being the SEC. They would immediately go hard after Florida State, Miami, and Oklahoma to be 3 of their 4, and I think it would be hard to fathom them losing out on any of those 3 if teams were scrambling for invites to new conferences or risk not being included in any of them.

Wow. 4 more SEC teams? Lotta different ways we could go. I'm assuming we'd go for Florida State with #1 pick.
Then I honestly think we'd move to take Louisville for the natural UK/UL rivalry and give us a bit stronger presence in hoops.

If we needed a cupcake team, I guess maybe Memphis?
I honestly don't know if we'd make a move for Da U. I'd like to think we would.

Clemson? Houston?

Ubet and Nutria - what say you?

 

[BuckTwenty]

Wow. 4 more SEC teams? Lotta different ways we could go. I'm assuming we'd go for Florida State with #1 pick.
Then I honestly think we'd move to take Louisville for the natural UK/UL rivalry and give us a bit stronger presence in hoops.

If we needed a cupcake team, I guess maybe Memphis?
I honestly don't know if we'd make a move for Da U. I'd like to think we would.

Clemson? Houston?

Ubet and Nutria - what say you?

I was thinking hard for a 4th. I thought y'all might add Memphis for basketball (I've heard y'all discuss their possible inclusion before). You've also got all the Texas schools and Nebraska as candidates. I honestly didn't think of Louisville at all, but it makes a lot of sense.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

Wow. 4 more SEC teams? Lotta different ways we could go.

I think you'd need to keep SEC cultures and traditions in tact.

Florida State is an obvious choice. To them, I'd add Oklahoma, UNLV as definite picks. The last one isn't so obvious. Sure, SMU was great in the day--freakin' death penalty, baby!--but what have they done lately? I'm thinking a little outside the box and going with the other USC or for the safe choice The (Pell Grant) U!

 

[IronBuckI]

I think you'd need to keep SEC cultures and traditions in tact.

Florida State is an obvious choice. To them, I'd add Oklahoma, UNLV as definite picks. The last one isn't so obvious. Sure, SMU was great in the day--freakin' death penalty, baby!--but what have they done lately? I'm thinking a little outside the box and going with the other USC or for the safe choice The (Pell Grant) U!

I don't think UNLV dirty and SEC dirty is the same type of dirty. I think that if you wanted similar cultures you would have to go with an all glamour and slime league with; SMU, UNLV, USC, UCLA (only if Neuheisel stays forever), Miami, and possibly Tulane. Although Tulane's point shaving 15 years ago may not actually let it qualify for membership to this conference.

 

[jwinslow]

I don't think UNLV dirty and SEC dirty is the same type of dirty.

Not really, but Slick Nick appreciates the first kind word since he's been hired.

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

Not really, but Slick Nick appreciates the first kind word since he's been hired.

 

[cincibuck]

Hmmmmm. If the Pac 10 is sniffing around at Texas -- they're desperate for some one who compete with USC -- I'm reaching the conclusion that Texas is putting out signs that they can be coaxed out of the Big 12.

By the same token, why would Miami or FSU want to have to compete with the overall talent level in the SEC? If anything, if I were Vandy's AD or USCarolina I'd be looking to join the ACC.

And UGA, I don't think anyone wants any part of a replay in the same season with a team that's close to them in talent. Just speculation, but a second game could have been a blowout either direction.

 

[Gatorubet]

Wow. 4 more SEC teams? Lotta different ways we could go. I'm assuming we'd go for Florida State with #1 pick.
Then I honestly think we'd move to take Louisville for the natural UK/UL rivalry and give us a bit stronger presence in hoops.

If we needed a cupcake team, I guess maybe Memphis?
I honestly don't know if we'd make a move for Da U. I'd like to think we would.

Clemson? Houston?

Ubet and Nutria - what say you?

I think that Alabama will insist on being counted as two.

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

I think that Alabama will insist on being counted as two.

 

[Muck]

Wow. 4 more SEC teams? Lotta different ways we could go. I'm assuming we'd go for Florida State with #1 pick.
Then I honestly think we'd move to take Louisville for the natural UK/UL rivalry and give us a bit stronger presence in hoops.

Wouldn't the Gators fight tooth & nail hard to keep FSU (and/or Miami) out of the SEC. Adding either team wouldn't exactly do them any favors.

Hmmmmm. If the Pac 10 is sniffing around at Texas -- they're desperate for some one who compete with USC

I'm not so sure it's really about USC. They came close to snagging Texas (& Colorado) right before the formation of the Big 12.

 

[Jake]

The winner secured the autobid in the game in 07, 06, 05, 03, 02.

The outlier was 04. iirc, Osu couldve knocked um out, but Wisconsin lost to purdue.

The winner didn't play in the Rose in 07, 06 and 02. That's my point. Winning The Game hasn't been the auto Rose Bowl bid it was in the past decades because of the BCS system. Other options come into play.

 

[jwinslow]

The winner didn't play in the Rose in 07, 06 and 02. That's my point. Winning The Game hasn't been the auto Rose Bowl bid it was in the past decades because of the BCS system. Other options come into play.

And what is your point based on that?

OSU had a bigger bowl berth than the Rose riding on the outcome of The Game. Clearly The Game has had huge implications this decade until RR took over. A technicality based on NC berths doesn't change that, it only enhances that.