Big Ten and other Conference Expansion

[Gatorubet]

And as a Florida fan with 15K posts on BP, you are perfectly representative of the average SEC fan... right?

:tongue2:

I did say that.....no wait! :p

 

[Gatorubet]

And now for something completely different:

At Shaggy Bevo, a State Penn fan linked to a Sparty Blog where the writer does a good job of pretending to have the inside scoop. I say pretending, because there is no reason to assign any credibility to this source at the present.

The gist of the blog is that "anonymous sources" say the conference is working hard at getting the Horns and the Irish, and they expect the BTN payout to grow as high as $40M per team if that happens.

The Shaggy Bevo LINK

The Sparty Blog LINK

Interesting to me is that the first response at Shaggy Bevo was to opine that UT should join the Big 10 if ND does.

Seems to me UT does not go to the B10 and leave A&M behind....unless it is agreed that they are taken care of - like a done deal with the SEC.

I just don't see UT going solo anywhere without lil bro - or at least sending him off somewhere else so that he does not devolve into the mountain west.

 

[kn1f3party]

Seems to me UT does not go to the B10 and leave A&M behind....unless it is agreed that they are taken care of - like a done deal with the SEC.

I just don't see UT going solo anywhere without lil bro - or at least sending him off somewhere else so that he does not devolve into the mountain west.

Maybe not, but the best scenario I see for the Big Ten is to scoop up Big XII schools + Notre Dame. So if A&M has to come: Missouri, Nebraska, Texas, Texas A&M, and Notre Dame.

This type of scenario upgrades athletics as a whole, accomplishes the goal of bringing in a lot more TV sets, and would really get the other conferences scrambling.

 

[starBUCKS]

TomDienhart

Big Ten, Texas, ND are discussing a special rule to accommodate both schools. Instead of playing 8 league games, both would play 7.

And it sounds like the Big East may be pushing ND to discussions with the Big Ten. Play football in the Big East--or get out.

Latest Big Ten expansion buzz has the league focusing on Notre Dame, Texas, Nebraska.

According to Rivals/Yahoo writer Tom Dienhart

 

[CleveBucks]

SpartanNation.com: Your Home for Michigan State & Detroit Sports Big Ten Expansion Part Three

On a message board called the Wildcat Report on May 8, 2010, a poster put a message up. He claimed to have been with someone from the Big Ten office who gave him information on the expansion efforts.

Not a big deal, people go on message boards all the time and say things. What made this a big deal was the reaction of Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany. According to my source that works at the Big Ten who spoke to Spartan Nation on the condition of anonymity because of Delany’s comments in this meeting, “The Commissioner was livid...

cont...

The original post is here:

WildcatReport.com - Message Boards

 

[jlb1705]

I rather enjoy discussing each of these rumors/scenarios regardless of their veracity, so let's give this one a go.

First of all, Texas, ND & Nebraska would make the Big Ten a juggernaut. That would have to be the dream scenario for a three-team addition.

I'm wondering if somebody smarter or better informed than me can explain how a 7-game exception for two teams would work in the real world, and why that might be enticing to those schools. I understand that it would give ND a little more independence in their schedule, but I'm wondering what Texas would get out of it.

On the surface I really don't like the idea of any new additions getting special considerations such as this, but if somebody can convince me that it's a good idea and that it would be fair I'm open to hearing an argument for it.

 

[Piney]

SpartanNation.com: Your Home for Michigan State & Detroit Sports Big Ten Expansion Part Three



The original post is here:

WildcatReport.com - Message Boards

100% where Deinhart got this 'info'

Really... I think Delaney was pissed that this info got out, not that it was correct. Cuz it was probably one of those spit-ball ideas and/or what Notre Dame wanted in a meeting and the reason Delaney was pissed was because it got out. Cuz I HIGHLY doubt that it would be something that would be approved.

 

[sepia5]

I rather enjoy discussing each of these rumors/scenarios regardless of their veracity, so let's give this one a go.

First of all, Texas, ND & Nebraska would make the Big Ten a juggernaut. That would have to be the dream scenario for a three-team addition.

I'm wondering if somebody smarter or better informed than me can explain how a 7-game exception for two teams would work in the real world, and why that might be enticing to those schools. I understand that it would give ND a little more independence in their schedule, but I'm wondering what Texas would get out of it.

On the surface I really don't like the idea of any new additions getting special considerations such as this, but if somebody can convince me that it's a good idea and that it would be fair I'm open to hearing an argument for it.

I wonder if, in the case of Texas, this isn't something being done to appease the Texas Legislature. In other words, the Legislature lets Texas leave without A&M, but with the assurances that, not only will the A&M game continue in full force, but several other Texas state schools will continue to receive the financial benefit of games with Texas every season.

I have to admit that I'm also not a huge fan of a conference that big that doesn't have a conference championship game. So, you're telling me we'll have a 14-school conference, each school plays only 8 (and, in the case of two schools, 7) teams from the conference, and there's no conference championship game to sort through the distinct possibility of two or more undefeateds? Not to mention the potential for unfairly balanced schedules each season, which is something of a problem even with the current setup.

 

[jlb1705]

I wonder if, in the case of Texas, this isn't something being done to appease the Texas Legislature. In other words, the Legislature lets Texas leave without A&M, but with the assurances that, not only will the A&M game continue in full force, but several other Texas state schools will continue to receive the financial benefit of games with Texas every season.

I have to admit that I'm also not a huge fan of a conference that big that doesn't have a conference championship game. So, you're telling me we'll have a 14-school conference, each school plays only 8 (and, in the case of two schools, 7) teams from the conference, and there's no conference championship game to sort through the distinct possibility of two or more undefeateds? Not to mention the potential for unfairly balanced schedules each season, which is something of a problem even with the current setup.

I didn't see the Mildcat board link, just the post about Dienhart's statements when I posted. Having read the Mildcat thread, this sounds like an even bigger load of bullshit than the Pitt rumor.

Guaranteeing an automatic BCS bid for Texas or ND if they lose in a conference championship game? Nobody in the Big Ten Conference has the ability to make that guarantee.

 

[Blackburn]

I didn't see the Mildcat board link, just the post about Dienhart's statements when I posted. Having read the Mildcat thread, this sounds like an even bigger load of bull[censored] than the Pitt rumor.

Guaranteeing an automatic BCS bid for Texas or ND if they lose in a conference championship game? Nobody in the Big Ten Conference has the ability to make that guarantee.

I agree, the B10 does not run the BCS. The different number of OOC games across teams is asinine, could they move everyone to a seven game conference schedule or is that just too short? I don't have the answers. BS or not, it was an interesting post.

PS. Am I the only one rooting for Rutgers on this board?

 

[FCollinsBuckeye]

Regardless of any terms that may be tossed around at this point, If we're seriously in preliminary talks to add UT, Neb and ND, I'd be ecstatic.

Adding those three schools wouldn't just be a home run, it'd be a walk-off grand slam in extra innings of game seven in the WS.

 

[Folanator]

Somebody mentioned Ga Tech. I love that direction personally. Makes some sense considering Delaney's comments about the population shift to the south east. But I have seen zero evidence that GT is being looked at. I like the concept though.

 

[Piney]

but I'm wondering what Texas would get out of it.

On the surface I really don't like the idea of any new additions getting special considerations such as this, but if somebody can convince me that it's a good idea and that it would be fair I'm open to hearing an argument for it.

Basically what Sepia said. Allowing Texas to have 5 non-conference games allows them to keep playing TAMU & OU and then 3 of the weaker Texas schools.

But there is no argument for it, but I will try anyway. The only argument I can come up with is the fact that combo of 3 schools would bring in an INSANE amount of money and prestige to the Big 10. That report about doubling the TV money? This would do so and maybe more, I can see this pushing the TV money past $50 million per school.

Then again the amount of chiding that would come with that for bending over for Texas & Notre Dame would not make up for it.

 

[BrutusBobcat]

A few points:

I think it's very interesting that the Big East is in a position where ND joining the Big Ten ensures their survival as a conference.

Whatever you have to do to get Texas, you do. If this rumor is true, I'm in favor.

Given that ties for the B10 title between teams who haven't played each other are going to be broken by BCS rank anyway, I'm not overly worked up about a system that might yield 2 or even 3 teams that are 8-0 in the conference. It's all about BCS games, now. Plus, the BCS slot that falls under the "Notre Dame Rule" could be extended to a 7-0 Big Ten team that qualifies. In fact, a 7-0 in conference Big Ten team could easily make the BCS title game over an 8-0 one, or even against one. Imagine Texas at 13-0/7-0 versus say Ohio State with a 12-1/8-0 record, and not having played in the regular season. Strange, but in our BCS-driven world it's not scandalous, and it wouldn't be unreasonable to call Texas and OSU Big Ten Co-Champions.

Delaney needs to make this happen, and needs to throw the guy leaking this stuff into Lake Michigan. :tongue2:

 

[BrowardBuck]

This guy is an assclown. All he is doing is retreading suspect info that showed up on a Northwestern board, of all places. I can see the B10 granting some deals, at least short term, to get them into the league. BUT, the B10 is NEVER going to allow 2 teams to have special privileges that do not apply to all member schools. It simply will NOT happen.

I don't care what they bring to the table. They aren't bigger than the conference and the conference isn't going to give up that kind of control or grant some backhanded deal that slaps the rest of the conference in the face, ESPECIALLY those that have been here virtually from the beginning and are the ones that power the engine that is the B10.

I do believe that regardless of what has been said in the media, ND and Texas have been targets from the beginning and I also believe that serious talks have already begun. That is my speculation, but I think they are the two main players to any expansion of the conference and that doesn't happen in a vacuum nor does it happen quickly. Rest assured, once the B10 announces who they will be inviting, it will have already been a done deal, signed and delivered, pending approval from the university presidents. They will not make the mistake of inviting without knowing that the invitation will be accepted. I also believe this is why the UT to the B10 stuff died almost as soon as it started. Although there is the typical crap out there on why ND to the B10 is right and logical, that is always out there. In my mind, it has been pretty quiet on the ND front as well. Way too quiet on both fronts for me to believe there isn't something already being discussed.

Of course...you could call me a conspiracy theorist too :)

According to Rivals/Yahoo writer Tom Dienhart