Big Ten and other Conference Expansion

[BB73]

I don't know how many years the NBC contract has left on it. My guess is that the B1G would allow the ND to stay with NBC until the contract runs out and grab every ND away game.

Looks like it expires after the 2015 season, from when an extension was signed in June, 2008.

UND.com

Each season from 2011 to 2015, NBC will televise seven games at Notre Dame Stadium and an additional eighth off-site game airing in prime time.

Cont'd ...

 

[knapplc]

So long, Big XII. Burn it down.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96x_FiQIB6E"]Social Distortion-Ring Of Fire - YouTube[/ame]

 

[rampageripster]

I'm a relative newbie here, but here is something I came up with...

Here is my proposal for college football alignment...

we are heading towards a split in the FBS, 4 super conferences that would dominate everything East, South, Midwest, and West... these four conferences would all host CCG's and send their champions to a 4 team tournament at traditional sites... here is the breakdown of how I envision it happening

Midwest Conference (B1G)
Lakes Division
Penn St, Ohio St, Michigan, Michigan St, Indiana, Purdue, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh
Plains Division
Illinois, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas

South Conference (SEC)
East Division
South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Auburn
West Division
LSU, Arkansas, Mississippi, Miss St, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St, Texas A&M, Texas Tech

East Conference (ACC)
South Division
South Florida, Miami (FL), Florida St, Clemson, North Carolina, North Carolina St, Duke, Georgia Tech
North Division
Wake Forest, Maryland, Syracuse, Boston College, Connecticut, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Virginia

West Conference (Pac16)
Coastal Division
Oregon, Oregon St, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington St, California
Inland Division
Utah, Arizona, Arizona St, Texas, TCU, Colorado, Kansas St, Boise St/BYU/Nevada (toss up here, really)

For scheduling, you would have 7 in division, 4 crossovers, 1 mid division, 1 upper division. That is one more game, but a lot of teams have played 13 games in a season, and this would allow schools to get their money making games in the early season and would retain the idea of an actual conference (you get to play 11 of 18 teams-61%, currently the SEC and P10 play 75%)

The mid-division would be a conglomerate of whoever is left and would be high geographical... and would allow for more teams to make the leap form FCS if so desired... I won't name these conferences, but here is what they would look like.. note: Army, Navy, BYU (if they don't get taken by the Pac), and Hawaii would go independent

Conference A
Air Force, Boise St/Nevada, Colorado St, Fresno St, Idaho, New Mexico, New Mexico St, San Diego St, San Jose St, UNLV, Utah St, Wyoming

Conference B
Buffalo, Akron, Ball St, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Iowa St, Kent St, Miami OH, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Temple, Toledo, Western Michigan, UMass (2012 FBS member)

Conference C
Cincinnati, Louisville, Middle Tennessee, Southern Miss, Western Kentucky, East Carolina, Florida International, Florida Atlantic, Troy, UAB, UCF, South Alabama (2012 FBS member)

Conference D
Arkansas St, Baylor, Houston, Louisiana Tech, UL-Lafayette, UL-Monroe, North Texas, Rice, SMU, Tulane, Tulsa, UTEP, UTSA (2012 FBS member), Texas St (2012 FBS member)


The NCAA could come in a name a national champion at this level through another 4 team tournament. There is room for growth here as teams at the FCS level look to jump up. There would still be money and talent here, but it would clarify the top a bit more.

This is purely for football. A lot of these changes would have effects on the basketball as well, and I am looking into how to address that at a later date when I think of something realistic.

Thoughts?

 

[Saw31]

So long, Big XII. Burn it down.

Social Distortion-Ring Of Fire - YouTube

Pulling out some Social D in the conference expansion thread equals rep...

 

[toby34a]

Aggie Yell has their front page saying "So Long, Big XII..." So, something's going down, or they got hacked.

http://tamu.rivals.com/

 

[Woody1968]

Now there is chatter on the Orlando Sentinal that FSU wants to join the SEC.

 

[Bucknut24]

always knew the SEC would be the ones to ruin college football

 

[Basebuck]

Now there is chatter on the Orlando Sentinal that FSU wants to join the SEC.

Heard that rumor as well. Sounds like they want in but Florida isnt sure.

 

[Mrstickball]

I'm kinda surprised that we're only 1 year removed from the first round of re-alignment and the Big IIX is imploding even further.

I hope that Delany is getting no rest calling schools and arranging potential offers of membership if A&M goes, because there is no way that their departure will leave the Big IIX intact.

 

[knapplc]

I'm kinda surprised that we're only 1 year removed from the first round of re-alignment and the Big IIX is imploding even further.

I hope that Delany is getting no rest calling schools and arranging potential offers of membership if A&M goes, because there is no way that their departure will leave the Big IIX intact.

I think the most surprising thing is that Texas didn't even let the dust settle after Nebraska left before they began chipping away at the foundation of trust that was holding the rest of them together. That is a tremendous level of hubris - or stupidity. Not sure which.

 

[CHU]

You'd think that Texas has a contingency plan for the rest of the sports because it's hard to be independent for basketball, baseball and the Olympics. Since the Pac-12 already said the Longhorn Network is a deal-breaker, Texas is kind of in a lurch for those other sports (not football), if the Big 12 folds.

I wouldn't mind Maryland and Notre Dame in the Big Ten, if expansion ultimately has to happen in the various conferences.

 

[dragurd]

They probably do but as arrogant as they have been in this whole thing it probably consists of going independent then ESPN paying them tons of money for the right to broadcast all their games.

 

[Piney]

UT and ND to the B1G? Or aTm?

WildcatReport

(who had pretty dead on connections to the B1G offices last summer)

Funny, last night the lightbulb in my head went on... IF aTm goes to the SEC... kinda frees up the politics for Texas to move conferences. I wouldn't put it past Delaney to come up with this type of chess move. Taking Nebraska kicks off the Texas v aTm feud that allows Delaney to go for the checkmate.

I think the most surprising thing is that Texas didn't even let the dust settle after Nebraska left before they began chipping away at the foundation of trust that was holding the rest of them together. That is a tremendous level of hubris - or stupidity. Not sure which.

Or it could have been their plan all along... knew they were schackled to their lil in-state brothers and basically had to mess with them so much (LHN) to get them to break off on their own to free them up to do what they want.

Now here is a question... what if Texas wants to join the Big 10 now? What is the Nebraska reaction? Heck, what is the rest of the Big Ten's reaction if Texas is giving some pass on the BTN due to the LHN? ie 'special priviliges'?

And how does Nebraska's reaction change if Oklahoma is brought into the Big Ten along with Texas and the Big Ten does things right and restores the Nebraska v Oklahoma game to it's rightful place?

 

[Muck]

I'm no Muck when it comes to knowing things (and who is?)

but does it matter if people want the BTN in their homes? If it's on their cable lineup, isn't the BTN getting those nickels whether folks watch it or not?

I think Woody you & and are all talking past each other just a bit.

He took umbrage with my statement that New Yorkers don't care about college football. He's probably right in that regard...but my primary point wasn't really that they don't care at all but rather that it's less important to New Yorkers in general than it is to citizens of other regions.

One thing I've noticed about NY is that they seem to be primarily more interested in Big Names & proven winners than anything else. Do any of the NE schools on the common suspects list fall into that category? Not a chance in hell IMO...it could be argued Syracuse would have at one time but it's been quite a while since it was the case.

ND, Penn St, TSUN & Ohio St games would draw more interest in NYC than any combination of Rutgers, 'Cuse, UConn etc etc.

On the other hand New Yorkers do seem to be basketball crazy and I strongly believe that having Duke & NC in basketball would be a bigger draw in the city than most of the other options.

From what I know, which is limited at best, the BTN is not on the basic cable tier in any market that doesn't include a B1G team. So the demand in NYC metro for Rutgers or 'Cuse would not likely be high enough for the BTN to have enough leverage to demand it.

...and this is really the crux of where I'm leaning.

Funny, last night the lightbulb in my head went on... IF aTm goes to the SEC... kinda frees up the politics for Texas to move conferences. I wouldn't put it past Delaney to come up with this type of chess move. Taking Nebraska kicks off the Texas v aTm feud that allows Delaney to go for the checkmate.

I would buy that argument if the LHN deal hadn't been signed. That contract reads like the primary plan B/endgame is independence rather than a move to the PAC, B1G or anywhere else. I don't think that if the ultimate idea was to grease the wheels for a move into the B1G that the LHN could possibly be part of the picture.

There's also talk that Texas is having discussions with upwards of 'twenty' schools about forming some sort of new conference. Perhaps one where schools Texas, ND, BYU etc could have their individual media deals peppered with a number of serfs who don't have any other options (Houston, Baylor, ISU, Kansas St....).

 

[Piney]

I would buy that argument if the LHN deal hadn't been signed. That contract reads like the primary plan B/endgame is independence rather than a move to the PAC, B1G or anywhere else. I don't think that if the ultimate idea was to grease the wheels for a move into the B1G that the LHN could possibly be part of the picture.

There's also talk that Texas is having discussions with upwards of 'twenty' schools about forming some sort of new conference. Perhaps one where schools Texas, ND, BYU etc could have their individual media deals peppered with a number of serfs who don't have any other options (Houston, Baylor, ISU, Kansas St....).

True, the LHN does become an issue. Probably moreso for the Big Ten than the Pac 12. The PAC 12 could say that LHN becomes a defacto 'regional' network for the state of Texas.

I would have thought the LHN would kill the Big 10 move, but it was interesting the workaround that was put out there on the Northwestern Board. It really comes down to how bad does Delaney wants this (especially if it comes with getting Notre Dame in the Big Ten)

Not saying I would be for this or not... probably not... but it is interesting at what lengths it is being discussed behind closed doors.