Big Ten and other Conference Expansion

[sepia5]

If I didn't know any better there seems to be something going on.

And I am not talking about expansion. I am talking about Delany basically leaking this on purpose (and now a leak on the Texas side?) to basically send the SEC a message.

Do YOU really want to start this? Because if you do take A&M, I got the trump cards (Notre Dame & Texas)

I don't know why Delany would be tryiing to cause the SEC fret in that manner. It's not as if Notre Dame or Texas would ever consider going to the SEC. The Pac 10 may be concerned, though.

 

[jlb1705]

According to a report by Yahoo's Jason King, Baylor is rather confident that if the Big 12 does dissolve, the school will find a home in the Big East.

They'd be the Baptist turd in a mostly Catholic punch bowl. That could be interesting.

I think their more likely destination is C-USA, Mountain West if they're lucky.

 

[SalemBuckeyeFan]

WVU academics makes it a non starter.

KY (or any other SEC for that matter) isn't going anywhere for the same reason no B1G is going to jump ship for another conference. Unless there is some sort of MAJOR shift in the SEC (Auburn, Alabama AND Tennessee get the death penalty) it's a destination conference.

Okay, thanks for the reply. I was wondering why no one mentioned WVU and forgot the academic angle.:!

Kentucky still intrigues me for some reason. And it would be a major coup and blow to the SEC stealing them away. Just for basketball alone. And Vanderbilt, an SEC school is in the revised poll.

 

[sepia5]

Okay, thanks for the reply. I was wondering why no one mentioned WVU and forgot the academic angle.:!

Kentucky still intrigues me for some reason. And it would be a major coup and blow to the SEC stealing them away. Just for basketball alone.

Might as well go with Kansas if basketball alone is such a big issue. I just don't see any one sports program being the driving factor in who the B1G targets, though.

 

[Muck]

Okay, thanks for the reply. I was wondering why no one mentioned WVU and forgot the academic angle.:!

Kentucky still intrigues me for some reason. And it would be a major coup and blow to the SEC stealing them away. Just for basketball alone. And Vanderbilt, an SEC school is in the revised poll.

There are also some seriously shady goings on at UK when it comes to recruiting that I'd rather not see get brought into the B1G but otherwise I do understand the fascination.

I just don't see any one sports program being the driving factor in who the B1G targets, though.

Besides Nebraska?

 

[SalemBuckeyeFan]

Might as well go with Kansas if basketball alone is such a big issue. I just don't see any one sports program being the driving factor in who the B1G targets, though.

Not the only driving factor. Kentucky has 2 million more people in it than Kansas has.

 

[Steve19]

Strategically, the Big Ten has several objectives to think about.

1. The universities must be research-led institutions that have demonstrated a high level of academic standards over a long period of time.
2. There is a need to bring together a coherent block of contiguous states to block the expansion of the SEC into the region. This has implications for recruiting and the cost of athletic programs (e.g., cost of transporting teams to games). Although there has been considerable attention given to advertising revenues, success depends on business models that allow the conference to operate at competitive cost structures.
3. The universities invited to join the conference must be willing to enter the conference on the same terms as other members. Potential members must not have demonstrated the kind of behavior that has been demonstrated by Texas.
4. The potential of a Midwestern conference rising from the ashes of the Big 12 and including Notre Dame must be addressed.
5. There is a need to capture markets with large advertising revenues.

For these reasons, in part, I would invite North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland to join the league. All have strong athletic programs in some sports and excellent academic reputations.

I would prefer to invite Missouri as the fourth team, but believe that they probably would turn the B1G down, after recent events. For this reason, I would invite Notre Dame. If Missouri were to accept an offer, then I would take steps to dis-incentivize competition with Notre Dame.

 

[Piney]

I don't know why Delany would be tryiing to cause the SEC fret in that manner. It's not as if Notre Dame or Texas would ever consider going to the SEC. The Pac 10 may be concerned, though.

Good point, the only thing I can think of is that Delany knows the Big 10 presidents don't want to expand any further, at least not this quickly. Maybe 5-10 years down the road, but they want to see how a 12 team conference goes.

Texas of course really prefers the Big 12 -2 to stay together. They run the conference and with the Longhorn Network will be maximizing their revenues. They don't want to give that up to go to the Pac12/14/16, they can't pull off Independence due to non-football sports and while they like the B1G, that is there place of last resort.

Of course Notre Dame wants to hold off Independence as long as possible. So they want the status quo.

SOOOOOO, if Texas, Notre Dame and the B1G have the same interests... ie Keep things the way they are for a little longer, than I can see how they could work together on this. Using that logic, you would want to scare the SEC from taking A&M, or if they take A&M it causes the fewest ripples (West Virginia to SEC, and the Big 12-2-1 stays together keeping the Pac12 from taking Oklahoma/Okie St)

How likely is all of that? Who knows, but I was trying to think of a reason they all might be working together on this. And who knows, Delany might be willing to go along with this because IF all heck breaks loose Texas & Notre Dame will come to the B1G.

 

[jlb1705]

Okay, thanks for the reply. I was wondering why no one mentioned WVU and forgot the academic angle.:!

Kentucky still intrigues me for some reason. And it would be a major coup and blow to the SEC stealing them away. Just for basketball alone.

Forget about Kentucky. While it is adjacent to Big Ten states it may as well be a million miles away.

 

[Muck]

Does a (Baylor) Bear shit in the woods?

 

[FCollinsBuckeye]

Call me crazy, but I love this shit. Glad to see PBC has weighed in - makes things way more interesting IMO...

 

[Muck]

Call me crazy, but I love this shit. Glad to see PBC has weighed in - makes things way more interesting IMO...

I tend to think that PBC is full of it but it's certainly fun to read.

 

[Mrstickball]

Its fun to see the Big-XII-II-I implode in slow motion. Although its just speculation, its great hearing that Texas may move. By the time this is over, Dan Beebe is going to have a spot at a psychiatric ward in Austin.

 

[Folanator]

Not the only driving factor. Kentucky has 2 million more people in it than Kansas has.

...and half as many teeth.

 

[Woody1968]

I tend to think that PBC is full of it but it's certainly fun to read.

Agree.