Big Ten and other Conference Expansion

[Bill Lucas]

Come on man - I finally figured out who was in each.

Is "M", "N" and Iowa really that difficult? :)

 

[CentFlaBuckeye]

So now you get to haze the new kids.

I just hope these n00bs don't come in to our conference expecting stuff to be handed to them on a silver platter.



Damn, it feels good not to be the new kids on the block anymore. Nebraska's an old-school Big Ten member now, eh chums? Eh?

 

[Coqui]

I just hope these n00bs don't come in to our conference expecting stuff to be handed to them on a silver platter.



Damn, it feels good not to be the new kids on the block anymore. Nebraska's an old-school Big Ten member now, eh chums? Eh?

Still a matter of initiation

 

[ScriptOhio]

What if...it came down to 4 major conferences with 16 teams each...just wondering...what 4 additional teams would the PAC16 take?

There aren't really any for them to take, geographically. It's almost as if they have to partner with the BigXII and say, OK, you give us A, B, C and D after you grab, W, X, Y and Z.

I can see it now:

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby...red rover, red rover, we'll send TCU, Iowa State, Texas Tech, and West Virginia right over.

 

[bassplayer7770]

Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN
Maryland prez tells regents MD, RU in Leaders Division w/OSU, PSU, Wisconsin, Purdue & Indiana. Illinois moves to Legends

Interesting...

 

[ScriptOhio]

What really went down (from the M-Zone)...

Monday, November 19, 2012

Drunk Dialing with Jim Delany



OUTSIDE BIG TEN HEADQUARTERS - LAST THURSDAY - 1:16 AM

A single light was still on: Jim Delany's

​

INSIDE JIM DELANY'S OFFICE

Empty beer cans litter Delany's desk as he picks up the phone and dials. After several rings, a groggy female voice answers:

FEMALE VOICE: Hello?

JIM DELANY: Hey, Missouri, what's up?​

MISSOURI: Who is this?

JIM DELANY: It's Jim. Jim Delany.

MISSOURI: What time is it?

JIM DELANY: I dunno. Late.

MISSOURI: You really hurt me last time. I thought maybe you and I had--

Missouri suddenly stops, not wanting Delany to hear the pain in her voice, nay -- in her soul. She suddenly turns cold:

MISSOURI: What do you want?

JIM DELANY: Nothing. I was just thinking about you.

MISSOURI: Well I'm seeing someone now.

JIM DELANY: Yeah, I heard. The SEC, right? I was just calling to see if you're happy. Because I heard he beats you. Every weekend. Bad.

MISSOURI (GETTING MAD): That's not true!

CLICK! The phone goes dead in Jim's ear.

JIM DELANY: [Mark May].

Delany finishes off the beer in his hand then quickly dials another number. Another groggy voice answers:

LOUISVILLE: Hello?

Delany doesn't say anything.

LOUISVILLE: Jim, is that you? I was hoping you'd call.

But Louisville is met with silence.

LOUISVILLE: Jim, if that's you, talk to me. Please. What do you want? I'll do anythi--

CLICK! Delany quickly slams down the phone and shakes his head: even I'm not that drunk. Plus, I can do better than that, he thinks. I'm [censored]ing Jim Delany: Jim. [censored]ing. Delany.

He punches another number into the phone. Waits.

FEMALE VOICE: What?

JIM DELANY: Hey, baby, it's Jim Delany. I--

TEXAS: Who gave you my number?

JIM DELANY: Nebraska.

TEXAS: Look, Jim, we have nothing in common. Okay? Plus, you can't afford me. Now please don't call me again.

Texas slams down the phone as Delany is met with a dial tone.

2:17 AM

A half-finished whiskey bottle now shares space on the desk with the beer cans. Delany looks like absolute [Mark May]. Eyes glassy. As if half the teams in his league lost to MAC schools. Or worse - like Indiana could somehow sneak into the B1G title game. You know, like this:

​

Delany can barely dial. Has to do it four or five times to get it right. He hasn't been this [censored]ed up since he tried to move the Michgian-Ohio State game to October. Finally he gets the number right as another tired voice greets him:

FEMALE VOICE: Hello?

JIM DELANY (NOW SLURRING HIS WORDS): Heyyyyy, S-- Sur-- (FINALLY GETTING IT OUT), Syracuse. It's JD and I'm just sitting here with JB -- Jim Beam.

SYRACUSE: JD? Jim Delany!?

JIM DELANY: [censored]in' A.

SYRACUSE: I'm... Wow! This is... Wow!

JIM DELANY: I've had my eye on you forever.

SYRACUSE: You have?

JIM DELANY: 'Course. We should get together. Maybe go hang in the city. With all the people and their cable-ready households.

SYRACUSE: You mean like Buffalo?

JIM DELANY (LAUGHS): New York.

SYRACUSE: Uh... okay, but that's like four and a half hours away.

JIM DELANY: What?

SYRACUSE: I live in Upstate New York. Is that a problem?

JIM DELANY (MAKING HIS VOICE BREAK UP): What did you sa--? We ha-- a bad-- connectio--

CLICK! Delany slams down the phone.

JIM DELANY: [censored].

He quickly dials another number. Before the person can even say hello:

JIM DELANY: Just give me one more chance. One more. I promise we can work it out!

NOTRE DAME: Goddammit, Jim! Stop calling me. Remember the restraining order?!

JIM DELANY: But--

NOTRE DAME: No, you listen to me for the last time -- we NEVER DATED. We just hooked up. And now we don't. We're through. Get. Over. It!

Notre Dame hangs up on Delany... who vomits into a nearby trashcan, all over an autographed picture from Danny Hope.

2:58 AM

Delany can barely hold up his head as he makes another call. Then a gruff, deep voice answers:

MARYLAND: Yeah? (YELLING TO SOMEONE) Turn that down! TURN THAT THE [censored] DOWN! I'M ON THE [censored]ING PHONE! What the [censored]? (BACK INTO THE PHONE) Who is this?

JIM DELANY: It's Delany.

MARYLAND: Big Ten Jim Delany?

JIM DELANY: The one and only.

MARYLAND: Well, well, well. And what can I do for you... BIG Jim?

JIM DELANY: I--

Delany burps... and throws up in his mouth a little bit. He quickly swallows it back down.

MARYLAND: Did you just vurp and swallow it?

Uh, oh: Busted.

JIM DELANY: Yes.

MARYLAND: Me, too!

JIM DELANY: See, we're a lot alike. That's why I've been thinking about you. Only you.

MARYLAND: Don't lie to me.

JIM DELANY: Fine. Wanna come over or what?

MARYLAND: Well, I just got off the [Mark May]ter, but I'm DTF. Can you come pick me up?

JIM DELANY: Uh...

MARYLAND: Never mind. I'm good. Let me just find my seatbelt extender.

JIM DELANY: Hurry.

She hangs up and Delany quickly dials one last number:

GROGGY FEMALE VOICE: Hello?

JIM DELANY: Maryland's coming over, you wanna join in?

RUTGERS: I'll be there in 10.

JIM DELANY: Awesome!

​

 

[sflbuck]

I have no idea. It worked better when it looked like the Big12 was the one that was going to die. Texas and the 2 schools in OK work a lot better than anyone in the ACC. I'm sure the Pac 12 wouldn't want anyone that I would try to give them.

The ACC became the target when they inked a deal with ESPN that gave them 1st , 2nd and 3rd tier rights for the 2 major sports all for $ 17 million (per school) that seems paltry to the Big's $ 25 million (Don't forget we are just coming up on our 1st and 2nd tier negotiations, they just completed theirs) With Comcast and Fox as competitors for content to ESPN, look for more dollars heading our way for 1st and 2nd tier games. Add in the increase from adding dollars from the BTN in NY, Baltimore and DC. WOW

 

[ScriptOhio]

Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN
Maryland prez tells regents MD, RU in Leaders Division w/OSU, PSU, Wisconsin, Purdue & Indiana. Illinois moves to Legends

Interesting...

1. Geographically Wisky should move to The Legends.

2. That may give Ohio State a recruiting advantage over the B1G Legends Division schools on the east coast. Any comments?

 

[LitlBuck]

Fresno State, San Diego State, Nevada, and New Mexico, of course.

I was thinking more along the lines of Wyoming, Montana, Nevada, and New Mexico or maybe New Mexico State.

 

[LordJeffBuck]

I'm not thrilled about this - and it has nothing to do with specific teams. My problem is with the fact that the more teams you have in your conference, the more it becomes 2 conferences.

The ultimate result would be four 16-team conferences, with two 8-team divisions. That would essentially allow for an 8-team college play-off - the division winners play each other in round one, the four conference champions play in round two, and the two winners play in the championship game.

Interesting...

Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN
Maryland prez tells regents MD, RU in Leaders Division w/OSU, PSU, Wisconsin, Purdue & Indiana. Illinois moves to Legends

Oh well, there goes the Illibuck rivalry....

Here's an interesting theory.

The Big Ten gives the Big East a year to cut all ties with ND. If The Big East doesn't kick ND to the curb, the Big Ten raids the Big East of their best programs.... Essentially a death warrant for the Big East as we know it. ND has nowhere to turn for bowl games and non-football sports, so they come crawling back to the Big Ten.

Replace "Big East" with "ACC", and I think you've got a winner.

Just some thoughts on each potential new additon to the Big Ten. I rated each school in seven categories - athletics, academics, rivalries, geography, television, compatibility, and perception - from one star (complete loser) to five stars (perfect fit). Geography rates how well a school fits into the current Big Ten, and television rates the new markets that a school would bring in.

Rutgers
Athletics: 2* (still trying to get acclimated to FBS; not much of a basketball program; club hockey)
Academics: 4* (AAU; very solid undergrad and grad programs; not heavy into research compared to the rest of the Big Ten)
Rivalries: 1-1/2* (used to be a Penn State whipping boy; no other ready-made rivalries)
Geography: 3-1/2* (a contiguous state near major cities, but this is really dragging the conference toward the East Coast)
Television: 3-1/2* (would this really open the New York market? will CFB sell in NYC? it might be worth a shot....)
Compatibility: 3* (a flagship state university, but New Jersey is very far removed from the midwest)
Perception: 1-1/2* (might as well target Kent State....)
Overall: 19* (outside of the academic fit, this seems like a mismatch; clearly weakens the conference athletically)
Likelihood: ? (a little to like, a lot not to like ... makes more sense if Pitt is also in the bargain [EDIT: or Maryland])

 

[sflbuck]

1. Geographically Wisky should move to The Legends.

2. That may give Ohio State a recruiting advantage over the B1G Legends Division schools on the east coast. Any comments?

I like the breakdown and do think it will help recruiting. However, I think we are going to see 2 more institutions added in the next 6 months and PODS by 2014.

 

[ScriptOhio]

I was thinking more along the lines of Wyoming, Montana, Nevada, and New Mexico or maybe New Mexico State.

Maybe BYU, Nevada, Boise State, & Wyoming. There's also Air Force & SMU out there too.
Hawaii might be attractive to some PAC alumni for an away game.

 

[Bucky32]

1. Geographically Wisky should move to The Legends.

2. That may give Ohio State a recruiting advantage over the B1G Legends Division schools on the east coast. Any comments?

Yes, they should. Although, Wisconsin does a lot of recruiting in New Jersey, so this may help.

 

[Ryan36_1]

Interesting...

So we trade in Illibuck for [insert Jersey Shore insult here]?

No thanks

 

[Fungo Squiggly]

1. Geographically Wisky should move to The Legends.

Disagree. Geographically, Wisky should be moved to Mogadishu.

Fuck Bucky.