Big Ten and other Conference Expansion

[ORD_Buckeye]

Ware mentioned this on ESPN, what do you guys think about TCU being a possible option? Although we'd all prefer Texas, TCU seems like a more realistic option and IIRC they have a good grad program.

No chance: academically and culturally it's a complete and total mismatch. I see that Andre Ware is putting that Houston education to use again.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

One thing if it is Mizzou, that could give an opportunity to one of the WAC/MtnWest teams to jump to a BCS conference... Boise or TCU to the Big 12... I also heard maybe Arkansas to the Big 12, which would renew Southwest Conference Rivalries.. then maybe Louisville to the SEC. They mentioned it on Rivals Radio this morning... just more interesting chatter.

What makes sense to me is Texas to the Big Ten, then the dominoes fall into place.

TCU takes Texas' spot in the B12.

That drops the MWC down to 8. They pick up Houston and the three best WAC programs (Boise, Nevada and Fresno) and become a 12 member AQ conference.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

Anyone know how the Big Ten's 18 month timetable coincides with the renewal schedule for the domers' NBC contract.

I have to think that this is really painting the domers into a now or never corner. If they pass on B10 membership now, there screwed. Their own faculty would burn the place to the ground if they finally joined a football conference and it didn't include CIC membership. Young graduates of top Ph.D programs would give even less consideration to ND than they do now.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

I don't think Texas has a hockey club:) yet a team and this is one of ORD's requirement for entry into the Big Ten.

Ahhhh, but they have the money to squeeze on out at will!

 

[jwinslow]

Anyone know how the Big Ten's 18 month timetable coincides with the renewal schedule for the domers' NBC contract.

It ends in 2015, so 3 years left 18 months from now. That's pretty manageable, even if they let NBC keep that arrangement.

 

[sandgk]

Anyone know how the Big Ten's 18 month timetable coincides with the renewal schedule for the domers' NBC contract.

The contract was extended early, by NBC, through 2015.
The earlier contract was slated to expire in 2010.

From the second:

NBC Sports will have exclusive rights to broadcast Notre Dame home football games through 2010 under a five-year contract extension. The extension continues a relationship begun in 1991 and is expected to quiet speculation that Notre Dame football would end its independence and join a conference.

From the first:

The University of Notre Dame and NBC have extended their partnership to televise Fighting Irish football games. The new agreement runs from 2011 to 2015. In those seasons, the network will televise seven games from Notre Dame Stadium and an eighth off-site contest that will air in prime time. Revenues from the television contract have played a key role in Notre Dame's financial aid endowment.

 

[matcar]

Texas was not the same caliber of team at that time

Expansion would be about much more than football.

 

[bigdog3300]

If the big wigs make their decisions for "what's best" for the conference based solely on monetary gain, then they need to be relieved of their positions.

And simply adding a CCG won't result in any real "TV contract boosts" or "new television shares"...it's only one single game, likely coinciding with one or more other CCGs.

A CCG would result in a TV contract boost, absolutely it would.

And the new TV shares are based on a new region being added, like Texas, Pittsburgh, NJ/NY, Missouri, etc. depending on the team; not just the CCG. Don't think the big wigs aren't concerned with an issue like market control.

 

[redbenn]

A CCG would result in a TV contract boost, absolutely it would.

And the new TV shares are based on a new region being added, like Texas, Pittsburgh, NJ/NY, Missouri, etc. depending on the team; not just the CCG. Don't think the big wigs aren't concerned with an issue like market control.

Daren Rovel from MSNBC was on ESPN Radio earlier, and said a CCG would be at least a $5 mil payday for the Big 10.

 

[BuckTwenty]

At a time where schools are having trouble making the budget work, I think Texas's geographically being so far away from the Big Ten schools severely hinders their possibility of being added. It would cost a quite a bit for travel to and from for the current Big Ten schools, but the costs would skyrocket for Texas themselves. I'm not so sure they'd want to do away with not being able to play the Texas teams, Oklahoma, and Nebraska in the Big 12.

They really are the perfect school to add other than that though, in my opinion. To add a powerhouse like them would be a huge upgrade to the conference.

 

[TRON 2.0]

Any idea on what the Conference would be called?

I can't see it still being called the B10 once this goes down.

 

[BuckTwenty]

2009 Academic Ranking of World Universities

(World ranking listed first with U.S. rank in parenthesis, Big Ten schools in bold)
#9 (8) Univ. of Chicago
#17 (15) Wisconsin
#22 (18) scUM
#25 (19) Illinois
#27 (1 CAN) Univ. of Toronto
#28 (20) Minnesota
#30 (22) Northwestern
#38 (29) Texas
#41 (31) Vanderbilt
#45 (32) Penn State
#50 (37) Pittsburgh
#55 (38) Rutgers
#62 (41) Ohio State
#65 (42) Purdue
#86 (48) Michigan State
#93 (52) Indiana
#101-151 (60-77) Iowa
#152-200 (78-99) Cincinnati
#152-200 (78-99) Iowa State
#152-200 (78-99) Nebraska
#201-302 (100-134) Kentucky
#201-302 (100-134) Missouri
#201-302 (100-134) Notre Ame
#303-401 (135-162) Syracuse
#402-501 (163-184) Boston College
#402-501 (163-184) Louisville
Not Listed - West Virginia


Some of those rankings were pretty surprising!

 

[CHU]

@schadjoe A former Notre Dame coach told me he believes admission to a conference (Big Ten?) would be hugely beneficial to program

about 2 hours ago from txt

Although, this is the same person who said, according to his sources, Tyler Moeller was injured in a bar fight in Cincinnati.

 

[CleveBucks]

I have to think that this is really painting the domers into a now or never corner. If they pass on B10 membership now, there screwed. Their own faculty would burn the place to the ground if they finally joined a football conference and it didn't include CIC membership. Young graduates of top Ph.D programs would give even less consideration to ND than they do now.

Actually this is what I think really deserves some attention. If the Big Ten can convince ND that they are going to expand with or without them, what does ND then do? In 1999 ND knew the Big Ten wasn't seriously looking at any other dance partners. They knew they could decline the invite while keeping the possibility open for future membership. If suddenly the Big Ten says to ND "it's now or never, if you don't then we'll get sombody else" I thnk ND may go for it. If the Big Ten goes to 12 without ND, the Big East is the only alternative.

 

[CHU]

Seems like Stewart Mandel is seeing the other side of expansion (which some would agree with).

Expanding to 12 teams could hurt Big Ten in BCS, pocketbook - Stewart Mandel - SI.com

Contrary to what many assume, a Big Ten championship game would not necessarily be a cash cow. The SEC's event -- by far the most successful of its kind -- generated $14.3 million in shared revenue last season ($1.2 million per team). The ACC's, which has been a disappointing disaster, hovers closer to $5 million. Even if we assume the Big Ten's loot comes in closer to the SEC's, that's still a drop in the bucket compared to the league's two biggest revenue generators: regular-season television deals and BCS/bowl payouts.