Big Ten and other Conference Expansion

[Mike80]

Reports: Appalachian State, Georgia Southern to join Sun Belt

Congrats to the Mountaineers.

On an unrelated note the WVU boards are claiming that the ACC has offered Maryland a settlement for the buyout at $33 Million.

Just because:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA_zeMCnlWY"]2007: Appalachian State v. Michigan (Drive-Thru) - YouTube[/ame]

 

[HorseshoeFetish]

While Appalachian State is the more familiar name thanks to its upset victory over Michigan in 2007

The gift that keeps on giving.

 

[RugbyBuck]

The gift that keeps on giving.

Amen.

 

[Muck]

Reports: Tulsa To Join The Big East

ESPN's Brett McMurphy is reporting the University of Tulsa is joining the Big East Conference beginning in 2014.

McMurphy also says East Carolina will join Tulsa as a full member in 2014, as opposed ECU's previous plan of joining as a football-only member.

The soon-to-be renamed league will now have 11 schools, nine of which used to reside in Conference USA. Tulsa, East Carolina, Tulane, Cincinnati, South Florida, UCF, Houston, SMU and Memphis all spent time in C-USA, while only Temple and UConn did not.

TU spokesperson Don Tomkalski said there is no announcement to be made concerning the report. We will keep you updated with information on this story as it develops.

Moving On Up: Hurricane's Shift To Big East A No-Brainer

When you gotta go, you gotta go.

In this case, if reports are accurate, TU's decision to leave the crumbling pile of rubble that is Conference USA for the artist formerly known as the Big East is the right move for the Golden Hurricane.

The soon-to-be renamed league will now have 11 schools, nine of which used to reside in Conference USA. Tulsa, East Carolina, Tulane, Cincinnati, South Florida, UCF, Houston, SMU and Memphis all spent time in C-USA, while only Temple and UConn did not.

Conference realignment has left a lot of programs out in the cold and scrambling to find a home. It has left a lot of conferences weaker than they once were. Does anyone think the Big 12 is the power it used to be when it had Nebraska, Missouri, Texas A&M and Colorado?

Or look at what the Big East used to be. It was a basketball juggernaut, on many occasions putting more schools into the NCAA Tournament than some conferences had TOTAL schools (11 teams went dancing in 2011). Now, Syracuse, Louisville, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame have departed to the ACC to join forces with Duke, North Carolina, N.C. State and others to form the strongest basketball league in America short of the NBA. What's left of that Big East is now otherwise known as the "Catholic Seven," and those schools will be retaining the Big East moniker to play in their own basketball-only league.

So here's what all this has essentially led to. Follow along closely now, you'll be quizzed.

The Big 12 is now the Big Ten. The Big Ten is now the Big 12, but soon it will be the Big 14. The Pac-10 is now the Pac-12, the upper-tier of the Big East left is now the ACC and the rest no longer plays football. The soon-to-be renamed "new" Big East is what Conference USA used to be, and Conference USA is an awful, awful mess.

That's why Tulsa had to leave.

From a familiarity standpoint, imagine if all of your friends transferred to another school, and you were left with a bunch of strangers. Rivalries and history drive sales and interest. TU has history with Houston, SMU, UCF and Tulane; fans are familiar and look forward to those matchups.

From a competition standpoint, there's no debate. Look what the Conference USA landscape is about to look like: UT-San Antonio played its first season of FBS football last season, while Old Dominion and Charlotte have combined to play zero seasons at the FBS level. Charlotte's program has never even played a GAME at any level. Florida Atlantic (yawn), Florida International (get pumped) and North Texas (they stink at everything, except for a good run in men's golf in the 1950s) all provide about as much excitement as a root canal.

..../cont/...

I'm not sure 'moving on up' is the best term for Tulsa getting back together with the old C-USA crew. I think 'treading water' is more accurate. Regardless it is much better than what the C-USA has become.

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

From the sounds of it, C-USA has become the Big East- Conference to be named later.

I know what you meant though.

 

[ScriptOhio]

From the sounds of it, C-USA has become the Big East- Conference to be named later.

The Big East will soon be changing its name. The Catholic Seven are taking the name along with them to their new conference, so the schools that remain will all have to figure out a new name to brand around. The "American 12" has been circulated as an early candidate, and now Jeremy Folwer of CBS Sports reports that both "the Metro" and "the United" are potential possibilities. The name will begin circulating for the conference this summer.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...ld-big-east-faces-decisions-on-tulsa-new-name

 

[Muck]

From the sounds of it, C-USA has become the Big East- Conference to be named later.

It's the other way around. The Big East leftovers have become C-USA while C-USA has become the Sun Belt.

.../snip/... The "American 12" has been circulated as an early candidate, and now Jeremy Folwer of CBS Sports reports that both "the Metro" and "the United" are potential possibilities. .../snip/...

I believe Mike Aresco has stated that America (no n) 12 is pretty much out, which is good as it's a terrible name. I actually like Metro but can understand why they'd want to avoid a name with previous baggage. That's the first time I've heard United mentioned, it isn't completely awful.

Maybe "Metro United".

 

[FCollinsBuckeye]

Conference NewSA

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

The Island of Unwanted Programs

 

[Bucknut24]

lol UCF, their fans are so furious over the big east goin bye bye

 

[Muck]

lol UCF, their fans are so furious over the big east goin bye bye

 

[Woody1968]

It's the other way around. The Big East leftovers have become C-USA while C-USA has become the Sun Belt.



I believe Mike Aresco has stated that America (no n) 12 is pretty much out, which is good as it's a terrible name. I actually like Metro but can understand why they'd want to avoid a name with previous baggage. That's the first time I've heard United mentioned, it isn't completely awful.

Maybe "Metro United".

How about the FCS.2 conference?

 

[Muck]

Exhibit A as to why the ACC is doomed...

Coach K on the new ACC: Hoops over football

At Saturday's press session in advance of the Midwest Regional final, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was asked how it felt to facing Louisville, which will become an ACC member in 2014. His answer:

"For all these schools that have joined, it makes us the most powerful basketball conference, I think, ever. And I hope our league is able to understand the assets that we've accumulated and what it does to the assets we already have. I think if positioned properly, it sets us apart from anybody. And we shouldn't look at where football is or whatever. We have the best assets as a result of Louisville, Syracuse, Pitt, Notre Dame, and the assets we have -- we're joining together. I mean, we better know how to make use of it."
​

Correspondents from down ACC way interpreted Krzyzewski's words as both a slam at football, a sport for which he has little use, and a warning to conference commissioner John Swofford and his deputies that the quaint little Southern league better start dreaming some big-time hoop dreams. This was reinforced by Krzyzewski's response to a follow-up question posed by Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer:


.../cont/...

Someday when the ACC consists of Duke, Wake, Syracuse, Pitt, Boston College, Cincinnati, Memphis, Temple & UConn they're going to be seriously raking in the dough.

 

[Muck]

A couple of new posts by the Dude & MrSEC...

Why The Wait

The question I get asked the most about conference realignment is about the timeline of future announcements.

Thats not exactly true. The question I get asked the most concerns my intelligence and something about a - fait accompli - statement I once made a long time ago. We best leave that topic alone.

But the question about when we may see the next round of moves is a close second.

Deadlines, both real and imagined, have come and gone for over a year now and the ACC keeps motoring along with all its really important parts still in place.

Why hasn?t the Big 10 moved? Why hasn't Jim Delany put his 'Delany Doctrine' into place? What's the holdup?

.../cont/...

CliffNotes version:
All the things I swore would happen by now are still going to happen.

Really, I swear.

The Big XII, WVU Marriage Already Providing Some Expansion Lessons

What we already know: The college sports landscape has been shifting and quaking for three years and there's little reason to believe things will solidify in the future.

What we already know: Schools and conferences are marrying for the money. Cash rules the day and travel and rivalries mean little.

What we already know: Athletics are taking a back seat to cable households. Wins and losses have been trumped by television reach.
What we don't know: How the many moves made in recent months will play out over the next five, 10 or 20 years.

While final results are far from in, the recent marriage of West Virginia to the Big XII can already be viewed as a canary in the coal mine, appropriately enough. It's a case study for the potential buyer's remorse that may set in for several leagues and several schools in the future.

.../cont/...

I don't really buy into the thought there is a growing schism between BXII & WVU. Imperfect as the relationship may be it's still the best available option for either of those parties.

 

[CincyInterloper]

Exhibit A as to why the ACC is doomed...

Coach K on the new ACC: Hoops over football


Someday when the ACC consists of Duke, Wake, Syracuse, Pitt, Boston College, Cincinnati, Memphis, Temple & UConn they're going to be seriously raking in the dough.

That conference would be a big improvement over the conference to be named later that UC is in now. Especially in basketball.