Big Ten and other Conference Expansion

[Colvinnl]

A great deal of the Big 12 territory truly is flyover country: sparsely populated with bad demographic projections. I'm not saying the Great Lakes states don't have some demographic problems amongst other issues, but they are a world removed from much of the Great Plains. If it weren't for the Texas and Colorado markets, there'd be very little tv money generated, and in any event, the Texas market will follow UT.

I agree that an equal share of Big Ten money is probably much greater than a lion's share of B12 money. Also, keep in mind that Texas is similar to Big Ten schools in that they have a relatively affluent, widespread alumni base with strong concentrations in most major urban areas in Chicago, the Northeast and West Coast. Linking Texas to the BTN would definitely be a win-win.

Yeah, that was the big question in my mind. Also they have to think about consistency---being guaranteed that money. For an athletic department that might be more ideal--knowing they are going to get a lot of money rather than having some years like this one where they have a lot of national games and a lot more $ and down years without as many national games.

 

[BUCKYLE]

Evidently, Andre Ware (on CF Live) would like the Big Ten to act now and not wait the 12-18 months to research the process.

In other words, don't even test drive that car, just buy it.

That house you want, forget about walking in and looking at it.

Fuck! Andre fucking Ware wants it?! Fuck!!

At this point, all we can do is pray the B10 presidents weren't watching CF Live.

 

[TDG]

Texas has wanted out of the Big XII for quite awhile, but Texas politics prevented the move. It's the Pac-10 they'd been looking at, though. The Big Ten is not a realistic option for them.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

Distance between Austin and the Big Ten and Pac 10.

To central city in conference:
Austin to Chicago 974 miles
Austin to SF 1503 miles

To nearest conference school
Austin to Phoenix 871 miles
Austin to Iowa City (Des Moines) 813 miles

To farthest confernce school
Austin to Penn State (actually had to use Philly) 1438 miles
Austin to Seattle 1771 miles

Throw in no CIC and no Big Ten Network, and I don't see why the Pac 10 is so much more appealing to them than the Big Ten.

 

[OSU_D/]

Distance between Austin and the Big Ten and Pac 10.

To central city in conference:
Austin to Chicago 974 miles
Austin to SF 1503 miles

To nearest conference school
Austin to Phoenix 871 miles
Austin to Iowa City (Des Moines) 813 miles

To farthest confernce school
Austin to Penn State (actually had to use Philly) 1438 miles
Austin to Seattle 1771 miles

Throw in no CIC and no Big Ten Network, and I don't see why the Pac 10 is so much more appealing to them than the Big Ten.

Don't forget for tv scheduling of athletics (as well as academic information sharing) there are no Pac 10 schools in the Central Time Zone while there are a number of Big 10 schools on CT plus the main office. Anyone who has worked in a time zone 2 hours away from the HQ of a business knows that this can be a pain.

 

[Cinfali]

Texas has wanted out of the Big XII for quite awhile, but Texas politics prevented the move. It's the Pac-10 they'd been looking at, though. The Big Ten is not a realistic option for them.

Texas to Big Ten was close to becoming a reality according to this article.

The Longhorns next turned to the Big Ten. Having added Penn State in 1990, the Big Ten was now made of universities that, in the view of UT officials, matched UT's profile ? large state schools with strong academic reputations. Berdahl liked the fact that 10 conference members belonged to the American Association of Universities.
Yet, distance remained a disadvantage. Iowa, the closest Big Ten school to Austin, was 856 miles away ? but the appeal of having 10 of 12 schools in the same time zone was seen as a plus.
But after adding Penn State in 1990, Big Ten officials had put a four-year moratorium on expansion. Although admitting interest, Big Ten bosses ultimately rejected UT's overtures.

 

[Merih]

It would be a dream come true if Texas and Ohio State were ever in the same conference. The two teams that represent the states that I have lived and gone to school in my entire life. I would love it.

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

In today's day and age, how big a factor is travel? (Serious question... I mean, surely it's not like the 1930s, but it's still expensive.)

 

[MaxBuck]

In today's day and age, how big a factor is travel? (Serious question... I mean, surely it's not like the 1930s, but it's still expensive.)

It would be real expensive to haul, e.g., a rifle team from Austin to State College for a dual meet. Not to mention that, unless you flew charter, the travel time would probably be at least 8 hours. Unhappy Valley is really a pain in the butt to get to (and I guess Minneapolis to State College is already pretty extreme).

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

It would be real expensive to haul, e.g., a rifle team from Austin to State College for a dual meet. Not to mention that, unless you flew charter, the travel time would probably be at least 8 hours. Unhappy Valley is really a pain in the butt to get to (and I guess Minneapolis to State College is already pretty extreme).

Yeah, I wasn't even thinking about the non revenue sports either.

 

[jwinslow]

It would be real expensive to haul, e.g., a rifle team from Austin to State College for a dual meet. Not to mention that, unless you flew charter, the travel time would probably be at least 8 hours. Unhappy Valley is really a pain in the butt to get to (and I guess Minneapolis to State College is already pretty extreme).

So you're saying we should boot Penn State and adopt Mizzou & Texas?

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

I was going to say the same thing

 

[Colvinnl]

It would be real expensive to haul, e.g., a rifle team from Austin to State College for a dual meet. Not to mention that, unless you flew charter, the travel time would probably be at least 8 hours. Unhappy Valley is really a pain in the butt to get to (and I guess Minneapolis to State College is already pretty extreme).

I'd wonder if it would significantly add to the number of nights non-football athletes would have to stay over during road trips and miss class?

Also--how interested would the Texas baseball team be in playing cold weather baseball?

 

[Dryden]

Don't do this. Just go North and South/East and West

The ACC did the Atlantic and Coastal thing and nobody knows who the fuck plays where...

... I do know that neither Florida State nor Miami play in their conference championship game! :)

 

[jlb1705]

Drive time from Austin, TX to... (according to Google Maps)

• College Station, TX - 2:47
• Waco, TX - 1:41
• Lubbock, TX - 8:56
• Norman, OK - 5:51
• Stillwater, OK - 7:09
• Boulder, CO - 16:40
• Lawrence, KS - 10:51
• Manhattan, KS - 10:58
• Columbia, MO - 13:15
• Lincoln, NE - 13:59
• Ames, IA - 14:52

Realistically, how many of those are they driving to right now? One of those in-state schools is almost nine hours away. I'd say that even the non-revenue teams are flying to at least 2/3 of those locations. I could understand concerns about travel if all these places were in bus ride range. That would be a significant step up to have to fly everywhere. If you're already flying most of the time though, what's the big deal? I imagine it costs a little more to fly from Austin to East Lansing than it does from Austin to Lawrence, but enough to be a deal breaker considering the potential TV and research money involved?

I don't think travel - even for non-revenue sports - is as great a concern in this case as a repeat of their last move - with all of the little brother schools trying to tag along thru influence in their state legislature.