Big Ten and other Conference Expansion

[LordJeffBuck]

...besides the Sun Belt champ probably already played three SEC teams during the non-conf schedule.

Yeah, no kidding. I guess some people don't realize that the Sun Belt/MAC/MWC/C-USA are there for each SEC/B1G/PAC/ACC/B12 team to get 3 guaranteed wins a year. It would be pretty stupid to allow Troy to get into a NC playoff after losing to three SEC teams by a combined score of 124-16.

 

[Muck]

Thamel is reporting that SMU & Houston are also being pursued by the BEast.

If that holds true then using Massey's current numbers we would be looking at:

Big East:
West Virginia #19
Rutgers #32
USF #33
UC #39
UConn #82
Louisville #84

Boise #4
Houston #27
SMU #37
UCF #63
Air Force #65
Navy #75

If Louisville goes Big 12 as is being rumored if MO jumps to the SEC then next up would be Temple (#41) or Villanova (currently 1-5 in FCS).

CUSA
So. Miss #40
Tulsa #48
Marshall #83
Rice #85
UTEP #87
ECU #98
Tulane #111
UAB #118
Memphis #120


MWC
Nevada #55
SDSU #57
Hawai'i #70
Wyoming #90
Fresno St #95
Colorado St #100
UNLV #108
New Mexico #119

I am guessing the MWC #9 would be Utah St (#78) since there was some interest previously.

Nine teams in each conference might actually be preferable to 10. You could have a full round robin using 8 games and still have plenty of flexibility for payday games with big schools.

 

[Mike80]

I like the move.

Eventually, you'd likely have the MAC merge with the Big East and/or sunbelt to create another super conference.

It'd make a lot of sense in a 8-team playoff:

B1G Winner
SEC Winner
PAC Winner
ACC Winner
At-Large
At-Large
MWC/C-USA Winner
MAC/Sun Belt Winner

That way, the top two seeded teams essentially get tune up games with the 24-team conferences, while the rest have to have major competition with one another.

I don't know why a playoff keeps coming up. It's not happening.

 

[jlb1705]

Given the way Conference USA is really spread over the map, I expect this to be a pod system.

So it'll be two conferences merging into one conference, which will then split itself into four conferences. Got it.

All this bullshit because nobody wants to be in a league with Texas.

 

[jlb1705]

I don't know why a playoff keeps coming up. It's not happening.

I hope not.

If it were up to me, the Big Ten and Pac-Whatever would leave the NCAA, play all their games on their on TV networks, the champions would meet in the Rose Bowl and everybody else could go pound sand.

 

[broken24]

Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson said ?It?s a viable option and it creates stability and that?s what they?re looking for,?

Merging with CUSA creates stability. What a joke. What creates stability is that once the smurfs and AF leave none of the big boy conferences want any of your sorry asses.

 

[MaliBuckeye]

Since expansion is about revenue... how is this MWCCUSA going to work once you start flying teams all over the country to play conference games?

Particularly given that these schools' athletic departments aren't in the black without University subsidy, and that they end up losing money during bowl appearances anyway.

 

[SEREbuckeye]

Since expansion is about revenue... how is this MWCCUSA going to work once you start flying teams all over the country to play conference games?

Particularly given that these schools' athletic departments aren't in the black without University subsidy, and that they end up losing money during bowl appearances anyway.

Agreed man. The Big EAST with teams like Air Force (Colorado City) and Houston??? WTF?

How does any of these teams fit within these conferences geographically?

 

[Muck]

Merging with CUSA creates stability. What a joke. What creates stability is that once the smurfs and AF leave none of the big boy conferences want any of your sorry asses.

Big Boy conferences don't want BSU or AFA either.

The Big East is not a Big Boy conference.

Since expansion is about revenue... how is this MWCCUSA going to work once you start flying teams all over the country to play conference games?

Again think of it as more of a coalition between two leagues.

MWC teams will play MWC teams and CUSA will play CUSA teams. Then the winner of each will meet.

We're not going to see Hawai'i vs Marshall or Fresno St vs ECU conference games.

 

[Buckeyefrankmp]

Since expansion is about revenue... how is this MWCCUSA going to work once you start flying teams all over the country to play conference games?

I am sure the conference would be broken down into logical geographic regions. I am sure Tulane would not be playing Hawaii on a regular basis, if at all.

 

[broken24]

Again think of it as more of a coalition between two leagues.

MWC teams will play MWC teams and CUSA will play CUSA teams. Then the winner of each will meet.

We're not going to see Hawai'i vs Marshall or Fresno St vs ECU conference games.

Right, I think they are just going to have a "championship" game between the 2 conferences. Since neither conference could get and keep enough teams on there own they merge.

Monetarily, is it worth it? I would think that ESPiN would give them a deal like the MAC has, but the ticket sales would be nothing. As, one teams fans have to fly across the country. Then split that revenue between 20 teams.

 

[MaxBuck]

They're developing a conference of 22 teams in hopes they'll still have at least 12 after all the poaching and emigration is done.

 

[RugbyBuck]

Yawn.

 

[Saw31]

A 22 team conference where I couldn't confidently name a single member. Winning!

 

[Muck]

Navy AD Chet Gladchuk disputes reports of Big East expansion

PISCATAWAY, N.J. ? Navy Athletic Director Chet Gladchuk said Saturday that reports of the Big East planning to extend invitations to a half-dozen schools are erroneous and that the status of his program remains unchanged.

While the Big East continues to be highly interested in inviting Navy to join, there remains no timetable for when an invitation might be extended, according to Gladchuk, who added he spoke with Big East Commissioner John Marinatto on Saturday morning.

?All this media sensation, there is no credibility to it,? Gladchuk said shortly after halftime of Navy?s game at Rutgers.

.../cont/...