You know what is really fun......watching how all the speculation has changed so much in this thread.

It would be fun to have some stat geek actually plot the movement of the rumors of each school.

FYP

Iowa State is way better in academics than Kansas State. Not to mention its a better school than both Kansas and Nebraska. Only Texas, A&M, and Missouri are ahead of Iowa State in the B1G academically.

The "Chatter Movement" Graph

Lets do this!

Do tell. Do you even know what the B1G looks for?

Not ISU

You still haven't answered the question I've asked you twice: how are funds for research acquired?

Meanwhile, you're talking in circles and conflating points.

My point about the CIC and the tangible draw for schools affiliated with it stands on its own.

GOV grants I think

I would put ISU on par with KSU; these are very comparable institutions.

Yes, but does ISU have a brand new billion dollar grant? Also, it isn't just about arbitrary college rankings, its also about brand recognition once you get past the relatively same athletics profile. You have to have something to sell, that's why these conferences have all this money to hand out. ISU has some of the best fans in the world, but the Cyclone brand just isn't that strong. Whether football or basketball, who gets excited to hear "the Cyclones are coming to town?"

That's correct. Most grants are Federal grants. Almost all medical breakthroughs are done by universities through Federal research grants. The drug companies just capitalize on it. Federal Grant money is the true lifeblood of the top academic research schools. It dwarfs anything State BOR or sports affiliations give it.

I'm not saying Pitt and Syracuse aren't more desirable, I am saying that the lack of public talk out of a school is irrelevant, since there is almost never a good reason to reveal what you are doing and plenty of reasons not to.

Do what? I thought this wasn't happening AlwaysWrongenson.

I'll buy that. Let me just say this, then. The KU statements about these realignments has been very low key and confident that KU will be OK when its all over. Maybe that's just painting a "brave face", but KSU and MU have basically taken the same stance, giving the "we hope the Big XII stays together, that is the best option" speech.