Big 10 Report: Conference Realignment

[Mr. Laz]

A source in St. Louis familiar with the situation told NewsCenter 16 Thursday afternoon that Missouri will leave the Big XII and soon join the Big 10. Other schools expected to follow the Tigers are Syracuse, Pitt, Rutgers and Nebraska.

Many have speculated that such an expansion would include Notre Dame but ND athletic director Jack Swarbrick told me today that the Irish prefer to stay independent in football and in the Big East for other sports. Swarbrick said maintaining football Independence is such a part of what Notre Dame is.

He went on to say the Big East is a great partner for the University in other sports.

"We do have to monitor what is going on," Swarbrick said. "There will be significant shifts. "Hopefully we can navigate them by keeping our football independent and keeping our Big East affiliation because that is what we care about."

The move of Syracuse, Pitt and Rutgers to the Big Ten from the Big East could categorically change the landscape of the Big East itself. Thus, what Swarbrick is referring to when stating the University must continue to monitor what is going on.

The interview with Swarbrick was done before the late afternoon announcement.

http://www.wndu.com/sports/headlines/92447574.html

[Mr. Flopnuts]

I'll be pissed if we bring Texas into the Pac-10. They won't get the benefits from our conference, that's for sure. They don't like it, they can form their own conference. We don't need them.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

Oh shit, how did I miss this? You're probably long gone but I'll respond anyway.

First of all, that was the BCS's doing, not the Big XII's. And it's not our fault that all eight (or however many it was) teams ranked ahead of us all lost in the following week. We weren't any less deserving than anyone else.

How about Oregon? They deserved to be there, not Nebraska.

[RustShack]

Originally Posted by Guru

IF it is the Big 16 there wouldn't be much room for non con play unless they only play each team in conference only once..

They aren't going play the same team more than once in a year unless its in the Championship game no matter what happens.

[teedubya]

Texas will go to the SEC

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

How about Oregon? They deserved to be there, not Nebraska.

They had one loss just like NU. The only argument you can make in their favor is that they won their conference, but that wasn't part of the BCS formula that year.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by teedubya

Texas will go to the SEC

That's possible, but it's more likely that they go independent. Imagine the size of the television contract alone. It would dwarf anything the SEC could ever dream of.

If Texas wanted to join a conference, they would probably just join the Big 10. They have the most money, and Texas has an open invitation just like ND.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

They had one loss just like NU. The only argument you can make in their favor is that they won their conference, but that wasn't part of the BCS formula that year.

That's the ONLY argument? I can make 63 arguments just based on the Colorado game Nebraska played just one game earlier. This, by the way, is the same team that Oregon then dismantled in their bowl game.

[Unsmooth Moment]

I am curious how long it will take for something like this to go final

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

That's the ONLY argument? I can make 63 arguments just based on the Colorado game Nebraska played just one game earlier. This, by the way, is the same team that Oregon then dismantled in their bowl game.

Why do Mizzou fans all seem to think one game defines a season? NU had just beat the #2 team in the nation a couple weeks earlier. You can make all the arguments you want, but the fact is the BCS formula that was used that year determined NU was the deserving team.

And at the time, no one knew that Oregon was going to destroy Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl so that argument holds no water.

[beer bacon]

Originally Posted by teedubya

Texas will go to the SEC

There was some stuff out recently arguing that Texas will never go to the SEC because of academic issues. The claim was that they were much more likely to join the PAC 10.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

Why do Mizzou fans all seem to think one game defines a season? NU had just beat the #2 team in the nation a couple weeks earlier. You can make all the arguments you want, but the fact is the BCS formula that was used that year determined NU was the deserving team.

And at the time, no one knew that Oregon was going to destroy Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl so that argument holds no water.

The point is that the Cornhuskers had no business being in that game over the Ducks. The results of both games proved it beyond any possible doubt.

[alnorth]

I am not yet convinced the Big 10 will expand past 12, it doesn't make economic sense.

The Big 10 network throws off what, about $20M per team? Expanding to 12 to get a football championship game would probably be worth it and generate more than $20M, but after that?

Given the cash cow the conference has, which would have to be shared to new teams coming in, it would economically make no sense to expand beyond 12 unless each additional team would cause the Big 10 network to generate more than $20M new profit per team. I dont see how Missouri brings in another $20M, and I sure as hell dont see how Nebraska does it.

I believe this will end up being much ado about nothing, the Big 10 will likely expand to 12 and thats it. If they go to 14, the extra 2 teams will probably be some east coast schools located in heavily-populated areas. Missouri might end up being #12 to help them get the football championship game, but if Missouri is not the Big 10's #1 target (assuming ND is off the table), I just dont see it happening.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by alnorth

I am not yet convinced the Big 10 will expand past 12, it doesn't make economic sense.

The Big 10 network throws off what, about $20M per team? Expanding to 12 to get a football championship game would probably be worth it and generate more than $20M, but after that?

Given the cash cow the conference has, which would have to be shared to new teams coming in, it would economically make no sense to expand beyond 12 unless each additional team would cause the Big 10 network to generate more than $20M new profit per team. I dont see how Missouri brings in another $20M, and I sure as hell dont see how Nebraska does it.

I believe this will end up being much ado about nothing, the Big 10 will likely expand to 12 and thats it. If they go to 14, the extra 2 teams will probably be some east coast schools located in heavily-populated areas. Missouri might end up being #12 to help them get the football championship game, but if Missouri is not the Big 10's #1 target (assuming ND is off the table), I just dont see it happening.

That's kind of how I see it. Don't forget about the research grant that the Big 10 has, either. They would have to split up that pie as well, and it doesn't grow as schools are added the way a television contract does.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

The point is that the Cornhuskers had no business being in that game over the Ducks. The results of both games proved it beyond any possible doubt.

Yes, in hindsight a Duck/Canes matchup may have been better, but you don't know how that would've played out. That Miami team was loaded, they might have went right through Oregon as well. Nebraska obviously had an edge somewhere in the formula over Oregon, it wasn't a popularity contest like the Big XII uses to slot their bowls.

[Stewie]

It cracks me up that somehow athletic affiliation has ANYTHING to do with academics. "The Big 10 is better academically than XYZ"... bullshit. Most of the Big 10 schools are huge, hence, they have the resources to get grants ad nauseum. Northwestern actually has really strict guidelines for admittance, the rest not so much. I know, I know, Ohio State has the 60,000 smartest students known to man.