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

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

That is reasonable, but that is different than saying that what Missouri does makes no difference. I would postulate that Colorado holds a much bigger hammer than Nebraska, though. If Missouri leaves, I think Colorado bolts as well. Then the league is pretty well cooked, as they would have lost every major market outside of Texas.

Colorado, Texas and Oklahoma Big 12 schools will join Arizona and Arizona State to form the Pac 16 South division.

[vailpass]

Here is the view of MU joining the Big10 from one Iowa paper:

Big Ten expansion candidate: Missouri
Posted on Jun 05, 2010 by Scott Dochterman.
The fifth installment in a series looking at 12 different universities that could potentially join the Big Ten

School: Missouri
Location: Columbia, Mo.
Enrollment: 30,200
Current league: Big 12 Conference
Number of sports offered: 20
Academic profile: Member of the Association of American Universities; 102nd in the U.S. News and World Report National Universities rankings
Why it would fit: Missouri might make more sense than any other candidate. The state includes two large metro areas within its borders and adds nearly 6 million people to the Big Ten’s footprint. It’s a member of the AAU and is the primary institution in the state. Missouri is geographically contiguous and borders two current Big Ten states (Iowa and Illinois). It has competed at high levels in both football and men’s basketball within the last four years. State leaders expressed interest in the Big Ten concurrently with the league’s plans to consider expansion.
Why it wouldn’t: The athletics program has underachieved historically despite its massive reach in a populous state. It has the lowest ranking among all contenders by U.S. News and World Report.
Final verdict: It would be shocking not to see a larger Big Ten not include Missouri, especially if the league expands beyond one school. Missouri offers too much. If its athletics program ever gains consistency, watch out.
YouTube moment: Here’s an all-access look behind the scenes at a Missouri Tigers basketball game

http://gazetteonline.com/blogs/docs-...idate-missouri

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by vailpass

I can see you are emotionally invested in this; I'm not saying anything negative about MU.

I would be glad to have Nebraska football joining the Big10 and I would welcome the Missouri athletic and academic package with open arms as well, both would be quality additions.

I'm not emotionally invested in this at all. You are the one talking about nebulous things like "cache" and acting like it means something substantial. The Big 10's television contract pays them $0.70 per month per person living in their footprint.

I don't think you'll find the words "cache" or "tradition" in that formula. I'll admit that Nebraska has a ton of tradition. They haven't had much success in the last decade, but they seem to be on the rise. That doesn't change the equation, though.

[vailpass]

And Nebraska:

Big Ten expansion candidate: Nebraska
Posted on Jun 04, 2010 by Scott Dochterman.
The fourth installment in a series looking at 12 different universities that could potentially join the Big Ten

School: Nebraska
Location: Lincoln, Neb.
Enrollment: 23,573
Current league: Big 12
Number of sports offered: 21
Academic profile: Member of the Association of American Universities; 96th in the U.S. News and World Report National Universities rankings
Why it would fit: Nebraska carries a national profile because of its football program. That alone (plus 80,000 fans at every home game) makes Nebraska an attractive candidate. It also has strong academics and is geographically contiguous with the league’s current eight-state footprint.
Why it wouldn’t: Nebraska has 1.2 million fewer people than Iowa, currently the Big Ten’s smallest state. Outside of football, Nebraska brings very few unique intangibles that the Big Ten covets, such as population base and demographic potential for growth.
Final verdict: Football conquers all when it comes to college athletics. The sport earns between 80 and 90 percent of all athletics department revenue. Outside of Notre Dame, Nebraska is the most attractive candidate strictly because of football.
YouTube moment: A look at the history of Nebraska football.

http://gazetteonline.com/blogs/docs-...idate-nebraska

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

I'm not emotionally invested in this at all. You are the one talking about nebulous things like "cache" and acting like it means something substantial. The Big 10's television contract pays them $0.70 per month per person living in their footprint.

I don't think you'll find the words "cache" or "tradition" in that formula. I'll admit that Nebraska has a ton of tradition. They haven't had much success in the last decade, but they seem to be on the rise. That doesn't change the equation, though.

OK.

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by Bowser

Texas is the lifeblood of the Big XII. If they decide to pull up stakes, the Big XII will fold, simple as that. And that statement isn't a reflection on anything any of the other schools bring to the table.

http://campuscorner.kansascity.com/node/911#ixzz0q0trX6Dr

Way down yonder in what used to be the Indian Nation - in Oklahoma City, where I’ve spent the last few days covering Missouri in the Women’s College World Series of softball - I was amused, although not surprised, to see another published shot at Ol’ Mizzou.

This time it was The Oklahoman newspaper’s sports columnist Berry Tramel pointing out that it is Nebraska that is the key figure in all this talk about the Big Ten or the Pac 10 or the Five Will Get You Ten conferences potentially splitting apart the Big 12 Conference.

According to ol’ Berr:

“Nebraska has a deadline.

“When Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe emerged from a presidents meeting Friday and talked about a "process" by which the league will decide how to sort the alliances of some schools with the Big Ten, what he meant was, Nebraska has been called out.

“I don't know for sure. I wasn't in the room. But I've talked to people who know what they're talking about. And this is about Nebraska."

Interesting point he has there. But then he continued.

“This isn't about Missouri. Nobody cares about Missouri. Stay, go, drop football, get mad all over again that the Insight Bowl invited Iowa State.

Doesn't matter.

“If only Missouri leaves the Big 12, the league is fine. Heck, the league thrives. TV revenues wouldn't go down, plus there's one less mouth to feed. Heck, the NCAA might even give the Big 12 a waiver and let it keep the football championship game.

“This is about Nebraska. Everybody cares about Nebraska. Nebraska helps make the league go. Without Nebraska, Texas' and Oklahoma's enthusiasm for the Big 12 wanes.”

There, that last line. About Texas and Oklahoma’s enthusiasm for the Big 12 waning, that is your nut paragraph.

Although Berry could have stopped with just mentioning Texas.

When I interviewed Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds in the lobby of the InterContinental Hotel in Kansas City on Tuesday, Dodds hit me with the now widely-distributed quote about Texas not starting this expansion talk but by gosh by golly just maybe being the one who will finish it.

Nothing that came out of the Big 12 meetings back in Kansas City thereafter resonates with as much truth and force as that statement.

Bevo IS the beef in the Big 12‘s present and future.

Knows it.

Will do what is best for Texas, whether that means heading for the Big Ten, the Pac 10 or staying as the once and future ruler of a Big 12 Conference that is starting to look like a renewal of the Kansas-Missouri Border War.

But can the Big 12 survive as a gang of four?

Of course not. This is about more than just Texas singing the melody and Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas A&M making like backup singers.

And that is why, if you think about it, this is all about Missouri. And Kansas, and Kansas State, and Iowa State, Colorado, Baylor and Texas Tech, too. Once the fracturing starts, some people are going to wish the Big 12 had cared about all its members equally.

[alanm]

Originally Posted by eazyb81

Sounds like it.....if you only listen to Berry Tramel, whoever the fuck he is.

Just a Oklahoma football writer who is pretty respected in the Big 12.

[Sam Hall]

I'm hoping for some resolution in the near future. Otherwise, let's put it off for now and get hyped for the season.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by Sam Hall

I'm hoping for some resolution in the near future. Otherwise, let's put it off for now and get hyped for the season.

What's the fun in that when you can take these rumors and all the speculation and have a Build-a-Conference Workshop?

Come on, make your own... you know you want to....

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

Dude, we're not talking about 'a couple of rogue schools' here, we're talking about THE two football powers in the north division.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by ChiTown

Heh, well in the last four years anyway. KSU was the last north team to win a conference title, I'll give you that.

[LetsSignRussell]

I hear they are cutting Nebraska off from athletics.

[KChiefs1]

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/conte...hls/index.html

Nebraska and Missouri have been given an ultimatum by the Big 12 and told they have until this Friday to decide if they want to remain in the conference or entertain the possibility of joining the Big Ten, two highly placed officials of two Big 12 schools have told the Statesman.

The deadline was given to the pair of schools by the Big 12 presidents during the league meetings held in Kansas City this last week.

“Nebraska has until 5 p.m. on Friday to tell us what they’re going to do,” one school official said, adding that he has heard it is a possibility they could extend that deadline to June 15.

“The same deal for Missouri. They have to tell us they’re not going to the Big Ten or …” Or at least six Big 12 schools, including Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech, will be inclined to accept an invitation to join the Pac-10 Conference.

Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Colorado are the other three schools that could bolt what would be a dissolving Big 12. Nebraska and Missouri could be taking the risk that they might not be extended invitations from the Big Ten, which has said it could take up to 18 months to decide whether to expand its current membership of 11 schools.

“I’ve talked to the Pac-10,” said the Big 12 school administrator, who expected the speculation involving the Big 12 to be resolved within two weeks.

“There is an invitation. When it comes, it’ll come fast.” One Pac-10 athletic director told the Statesman on Saturday, “There’s still a lot that has to happen.

It’s nowhere near done.

At this point, we have not been presented any definite plans. Said another political figure heavily connected to Texas, “I know the war drums are beating.

This is way beyond gossip.”

[healthpellets]

So they are trying to push mizzou and Nebraska to make a decision which they don't really have any control over. Nice work Dan.

[Saul Good]

Per the article: "The deadline was given to the pair of schools by the Big 12 presidents during the league meetings held in Kansas City this last week."

By "Big 12 presidents", I assume they excluded the presidents of Iowa State, Kansas, and Kansas State whose statements were more along the lines of