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

[|Zach|]

This is sort of an odd take from TigerBoard. I posted it because I never really thought of this from the perspective of the P10 and B10 staring eachother down.

If I am to understand this all, Big 10 stirs up this big mess, does background on viability of numerous teams (rumored to be approx 11), throws a 12-18 month timeline, then, because the PAC 10 decides they are not going to sit by and watch Big 10 get everything they want, the Big 10 abandons their whole plan and time line to take one team? And not even their first choice. Then sit back and watch the PAC 10 vault from the 4th best conference to maybe the best, or at least 1A with SEC? All this was done because they want to enhance the value and payoff of the Rose Bowl? Big tough Jim Delaney is going to be completely out done by the new upstart from the PAC 10? WOW, he maybe a liar but certainly isn't as tough of a competitor as he has been made out to be. The PAC 10 is making Delaney look like a chump.

[CaliforniaChief]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

That's a pretty fair assessment,the programs aren't that far apart. Or at least not as far apart as many Iowa fans seem to think.

It's easy for Hawkeye fans to lose perspective. We're entering this season with the highest expectations I can remember for a team. That tends to throw off the "big picture" that these realignments are geared towards.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by billay

No doubt it'd be a great move. Thats why moving to the Big Ten is great for Nebraska.

It will give us an instant rivalry, the likes of which we haven't seen since the heyday of the Big 8.

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by |Zach|

This is sort of an odd take from TigerBoard. I posted it because I never really thought of this from the perspective of the P10 and B10 staring eachother down.

If I am to understand this all, Big 10 stirs up this big mess, does background on viability of numerous teams (rumored to be approx 11), throws a 12-18 month timeline, then, because the PAC 10 decides they are not going to sit by and watch Big 10 get everything they want, the Big 10 abandons their whole plan and time line to take one team? And not even their first choice. Then sit back and watch the PAC 10 vault from the 4th best conference to maybe the best, or at least 1A with SEC? All this was done because they want to enhance the value and payoff of the Rose Bowl? Big tough Jim Delaney is going to be completely out done by the new upstart from the PAC 10? WOW, he maybe a liar but certainly isn't as tough of a competitor as he has been made out to be. The PAC 10 is making Delaney look like a chump.

Somebody drank a big cup of bitterman.

[Titty Meat]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

It will give us an instant rivalry, the likes of which we haven't seen since the heyday of the Big 8.

Who just Iowa? I could see Ohio State and Michigan too.

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaChief

It's easy for Hawkeye fans to lose perspective. We're entering this season with the highest expectations I can remember for a team. That tends to throw off the "big picture" that these realignments are geared towards.

High expecations do not usually turn out well for us and it has already started. First a reeruned RB getting arrested in the bar, next who knows what?

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by billay

Who just Iowa? I could see Ohio State and Michigan too.

I have always liked Nebraska, admired their football and their fans. You'll need to ease your way into the new conference and continue your rise back up to prominence and NU will eventually be a solid rival within the B10.
But it will take a little time for things to develop.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by billay

Who just Iowa? I could see Ohio State and Michigan too.

Absolutely Iowa. There's already a shit ton of tension between the fan bases up here, especially with the Hawkeye fans in western IA. They are all bitter that the Omaha media hardly covers them, they're always calling in to local radio shows bitching about how much better they are and that they should get more love. Then Husker fans start smacking them around and then it's on. It's a bitter rivalry that's just looking for a place to happen.

[Crush]

Super Conferences Gone Wild

PAC-16
Western Division
Washington
Washington State
Oregon
Oregon State
California
UCLA
USC
Stanford

Eastern Division
Arizona
Arizona State
Colorado
Texas
Texas Tech
Texas A&M
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State


GREAT-18
Western Division
Hawaii
San Jose State
Fresno State
San Diego State
UNLV
Nevada
Idaho
Boise State
Utah

Eastern Division
BYU
Utah State
Wyoming
Colorado State
Air Force
New Mexico
New Mexico State
TCU
Houston


MEGA EAST
Western Division
Kansas
Kansas State
Iowa State
Cincinnati
Louisville
Memphis
Wake Forest
Virginia Tech
Marshall

Eastern Division
Connecticut
Syracuse
West Virginia
Boston College
Maryland
Virginia
Duke
North Carolina
North Carolina State


BIG-16
Western Division
Nebraska
Missouri
Minnesota
Iowa
Wisconsin
Illinois
Northwestern
Purdue

Eastern Division
Notre Dame
Indiana
Michigan
Michigan State
Ohio State
Penn State
Rutgers
Pittsburgh


“The New” SEC
Western Division
Alabama
Arkansas
Auburn
LSU
Ole Miss
Mississippi State
Vanderbilt
Kentucky

Eastern Division
Tennessee
Georgia
Georgia Tech
Clemson
South Carolina
Florida
Florida State
Miami (FL)

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by |Zach|

This is sort of an odd take from TigerBoard. I posted it because I never really thought of this from the perspective of the P10 and B10 staring eachother down.

If I am to understand this all, Big 10 stirs up this big mess, does background on viability of numerous teams (rumored to be approx 11), throws a 12-18 month timeline, then, because the PAC 10 decides they are not going to sit by and watch Big 10 get everything they want, the Big 10 abandons their whole plan and time line to take one team? And not even their first choice. Then sit back and watch the PAC 10 vault from the 4th best conference to maybe the best, or at least 1A with SEC? All this was done because they want to enhance the value and payoff of the Rose Bowl? Big tough Jim Delaney is going to be completely out done by the new upstart from the PAC 10? WOW, he maybe a liar but certainly isn't as tough of a competitor as he has been made out to be. The PAC 10 is making Delaney look like a chump.

Yeah, what doesn't add up to me is the idea that the a newly-minted Pac-16 wouldn't cause other conferences to expand. A 4-team difference between Pac-16 and a 12-team Big 10 is substantial.

[Reerun_KC]

Mega East would Mega blow at Football, but the basketball would be off the freaking Charts!

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

Yeah, what doesn't add up to me is the idea that the a newly-minted Pac-16 wouldn't cause other conferences to expand. A 4-team difference between Pac-16 and a 12-team Big 10 is substantial.

I just have to think that if there is any validity to the Pac 10 expansion, the Big 10 would be taking more than Nebraska.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

Yeah, what doesn't add up to me is the idea that the a newly-minted Pac-16 wouldn't cause other conferences to expand. A 4-team difference between Pac-16 and a 12-team Big 10 is substantial.

This is just the start.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

I just have to think that if there is any validity to the Pac 10 expansion, the Big 10 would be taking more than Nebraska.

Who knows...I mean Missouri still hasn't said shit and their curators meeting is tomorrow.

Hey, we may well have gotten the cold shoulder but IMO Nebraska alone is a surprise to me, and would be a surprise. And thats not a knock on Nebraska.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by |Zach|

BWillie seems like a nice guy and everything. But in addition to that it seems like he is always wrong or just generally misinformed.

To what? Iowa has been routinely better than Nebraska in the last 10 years. I don't know how there is any other way around it. Nebraska plays in the BIG 12 fuckING NORTH, a joke of a football conference.