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

[LiveSteam]

Originally Posted by Laz

SMU expresses interest in Big 12
By Richard Durrett
ESPNDallas.com
Archive

SMU To BCS Conference?

College football analyst Craig James discusses the news that SMU wants to compete in BCS conferenceTags: college football, SMU, Craig James


SMU athletic director Steve Orsini believes his school is ready to join an automatic-qualifier BCS conference and has made his case to certain Big 12 officials.
"We feel it's time. We're ready," Orsini said Thursday, shortly after Texas A&M announced it has informed the Big 12 that it's looking at other conference options. "The college landscape is shifting. We're already a top academic institution and with the re-commitment of the university already in place, we can be a top athletics program nationally."
While the Big 12 makes the most sense, SMU president R. Gerald Turner said late Thursday afternoon that he believes the Mustangs, which currently compete in Conference USA, are ready to join any AQ conference interested in getting into the Dallas-Fort Worth market.


More on the Big 12, area colleges

ESPNDallas.com's Jeff Caplan and Richard Durrett weigh in on issues facing Big 12 South teams, as well as TCU, SMU, UNT and other area colleges. Blog
• Big 12 Blog
• Blog network: College Football Nation


Orsini touted SMU's alumni base, which he said numbers about 40,000 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. And he noted the school has the facilities to play in a BCS conference.
Gerald J. Ford Stadium seats 32,000 but could be expanded to 40,000 by filling in the lower bowl, and even could increase to as much as 60,000 with an upper deck (and possibly suites) on the east side.
SMU averaged 23,515 fans in 2010, a 52 percent increase in the past five years. Much of that is owed to the arrival of coach June Jones.
SMU formed the "Circle of Champions," a group of 20 major donors willing to commit $100,000 each for five years to help attract Jones and his staff. Jones has led a resurgence of the program, taking the Mustangs to two consecutive bowl games and finishing runner-up in Conference USA last year, falling to Central Florida in the title game.
Before Jones arrived, SMU had one winning season since resuming football in 1989, after the NCAA handed the program the "death penalty."
Orsini said that SMU is happy in Conference USA and would be pleased if that league somehow could gain automatic qualifying status. But he stressed that the school also would prefer to rekindle its regional rivalries, and believes the best way to do that is to play in a conference with more nearby teams, such as the Big 12.
"We want the best regional conference we can get in this part of the country," Orsini said. "Strength is in expansion, not minimalism, like having 10 members in the Big 12, when four of the BCS conferences have 12 members. Let's add to it."
Orsini knows the biggest argument against SMU is that adding it won't help the conference's television footprint with such a large alumni base in the Metroplex already. But he believes SMU would increase the interest in the Dallas area, noting that Austin, Lubbock, Fort Worth, Waco and other cities have automatic-qualifying schools.
"Why not Dallas?" Orsini said. "We would solidify the presence of whatever conference we're in for an AQ status in the fifth-largest market in the country. This is a very important market."
Turner said that he's reached out to Dallas city officials, and they'd like to see Dallas represented in an AQ conference.
Orsini said the school did a study of the TV ratings in the Dallas-Fort Worth market the past two football seasons and discovered the average ratings for Big 12 and SEC games were at best a draw, despite the SEC having no team in Texas, much less the Metroplex. That's why he believes SMU could help put more eyes on the Big 12 in this area.
Orsini wants more weekends such as Labor Day, when a handful of former Southwest Conference foes will faceoff -- TCU vs. Baylor, Rice vs. Texas, SMU vs. Texas A&M.
"Our fans are jacked like they have not been in a long time," Orsini said. "Not only because we're playing an old rival, but we have optimism now. We expect to be competitive."
The Dallas Morning News first reported SMU reached out to the Big 12.
Richard Durrett is a reporter and columnist for ESPNDallas.com.
Follow Richard Durrett on Twitter: @espn_durrett

More of this for the Big12

[KcMizzou]

Originally Posted by Negreppedson

It's not but the president of Texas A&M or something "declared" that the Aggies were looking to join another conference.

It's basically aTm officially filing for divorce.

[sedated]

SMU? *sigh*

[LiveSteam]

Originally Posted by sedated

SMU? *sigh*

They will fit right in the new SWC. If your not cheating your not trying.

[alanm]

Originally Posted by Negreppedson

They could have left with a bit more class then the way they spoke about their 100 year old partners, KU, KSU and MU.

Had they stood with Nebraska on a few votes ( Conference offices, Championship game sites ect. ect. instead of bending over for Bevo money and giving Texas every thing they wanted this thread probably would not exist.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by alanm

Had they stood with Nebraska on a few votes ( Conference offices, Championship game sites ect. ect. instead of bending over for Bevo money and giving Texas every thing they wanted this thread probably would not exist.

link?

[tk13]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

link?

[KcMizzou]

Originally Posted by tk13

Geek rep.

[alanm]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

link?

Numerous instances of 11-1 votes where Nebraska is the lone dissenter. Conference offices moving to Dallas and the Football championship game being played in Jerry world for years on end in exchange for KC keeping the basketball tourney is a couple others.

[Bambi]

Originally Posted by alanm

Numerous instances of 11-1 votes where Nebraska is the lone dissenter. Conference offices moving to Dallas and the Football championship game being played in Jerry world for years on end in exchange for KC keeping the basketball tourney is a couple others.

The Basketball tourney in Kansas City has been a tremendous boost for the area. Could they have worked out a rotating schedule between the two areas? I suppose, but you have the best football facilities down there and the best basketball facilities up here.

I don't really see that as a reason to break 100 years of tradition.

In the end I don't really have the interest in Nebraska as I do the three local schools so them leaving isn't making the sky fall. I do a lot of jabbing back and forth but I wish them luck in the Big 10... life's too short to get hung up on those things.

Now if KU-MU or KU-KSU were to ever "break up" it wouldn't go so smoothly for the area. Sure in time it would just be different but from my perspective I do not ever want to see that happen, nor do I think that will ever happen.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by alanm

Numerous instances of 11-1 votes where Nebraska is the lone dissenter. Conference offices moving to Dallas and the Football championship game being played in Jerry world for years on end in exchange for KC keeping the basketball tourney is a couple others.

Actually the big one was back when the Big 12 was formed and OU, OSU, and Colorado sided with Texas schools in moving the headquarters to Dallas. OU is the one to blame for alot of this, they could have kept the Big 8 voting block together but they chose Texas instead.

[eazyb81]

Originally Posted by alanm

Numerous instances of 11-1 votes where Nebraska is the lone dissenter. Conference offices moving to Dallas and the Football championship game being played in Jerry world for years on end in exchange for KC keeping the basketball tourney is a couple others.

Can you provide details on a few of these "numerous instances"? For example, did Nebraska ever vote against unequal revenue sharing, considering they were one of its largest benefactors?

It's hilarious watching the Nubs try and act all high and mighty; you guys loved the unequal system up until you were passed up by UT and OU, then you ran for the sweet comfort of Big Ten's shared system.

Hell, if you stayed in the Big 12, we would be seeing Corncob TV start up this season alongside the Longhorn Network.

http://thegazette.com/2011/07/29/the...ision-network/

[WilliamTheIrish]

Now if KU-MU or KU-KSU were to ever "break up" it wouldn't go so smoothly for the area. Sure in time it would just be different but from my perspective I do not ever want to see that happen, nor do I think that will ever happen.

KSU would love to take the open invitation to the Ivy League, but since we're tied to the equivalent of The University of Sanford-Brown at Lawrence, we have to stay.

Thanks ****heads.

[Saulbadguy]

[WilliamTheIrish]

Saul,

That's f'ing hilarious.