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

[KcMizzou]

Originally Posted by luv

Always looking at the positive.

Wait... you talking about Laz? You just broke my brain.

[Mizzou_8541]

Originally Posted by Wickedson

I hate to say it but,

Notre Dame > Nebraska + Missouri + Rutgers + Syracuse

It's the only school that has the national appeal combined with the academic excellence that aligns with schools like Michigan and the rest of the Big 10 types

It sucks to admit as a Mizzou fan, but you are absolutely right. If ND goes, MU and the Nubs aren't. If ND is even considering going to the Big 10, that is bad news for Mizzou. IMO, the longer this drags out, the chances of Mizzou leaving decreases.

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by KcMizzou

Why would they add ND, and call it a day... when other conferences are already making noise about going to 16?

Yes, the Big 10 started it... but now it's just a scramble to see what those 4 conferences are going to be... and what schools are included.

I can't imagine the Big Ten only adding ND. Big changes are coming... and they'll want to be at the front of it.

why?

because of the simple mathematics of diminishing returns. For every school a conference adds it cuts the financial pie into more,smaller pieces. Adding 5 more teams to the big 10(+1) will have to bring in a lot more money to bring the same profit that just adding a single national school does. That's why so many conferences consider Notre Dame a crown jewel type school to get. National audience increase and only splitting the profits with 1 more school ... it's a HUGE,HUGE bonus.

I realize you want MU to the big 10 ... i don't blame you, Notre Dame could shoot the whole thing into the crapper though.

[luv]

Originally Posted by KcMizzou

Wait... you talking about Laz? You just broke my brain.

[baitism]

All of the speculation about ND is worthless, though. They are not going anywhere. Why would they give up a huge tv contract with NBC to go to the big 10 and have to split their cake with the rest of the conference via the BTN? It doesn't make sense for them.

[Titty Meat]

It's great to be a Jayhawk

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by luv

Always looking at the positive.

i try, hon.


i like to think we both agree that eating pussy is great but i just don't think we look at that from the same perspective.

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by KcMizzou

Wait... you talking about Laz? You just broke my brain.

MUrons have brains?


next you will be telling me that the world is really flat

[luv]

Originally Posted by Laz

i try, hon.


i like to think we both agree that eating pussy is great but i just don't think we look at that from the same perspective.

Who cares about perspective? Add it to the list.

[KcMizzou]

From the NY Times...

Pacific-10 and Big Ten Step Toward Expansion
By PETE THAMEL

Two meetings of university presidents on Sunday, the Pacific-10’s in San Francisco and the Big Ten’s in Chicago, could go a long way toward reshaping the alignment of major college athletics.

The most significant news came from the Pac-10 meetings, where presidents voted to give the first-year commissioner Larry Scott authority to move ahead with expansion. With the Pac-10 seriously considering a move to 16 teams, the conference essentially gave Scott permission to hand out invitations to potential new members without consulting its university presidents.

The potential for Pac-10 expansion forced Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany to acknowledge that the Big Ten’s timeline for growth, which had been set at 12 to 18 months in December, could be expedited.

With television money as the biggest driving factor and little regard being given to geography or tradition, the chain reaction could reverberate from coast to coast, although there is still a chance that there could be little or no movement.

The biggest keys to stopping a drastic overhaul of college sports appear to be Missouri and Nebraska, which have been given a two-weekend deadline by Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe to commit to the league long term. (Both have been considered objects of desire for the Big Ten.)

With Texas as his focal point, Scott is expected to attempt to lure six teams from the Big 12 to create the first 16-team superconference. That could produce a domino effect with major college sports featuring four 16-team leagues.

But Texas and other Big 12 powers would prefer to stay together, which is why Nebraska and Missouri are situated in such a key spot. If the Big 12 stays intact, the Pac-10 will probably not expand significantly. If the universities leave, college sports will inevitably change drastically.

“Larry Scott wants to fire the first bullet,” said a Big 12 athletic official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk publicly about the topic. “The pressure is being put on Nebraska and Missouri. Over the next two weeks, we’re going to know where we stand.”

As for the Big Ten, Delany did not reveal much to reporters in Chicago on Sunday, other than to say that the “timeline could be affected.” What is unknown is how hard the Big Ten is pursuing Notre Dame, a football independent that brings considerable value.

Notre Dame wants to maintain its independence, but if it did jump to the Big Ten, which already has 11 teams, it would prefer the league stay at 12 for revenue-sharing reasons.

Publicly, Big 12 athletic directors and officials are saying they hope the status quo remains, because they have built a strong league in football and basketball. Privately, they are scurrying to best position themselves for a potential spot in the Pac-10, which could become the Pac-16.

If the Big 12 does not receive strong commitments from Nebraska and Missouri, the strongest possibility is that Scott will attempt to lure six teams from the Big 12, with Texas as the obvious key. It is unknown when Scott would issue those invitations, but Sunday’s developments appear to speed up the timetable for considering conference expansion.

In the initial report of this proposed expansion, which was first reported by the Texas fan site OrangeBloods.com, Texas would be joined by Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Colorado.

But a Big 12 athletic official with direct knowledge of the conversations with the Pac-10 said Baylor could end up in the league instead of Colorado. Although Colorado brings the coveted Denver television market and significantly more academic prestige than Oklahoma State or Texas Tech, Baylor could move instead.

“Texas is the linchpin,” the athletic official said. “If Texas is to go to the Pac-10, they’re going to have a lot of influence. What we’re being told is that Baylor would be included in that group, probably at the expense of Colorado.”

There is precedent to political sway helping Baylor. When the Big 12 began taking shape in the mid-1990s, Baylor shoehorned its way into the conference, in part, because of the power of Ann Richards, the governor of Texas at the time, who is a Baylor graduate.

If the Pac-10 swiped six teams from the Big 12 and Missouri or Nebraska went to the Big Ten, the Big 12 would become defunct. Under N.C.A.A. guidelines, a conference needs at least six universities that have played together for five years. The Big 12 would lose its Bowl Championship Series bid and automatic bid to the N.C.A.A. basketball tournament. That could leave colleges like Kansas and Kansas State to be snapped up by the Big East, which could be its best bet to continue using the lure of a B.C.S. bid for football recruits.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/sp...onference.html

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by baitism

All of the speculation about ND is worthless, though. They are not going anywhere. Why would they give up a huge tv contract with NBC to go to the big 10 and have to split their cake with the rest of the conference via the BTN? It doesn't make sense for them.

you're correct, it's all speculation

but with regards to Notre Dame ... which as much as they have been sucking lately they could be getting some pressure from the networks that they are being overpaid for the product they bring. Getting into a BCS conference could switch things up.

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by KcMizzou

From the NY Times...



http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/sp...onference.html

all speculative crap with no more merit then all the opinions we have right here from the BBS.

[Bambi]

Originally Posted by UCFGoldenKnight

Notre Dame has lost A LOT of it's luster as a football program, but with them having so many graduates around the nation they do pack the punch.. right now they are no better than the University of Buffalo in football though.

Yes they're down now but they join the Big 10 and boom. Big time once again.

[baitism]

Originally Posted by Laz

you're correct, it's all speculation

but with regards to Notre Dame ... which as much as they have been sucking lately they could be getting some pressure from the networks that they are being overpaid for the product they bring. Getting into a BCS conference could switch things up.

I agree they have been sucking, but between their national brand status and delusional fans they should be ok. That being said, if they have horrendous year this season that could change.

[KcMizzou]

Originally Posted by Wickedson

Yes they're down now but they join the Big 10 and boom. Big time once again.

How so? Don't they already have more money and exposure than anyone else?