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

[DeezNutz]

Why take "toady" what you can have tomorrow? Yeah, very professional looking "article."

[ArrowheadHawk]

Originally Posted by Metrolike

Dude, KU is not going to the Big 10. EVER.

Based on? There are a few scenarios however unlikely that it could happen. What if the SEC and the BIG 10 get in a bidding war over ND and the SEC wins. That would leave the the BIG 10 with possibly two holes to fill. It's not likely but it's not a forgone conclusion either.

[ArrowheadHawk]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Why take "toady" what you can have tomorrow? Yeah, very professional looking "article."

I think it was a message board post. Not an article.

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by ArrowheadHawk

No. ND is who the big 10 wants but will settle for NU and possibly bring in MU for its Media Markets.

Originally Posted by frazod

It's hard telling. Nebraska is more nationally well known, but if they're looking at dollars and cents, Missouri has the better markets. I think the "side-dish" angle is being played up because the media was talking about Missouri-OH SHINEY, NEBRASKA!

Nebraska is certainly more important to the Big XII than it is to the Big 10.

Thanks. I realize ND is actually their main target but from the Big 12 they want Nebraska and as a last resort MU.

Oh well I was kind of excited for MU to move to the Big 10 and if that doesn't happen they will be stuck in some mid-major conference if the Big 12 blows up.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by ArrowheadHawk

Based on? There are a few scenarios however unlikely that it could happen. What if the SEC and the BIG 10 get in a bidding war over ND and the SEC wins. That would leave the the BIG 10 with possibly two holes to fill. It's not likely but it's not a forgone conclusion either.

People that have brains.

[Pants]

Originally Posted by ArrowheadHawk

Based on? There are a few scenarios however unlikely that it could happen. What if the SEC and the BIG 10 get in a bidding war over ND and the SEC wins. That would leave the the BIG 10 with possibly two holes to fill. It's not likely but it's not a forgone conclusion either.

Man, comon. I mean seriously, have you read any of the articles at all? Do you understand how the profit sharing works and what B10 cares about? It's not simply who has more schools. Kansas joining the B10 would actually HURT every school in that conference.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by Buster Hymen

I guess you forgot about winning %'s. KU is 3rd, BTW.

Yes, you and your unbiased opinion of anything.

You're just bitter about your junior college AS degree.

Just put your MUron t-shirt on and get over yourself.

Yep, forgot all about it.

That's why the first six words in that post were:

Always won what? Regular season games?

Last I checked winning a lot of regular season games usually means you've got a pretty high winning percentage.

BFD.

Was that your last resort? Winning percentage? And AS degree smack?

FWIW, I don't even have an AS. Working towards my BS currently - might as well give you that info, that way if you're going to continue to make ignorant comments and weak attempts at smack, you'll at least, for once, have the facts right.

Thanks, Captain Obvious. No one here knew KU has won a lot of BB games over the last 115 years.

You've been a huge help*.



*your usual, ****stick self

[ArrowheadHawk]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

Thanks. I realize ND is actually their main target but from the Big 12 they want Nebraska and as a last resort MU.

Oh well I was kind of excited for MU to move to the Big 10 and if that doesn't happen they will be stuck in some mid-major conference if the Big 12 blows up.

I know I'll get hammered for this but I believe that if at least six schools stay from the big 12 they can keep the conference alive. And if Texas were to leave the six remaining schools could run the conference however they want to. Granted a conference with a base of Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Missouri and Baylor would suck.

[bowener]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

From Tigerboard (http://www.tigerboard.com/boards/mis...essage=7631170), a guy who CLAIMS to have sources. Whatever ... this is the Internet, he can claim to be Julius Caesar.

But it sure sounds intriguing:

Here is the latest, and very distrubing, news on the Big 10 front. NU has received an offer from the Big 10, and will accept the invitation over the objection of Osborne who has described himslef as getting "cold feet" recently over the move. However, others "above his pay-grade" have already made the call, and Nebraska is going to the Big 10.

MU has not received an offer, and likely will not for the foreseeable future. Although we had reached an "understanding" with the Big 10, Notre Dame has since reentered the picture and has "refused to be put on a clock" concerning their decision for membership in the Big 10. Thus, the Big 10 is now making the decision to offer only Nebraska and take a wait-and-see approach on further offers for now until the Notre Dame issue is resolved.

Now, this is where it has gotten very scary for us: Texas has made it very clear to all involved that they have 5 other institutions waiting to, in their words, "bolt for the Pac 10" the moment Nebraska announces its agreement with the Big 10. This, according to them, is a "done deal" with the Pac 10 (As a parentthetical, it appears that Baylor, not CU will be part of that move, given Texas' insistence to the Pac 10, but I did not verify that fact for certain).

Thus, here is the position we are now in. Texas' (and other's) lawyers have concluded that it takes a simple majority to dissolve the Big 12. After Nebrasksa announces, the gang of six, either with or without Nebraska, can vote to dissolve the Big 12 as a conference (which they would all have a massive vested financial interest in doing). This would have the legal effect of, among other things, removing the financial penalties for withdrawl from the conference (estimted at almost $15 million per leaving institution, or roughly $105 million in total), as well as removing us as a BCS conference and dissolving our TV contract. In essence, we are about to be left holding an empty bag with very little recourse if any.

Why would the Big 10 do this to us? Jim delany is a shark, and he gets/understands all of the above. By simply bringing in one big 12 school (Nebraska, not MU), he can destroy the Big 12 as a conference (his major competitor for the midwest market) and still leave himself up to 5 slots to play with (Delaney, as he should be, cares only about what is best for his employer. This is business to him). He can then offer MU at his leisure at a later date, or not, as they see fit. Furthermore, Delaney gets that MU has some bargaining leverage at the moment as a member of the Big 12. Remove that membership (which everyone now gets will follow with certitude), and MU will clearly be willing to entertain a future Big 10 offer at a much better price for the Big 10 than what we would take toady. So even if the Big 10 ultimately wants MU, they still can get us but at a price that saves their membership millions fo dollars (i.e. - We, unlike Nebraska, will not be given full equity partnership for several years at a minimum - Or would need to buy our way in).

I wish it were not so. But I am certain that what I just wrote is about to befall us. Ugh.

If this is the case, is the Nebraska invite coming first for them because they are easier to deal with or more likely to join at a lower share of the pie? And from that they can they remove all MU's leverage and force them to join at a lower share as well...

If it wasn't something like that wouldn't they do it in reverse order, so say MU is willing to do anything to get in and give up certain concessions or something and thus Big 10 invites them 1st to ruin the Big 12, thus taking away all barganing power from Nebraska?

Does that sound right to anybody?

[ArrowheadHawk]

Originally Posted by Metrolike

Man, comon. I mean seriously, have you read any of the articles at all? Do you understand how the profit sharing works and what B10 cares about? It's not simply who has more schools. Kansas joining the B10 would actually HURT every school in that conference.

If it was all about profit sharing why is NU getting the first invite and not MU?

[ArrowheadHawk]

Originally Posted by |Zach|

People that have brains.

Very informative. Thanks.

[Bugeater]

Nothing about NU being the only one leaving makes sense. I would be floored if that happened.

[Pants]

Originally Posted by ArrowheadHawk

If it was all about profit sharing why is NU getting the first invite and not MU?

Because NU can make enough money to where it'll increase everyone else's share. It's not that hard, man.

[Crush]

Originally Posted by bowener

If this is the case, is the Nebraska invite coming first for them because they are easier to deal with or more likely to join at a lower share of the pie? And from that they can they remove all MU's leverage and force them to join at a lower share as well...

If it wasn't something like that wouldn't they do it in reverse order, so say MU is willing to do anything to get in and give up certain concessions or something and thus Big 10 invites them 1st to ruin the Big 12, thus taking away all barganing power from Nebraska?

Does that sound right to anybody?

I personally think no one knows what is going on. Until there are official reports, all of these "... but I have sources" reports should be discussed, but taken with a grain of salt.

[Pants]

Originally Posted by Crush

I personally think no one knows what is going on. Until there are official reports, all of these "... but I have sources" reports should be discussed, but taken with a grain of salt.

Yeap. I still think NU and MU are ****ing gonzo. Texas isn't going anywhere because Stanford will not have Baylor join the conference (PAC-10 is a one school veto conference).