The Conference Expansion Thread

[tjsunstein]

The Big XII and commish Dan Beebe are soon to part ways.
East Carolina is applying for the Big East.

Both from ESPN.com's home page this morning.

[diabsoule]

Originally Posted by tjsunstein

The Big XII and commish Dan Beebe are soon to part ways.
East Carolina is applying for the Big East.

Both from ESPN.com's home page this morning.

Yeah, Beebe is all but gone. Former Big 8 commish Chuck Neinas is the likely replacement.

Also been thinking that the SEC could go hard after Oklahoma and Oklahoma State if the issues persist with Texas. Even if those two depart I see Missouri staying in the Big 12 until it absolutely falls apart. Plus I think they're waiting on a Big Ten invite still. Also, to pair with OU/OSU/A&M the SEC invites FSU.

With Auburn already saying they would move to the East the divisions would balance out like this:

West
Alabama
Arkansas
LSU
Miss St.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma St.
Ole Miss
Texas A&M

East

Auburn
Florida
Florida State
Georgia
Kentucky
South Carolina
Tennessee
Vanderbilt

If FSU declines the SEC and Mizzou decides to accept then swap Alabama and Auburn go East.

[Complex]

UConn wants to join the ACC but BC is blocking the move. Source Dan Patrick show

@Diabsoule, Florida would probably try to block FSU moving to the SEC.

[diabsoule]

Originally Posted by Complex

UConn wants to join the ACC but BC is blocking the move. Source Dan Patrick show

@Diabsoule, Florida would probably try to block FSU moving to the SEC.

Florida could try but I don't see how adding Florida State makes Florida any less competitive. They already fight over the same recruits and FSU already brings in top recruiting classes despite having Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, and Florida in the area that can tell kids they'll play in the SEC. Florida State brings in the type of program that the SEC wants. The only FSU doesn't add is a new tv market but wouldn't FSU vs. Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina get more viewers than any FSU vs. ACC school?

[bearsfan_51]

Oklahoma is a great program, but when you have to throw OK State in, I'm not sure it's a huge money-maker. Oklahoma isn't exactly a very populated state, and to have to then split it in half? There's a reason why the Pac-12 wasn't interested without Texas.

[Giantsfan1080]

You would think BC would welcome UConn to the ACC as a natural rivalry for them.

[jrdrylie]

Originally Posted by Complex

UConn wants to join the ACC but BC is blocking the move. Source Dan Patrick show

@Diabsoule, Florida would probably try to block FSU moving to the SEC.

Also, everything I hear out of Florida (the state not the university) is that FSU is not really interested in moving to the SEC in the first place.

[Smooth Criminal]

http://northwestern.rivals.com/showm... =901&style=2

Take it for what it's worth. This guy supposedly has some pretty good Big Ten sources.

[Giantsfan1080]

What would they do with the Longhorn Network?

[diabsoule]

Originally Posted by bearsfan_51

Oklahoma is a great program, but when you have to throw OK State in, I'm not sure it's a huge money-maker. Oklahoma isn't exactly a very populated state, and to have to then split it in half? There's a reason why the Pac-12 wasn't interested without Texas.

I understand that Oklahoma isn't one of the most populated states but games like Oklahoma v. LSU, Oklahoma v. Alabama, Oklahoma v Florida, etc all have national appeal. They're all prime time games which would be aired nationwide. Those games would get a ton of viewers.

[CashmoneyDrew]

The SEC would take Oklahoma in a heartbeat but I don't think they want anything to do with OKst. They would have to strike out on quite a few other schools.

[ElectricEye]

Originally Posted by Giantsfan1080

You would think BC would welcome UConn to the ACC as a natural rivalry for them.

It's a complete ***** move and part of the reason no one really cares about them locally. They refuse to play UConn in football as well. All of the actual BC people are happy with this as well for some strange reason "Oh it goes to show BC's clout with the ACC!". It's hurting the college football's popularity within the region. Clout really doesn't matter if you can't sell out your games or get people within the area to care.

UConn will eventually get in though.

[Giantsfan1080]

Yeah I honestly thought BC would be pushing hard for UConn and Rutgers but shows how wrong I was about that. Can 1 team hold up a move though? I doubt that.

[ElectricEye]

I don't know, but it damn sure seems like they're going to try.

A conference with all the northeast schools is good for everybody involved, from an exposure and recruiting perspective. You can create a new brand of football to sell people on and unite a whole bunch of media markets. It doesn't make any sense to me, but I guess that's just the way it is.

[Smooth Criminal]

Originally Posted by Giantsfan1080

What would they do with the Longhorn Network?

No idea. I really don't care what it would take. Adding a team like Texas and then hopefully a partner like Missouri could be awesome. I'd love to get Oklahoma but I don't want Oklahoma State really. In a perfect world we'd get Texas, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, and Boston College. Talk about tv markets.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by Smooth Criminal

This guy supposedly has some pretty good Big Ten sources.

unnamed sources are the death of journalism

[ElectricEye]

Originally Posted by Smooth Criminal

No idea. I really don't care what it would take. Adding a team like Texas and then hopefully a partner like Missouri could be awesome. I'd love to get Oklahoma but I don't want Oklahoma State really. In a perfect world we'd get Texas, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, and Boston College. Talk about tv markets.

Boston College to the B1G just doesn't make much sense in practice. You guys can do better....and they have very little in common with the vast majority of the B1G in terms of profile.

[TitanHope]

Originally Posted by diabsoule

With Auburn already saying they would move to the East the divisions would balance out like this:

West
Alabama
Arkansas
LSU
Miss St.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma St.
Ole Miss
Texas A&M

East

Auburn
Florida
Florida State
Georgia
Kentucky
South Carolina
Tennessee
Vanderbilt

If FSU declines the SEC and Mizzou decides to accept then swap Alabama and Auburn go East.

Will there now be two annual non-divisional rivalry games, or will they stick with the one they have now?

If it's the latter, then Alabama should go to the East, no matter what. While the Iron Bowl rivalry between Bama/Auburn is huge, the Bama/Tennessee rivalry is historic. The Iron Bowl will be the non-divisional game for Bama and Auburn, and the 3rd Saturday in October won't be affected since UT and UA are now in the same division. Unless that is, they make special exceptions for a team or two.

I know Auburn/Georgia would be lost, but it's not as significant as the IB or TSIO. Plus, it'd now free Georgia and Tennessee, two of the big three in the SECE, to setup non-divisional rivalries with Texas A&M and Oklahoma. Tennessee/Oklahoma, Georgia/Texas A&M, and Florida St./Oklahoma St. would be ideal, in my view.

[JoeJoeBrown]

This is a look at conference academics. And the lack of caring about them in all but the ACC, B1G, and Pac12.

While people like to bust on the SEC's akademix, they are still better off than the Big12. Pretty funny that no one busts on them as much.

Making the Grade

How each school fared in U.S. News & World Report rankings and federal research expenditures. Plus, the average ranking for each conference.

CONFERENCE AVG.

ACC 59.5

Boston College (31, 203); Clemson (68, 132); Duke (10, 13); Florida St. (101, 90); Georgia Tech (36, 28); Maryland (55, 40); Miami (38, 62); UNC (29, 17); NC St. (101, 71); Virginia (25, 48); Virginia Tech (71, 69); Wake Forest (25, 66)

Big East 102.8

Cincinnati (143, 46); Connecticut (58, 131); Louisville (164, 116); Pittsburgh (58, 12); Rutgers (68, 72); South Florida (181, 60); Syracuse (62, 189); West Virginia (164, 121)

Big Ten 50.3

Illinois (45, 32); Indiana (75, 120); Iowa (71, 45); Michigan (28, 3); Michigan St. (71, 65); Minnesota (68, 18); Nebraska (101, 111); Northwestern (12, 34); Ohio St. (55, 21); Penn St. (45, 19); Purdue (62, 57); Wisconsin (42, 8)

Big 12 120.6

Baylor (75, 350); Iowa St. (97, 98); Kansas (101, 138); Kansas St. (143, 139); Missouri (90, 93); Oklahoma (101, 162); Oklahoma St. (132, 159); Texas (45, 23); Texas A&M (58, 38); Texas Tech (160, 209)

Pac-12 64.5

Arizona (124, 29); Arizona St. (132, 75); California (21, 37); Colorado (94, 47); Oregon (101, 134); Oregon St. (138, 86); Stanford (5, 4); UCLA (25, 10); USC (23, 20); Utah (124, 58); Washington (42, 2); Washington St. (115, 101)

SEC 103.3

Alabama (75, 190); Arkansas (132, 174); Auburn (82, 136); Florida (58, 44); Georgia (62, 97); Kentucky (124, 64); LSU (128, 114); Mississippi (143, 169); Mississippi St. (157, 96); South Carolina (111, 100); Tennessee (101, 84); Vanderbilt (17, 22)

Independents Notre Dame (19, 123) 71

[Smooth Criminal]

Originally Posted by Brent

unnamed sources are the death of journalism

I completely agree, this guy is just posting on a message board. But he tends to have a pretty good track record in terms of the Big Ten. He nailed then Nebraska pick up way before most ppl.

But I'm still just taking it as a rumor of talks. Nothings supposed to happen for years anyway.

[Smooth Criminal]

Originally Posted by ElectricEye

Boston College to the B1G just doesn't make much sense in practice. You guys can do better....and they have very little in common with the vast majority of the B1G in terms of profile.

I've always liked the idea of Boston College being the team to come in with Notre Dame. I dont know why but I think it'd be cool watching them play teams like Penn State, OSU, and Michigan on a consistent basis.

[diabsoule]

Originally Posted by Smooth Criminal

I've always liked the idea of Boston College being the team to come in with Notre Dame. I dont know why but I think it'd be cool watching them play teams like Penn State, OSU, and Michigan on a consistent basis.

I'm a huge proponent of Notre Dame and Boston College to the Big Ten. It adds another rivalry to the Big Ten, which fits into the culture of the B1G, while expanding the conference's footprint and increasing the market area. Also, both schools are great academically which also fits into the B1G standard. Plus, I feel that BC has a somewhat B1G feel to them.

[Giantsfan1080]

I'm severely bias on this one but I feel Rutgers has more to offer the B1G than BC. Our potential is much greater.

[Smooth Criminal]

I'd rather have Boston College than Rutgers. BC definitely has a much higher Big Ten feel than Rutgers. Mostly to me because of their history.

[JoeJoeBrown]

Originally Posted by Smooth Criminal

I'd rather have Boston College than Rutgers. BC definitely has a much higher Big Ten feel than Rutgers. Mostly to me because of their history.

But Rutgers has Snooki.