Sporting News: "not if, but when" Big Ten moves to 16...

[RMoore1999]

Shouldn't be at all surprising, but FWIW, "sources" say just matter of time:

http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-fo...ner-conference-title-game-expansion-influence

Connecticut needs to hope GTech and UNC say no thanks and Delaney gets impatient on selecting UVA's partner.

 

[SubbaBub]

Shouldn't be at all that surprising, but FWIW:

http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-fo...ner-conference-title-game-expansion-influence

Connecticut needs to hope GTech and UNC say no thanks and Delaney gets impatient on selecting UVA's partner.

Yup. I don't see 18 or 20 anytime soon unless B1G wants two separate leagues under the BTN umbrella.

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[pj]

B1G probably won't offer GaTech unless it has a member in a contiguous state, ie UNC. UNC probably can't go unless NC State finds a home in SEC or B12, and might want Duke for company. So a lot of moving pieces. If UNC is not ready but UVa is, UVa-UConn would be a logical pairing to get to 16. With the loss of UVa, the remaining ACC schools would have more incentive to move.

 

[MTHusky]

"If UNC is not ready but UVa is, UVa-UConn would be a logical pairing to get to 16.

We can certainly dream for this to happen. Ten toes in for it!!!

 

[Fishy]

The initial premise of that article is strange - that Bowlsby has done anything but scrape and bow to Texas.

The guy isn't proactively making anything happen - he's talking a lot, but I think his hands are completely tied.

 

[huskymedic]

As always... who the knows. Throwing darts blindfolded:

GSwaim 11:07am via Twitter for BlackBerry®
#B1G source: "Not if, but when Delaney offers #UVa, and they will definitely take it."

GSwaim 11:09am via Twitter for BlackBerry®
#UVa to #B1G the catalyst that starts the demise of the #ACC. Waiting for shoe to drop.

http://www.gregswaim.com/gswai/

 

[RMoore1999]

The initial premise of that article is strange - that Bowlsby has done anything but scrape and bow to Texas.

The guy isn't proactively making anything happen - he's talking a lot, but I think his hands are completely tied.

Agreed. But that's why he's waiting on Delaney to bend over Swofford. At that point Dodds will have no choice but to allow Bowlsby to act...and that works just fine for Bowlsby cause he thinks that allows him to avoid being painted as bad guy...and no rush for B12; they know in any event they all get shot at what B1G/SEC pass on.

99.0411% chance that B12 (And B1G and SEC for that matter) expand further at some point...

 

[junglehusky]

Again... the comments from OSU's Gee:

When a student member of the Athletic Council asked Gee what direction the Big Ten might take, Gee said “there are opportunities to move further south in the (E)ast and possibly a couple of Midwest universities.”

He did not specify any potential targets but said they will make sure any new school has “like-minded academic integrity.”

If only he had said "opportunities to move further north in the east..." then it be would down to us and BC and maybe Cuse. But we can hope whatever ACC schools are invited stick together and stay in the ACC (though Tuxedo Yoda thinks that's impossible) and in a few years UConn will be in a position to move closer to the front of the line academically and football-wise. How long is the B12's GOR agreement? Maybe towards the end of that, it'll be UConn and Kansas.

 

[RMoore1999]

Again... the comments from OSU's Gee:


If only he had said "opportunities to move further north in the east..." then it be would down to us and BC and maybe Cuse. But we can hope whatever ACC schools are invited stick together and stay in the ACC (though Tuxedo Yoda thinks that's impossible) and in a few years UConn will be in a position to move closer to the front of the line academically and football-wise. How long is the B12's GOR agreement? Maybe towards the end of that, it'll be UConn and Kansas.

Another B1G AD (i forget which; Mich or Iowa maybe) quoted recently as referring to expansion on East "Coast"....

 

[RMoore1999]

Another B1G AD (i forget which; Mich or Iowa maybe) quoted recently as referring to expansion on East "Coast"....

Was actually Gene Smith to espn.

Luckily for us, we still have Avery Point......

 

[HuskyHawk]

Agreed. But that's why he's waiting on Delaney to bend over Swofford. At that point Dodds will have no choice but to allow Bowlsby to act...and that works just fine for Bowlsby cause he thinks that allows him to avoid being painted as bad guy...and no rush for B12; they know in any event they all get shot at what B1G/SEC pass on.

99.0411% chance that B12 (And B1G and SEC for that matter) expand further at some point...

Right. My readng between the lines suggests that Dodds has basically given Bowlsby the go ahead to move the moment somebody else goes after more ACC schools. Whether SEC or B1G, he's now got that in his back pocket.

 

[Marty Jackson]

The initial premise of that article is strange - that Bowlsby has done anything but scrape and bow to Texas.

The guy isn't proactively making anything happen - he's talking a lot, but I think his hands are completely tied.

thinking the same thing... this is garbage at best. the big12 is in a power-broker position yet they are waiting to see what the Big10 and SEC do? right.

Similar to a hyena waiting on the fringe while the lions get first dibs on a fresh kill. hardly describes a position of power for the hyena.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

One factor that needs to be taken into account with UVA’s potential move to the B1G is Virginia Tech. Politics may not allow UVA to bolt the ACC without a safe landing spot for Virginia Tech, especially after all the political ammo spent pulling Virginia Tech from the Big E to the ACC instead of Syracuse years back. The SEC is logical place for Virginia Tech as it gives them access to the DC market. Virginia Tech to the XII would make West Virginia less lonely. This is similar to what UNC is facing with its little brother, NC State. The big advantage is that UVA has only one political dance partner in Virginia Tech whereas UNC has two in NC State and Duke.

 

[UCFBfan]

B1G probably won't offer GaTech unless it has a member in a contiguous state, ie UNC. UNC probably can't go unless NC State finds a home in SEC or B12, and might want Duke for company. So a lot of moving pieces. If UNC is not ready but UVa is, UVa-UConn would be a logical pairing to get to 16. With the loss of UVa, the remaining ACC schools would have more incentive to move.

WOuldn't UConn need a member in a contiguous state as well? NJ and CT don't actually meet....I don't think it truly matters but the contiguous state argument works against us as well.

 

[SubbaBub]

WOuldn't UConn need a member in a contiguous state as well? NJ and CT don't actually meet....I don't think it truly matters but the contiguous state argument works against us as well.

CT and NJ are separated by 25 miles and share a media market (NYC DMA) for the purposes of the Big Ten, they are contiguous.



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[RMoore1999]

WOuldn't UConn need a member in a contiguous state as well? NJ and CT don't actually meet....I don't think it truly matters but the contiguous state argument works against us as well.

I think geographic continuity helps, and AAU helps a lot.

That said, if B1G wanted say Florida St, Connecticut or any other non-AAU school from a non-contiguous state for whatever reason, I don't think they'd let those preferences stand in the way...

 

[homunculus]

CT being separated from NJ by NYC is not a negative for UConn, it's a positive. The point of "contiguity" is not an arbitrary rule about state borders touching, it's a rule of thumb devised because conferences that are compact and unified regionally and culturally are more stable and make more sense than scattered overextended ones. Same exact thing goes for the "AAU Rule." I don't believe that either of those are hard and fast rules. But I do think they will stick as close to that as they can, within reason.

When an organization wants "the best and the brightest" they don't literally want only the single best and single brightest. (I'm sure Fishy is already very busy.) "Love thy neighbor" doesn't just refer to the people physically living in the house next to yours.

 

[pj]

WOuldn't UConn need a member in a contiguous state as well? NJ and CT don't actually meet....I don't think it truly matters but the contiguous state argument works against us as well.

No. NJ and CT are so close in physical and media terms as to be contiguous; also NY State doesn't have any suitable schools for the B1G so there is no option to go there anyway.

 

[Nostical]

Its one thing for UConn to merely talk about moving toward AAU acceptance. It's quite another to build the Tech Park in Storrs and have Gov.Malloy announce the $1.5B committment--and have SH send this to all alums yesterday.

To the University Community,
I write to you today to share some very exciting news for UConn – and the entire state of Connecticut. Earlier today, Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced a proposal to invest $1.5 billion in the future of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education at our university.
Under his plan, we would be able to enroll 6,500 new undergraduate students; build STEM facilities to house expanded materials science, biology, engineering, cognitive science, physics, and genomics programs, to name a few; construct new STEM teaching laboratories; hire 259 new faculty above and beyond our current faculty hiring plans; and create a premier STEM honors program, among many other major advances.
This bold, visionary proposal would help build the STEM workforce that Connecticut needs in order to be economically vibrant and successful, while new faculty members and facilities would enable UConn to secure more federal research dollars, which drive discovery, patents, and new businesses.
This is, without question, one of the most – if not the most – significant higher education proposals in the nation today, and certainly the most significant when it comes to the STEM fields.

It is a great example of Connecticut leading the way and using its flagship public research university to drive economic development.

We are, as always, so grateful to the governor for his continued leadership and confidence as we work together to build Connecticut's future. We look forward to working with him and our other elected representatives as this proposal moves through the legislative process.
For a more detailed explanation of this proposal, please read our UConn Today story.
Susan Herbst
President, University of Connecticut

And this:

UConn Unveils Master Plan for $170M Technology Park
“We’re already a great research university,” she said, “but we want to expand our opportunities to work even more closely with increasing numbers of industry partners. The plan is to gradually build out the park with other facilities depending on the types of business partnerships that develop and the market demand for---research space."


All of these publicly committed and funded research oriented projects are not happening now for nothing, just sayin.

 

[Dooley]

The timing of Malloy's proposed budget to increase research funding seems kind of odd, right? Could this be political backing to get UConn in the AAU door??

 

[Dooley]

Its one thing for UConn to merely talk about moving toward AAU acceptance. It's quite another to build the Tech Park in Storrs and have Gov.Malloy announce the $1.5B committment--and have SH send this to all alums yesterday.

To the University Community,
I write to you today to share some very exciting news for UConn – and the entire state of Connecticut. Earlier today, Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced a proposal to invest $1.5 billion in the future of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education at our university.
Under his plan, we would be able to enroll 6,500 new undergraduate students; build STEM facilities to house expanded materials science, biology, engineering, cognitive science, physics, and genomics programs, to name a few; construct new STEM teaching laboratories; hire 259 new faculty above and beyond our current faculty hiring plans; and create a premier STEM honors program, among many other major advances.
This bold, visionary proposal would help build the STEM workforce that Connecticut needs in order to be economically vibrant and successful, while new faculty members and facilities would enable UConn to secure more federal research dollars, which drive discovery, patents, and new businesses.
This is, without question, one of the most – if not the most – significant higher education proposals in the nation today, and certainly the most significant when it comes to the STEM fields.

It is a great example of Connecticut leading the way and using its flagship public research university to drive economic development.

We are, as always, so grateful to the governor for his continued leadership and confidence as we work together to build Connecticut's future. We look forward to working with him and our other elected representatives as this proposal moves through the legislative process.
For a more detailed explanation of this proposal, please read our UConn Today story.
Susan Herbst
President, University of Connecticut

And this:

UConn Unveils Master Plan for $170M Technology Park
“We’re already a great research university,” she said, “but we want to expand our opportunities to work even more closely with increasing numbers of industry partners. The plan is to gradually build out the park with other facilities depending on the types of business partnerships that develop and the market demand for---research space."


All of these publicly committed and funded research oriented projects are not happening now for nothing, just sayin.

You're spot on here. The timing just seems too curious, right? Makes you think...

 

[pj]

They've gotten a wake-up call from the B1G. This might have made sense even without athletic ramifications, and Susan would have pushed for it, but the chance that doing this pushes us over the edge for a $40 mn/year athletic payout with huge increase in national visibility may have made the difference in terms of political support.

 

[huskymedic]

They've gotten a wake-up call from the B1G. This might have made sense even without athletic ramifications, and Susan would have pushed for it, but the chance that doing this pushes us over the edge for a $40 mn/year athletic payout with huge increase in national visibility may have made the difference in terms of political support.

Thus the NPR angle... that "interview" wasn't for the pure sport fans, it was for a different constituency.

 

[The Funster]

Next up, the school should talk up the new basketball facility, announce plans to look into expanding the Rent and finally, hire a young, vibrant HFC.

There is absolutely no coincidence this all all breaking now.

He who laughs last, laughs best.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

The goal is to expand south not north. But if he BIG doesn't land its primary targets, who knows what happens next....