From the site that broke the Maryland to Big Ten news- UVA likely to join

[nelsonmuntz]

It all makes sense. Not sure why UNC needs GT or UVA other than for a geographic component. If the Big 10 got UNC and anyone that would be huge for them.

I don't think GT to the Big 10 is remotely real for reasons given in this thread and others, and makes me question the entire rumor. What the Big 10 may be doing is using GT as a hammer on UNC and UVa in case one of them is wavering. The ACC did the same thing to the Big East, telling each invited school that if they didn't say yes, one of their conference mates certainly would. That is an offer no school can refuse.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

I can see North Carolina. I can sort of see Virginia, though that is a very Southern school, much more so than even Carolina in my view. It will be a bad match long term for the Wahoos I suspect. Georgia Tech I think is a non-starter. Why in heck would you waste a pick, so to speak on a school that is a distant 2nd in its own state? Makes no sense. Nor does it have the theoretical upside potential of a Rutgers. It would be like taking Pitt over Penn State or Louisville over Kentucky or Cincinnati over Ohio State. It just makes no sense.

Because Atlanta is a large and growing market and the BIG needs to expand south to follow the population trend. GT is second fiddle to UGA...but that isn't as bad as it sounds. Atlanta is still growing at a fast rate. Same is true for the immediate I-85 corridor (Greensville/Spartansburg SC, up to Charlotte). Adding GTech and UNC would be a nice addition.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Rutgers may not even be the most popular college team in their region. Expansion is being played by a different set of rules. And 14% in Georgia, where college football is a big deal, might be better than 20 something % in Virginia where it really isn't as big.

Nope. None of this makes any sense at all.

 

[Limbo Land]

There is no chance that UConn is going to the B1G in this expansion round. UConn's only chance is to to get the AAU membership in the next few years and invest in their athletic department to grow the fanbase and football/athletic program (and hope the Maryalnd/NJ risk pays off for the B1G). If UConn does this, they will have an outside chance for the B1G if they go to 18 or 20 in 5-10 years. But until then, we do not have a chance at the B1G right now.

If the B1G does not get UNC or UVA then Uconn chances are dead in the water of any invite to any other conference for years to come. Though if you are an ACC team that doesn't have a love affair with another team in the league why wouldn't you jump. UVA is the only one that would even make sense being so close to UMD and Penn St.

 

[SubbaBub]

Whether I believe it or not (and I don't), according to Nate Silver's now famous blog post on college FB fanbases Atlanta is even with NYC in terms of the number of fans and GT has more fans than UGA.

Like I said, it's hard to belive but, it might help to explain the B1G's interest in GT.

 

[Fishy]

GT being only popular with 14% of the population is a huge deal. With close to zero demand to watch them the B1G would not get much in carriage fees and get into many households. No one in Georgia and going googley eyed about watching B1G football or sports with or without GT in the conference.
.

Don't sleep on Georgia Tech.

They are a toehold in a huge market.

I went back and looked at some of their television ratings in their DMA. The most watched Georgia game was against Florida and drew a rating of about 18. The most popular Georgia Tech game was against Clemson and drew about a 12.5.

That's very solid and anything but 'zero demand'.

The Big Ten is thinking 30, 40, 50 years out - a presence in the Atlanta market is something worth pursuing.

 

[husky91]

For some reason I see UNC in the SEC, I think they would prefer that and UVA, GT to the B1G.

 

[whaler11]

If UNC is willing to join than the Big 10 has their pick since the schools know they are the canary in the coal mine. If UNC is willing to abdicate their throne, all bets are off.

I'm not sure I'm sold that Carolina can walk away without the state legislature weighing in but we'll see I guess.

 

[UConnRock]

B1G may take 2 of the 3 (UNC, UVA, and GT) with a promise that the third that they will come along when number 18 is in the books. The B1G will then put mega-pressure on ND to become #18. If ND balks then there is 1 spot open for FSU, UConn, BC, Syracuse and others.

 

[CL82]

Saw both versions on Wikipedia. Will have to wait and see which version they live up to in CR.

Wikipedia is a great resource. You can also see that I am the inventor of the forward pass in football on it. Just give me about me about five minutes before you go check.

 

[HobokenHusky]

Wikipedia is a great resource. You can also see that I am the inventor of the forward pass in football on it. Just give me about me about five minutes before you go check.

Yea, I honestly don't give a which version is correct. Just thought it was funny both could fit the current situation.

 

[BeanTownBob]

Don't sleep on Georgia Tech.

They are a toehold in a huge market.

I went back and looked at some of their television ratings in their DMA. The most watched Georgia game was against Florida and drew a rating of about 18. The most popular Georgia Tech game was against Clemson and drew about a 12.5.

That's very solid and anything but 'zero demand'.

The Big Ten is thinking 30, 40, 50 years out - a presence in the Atlanta market is something worth pursuing.

Exactly, and the bottom line is how many TV sets they can get their network on. ATL is the 8th biggest TV market in the country. Doesnt matter if you are a UGA, ALA, AUB, FL, or GT fan in Atlanta, you'll be getting the B1G network in your home. The more TV sets that have the B1G network, the more money they get.

The interesting part is Notre Dame. I find it very hard to believe that if the ACC has top football schools like FSU, Clemson, and VT defect to other conferences that they will want to stay and play those 5 mandated games against the likes of Duke, Wake Forest, NC State, etc.

This is the B1G flexing its muscle and trying to paint ND into a corner.

 

[ZooCougar]

Whether I believe it or not (and I don't), according to Nate Silver's now famous blog post on college FB fanbases Atlanta is even with NYC in terms of the number of fans and GT has more fans than UGA.

Like I said, it's hard to belive but, it might help to explain the B1G's interest in GT.

That blogpost was utterly discredited. Some of the numbers he quoted wer ludicrous.

 

[phillionaire]

atlanta probably has a lot of B1G grads in it. it'd be a smart move to take gt.

 

[uc1974]

Food for thought and not OT: do we have any games scheduled for 2014, at all? Why not? (25 words or less). Just musing.

 

[whaler11]

Food for thought and not OT: do we have any games scheduled for 2014, at all? Why not? (25 words or less). Just musing.

Sometimes there is no there there.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Food for thought and not OT: do we have any games scheduled for 2014, at all? Why not? (25 words or less). Just musing.

I asked Warde Manuel the OOC football scheduling situation in 2014/2015 at the Signing Day Event and got a truly bizarre mumbling answer. I didn't ask him for teams, dates or any announcements (as I knew he wouldn't say it one way or another) but he didn't even say if ANY teams were signed sealed and delivered yet.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

That blogpost was utterly discredited. Some of the numbers he quoted wer ludicrous.

Is this the same blogger who you said was completely FOS on November 5, and then seemed a lost smarter by early morning November 7?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Don't sleep on Georgia Tech.

They are a toehold in a huge market.

I went back and looked at some of their television ratings in their DMA. The most watched Georgia game was against Florida and drew a rating of about 18. The most popular Georgia Tech game was against Clemson and drew about a 12.5.

That's very solid and anything but 'zero demand'.

The Big Ten is thinking 30, 40, 50 years out - a presence in the Atlanta market is something worth pursuing.

I am sleeping on Georgia Tech. You are comparing a Georgia Tech game against a school that is only 2 hours from Atlanta to Georgia Tech playing Iowa, Minnesota and Michigan State. GTech/Minnesota is going to lose to non-Georgia SEC games more often than not in the Atlanta market.

 

[huskypantz]

Don't sleep on Georgia Tech.

They are a toehold in a huge market.

I went back and looked at some of their television ratings in their DMA. The most watched Georgia game was against Florida and drew a rating of about 18. The most popular Georgia Tech game was against Clemson and drew about a 12.5.

That's very solid and anything but 'zero demand'.

The Big Ten is thinking 30, 40, 50 years out - a presence in the Atlanta market is something worth pursuing.

Is there a free resource where we can get DMA-specific ratings for games? I'd like to see some UConn stats.

 

[whaler11]

I asked Warde Manuel the OOC football scheduling situation in 2014/2015 at the Signing Day Event and got a truly bizarre mumbling answer. I didn't ask him for teams, dates or any announcements (as I knew he wouldn't say it one way or another) but he didn't even say if ANY teams were signed sealed and delivered yet.

Because they aren't.

 

[ZooCougar]

Is this the same blogger who you said was completely FOS on November 5, and then seemed a lost smarter by early morning November 7?

Hey whackjob, I never said anything about Nate Silver. And just because he is good at counting votes, doesn't mean he is good at counting football fans.


Thank you.

 

[whaler11]

I am sleeping on Georgia Tech. You are comparing a Georgia Tech game against a school that is only 2 hours from Atlanta to Georgia Tech playing Iowa, Minnesota and Michigan State. GTech/Minnesota is going to lose to non-Georgia SEC games more often than not in the Atlanta market.

That's fine. The numbers he gave clearly favor UGA anyway. Might not happen but clearly the Big 10 values GT higher than you do.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Don't sleep on Georgia Tech.

They are a toehold in a huge market.

I went back and looked at some of their television ratings in their DMA. The most watched Georgia game was against Florida and drew a rating of about 18. The most popular Georgia Tech game was against Clemson and drew about a 12.5.

That's very solid and anything but 'zero demand'.

The Big Ten is thinking 30, 40, 50 years out - a presence in the Atlanta market is something worth pursuing.

------------
In CR you can't sleep or anything, but I gotta call you out on anyone thinking 30, 40, 50 years out - that just does not happen in any arena (not even within Harvard and Yale in terms of their endowment fund management). No one even knows what mass media technology and mass media business models will look like 10 years from now. For all we know in 10 years we could be in a model that is 100% pay-what-you-consume-no-matter-where-you-live. If that is true, then it will all be a simple supply and demand/popularity contest. Not sure if that is good or bad for UConn. Scary times.

 

[ZooCougar]

That's fine. The numbers he gave clearly favor UGA anyway. Might not happen but clearly the Big 10 values GT higher than you do.

Yeah, but he is too busy trying to surrender to the Germans to notice.