Key tweets, and it's all gone to Hell.

[RustyHusky]

OU and KU to the B1G makes sense...

 

[Stinger92860]

OU and KU to the B1G makes sense...

KU? But football drives the bus, right?

 

[Husky92]

OU and UCONN to the B1G makes sense...

FIFY

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

OU and KU to the B1G makes sense...

Not geographically. All signs have pointed to the B1G expanding their footprint and media presence east. OU football would be a reason to backtrack and take them, but I have trouble seeing then double down in the low-population areas of the Midwest.

 

[Drew]

Not geographically. All signs have pointed to the B1G expanding their footprint and media presence east. OU football would be a reason to backtrack and take them, but I have trouble seeing then double down in the low-population areas of the Midwest.

Kansas is a bridge to connect Oklahoma geographically. They're also a big athletic department. Taking KU to get OU along is nowhere near as bad as taking say Oklahoma State in order to get OU along. KU also has history with NU and OU dating back to the Big 6 Conference days. Hell KU and NU go back to the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association back in 1907. Iowa was a football member of the conference as well.

This isn't happening regardless so it doesn't matter.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Kansas is a bridge to connect Oklahoma geographically. They're also a big athletic department. Taking KU to get OU along is nowhere near as bad as taking say Oklahoma State in order to get OU along. KU also has history with NU and OU dating back to the Big 6 Conference days. Hell KU and NU go back to the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association back in 1907. Iowa was a football member of the conference as well.

This isn't happening regardless so it doesn't matter.

The point isn't to be a bridge, the point is it would increase the B1G's footprint in a part of the country they very clearly are not trying to target competitively and from a revenue perspective. OU being an enormous national brand in football could be an exception to this, but if they did, it would seem less likely they'd add a second southern/midwest school. Not to mention OU is not an AAU school, and neither them nor KU are bastions of academics. In fact, both would dampen the B1G's academic brand.

 

[businesslawyer]

The point isn't to be a bridge, the point is it would increase the B1G's footprint in a part of the country they very clearly are not trying to target competitively and from a revenue perspective. OU being an enormous national brand in football could be an exception to this, but if they did, it would seem less likely they'd add a second southern/midwest school. Not to mention OU is not an AAU school, and neither them nor KU are bastions of academics. In fact, both would dampen the B1G's academic brand.

Being a bridge would be critical. If air travel is banned.

 

[Drew]

The point isn't to be a bridge, the point is it would increase the B1G's footprint in a part of the country they very clearly are not trying to target competitively and from a revenue perspective. OU being an enormous national brand in football could be an exception to this, but if they did, it would seem less likely they'd add a second southern/midwest school. Not to mention OU is not an AAU school, and neither them nor KU are bastions of academics. In fact, both would dampen the B1G's academic brand.

The point isn't that they'd take KU alone, but that if KU came with OU they'd make much more sense than saying "we want to pluck OU and UConn"

I obviously want UConn in regardless of who the other school is but there's other factors at play here. Nebraska/Wisconsin/Iowa are pissed as is because they don't get to play the B1G brands from the East enough. Do you think they'd be happy adding Indiana to their division so UConn can play those schools more? "How is Indiana different than playing Kansas"? Same thing that someone could ask here: "How is playing Rutgers different than playing SMU"?

People from those schools think of KU differently than they do UConn, in the same way we view KU differently than we view UConn. KU has a history with the midwestern B1G schools and if OU says "we'll come if you take KU as well" the B1G isn't going to say "no we want UConn instead".

If there is an eastern partner as 15, then UConn makes sense as 16. The only current B1G school that UConn really has a history with is Rutgers and I'm not sure how much that helps/hurts our case.

 

[Drew]

Being a bridge would be critical. If air travel is banned.

Not to mention the whole "contiguous states" concept they've been trying to follow

 

[businesslawyer]

Not to mention the whole "contiguous states" concept they've been trying to follow

"Contiguous States" is a phrase that works in the land of rectangular states as a way of saying we don't want one member to be too far from the next nearest member. So if you don't mind looking at facts instead of cliches:

1. Connecticut misses being contiuous with New Jersey by a whopping 17 miles or so, which is relevant to absolutely nothing.

2. In terms of distances -- far more important -- Oklahoma would be 333 miles from its bridge in Lawrence. And the bridge from Lawrence to Lincoln, Nebraska is another 194 miles. Norman is a whopping 450 miles currently from its nearest Big Ten city in Lincoln. Storrs to Piscataway is 184 miles.

The point being, you're not doing Oklahoma any big geographic favor by bringing in KU -- Oklahoma is isolated either way. I'm not one who is overly optimistic about a Big Ten invite, but if KU is chosen over us it will not be for miles but for $$$$.

 

[FDNY99]

The point isn't that they'd take KU alone, but that if KU came with OU they'd make much more sense than saying "we want to pluck OU and UConn"

I obviously want UConn in regardless of who the other school is but there's other factors at play here. Nebraska/Wisconsin/Iowa are pissed as is because they don't get to play the B1G brands from the East enough. Do you think they'd be happy adding Indiana to their division so UConn can play those schools more? "How is Indiana different than playing Kansas"? Same thing that someone could ask here: "How is playing Rutgers different than playing SMU"?

People from those schools think of KU differently than they do UConn, in the same way we view KU differently than we view UConn. KU has a history with the midwestern B1G schools and if OU says "we'll come if you take KU as well" the B1G isn't going to say "no we want UConn instead".

If there is an eastern partner as 15, then UConn makes sense as 16. The only current B1G school that UConn really has a history with is Rutgers and I'm not sure how much that helps/hurts our case.

Athletically yes....academically No. As a member of Universities 21 UCONN is joined by tOSU and UMD as the representatives from the USA. They are also partnering with the University of Wisconsin in the National Bio-NMR Center.

 

[RustyHusky]

KU? But football drives the bus, right?

We're talking about the B1G here who took Rutgers and Maryland. Not exactly football powerhouses. Oklahoma however DOES have a certain brand equity, as does Kansas, and the two would make a nice pair to join Nebraska. We'd only make sense with another eastern candidate as 15 and 16, but if the BigXII collapses, it's hard to say no to Oklahoma and Kansas.

 

[CL82]

"Contiguous States" is a phrase that works in the land of rectangular states as a way of saying we don't want one member to be too far from the next nearest member. So if you don't mind looking at facts instead of cliches:

1. Connecticut misses being contiuous with New Jersey by a whopping 17 miles or so, which is relevant to absolutely nothing.

2. In terms of distances -- far more important -- Oklahoma would be 333 miles from its bridge in Lawrence. And the bridge from Lawrence to Lincoln, Nebraska is another 194 miles. Norman is a whopping 450 miles currently from its nearest Big Ten city in Lincoln. Storrs to Piscataway is 184 miles.

The point being, you're not doing Oklahoma any big geographic favor by bringing in KU -- Oklahoma is isolated either way. I'm not one who is overly optimistic about a Big Ten invite, but if KU is chosen over us it will not be for miles but for $$$$.

With a B1G office in NYC, I think we now meet the contiguous quasi requirement regardless.

 

[Pudge]

We're talking about the B1G here who took Rutgers and Maryland. Not exactly football powerhouses. Oklahoma however DOES have a certain brand equity, as does Kansas, and the two would make a nice pair to join Nebraska. We'd only make sense with another eastern candidate as 15 and 16, but if the BigXII collapses, it's hard to say no to Oklahoma and Kansas.

Nonsense.

 

[RustyHusky]

I think we're going to see the BigXII collapse, and I don't think that's good for us unless conferences go to 20...at which point, we make sense for the B1G or ACC.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

"Contiguous States" is a phrase that works in the land of rectangular states as a way of saying we don't want one member to be too far from the next nearest member. So if you don't mind looking at facts instead of cliches:

1. Connecticut misses being contiuous with New Jersey by a whopping 17 miles or so, which is relevant to absolutely nothing.

2. In terms of distances -- far more important -- Oklahoma would be 333 miles from its bridge in Lawrence. And the bridge from Lawrence to Lincoln, Nebraska is another 194 miles. Norman is a whopping 450 miles currently from its nearest Big Ten city in Lincoln. Storrs to Piscataway is 184 miles.

The B1G really likes TV sets, just ask Rutgers. How many TV sets are in between the 700 or so miles spanning Norman OK (OK pop 3.9 million), Lawrence KS (KS pop 2.9 million), and Lincoln NE (NE pop 1.9 million) and how many TV sets are within the 190 miles in between Rutgers and Storrs (NYC pop 8.4 million, downstate NY population 1.2 million, CT pop 3.5 million)? That is value that the B1G wants.

 

[Fishy]

Reminder - this is the key tweet thread.

The half-assed commentary thread can be found elsewhere - go there.

 

[RustyHusky]

I know some of my fellow Husky fans like to think that UConn is the center of the universe, but unfortunately we're not. If you don't think the B1G would want Oklahoma or Kansas over us IF THE BIG XII COLLAPSES (which I think it will), then I don't know what to tell you. It's not ALL about TV sets, you also have to have a brand equity and those two packaged together would bolster football AND basketball for the conference with a household name in each and give the conference a western branch to go along with Nebraska.

 

[pj]

I know some of my fellow Husky fans like to think that UConn is the center of the universe, but unfortunately we're not. If you don't think the B1G would want Oklahoma or Kansas over us IF THE BIG XII COLLAPSES (which I think it will), then I don't know what to tell you. It's not ALL about TV sets, you also have to have a brand equity and those two packaged together would bolster football AND basketball for the conference with a household name in each and give the conference a western branch to go along with Nebraska.

The B1G has extensive experience with this trade-off, having taken Nebraska for its football brand and seen it revert to the mean in terms of football reputation/performance while bringing in much less money than the B1G average, and having also taken Rutgers and made a fortune off them despite a lack of any sports brand equity.

UConn brings similar basketball and academics to Kansas but brings Rutgers-like potential market-wise due to its central location in New York - New England.

Not saying it wouldn't be a close decision but if B1G could choose, it would rank UConn ahead of Kansas.

 

[Stinger92860]

I know some of my fellow Husky fans like to think that UConn is the center of the universe, but unfortunately we're not. If you don't think the B1G would want Oklahoma or Kansas over us IF THE BIG XII COLLAPSES (which I think it will), then I don't know what to tell you. It's not ALL about TV sets, you also have to have a brand equity and those two packaged together would bolster football AND basketball for the conference with a household name in each and give the conference a western branch to go along with Nebraska.

Explain Rutgers to the B1G.

 

[djct1999]

I think we're going to see the BigXII collapse, and I don't think that's good for us unless conferences go to 20...at which point, we make sense for the B1G or ACC.

Movement is always good. On another point of yours, UConn isnt the center of the universe, just the northeast. That alone has value. Much more than say Kansas, as a stand alone. The Jayhawks are every bit a pawn in this, like us.

 

[Ha Who]

I suppose my fellow posters count as key tweeters

 

[kyleslamb]

Explain Rutgers to the B1G.

He could counter that with a remark about Nebraska. It definitely wasn't about television sets with Nebraska. Nebraska has under a million households in the entire state.

I think his point is completely accurate. It's not about television sets, it's ultimately about finances and research prowess. There are different ways to get there. For Rutgers, it happened to be that television sets was the path. But for an Oklahoma, for instance, it might be more about inventory and advertising.

 

[Stinger92860]

He could counter that with a remark about Nebraska. It definitely wasn't about television sets with Nebraska. Nebraska has under a million households in the entire state.

I think his point is completely accurate. It's not about television sets, it's ultimately about finances and research prowess. There are different ways to get there. For Rutgers, it happened to be that television sets was the path. But for an Oklahoma, for instance, it might be more about inventory and advertising.

We are agreeing on Oklahoma due to Football. We are questioning Kansas.

 

[businesslawyer]

We are agreeing on Oklahoma due to Football. We are questioning Kansas.

This. No one is questioning the fact that Oklahoma could be ahead of us based solely on football. Just the logic of one poster saying "Oklahoma and Kansas" as if his lumping the two of them together in his mind ends the inquiry into whether or or Kansas makes more sense.