Mark Hollis, MSU AD, still at it: predicts Big Ten will be at 16 teams in five years

[Rumrunner]

BIG AND BIGGER: Just how big will the Big Ten become?

Asked how many schools will make up the conference in five years, Hollis said 16. But before the media in attendance could tweet it out, he clarified, saying 14.

“Everything’s reactionary,” Hollis said, noting the 43 conference changes that the NCAA has undergone in the past few years.

In 2011, Nebraska joined the Big Ten and in 2014, Maryland and Rutgers are joining to make the conference 14 teams.

“We’re going to protect our brand, we’re going to protect our demographics, but it appears as though things are stabilizing a little bit,” he said.
http://www.freep.com/article/20130627/SPORTS07/306270113/michigan-state-mark-hollis

Some more perspective:

But at the Associated Press Sports Editors convention last week in Detroit, Michigan State athletics director Mark Hollis was asked how many members the Big Ten would have in five years. Sixteen, he replied. Though he quickly retreated to 14, which will be the number when Maryland and Rutgers join in 2014, he was only expressing a fairly common sentiment.

Grants of rights and richer TV deals and in some cases geography have increased the difficulty of expanding, but there's apparent appetite for more. Tangentially, there's the gathering potential for an even larger realignment to an entirely separate subdivision, where the five power conferences formalize the gap between the haves and have-nots.

So as Syracuse and Pittsburgh and the ACC (and sorta-kinda Notre Dame) celebrate the formal beginning Monday of their relationship, Gross figures it will be exciting, but "might be a little anticlimactic." But if the last few years have taught anything, it's that there's immense potential for more excitement ahead.

http://m.usatoday.com/article/news/2476689

 

[CL82]

 

[Dooley]

3-5 year gameplan. AAU, post-Calhoun/APR re-establishing of dominant MBB program, bowl games, fanbase perception. When the CR music starts up again, these are the areas that need to be in action.

 

[Coach Flood]

Will the ACC GOR run out within 5 years? If so then they will most likely raid the ACC.

 

[whaler11]

I would love to be so delusional to think I was better off with zero in the hand over 25 million in the bush.

 

[sportsart]

This is why it's so vital to create excitement any way possible. In sales the first rule of thumb when things are bad is increase the marketing budget.

It's like what UConn is doing with professors. Aren't they bringing in more while others are cutting back?

SH is getting us ready for AAU status. KO looks to be doing his part. Geno is a given. It really falls into the hands of PP and the football team.

They need to create excitement right from the git go and win.

Beat Towsend, MD and Buffalo and 3-1 will be enough to get people excited for the AAC.

In the next 5 years, if we are not top 2 every year starting next year, we will be lucky to get a sniff from the fab 5.

Our part is to show up, bring friends, make noise and create hope. If the most fanatic fans give up all truly is lost. Every headline like this one should give us guarded hope for the future.

I got a B1G glass and it is more than half full.

 

[sportsart]

Will the ACC GOR run out within 5 years? If so then they will most likely raid the ACC.

Sometimes it is better to be silent and thought dumb, then to speak and remove all doubt.

Go away fly.

 

[BCINGYA]

Will the ACC GOR run out within 5 years? If so then they will most likely raid the ACC.

Wishful thinking the A.C.C. GOR IS IN EFFECT TIL 2027......so 14 years,

 

[The Viking]

Within 24 hours, I fully expect a FrankTheTank 20-page term paper on how we shouldn't get our hopes up because of Hollis's comments..

 

[B1GALUM]

If there was a university from the ACC, aside from Maryland, that wanted in the B1G that university would have voted against the rise in the exit fee and not signed the grant of rights.

The universities now in the ACC, aside from Maryland, want to remain there and the B1G is well aware of this stance and has moved on.

However, because of this, it makes this recent statement from the Michigan State AD an intriguing one to me.

The optimist in me thinks that the B1G is still looking to expand to 16 in preparation for the next media negotiation and he let it slip.

The conspiracy theorist in me thinks that the B1G ADs and Delany sit around in their meetings and just plot to keep the conversation going.

B1G AD: "Hey Jim, it has been a few weeks since one of us has dropped a line about the B1G expanding, how about we let one loose again to duckk with everybody?"

Delany: "Sound good to me. Brandon did it last time so Hollis it's your turn this time."

I like being the optimist and this post so I will share the half full B1G glass with you.

This is why it's so vital to create excitement any way possible. In sales the first rule of thumb when things are bad is increase the marketing budget.

It's like what UConn is doing with professors. Aren't they bringing in more while others are cutting back?

SH is getting us ready for AAU status. KO looks to be doing his part. Geno is a given. It really falls into the hands of PP and the football team.

They need to create excitement right from the git go and win.

Beat Towsend, MD and Buffalo and 3-1 will be enough to get people excited for the AAC.

In the next 5 years, if we are not top 2 every year starting next year, we will be lucky to get a sniff from the fab 5.

Our part is to show up, bring friends, make noise and create hope. If the most fanatic fans give up all truly is lost. Every headline like this one should give us guarded hope for the future.

I got a B1G glass and it is more than half full.

 

[Adios]

I am thinking he "slipped" and went back to 14 because one of the 2 schools likely to be added won't be what B1G fans would normally expect, a school with a long FBS-level tradition. Subliminal message for those that matter.

 

[Adios]

Our part is to show up, bring friends, make noise and create hope. If the most fanatic fans give up all truly is lost. Every headline like this one should give us guarded hope for the future.

After Louisville and Rutgers are gone, ECU will be the school that has the highest average attendance right now, even as a member of the C-USA. They are REAL fans. Unlike some of our own bandwagoner babies.

 

[NickyNewark]

Wishful thinking the A.C.C. GOR IS IN EFFECT TIL 2027......so 14 years,

@Man,that must be a real relief to you?I wonder what would become of BC if the ACC lost its few flagbearer's?

 

[NEforceUConn]

"I like being the optimist and this post so I will share the half full B1G glass with you."

For me its been not half full, but full glasses of red wine since the ACC scumbags tapped UL.

I think the B1G would profit from taking UConn and Kansas. But it seems a very very long shot that Kansas can escape its GOR and its K State stepchild. Perhaps when Texas decides to blows up its league we will have a chance.

Maybe the end around is to have the NCAA declare that any candidates for the 4 team fb playoff have to be members of a 12 team league.

That thought will help me drink for another few months, great.

 

[NickyNewark]

I am thinking he "slipped" and went back to 14 because one of the 2 schools likely to be added won't be what B1G fans would normally expect, a school with a long FBS-level tradition. Subliminal message for those that matter.

@Again Butch am I right in assuming your thinking us (UConn) and maybe a traditional "power"?There don't seem to be many candidates?Maybe Okla or too a lesser degree Missouri?

 

[B1GALUM]

I think the B1G would profit from taking UConn and Kansas.

I agree. The addition of these two universities would signify the B1G is going all in on competing with the ACC for basketball supremacy.

I hope we can crack open a B1G beer to celebrate this as the next round of expansion.




Happy 4th of July!

 

[Dooley]

I agree. The addition of these two universities would signify the B1G is going all in on competing with the ACC for basketball supremacy.

I hope we can crack open a B1G beer to celebrate this as the next round of expansion.


View attachment 3184

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th to you too B1GALUM! Would love to slug down a few B1G beers with ye if/when you come to a B1G conference game at UCONN!

 

[upstater]

Adding Kansas and UConn would put a permanent stop to the ACC's claims of being the best basketball conference.

First Tier:
Indiana, Michigan St., Ohio St., Michigan, UConn, Kansas, Maryland (7).
vs.
North Carolina, Duke, Syracuse, NC State, Louisville (5)

Second Tier:
Purdue, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota (4)
vs.
Pittsburgh, Virginia, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Florida St. (6)

Third Tier:
Nebraska, Northwestern, Penn State, Rutgers (4)
vs.
Virginia Tech, Miami, Clemson, BC (4)

 

[Sea Goat]

Need AAU invite and SH is doing everything she can to get us there. If and when that happens, we are a natural for the B1G. The ACC has already sold its soul with the addition of Louisville and being a supplicant to the under-achievers from South Bend. I would like nothing more than doing the B1G gig and thumbing our nose at the entire ACC.. The B1G is a real conference with strong academic institutions and no favored nations.

 

[NickyNewark]

Adding Kansas and UConn would put a permanent stop to the ACC's claims of being the best basketball conference.

First Tier:
Indiana, Michigan St., Ohio St., Michigan, UConn, Kansas, Maryland (7).
vs.
North Carolina, Duke, Syracuse, NC State, Louisville (5)

Second Tier:
Purdue, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota (4)
vs.
Pittsburgh, Virginia, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Florida St. (6)

Third Tier:
Nebraska, Northwestern, Penn State, Rutgers (4)
vs.
Virginia Tech, Miami, Clemson, BC (4)

@Have you seen the buzz and energy around Eddie Jordan?After struggling around 11th/13th in the BE no way RU's not gonna be at least middle tier with potential unlimited in the B1G...but I agree it has to be proven!!12th in the BE is good for 6th/7th in the B1G!!

 

[NEforceUConn]

I agree. The addition of these two universities would signify the B1G is going all in on competing with the ACC for basketball supremacy.

I hope we can crack open a B1G beer to celebrate this as the next round of expansion.

Happy 4th of July!

You too sir!

Speaking of the ACC and their bb self worth, when I commented on the BIG with Kansas and UConn being equal if not better than ACC.3 the response from 3 ACCers was no fricken way, the ACC.3 has won 5 of the last 10 NCAA championships. Going to the video tape its actually 4 of the last 10, and a BIG with Kansas and UConn would have won 3 of the last 10.

I mention this to point out how self absorbed the ACC bb contingency is. As some may know I continue to have to serve out my sentence living in the heart of ACC land, proudly wearing my UConn gear.

 

[Adios]

@Again Butch am I right in assuming your thinking us (UConn) and maybe a traditional "power"?There don't seem to be many candidates?Maybe Okla or too a lesser degree Missouri?

I didn't say "power". Just said long FBS-level tradition. Most B1G schools have been playing top tier football since the early 1900s. Michigan State caught on by the late 30s and was invited in 1953. They won national championships in 1951 and 1952 before joining. Maryland has championships in 1951 and 1953.

I am saying UConn is new blood at the FBS-level and would break tradition from a football point of view. But what options does the B1G really have left?

 

[uconnell]

I am saying UConn is new blood at the FBS-level and would break tradition from a football point of view. But what options does the B1G really have left?[/quote]


Geeze do you have to state it that way?

 

[Adios]

Geeze do you have to state it that way?

lol...looking at it from B1G fans' perspectives.

Apart from that, we've been playing football since 1896. That's as old as Michigan State. Only problem was Yale, Wesleyan, etc, were dominating here for a while. Now UConn has taken over.

Mentioned UConn as a potential candidate for B1G expansion on a college hockey forum and so far, so good. No one has trashed that idea so far.

 

[woomba]

@Have you seen the buzz and energy around Eddie Jordan?After struggling around 11th/13th in the BE no way RU's not gonna be at least middle tier with potential unlimited in the B1G...but I agree it has to be proven!!12th in the BE is good for 6th/7th in the B1G!!

I think that's a bit overly optimistic - I think Rutgers can realistically be maybe the #11 team the in the short-mid term. Maybe they can improve long term.