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Message: [QUOTE="DarthGrumpy, post: 4712504, member: 2141"] True, but it’s a longshot. The B1G will be at 16 (or 18) schools next year and I do not believe that they will go beyond 24, so there are 8 slots left. Assuming that PAC implodes, I think 4 of those slots will be taken Washington, Oregon, Cal and Stanford, the later pair being too academically prestigious for the B1G presidents to turn down. So, they’re down to 4 open slots, which will likely be filled by ACC teams once that conference is nuked by everyone else in 2036 or sooner. UConn would be in the running, but there will be a lot of schools fighting it out. This is how I would rank them: [LIST] [*]21: UVA, there is a strong mutual interest and locks-down the DC market for the B1G [*]22: Georgia Tech - Same mutual interest UVA and the B1G wants the Atlanta market (lots of Alumni) as long as GT is willing to invest in facility and program upgrades [*]23: ND – Reluctantly if the Only 3 emerges, ND will have to join the B1G as it is is their best match. [*]24: Everyone else, in order [LIST] [*]Duke – Better aligned with B1G, adds a growing market (RDU) and basketball brand while the conference can take a football hit; plus a leading research university [*]Florida State – Adds a Florida footprint and a power football brand, assuming B1G presidents can overcome academic concerns. [*]UNC – the B1G would make room for them as they academically match well with B1G and, of course, a basketball brand, but culturally a better match for the SEC (they will figure a way to preserve the Duke basketball rivalry as it makes too much money) [*]UConn – Adds a basketball brand, strong academics, and helps secure the NYC and Boston markets for the B1G with a school with top-notch facilities already in place [*]U Miami – A alternative to Florida St. should they no, with stronger academics [*]Boston College – While they have updated their athletic facilities recently, only shot is being pulled in as part of the plan to lure ND [*]Syracuse – The Orange dream and does add to the B1G footprint in NYC, but ND has a strong NYC presence, too, and their research side is lacking while others are higher on the list [*]Clemson – Adds a football power and a good market (Charlotte and Greenville), but culturally not aligned, academics/research is not at B1G level and not as high on the list as others [*]U Pitt – Matches well academically with the B1G, but Penn State says no and they would not add to the B1G’s market [/LIST] [/LIST] [/QUOTE]

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