Random rumor on the the train this morning

[UConnSportsGuy]

On my way to downtown Chicago on the train this morning I overheard a rumor on B1G expansion i hadnt heard before. I was sitting behind two guys who starting talking about the B1G. They were both Northwestern alumns, and one of them claimed to be some big shot. He insisted to his buddy that the B1G was in discussions with South Carolina to leave the SEC and come to the B1G as part of a large southern expansion with UNC, Georgia Tech, and FSU. I have no idea if this guy is actually connected at NW, or if he is just some yahoo message board guy like us who has no idea of what is really going on. I don't think this is realistic as I don't see SC willing to leave the SEC and join a "bunch of Northern Yankees", but it was interesting given South Carolina's history of previously being in the ACC with UNC and GT. Again, I doubt this is truly happening, but I hadn't heard the rumor before and thought it was an interesting conversation I overheard.

 

[sportsart]

Did he seem like a groovy dude?

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

He seemed like a self-righteous, arrogant ...so being a Nortwestern 'Big Shot' didn't seem out of the question!

 

[UConnRock]

That type of rumor comes from the geographically challenged who don't undertand that North Carolina shares a border with Georgia so there is no need for a South Carolina school to meet the B1G's supposed border state requirement. Trust me, USC-east does not come close to the academic standards which the B1G would require.

 

[alexd]

Is their "border state requirement" really a fact or just an internet myth???

If it's fact, then even adding schools in FL, GA and NC would not work. You would still need a VA school to meet up with MD.

 

[GampelGladiator]

A few months back in the NoLa airport, I had a conversation with a Hoosier alum with work experience in collegiate athletics and we discussed realignment at length. My initial premise was complete shock that no conference seemed to want UCONN despite our significant successes. After our dialogue, I was stunned by the level of disinterest by the Big10. He basically outlined it as such with some points making sense, while others seemed off base...

1. CT is not in the general geographic region with the Big10.
2. UCONN does not participate in two of the secondary sports -- wrestling and gymnastics.
3. Men's program will be irrelevant post-JC.
4. No one cares about women's basketball.
5. UCONN is not a school of first choice, nor a school that every generation of family members attends.
6. UCONN has existing public scandals.
7. Lacking football tradition.
8. Small football stadium.
9. Our relatively small endowment (I looked at numbers later...UCONN - $329 million; 9 Big 10 schools are each over $1 billion)
10. Our media region is simply Hartford, in which we get no alliance with NY or Boston.

I was left with the general sense that it's not necessarily one reason why we are being ostracized, but that there are too many real and perceived drawbacks that when batched together are difficult to overcome. He was persuasive enough that I felt dazed and briefly questioned our athletic program's and institution's worth.

 

[MTHusky]

Did he seem like a groovy dude?

He might be groovy, but is he melo?

 

[ZooCougar]

Is their "border state requirement" really a fact or just an internet myth???

If it's fact, then even adding schools in FL, GA and NC would not work. You would still need a VA school to meet up with MD.

It's a myth.

 

[GampelGladiator]

Is their "border state requirement" really a fact or just an internet myth???

If it's fact, then even adding schools in FL, GA and NC would not work. You would still need a VA school to meet up with MD.

I'm sure they would disregard that requirement under the right circumstances, but it does come into play (in regards to their public argument that it isn't all about money).

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/ed...red-big-ten-when-maryland-rutgers-joined.html

Maryland and Rutgers are "a little bit farther" than other Big Ten universities, but Maryland and New Jersey are contiguous to Pennsylvania, home of Penn State, she noted. "It was a natural expansion in that direction."

 

[ZooCougar]

This rumor actually makes strategic sense. It goes a long way towards rebranding the conference. It's seems pretty audacious.

On my way to downtown Chicago on the train this morning I overheard a rumor on B1G expansion i hadnt heard before. I was sitting behind two guys who starting talking about the B1G. They were both Northwestern alumns, and one of them claimed to be some big shot. He insisted to his buddy that the B1G was in discussions with South Carolina to leave the SEC and come to the B1G as part of a large southern expansion with UNC, Georgia Tech, and FSU. I have no idea if this guy is actually connected at NW, or if he is just some yahoo message board guy like us who has no idea of what is really going on. I don't think this is realistic as I don't see SC willing to leave the SEC and join a "bunch of Northern Yankees", but it was interesting given South Carolina's history of previously being in the ACC with UNC and GT. Again, I doubt this is truly happening, but I hadn't heard the rumor before and thought it was an interesting conversation I overheard.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

If i had to pick a horse between the sec and big 10 in terms of long term economic value, the SEC would win. I dont see a SC being appealing to the Big 10 academically. In other words, i don't believe either side of that rumor.

 

[Deleted member 3149]

A few months back in the NoLa airport, I had a conversation with a Hoosier alum with work experience in collegiate athletics and we discussed realignment at length. My initial premise was complete shock that no conference seemed to want UCONN despite our significant successes. After our dialogue, I was stunned by the level of disinterest by the Big10. He basically outlined it as such with some points making sense, while others seemed off base...

1. CT is not in the general geographic region with the Big10.
2. UCONN does not participate in two of the secondary sports -- wrestling and gymnastics.
3. Men's program will be irrelevant post-JC.
4. No one cares about women's basketball.
5. UCONN is not a school of first choice, nor a school that every generation of family members attends.
6. UCONN has existing public scandals.
7. Lacking football tradition.
8. Small football stadium.
9. Our relatively small endowment (I looked at numbers later...UCONN - $329 million; 9 Big 10 schools are each over $1 billion)
10. Our media region is simply Hartford, in which we get no alliance with NY or Boston.

I was left with the general sense that it's not necessarily one reason why we are being ostracized, but that there are too many real and perceived drawbacks that when batched together are difficult to overcome. He was persuasive enough that I felt dazed and briefly questioned our athletic program's and institution's worth.

Men's program irrelevant post JC? In case you didn't hear, KO has been doing a terrific job. Beat two current top 10 teams (msu, su) in his first year coaching with virtually no defensive assets.

 

[HobokenHusky]

I'm sure they would disregard that requirement under the right circumstances, but it does come into play (in regards to their public argument that it isn't all about money).

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/ed...red-big-ten-when-maryland-rutgers-joined.html

Maryland and Rutgers are "a little bit farther" than other Big Ten universities, but Maryland and New Jersey are contiguous to Pennsylvania, home of Penn State, she noted. "It was a natural expansion in that direction."

These BS "requirements" of AAU and contiguous states only come into play when they fit because they sound nice, and put a thin vale over the fact that this is 100% about sports revenue. If the money was right they would completely throw out the AAU and contiguous state BS if they thought it could work. Contiguous states is just an extreme version of the common sense fact that if you have a school out on an island they will not be happy. AAU is an extreme version of the fact that since they conference has some sort of academic arrangement (CIC?) they would like to not have community colleges in the league. They already completely threw the AAU thing out the window with Nebraska.

If UConn was valuable enough to them, you really think they would say "oh man there is NYC between NJ and CT, we just can't add them until we have a NY school." No way.

 

[ZooCougar]

What's funny is that if they were to redesign this whole thing (bigtime college sports) from top to bottom, Northwestern probably would be nowhere in the picture.

On my way to downtown Chicago on the train this morning I overheard a rumor on B1G expansion i hadnt heard before. I was sitting behind two guys who starting talking about the B1G. They were both Northwestern alumns, and one of them claimed to be some big shot. He insisted to his buddy that the B1G was in discussions with South Carolina to leave the SEC and come to the B1G as part of a large southern expansion with UNC, Georgia Tech, and FSU. I have no idea if this guy is actually connected at NW, or if he is just some yahoo message board guy like us who has no idea of what is really going on. I don't think this is realistic as I don't see SC willing to leave the SEC and join a "bunch of Northern Yankees", but it was interesting given South Carolina's history of previously being in the ACC with UNC and GT. Again, I doubt this is truly happening, but I hadn't heard the rumor before and thought it was an interesting conversation I overheard.

 

[HobokenHusky]

A few months back in the NoLa airport, I had a conversation with a Hoosier alum with work experience in collegiate athletics and we discussed realignment at length. My initial premise was complete shock that no conference seemed to want UCONN despite our significant successes. After our dialogue, I was stunned by the level of disinterest by the Big10. He basically outlined it as such with some points making sense, while others seemed off base...

1. CT is not in the general geographic region with the Big10.
2. UCONN does not participate in two of the secondary sports -- wrestling and gymnastics.
3. Men's program will be irrelevant post-JC.
4. No one cares about women's basketball.
5. UCONN is not a school of first choice, nor a school that every generation of family members attends.
6. UCONN has existing public scandals.
7. Lacking football tradition.
8. Small football stadium.
9. Our relatively small endowment (I looked at numbers later...UCONN - $329 million; 9 Big 10 schools are each over $1 billion)
10. Our media region is simply Hartford, in which we get no alliance with NY or Boston.

I was left with the general sense that it's not necessarily one reason why we are being ostracized, but that there are too many real and perceived drawbacks that when batched together are difficult to overcome. He was persuasive enough that I felt dazed and briefly questioned our athletic program's and institution's worth.

For someone who works in college athletics, those are extremely shallow, uniformed opinions, and seem to be based in 1996. Literally every single one of those points can be used against Rutgers, except #10, which is untrue, #2 but Rutgers doesn't have Hockey, and #6, which will be gone after 2013. And #3 and #4 don't apply to Rutgers, because they have never been relevant.

 

[ZooCougar]

Almost every single point is irrelevant and inaccurate.

Wrestling? I am surprised you didn't laugh at him and walk away. Nobody gives a crap about that sport anymore.

A few months back in the NoLa airport, I had a conversation with a Hoosier alum with work experience in collegiate athletics and we discussed realignment at length. My initial premise was complete shock that no conference seemed to want UCONN despite our significant successes. After our dialogue, I was stunned by the level of disinterest by the Big10. He basically outlined it as such with some points making sense, while others seemed off base...

1. CT is not in the general geographic region with the Big10.
2. UCONN does not participate in two of the secondary sports -- wrestling and gymnastics.
3. Men's program will be irrelevant post-JC.
4. No one cares about women's basketball.
5. UCONN is not a school of first choice, nor a school that every generation of family members attends.
6. UCONN has existing public scandals.
7. Lacking football tradition.
8. Small football stadium.
9. Our relatively small endowment (I looked at numbers later...UCONN - $329 million; 9 Big 10 schools are each over $1 billion)
10. Our media region is simply Hartford, in which we get no alliance with NY or Boston.

I was left with the general sense that it's not necessarily one reason why we are being ostracized, but that there are too many real and perceived drawbacks that when batched together are difficult to overcome. He was persuasive enough that I felt dazed and briefly questioned our athletic program's and institution's worth.

 

[methodology]

If i had to pick a horse between the sec and big 10 in terms of long term economic value, the SEC would win. I dont see a SC being appealing to the Big 10 academically. In other words, i don't believe either side of that rumor.

I am in the same boat. There are all these B1G people acting like they can and will make any move they desire but its just a cat and mouse game right now until they have the pieces in place.

I highly disagree. SEC Network I believe is going to pay very similarly, money wise, compared with the BTN. The southern values and culture are almost polar opposites of the B1G. Football is head honcho in the south, nothing else compares while in the north there are competing sports for interst.

Southern players also dont really care for cold weather and would prefer not to play in cold weather. The SEC relishes the fact that they wipe their behinds with the overrated B1G teams. They will treat this like a civil war and keep the norhterners out of their territory and make sure they cant try level the playing field.

UVA is the farthest south I see the B1G going unless they take GT without the border rule and if FSU doesnt get a SEC invite and receive a B1G invite

 

[upstater]

A few months back in the NoLa airport, I had a conversation with a Hoosier alum with work experience in collegiate athletics and we discussed realignment at length. My initial premise was complete shock that no conference seemed to want UCONN despite our significant successes. After our dialogue, I was stunned by the level of disinterest by the Big10. He basically outlined it as such with some points making sense, while others seemed off base...

1. CT is not in the general geographic region with the Big10.
2. UCONN does not participate in two of the secondary sports -- wrestling and gymnastics.
3. Men's program will be irrelevant post-JC.
4. No one cares about women's basketball.
5. UCONN is not a school of first choice, nor a school that every generation of family members attends.
6. UCONN has existing public scandals.
7. Lacking football tradition.
8. Small football stadium.
9. Our relatively small endowment (I looked at numbers later...UCONN - $329 million; 9 Big 10 schools are each over $1 billion)
10. Our media region is simply Hartford, in which we get no alliance with NY or Boston.

I was left with the general sense that it's not necessarily one reason why we are being ostracized, but that there are too many real and perceived drawbacks that when batched together are difficult to overcome. He was persuasive enough that I felt dazed and briefly questioned our athletic program's and institution's worth.

Did you say he is an Indiana alum?

 

[ZooCougar]

I think football is just as important in B1G country. They just aren't as good at it right now.

The value of the SEC network WILL NOT be regional. People all over the country want their product.

Virtually nobody cares about Iowa against Illinois outside of the gray, cold and dreary upper Midwest. B1Gs attractions is maybe three schools.

 

[Excalibur]

Is their "border state requirement" really a fact or just an internet myth???

If it's fact, then even adding schools in FL, GA and NC would not work. You would still need a VA school to meet up with MD.

The existence of a border state requirement has been expressly denied by Big Ten officials.

 

[hthusky74]

A few months back in the NoLa airport, I had a conversation with a Hoosier alum with work experience in collegiate athletics and we discussed realignment at length. My initial premise was complete shock that no conference seemed to want UCONN despite our significant successes. After our dialogue, I was stunned by the level of disinterest by the Big10. He basically outlined it as such with some points making sense, while others seemed off base...

1. CT is not in the general geographic region with the Big10.
2. UCONN does not participate in two of the secondary sports -- wrestling and gymnastics.
3. Men's program will be irrelevant post-JC.
4. No one cares about women's basketball.
5. UCONN is not a school of first choice, nor a school that every generation of family members attends.
6. UCONN has existing public scandals.
7. Lacking football tradition.
8. Small football stadium.
9. Our relatively small endowment (I looked at numbers later...UCONN - $329 million; 9 Big 10 schools are each over $1 billion)
10. Our media region is simply Hartford, in which we get no alliance with NY or Boston.

I was left with the general sense that it's not necessarily one reason why we are being ostracized, but that there are too many real and perceived drawbacks that when batched together are difficult to overcome. He was persuasive enough that I felt dazed and briefly questioned our athletic program's and institution's worth.

Wrestling and gymnastics? Does UNC, SC, GT, and FSU have hockey programs I don't know about?

 

[freescooter]

Yeah but who cares about Mississippi-anybody outside Oxford?

 

[GampelGladiator]

Did you say he is an Indiana alum?

Yes, he was.

 

[GampelGladiator]

Men's program irrelevant post JC? In case you didn't hear, KO has been doing a terrific job. Beat two current top 10 teams (msu, su) in his first year coaching with virtually no defensive assets.

I don't agree with much he said, but to be fair, the conversation took place in late September.

 

[GampelGladiator]

For someone who works in college athletics, those are extremely shallow, uniformed opinions, and seem to be based in 1996. Literally every single one of those points can be used against Rutgers, except #10, which is untrue, #2 but Rutgers doesn't have Hockey, and #6, which will be gone after 2013. And #3 and #4 don't apply to Rutgers, because they have never been relevant.

The most valuable takeaway, I think, is that his reasons speak to the larger issue of misconceptions that are hurting UCONN.