Small ray of sunshine- MSU AD says Big Ten will expand, cites East Coast

[Rumrunner]

A few quotes:

"Several Big Ten athletic directors have said the new divisions for 2014 and beyond — with Maryland and Rutgers in the mix, and perhaps two more schools by then — likely will be divided geographically."

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"And more expansion is expected, though Hollis indicated there’s nothing imminent on that front."




On talking about Big Ten divisions he said this:

“I think there are components that you have to look at in the strength of what the East Coast brings you as an institution,” Hollis said Wednesday at a gathering of reporters at Jenison Field House.

http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20130307/GW01/303070009?nclick_check=1

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This type of comment precludes any western teams- Kansas (GOR issue notwithstanding) or Missouri. So the competition for the two spots comes down to a focus on the east coast. Let's hope Delany realizes the value of the northeast, and that MD, Rutgers and Penn State are not sufficient to capture it. Especially the NY metro area and all the media attention, hype and cable households that that includes.

 

[Exit 4]

If you want a meaningful presense in NYC - which frankly is a big if - but if you do, then you need another team in this market...Rutgers alone is hardly going to grant you entry to MSG or Brooklyn. Delany should just pull the trigger on Uconn / Uva and be done with it.

 

[HobokenHusky]

They will take BC, Northeastern for hockey, and Stony Brook, being an AAU member and all.

 

[uconndogs]

There seems to be a sentiment by some on this board that CR is done or done for a long time. I just don't see it that way. What it will ultimately mean for UCONN is another matter and after the ACC/Louisville debacle I take nothing for granted. But, there is little doubt that more is coming and I don't think it's that far off (year?).

 

[freescooter]

They will take BC, Northeastern for hockey, and Stony Brook, being an AAU member and all.

Now we are getting into the bizzare

 

[sportsart]

Read between the lines. Notice he said the (Big) East coast and not the Atlantic coast.

We're in baby, we're in!

 

[Rumrunner]

I think that it's fair to characterize his comments, and the author's interpretation of his and other AD's thoughts, that expansion would be done before Rutgers and Maryland join. UConn would have no trouble joining by then.

As always our hopes are tempered by the past and UConn's resulting position. We also don't, by and large, have an idea of Herbst's strategy, so we're left to speculate and wave our hands wildly like drunken imbeciles.

There seems to be a sentiment by some on this board that CR is done or done for a long time. I just don't see it that way. What it will ultimately mean for UCONN is another matter and after the ACC/Louisville debacle I take nothing for granted. But, there is little doubt that more is coming and I don't think it's that far off (year?).

 

[UConn9604]

Read between the lines. Notice he said the (Big) East coast and not the Atlantic coast.

We're in baby, we're in!

Funny, I saw "coast" and immediately thought, "Long Island Sound Coast."

 

[RS9999X]

One thing is certain: anyone adding UConn this week after the C7 announcement will not face lawsuits over raiding a healthy conference. That is the only dark horse in this. If anyone wants one of the teams, now is a painless way to grab some turf.


On the dark horse rumor meter I give it a dark hobby horse

 

[partial]

The silly thing is conference realignment news and prognostication on message boards must be like how neanderthals tried to understand the world around them, you know some guy has a seizure and that night a storm destroys half the cave so they subsequently invent the harlem shake with which to destroy their enemies.

 

[homunculus]

Technically "East Coast" means Maine to Texas. But that's not what it really means. "East Coast" used as a regional term means Boston to Washington. Just like Southern New England doesn't really mean everything south of the southern tip of Maine. I don't think I've ever heard anyone refer to anything south of Virginia as "East Coast" (then again maybe it's all relative to where you're standing). That's not to say some guy from Michigan or anywhere else might not use it that way.

 

[Jimdish255]

The silly thing is conference realignment news and prognostication on message boards must be like how neanderthals tried to understand the world around them, you know some guy has a seizure and that night a storm destroys half the cave so they subsequently invent the harlem shake with which to destroy their enemies.

Laughing MAO is very dangerous right after back surgery. Darn that hurt!!!

 

[Adios]

"The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard or the Atlantic Seaboard and commonly shortened to East Coast, refers to the easternmost coast of the United States along the Atlantic Ocean. The states which have shoreline on the East Coast are, from north to south, the U.S. states of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida."

That's from Wikipedia. If Delany comes by for the Michigan @ UConn game, DJ Dogpound better not be around. I would have to think that comment references these following schools:

UConn
BC
Syracuse
UVA
UNC
GT

FSU is on the Gulf of Mexico.

 

[nojokea4]

isn't it saying the divisions will be divided geographically? as opposed to that the potential additions will be added geographically?

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

"
UConn
BC
Syracuse
UVA
UNC
GT

FSU is on the Gulf of Mexico.

Is there a reason you use the actual city location for FSU, but the state for everyone else? FSU brings Florida...which is an East Coast by definition. Do you think Georgia Tech, UNC, or Syracuse are located anywhere near the actual coast?

 

[businesslawyer]

There seems to be a sentiment by some on this board that CR is done or done for a long time. I just don't see it that way. What it will ultimately mean for UCONN is another matter and after the ACC/Louisville debacle I take nothing for granted. But, there is little doubt that more is coming and I don't think it's that far off (year?).

The Big Ten did not add Rutgers and Maryland to make itself a stronger athletic conference. Because adding those schools did not do so. They took those schools because the Big Ten, for whatever reason, has a bigger is better strategy. There was little sense in adding those two and stopping.
By, fojmary

 

[Adios]

Is there a reason you use the actual city location for FSU, but the state for everyone else? FSU brings Florida...which is an East Coast by definition. Do you think Georgia Tech, UNC, or Syracuse are located anywhere near the actual coast?

Then if you want to include FSU, feel free. FSU is located right on another body of water. UNC is not far from the Atlantic compared to the other two schools mentioned.

 

[HuskyHawk]

"The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard or the Atlantic Seaboard and commonly shortened to East Coast, refers to the easternmost coast of the United States along the Atlantic Ocean. The states which have shoreline on the East Coast are, from north to south, the U.S. states of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida."

That's from Wikipedia. If Delany comes by for the Michigan @ UConn game, DJ Dogpound better not be around. I would have to think that comment references these following schools:

UConn
BC
Syracuse
UVA
UNC
GT

FSU is on the Gulf of Mexico.

Suggest we trench/flood the area from New London up to Wilimantic, just to make sure campus is close enough to the coast. Can't take any chances when reading these tea leaves. Might be less expensive just to show him Avery Point.

 

[Rumrunner]

I think that it says the old Big Ten teams like the fertile exposure of the east, and that they all want to play in that sandbox.

If any western teams were added (missouri/Kansas), that sandbox got a lot more inaccessible. Kind of like Utah, Colorado nixing any decision to add Oklahoma/Oklahoma State. This is good for UConn because my map says that UConn is firmly in the east, is contiguous with, and has quantifiable penetration into, the largest media market in the country, and is a perfect gateway into southern New England. It is also great to see that the AD's see the value of the east coast and are actually giving it the premium many of us think that it deserves.

Now, the important question is it east east, like the northeast, or generic east, to include the southeast. But so far, these comments do not preclude UConn, and that alone gives us a reason to believe UConn is still on the radar.

isn't it saying the divisions will be divided geographically? as opposed to that the potential additions will be added geographically?

 

[HuskyHawk]

The Big Ten did not add Rutgers and Maryland to make itself a stronger athletic conference. Because adding those schools did not do so. They took those schools because the Big Ten, for whatever reason, has a bigger is better strategy. There was little sense in adding those two and stopping.
By, fojmary

True. But Nebraska, the prior addition, was exactly the opposite. All content and little demographically. Can the B1G further dilute the content after the last two? I'd argue that in taking two moderately weak athletic programs, they now have some content dilution, which UVA would certainly make worse. UConn at least bolsters basketball. FSU would bolster football and not hurt hoops (and help baseball a ton). GT is pretty mediocre. UNC helps hoops and has potential in football, plus great markets. I don't think this is easy for the B1G. Other than UNC or Texas, nobody else checks all the boxes.

 

[RS9999X]

If you are talking economics then the most desirable state with the largest GDP would be Virginia (top 10 by both per capita and total GDP). NC is a riser. Top 10 in total GDP and rising quickly per capita.

 

[RS9999X]

The power grab into Maryland said what it had to. That and the AAU thing and there's 3 likely properties with UVA and UNC at the top of the list of East Coast contiguous states.

 

[huskyjawz]

Technically "East Coast" means Maine to Texas. But that's not what it really means. "East Coast" used as a regional term means Boston to Washington. Just like Southern New England doesn't really mean everything south of the southern tip of Maine. I don't think I've ever heard anyone refer to anything south of Virginia as "East Coast" (then again maybe it's all relative to where you're standing). That's not to say some guy from Michigan or anywhere else might not use it that way.

By no definition is Texas part of the East Coast.

 

[businesslawyer]

True. But Nebraska, the prior addition, was exactly the opposite. All content and little demographically. Can the B1G further dilute the content after the last two? I'd argue that in taking two moderately weak athletic programs, they now have some content dilution, which UVA would certainly make worse. UConn at least bolsters basketball. FSU would bolster football and not hurt hoops (and help baseball a ton). GT is pretty mediocre. UNC helps hoops and has potential in football, plus great markets. I don't think this is easy for the B1G. Other than UNC or Texas, nobody else checks all the boxes.

I don't disagree with any of that. But I am fairly certain the Big Ten didn't start putting things into motion until it had a fairly good idea what it's end game was. And I don't think we're there.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I don't disagree with any of that. But I am fairly certain the Big Ten didn't start putting things into motion until it had a fairly good idea what it's end game was. And I don't think we're there.

Right. Delany is not flying by wire. But what I suspect is that his plan has hit some speed bumps. I don't think he's going to get what he wanted. Doesn't mean UConn is high on the list, but might delay decisions as he recalculates.