The Expansion Rumor of this hour

[uc1974]

KU and KSU are not being split up. They are a package. Regarding Baylor and TCU, some of you have biases (in areas not relevant to the secular world of football) that are showing. Baylor may be in WA-CO but OK State is in Stillwater, Texas Tech in Lubbock, and Mississippi State in Starkeville. None are the crossroads of Western civilization. Neither is Storrs. All that being said, Baylor and ISU are clearly the outliers in any BE move. I would just prefer to do it without the cultural cuts.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

I think the argument being made here is that expanding beyond 12 with teams such as Baylor and ISU is stupid and would dilute a future TV deal and take up space for any future expansion. To throw in one more team to get to 12 is one thing, but to go beyond is dumb.

 

[upstater]

KU and KSU are not being split up. They are a package. Regarding Baylor and TCU, some of you have biases (in areas not relevant to the secular world of football) that are showing. Baylor may be in WA-CO but OK State is in Stillwater, Texas Tech in Lubbock, and Mississippi State in Starkeville. None are the crossroads of Western civilization. Neither is Storrs. All that being said, Baylor and ISU are clearly the outliers in any BE move. I would just prefer to do it without the cultural cuts.

It's not a school with top Carnegie status. It's not considered a top-tier research school. It's not in UConn's league as far as that goes, so when people say it's a great academic institution, I wonder what they are talking about. In fact, in the last go-round of classifications, Baylor was ELEVATED into the tier below UConn.

I frankly don't care about the academic aspects of conferences but if people are touting these schools for academics, then you have to back it up. As for schools like Okie St, they have 3x as many undergrads, and therefore alumni, and in general, residents of the state root for one of the two schools depending on whether they are from the hills or the flatlands.They just have a lot more fans. I've been to Stillwater, haven't been to Waco, and really have no intention of visiting either.

 

[businesslawyer]

Yes. We don't like Baylor because we're all atheistic communist health-care loving northern snobs. It has nothing to do with their lack of markets, fanbase, student population, athletic revenues, history, brand name or success.

Thank you Rush. Now do you mind if we get back to what we were talking about?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Baylor would be better than many potential candidates in football, men's basketball and women's basketball. Anyone who believes that anyone we could add won't have at least some warts on them is insane.

 

[Vowelguy]

Baylor is useless.

That is all

True dat.

Baylor's strongest point: "we're not as useless as Iowa St."

 

[upstater]

Everywhere else they are talking about this: http://northwestern.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=57&tid=162506546&mid=162506546&sid=901&style=2

ND and Texas to the Big10.

Three things:

1. This is the first guy to break Nebraska to Big10 last year, and he intimated he's getting info from the Big10 office. It seemed at one point he was being used.
2. The part that's incredibly hard to believe is BTN2. Why would ND and Tex plan that for the Big10? Bizarre. How is that a proposal from an outside source?
3. The part about Tex and ND wanting 8 conference games could conceivably leave the Big10 at 14 teams. Easier to manage.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

I find it extremely hard to believe that ND would pre-emptively jump into a conference. There will ALWAYS be a slot for them wherever they want to go in the BCS, so there's nothing for them to be concerned about.

 

[upstater]

I find it extremely hard to believe that ND would pre-emptively jump into a conference. There will ALWAYS be a slot for them wherever they want to go in the BCS, so there's nothing for them to be concerned about.

If Texas joins the Big10, ND loses all its leverage. The Big10 wants ND, but as time goes by and the B10 gets stronger, ND becomes less interesting.

If Texas is causing all this mayhem because of eyeballs, why would they go to the Pac-10? They'd lose the late afternoon in the east.

 

[businesslawyer]

This would be a great result for us. The Big Ten goes to 14 and stops. If they're adding ND and Texas, they are not diluting their per team revenue by adding Rutgers and Maryland. The Pac Ten takes Oklahoma and Oklahoma State (because they have to) and stops. Not bothering with Texas Tech without Texas. Both those conferences are at 14. The SEC takes Texas Aggies and Mizzou. And stops at 14. The ACC stays at 12. The Big East goes from 9/17 to 12/20 (replacing ND with someone) with the remnants of the Big 12 (Kansas, K State and one of Iowa State, Baylor and Texas Tech). If we lose WVU to the SEC, Mizzou comes in instead of WVU. Heck, if we want we leave the hoopsters and add all 5 remaining Big XII schools and go to 14 in both hoops and pigskin, but frankly that strikes me as less desireable than keeping with the basketball schools.

You then have gone from 6 major conferences to 5, ranging in size from 14 to 12. We are still where we are in football (competitive with the ACC and not the Big Ten or SEC) and in basketball (the best).

I would take that outcome in a nanosecond.

 

[B1GEast]

You can insert any team into the rumors, at least from my perception the ACC is not in the drivers seat, they would really destroy us if they could.

 

[UconnWitt]

Baylor would be better than many potential candidates in football, men's basketball and women's basketball. Anyone who believes that anyone we could add won't have at least some warts on them is insane.

I'd rather take a team with tremendous potential upside than a Big XII role player. I'd rather see Houston or UCF in the Big East than Baylor any day. I'd make an exception for K-State...the U Kansas brand is powerful enough in college athletics...package deal. Missouri is a no-brainer...but they're whores who are actively positioning themselves for inclusion in the Big 10, should they expand (don't count out Big 10 expansion...Delany is no slouch). I'm inclined to believe that this WVU-to-SEC nonsense is nothing more than a rouse to get Missouri all hot and bothered...then again, you may see aTm, WVU, and Missouri all on their way to the SEC in a few weeks (if not days.)

 

[RS9999X]

I like the idea about adding Baylor but there is this: their biggest game will be against TCU unless they extort Bevo and Oklahoma for some extra games. TCU v Baylor the BE will cover as part of TCU coverage anyway.

If they are looking for TV sets I'm in favor of Baylor, Kansas and UCF. Baylor and Kansas if Nova gets their ducks in order.

 

[UconnWitt]

This would be a great result for us. The Big Ten goes to 14 and stops. If they're adding ND and Texas, they are not diluting their per team revenue by adding Rutgers and Maryland. The Pac Ten takes Oklahoma and Oklahoma State (because they have to) and stops. Not bothering with Texas Tech without Texas. Both those conferences are at 14. The SEC takes Texas Aggies and Mizzou. And stops at 14. The ACC stays at 12. The Big East goes from 9/17 to 12/20 (replacing ND with someone) with the remnants of the Big 12 (Kansas, K State and one of Iowa State, Baylor and Texas Tech). If we lose WVU to the SEC, Mizzou comes in instead of WVU. Heck, if we want we leave the hoopsters and add all 5 remaining Big XII schools and go to 14 in both hoops and pigskin, but frankly that strikes me as less desireable than keeping with the basketball schools.

You then have gone from 6 major conferences to 5, ranging in size from 14 to 12. We are still where we are in football (competitive with the ACC and not the Big Ten or SEC) and in basketball (the best).

I would take that outcome in a nanosecond.

I love this scenario. Expand to 14 and break from the basketball schools. Start a new conference called the "Great 14" or something, and hire Oliver Luck as our commish. Swap out Baylor and take Houston, maybe tell Iowa State to pound sand and take UCF...potential upside...think long term. I like it.

 

[gars44]

All interesting stuff. I'm good with Baylor. I'm good with all the Texas schools. We are kind of teetering, and we haven't got a lot of weight to throw around (well, I do!) in the BCS, so I'd like to see a "big tent" approach. It makes it a lot harder to exclude the BE from the party if you have legislators from places like Texas and Kansas, in addition to the rest of the BE, raising Cain with the BCS. All I want is a lawnchair in the tent, and a beer. We'll be fine.

 

[gars44]

I love this scenario. Expand to 14 and break from the basketball schools. Start a new conference called the "Great 14" or something, and hire Oliver Luck as our commish. Swap out Baylor and take Houston, maybe tell Iowa State to pound sand and take UCF...potential upside...think long term. I like it.

NOPE. Keep Baylor at all costs. Nobody with Baylor. I like Baylor. Houston too. Rice. SMU. All of them.

 

[gars44]

This would be a great result for us. The Big Ten goes to 14 and stops. If they're adding ND and Texas, they are not diluting their per team revenue by adding Rutgers and Maryland. The Pac Ten takes Oklahoma and Oklahoma State (because they have to) and stops. Not bothering with Texas Tech without Texas. Both those conferences are at 14. The SEC takes Texas Aggies and Mizzou. And stops at 14. The ACC stays at 12. The Big East goes from 9/17 to 12/20 (replacing ND with someone) with the remnants of the Big 12 (Kansas, K State and one of Iowa State, Baylor and Texas Tech). If we lose WVU to the SEC, Mizzou comes in instead of WVU. Heck, if we want we leave the hoopsters and add all 5 remaining Big XII schools and go to 14 in both hoops and pigskin, but frankly that strikes me as less desireable than keeping with the basketball schools.

You then have gone from 6 major conferences to 5, ranging in size from 14 to 12. We are still where we are in football (competitive with the ACC and not the Big Ten or SEC) and in basketball (the best).

I would take that outcome in a nanosecond.

I would too, and I think in less than a generation we would be equally competitive with anyone and everyone who maintains similar entrance and academic requirements. I don't think anyone will ever be able to compete with the SEC for that reason, but the BiG Ten/whatever? We could compete with them in time.

 

[UconnWitt]

NOPE. Keep Baylor at all costs. Nobody with Baylor. I like Baylor. Houston too. Rice. SMU. All of them.

Nobody with Baylor?!? Why? Because Ken Starr is their President? Because they have a good women's basketball program? Because their sue-happy? Rice? C'mon. BE splits, then we add Kansas, KSU, Texas Tech, Houston, and either SMU or UCF. Texas would have to go to the Big 10, as is rumored, for this to happen...Screw it, make it 16 and take Baylor...why not, better market than ISU.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

People here bash ISU, but I think ISU is a good add. They got good traveling fans. They are expanding their football stadium. They are an AAU school and top 100 ranked in US News and World Report.

Insight Bowl many years ago took a 6-6 IOWA ST over 8-4 Missouri because IOWA ST sent over 20K of fans to that bowl years earlier. I doubt Baylor will do that since they don't even pack their own stadium.

 

[UconnWitt]

People here bash ISU, but I think ISU is a good add. They got good traveling fans. They are expanding their football stadium. They are an AAU school and top 100 ranked in US News and World Report.

Insight Bowl many years ago took a 6-6 IOWA ST over 8-4 Missouri because IOWA ST sent over 20K of fans to that bowl years earlier. I doubt Baylor will do that since they don't even pack their own stadium.

At the end of the day, I want to see an expanded Big East with ALL 9 (including TCU) football schools together. I think you'll see 14 being the magic number. I see aTm and Missouri going to the SEC, Texas and ND going to the Big 10 (highly speculative, I know), Oklahoma and OSU to the Pac-12. That leaves Baylor (ugh), Kansas, K State, Texas Tech, and Iowa State looking for a home. Take them, and if we want to expand to 16, we can revisit that at a later date...UCF, SMU, Houston ain't going anywhere. The biggest issue in all this will be the BE split...5 years from now, no one affiliated with the football schools will regret this.

 

[NEforceUConn]

............................. All I want is a lawnchair in the tent, and a beer. We'll be fine............

as long as we have the tent to drink beer in. No tent no game.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

At the end of the day, I want to see an expanded Big East with ALL 9 (including TCU) football schools together. I think you'll see 14 being the magic number. I see aTm and Missouri going to the SEC, Texas and ND going to the Big 10 (highly speculative, I know), Oklahoma and OSU to the Pac-12. That leaves Baylor (ugh), Kansas, K State, Texas Tech, and Iowa State looking for a home. Take them, and if we want to expand to 16, we can revisit that at a later date...UCF, SMU, Houston ain't going anywhere. The biggest issue in all this will be the BE split...5 years from now, no one affiliated with the football schools will regret this.

I am tired of all this unstability for the BE. All I want to see if BE stablizes so we don't have to deal with losing members every year. Teams like ISU and Baylor will stay in the BE as long as we will have them. Missouri gonna always want B1G so I hope they go to the SEC. KU and KSU gonna like the BE due to basketball. We just need to build up our football credibility and win some championships and BCS bowls. Hopefully, everyone will go to 14 for a little while before the eventual 16. BE will need the time to build up the conference and allow some non-BCS programs to grow to BCS level.

 

[AJC88]

I'd still rather be a part of the ACC. I know football $$$ drives everything, but in terms of basketball it would be by far the best in the nation, and the football would still be a step up from the current BE, even with the additions of a KU, KSU, Baylor/ISU whatever additions.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

uh, the big east currently has the best basketball league in the nation. of the reasons for a potential acc move, finding better basketball is absolutely not one of them. the acc currently consists of duke, unc, and a bunch of mediocre programs.

 

[uconnbaseball]

NOPE. Keep Baylor at all costs. Nobody with Baylor. I like Baylor. Houston too. Rice. SMU. All of them.

Not sure if serious, but UH/Rice offer redundant TV markets. SMU and TCU have the same issue. A conference with those teams would be interesting though, and a UConn/Rice or UConn/UH baseball game would be fun.