U CONN and Big 10....

[upstater]

You know I got nothing but love for you buttercup : ).

I'm not sure the current BIG (not even considering what UMd clearly adds in basketball, and of course even more recruiting reach in Jersey and Maryland) is too worried about the ACC cleaning their clocks - we're used to it. Regardless, the fans still go to the games, the BIG still wins the attendance wars. Moreover, the BIG footprint still has the best hs basketball, a reality that continues to haunt BIG coaches because they collectively lack consistency in keeping them in the footprint. I mean have you looked at this year's top 100 - the top 25 is dominated by kids from the BIG footprint & most those kids will sign with a BIG team. Aren't you a PSU football fan? Why on God's green earth has PSU not elevated its basketball program? Philly has incredible basketball, you're next to NYC and the Bmore-DC-NoVa region. Don't give the football excuse - since PSU has excellent wrestling, volleyball, gymnastics, and for God's sake - fencing. It's culture and leadership, same goes for much of the BIG when it comes to hoops.

The BIG has simply choked in NC games and they don't lock down their footprint. If you look at the historical rosters of UNC, NCSt, Ken, Lville, etc., you'll always notice a starter or two that came out of the BIG footprint, the opposite cannot be said.

I don't know what to say other than coaching has lagged. I remember the late 70s up to 89 (when football rules the conference more so than now), the BIG won 4 NCs , played uptempo conference wide & carried a lot of swagger into March-April. Lately, a whole lot of whiffs despite NC games and final fours galore. Think about this: Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, OSU and MSU have all played in NCG's since 2002 & in all but one game, the ACC & future member eliminated the BIG, though Md is now in the BIG (they beat IU in 02). So our clocks have already been cleaned : )

One things is for certain, the ACC will turnover a lot more HOF coaches than the BIG in the next 5 to 8 years - big, big names.

But I agree, a UConn-KU add absolutely puts the ACC on notice. I've been arguing for at least 4 months now:

UConn, KU, OU, and Tx if 18 is the end game.

Such an addition would forever cement the BIG as a threat in basketball and football on an annual basis. I also think Delany could pitch this combo and the above would agree. It is likely BIG presidents that would kill such a deal.

Just wait to see what the ACC is going to do to B1G basketball. Back when the Big East was the best conference, the B1G didn't have to worry about the ACC sucking up the oxygen. Now they do. If Calipari left Kentucky, that would be another big blow.

You're whistling past the graveyard. The ACC is now the greatest collection of bball schools ever assembled, on par with SEC football, and they are going to start sucking all the talent away. Just watch, it's inevitable. The B1G schools will compete, because everyone wants playing time, but at the end of the day, playing time is available at Georgia Tech and Virginia and Pitt as well, not to mention Miami.

The PSU thing is irrelevant to me, I'm a UConn basketball fan, because I grew up a UConn basketball fan. I didn't attend UConn as an undergrad. Didn't attend PSU as an undergrad either. PSU bball is not something I've ever cared about.

 

[upstater]

If we are to pretend that GOR's don't exist, and Texahoma can somehow leave the Big 12, they are heading West, not North. But they do exist, and Texas is getting paid to stay where they are, so they aren't going anywhere. I do think the Big 12 will add 2 schools to both get to 12 and save WVU from falling apart completely as an athletic program. Those schools will most likely be Cincinnati and BYU.

Which brings us back to how does UConn get saved? 95% chance that it doesn't, but if it does, it will be because the Big 10 added Missouri and UConn.

I am not sure what the SEC would do if that happened. They could very realistically just stay at 13, or grab Cincinnati if they weren't already in a league by that point. I think UCF or Houston is much, much less likely, but possible as "junior" members just to get to 14.

I can't understand all this Missouri talk. First, the school is now relevant in sports when it hasn't been relevant since Norm Stewart. Football has had a huge overhaul. Do they want to lose this by going to the B1G? For what? And, the kind of money they'd lose in a graduated B1G program (i.e. Maryland and Rutgers and even PSU and Nebraska had to buy in) is a huge amount of cash.

It is not going to happen.

 

[NickyNewark]

At some point, these Power conferences with their own TV networks are going to have to begin worrying about football offseason programming (aka: basketball). You can only make so much money catering your broadcasting towards a sport that plays once a week, is primarily played during non-ideal TV time slots (weekend days), and is going through a safety rule overhaul that could change the sport drastically (and no, I'm not advocating for player injuries). Basketball is a sport that plays well on TV, is played primarily during cold winter months and weekday nights (good TV conditions), and has no excess concussion/head injury/player safety baggage that football carries. Whenever the day comes that the TV Execs in charge of these P5 conference TV programming come to this realization, UCONN will look like beautifully ripened low hanging fruit ready to be plucked without any exit fee or GOR hassle. UCONN just needs to become competitive at football and continue its elite basketball programs and it will find a home. There isn't a doubt in my mind that UCONN will be in a P5 conference (or playing in a NCAA break-off league of some sort that pays student athletes) within the next 5 years.

Everything you say is true unfortunately the very reason we all watch and love physical sports like boxing,mma and football is because of the fact it has the element of getting hurt/danger or what my generation simply called "dinged"!I loved watching the old Deacon Jones " head slap" and "clothesline tackle" and if CFB makes anymore more rules against the defense will be playing 2 hand touch or flag FB!Who will pay to see that?FB is our version of a gladitorial sport and the stadium's are our Coliseum's!!I'm glad I'm not in my 20s now because I don't think I'd want to be here to see where FB is heading?The same place the Roman and British Empire's,"dinosaur's" and "greatest generation" went......into American and World history book's!!Sad to see the softening of our proud masculine american sport !!But your post is right on target of where were headed Dooley.

 

[NickyNewark]

New here, but I've been lurking for several years now because when I first heard the B1G was expanding I thought then--and still think--UConn will be in. I'm just a long-suffering Gophers/B1G fan so I don't have any inside information or anything (like, say, Dude of WV). I'm probably not as smart as Frank the Tank. I just think that ultimately the B1G goes to 16 (and stops there) and UConn will be in.

Two things that I would do if I were UConn. First, I would move heaven and earth to get a Men's Lacrosse team up and running. It's clearly a sport that B1G sees as important to the future, and more importantly, it's an eastern seaboard thing. Nobody really will care if Nebraska or Minnesota get up and running--the geography is wrong. UConn is in the right place.

The second thing: Think of the B1G as 16 houses and two of the houses are standing empty. If I wanted to live in one of those houses and I couldn't buy it, I'd just move in anyway. I'd squat in that house. And if I were UConn AD, that's what I would do in football. EVERY non-conference game would be home-on-homes with B1G teams. B1G games always mean great media exposure and I'd have the confidence that B1G-UConn numbers would show we belong. By rotating through the B1G East, you'd essentially build the "we belong" factor and strengthen ties with the right schools and fan bases.

UConn has a lot going for it: geography, academics on the right trajectory, massive BBall presence, hockey (more important to the B1G than some might think), the right media markets, and that public, namesake vibe so important to the B1G. Time to have faith in yourself, bet the house on B1G, and make the all-out gamble and push to get in.

I know some B1G fans will probably think I'm nuts--I was and am 110% behind Rutgers and Maryland. I don't care about the past; they're sleeping giants who's time is coming. UConn belongs in the mix, too.

I like the way you think!!I'm an RU fan whose also a fan of UConn athletic's and don't see how we can let them sit there available with the stakes so high?,btw congrats on your bif FB win today..good show gophers!

 

[uconnfan68]

If we are to pretend that GOR's don't exist, and Texahoma can somehow leave the Big 12, they are heading West, not North. But they do exist, and Texas is getting paid to stay where they are, so they aren't going anywhere. I do think the Big 12 will add 2 schools to both get to 12 and save WVU from falling apart completely as an athletic program. Those schools will most likely be Cincinnati and BYU.

Which brings us back to how does UConn get saved? 95% chance that it doesn't, but if it does, it will be because the Big 10 added Missouri and UConn.

I am not sure what the SEC would do if that happened. They could very realistically just stay at 13, or grab Cincinnati if they weren't already in a league by that point. I think UCF or Houston is much, much less likely, but possible as "junior" members just to get to 14.

#1. No way Missouri leaves the SEC for the B1G. It would be a step down now. #2. If the SEC decides to expand, they will take whomever they want, except perhaps Texas, who doesn't seem to want to play nicely with anyone. I would expect UVa and UNC in the SEC before the B1G. I could see FSU there too, in spite of UF's objections. No reason to have 2 Mississippi teams and not 2 Florida teams.

 

[hthusky74]

#1. No way Missouri leaves the SEC for the B1G. It would be a step down now. #2. If the SEC decides to expand, they will take whomever they want, except perhaps Texas, who doesn't seem to want to play nicely with anyone. I would expect UVa and UNC in the SEC before the B1G. I could see FSU there too, in spite of UF's objections. No reason to have 2 Mississippi teams and not 2 Florida teams.

No way I see UVA in the SEC. They bring them nothing. UNC brings basketball, but not much else. FSU would be the best fit, but Florida will block that if they can.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Missouri would leave because it would rather be affiliated with some of the best universities in the country, especially when those universities make more money on and off the field.

There are two leagues that are untouchable, the Big 10 and Pac 12, The ACC and Big 12 have their GOR, so they are pretty safe. The SEC doesn't think anyone would ever want to leave, and for the most part, they are right. That said, Missouri pined for the Big 10 for years before they joined the SEC, and I don't imagine their preference has changed now.

 

[B1GALUM]

Missouri would leave because it would rather be affiliated with some of the best universities in the country, especially when those universities make more money on and off the field.

There are two leagues that are untouchable, the Big 10 and Pac 12, The ACC and Big 12 have their GOR, so they are pretty safe. The SEC doesn't think anyone would ever want to leave, and for the most part, they are right. That said, Missouri pined for the Big 10 for years before they joined the SEC, and I don't imagine their preference has changed now.

Their (Missouri) preference may not have changed; however, has the Big Ten's preference changed either?
We know that back in 2011 the Big Ten was Missouri's top choice for conference affiliation; however, as one Missouri official put it at that time the Big Ten "has no interest".
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/s...-hope-join-sec-had-wanted-big-ten-invite-most
So, the question is still not so much what Missouri prefers rather it is still what does the Big Ten prefer moving forward with expansion.
Is there any reason to believe that the Big Ten wants Missouri as a member now when it did not two years ago?

 

[mushroomgod]

Their (Missouri) preference may not have changed; however, has the Big Ten's preference changed either?
We know that back in 2011 the Big Ten was Missouri's top choice for conference affiliation; however, as one Missouri official put it at that time the Big Ten "has no interest".
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/s...-hope-join-sec-had-wanted-big-ten-invite-most
So, the question is still not so much what Missouri prefers rather it is still what does the Big Ten prefer moving forward with expansion.
Is there any reason to believe that the Big Ten wants Missouri as a member now when it did not two years ago?

I think I agree with the poster above who said the only way U Conn gets into the Big 10 is with Missouri....but I also think the only way the Big 10 expands in the next two years is with U Conn and Missouri....

No doubt Delaney was looking at Virginia as his first choice. There was also a lot of talk about GT and even UNC. So what has dramatically changed in the last 2 years is the execution of the GOR agreements by the ACC and Big 12. The Big 10's southeast strategy has gone out the window, for at least the nest 10 years, unless one or more ACC teams is up to challenging not only the exit fee but also the GORs.

Looking back to when Neb. was added, Mo was probably the 2md choice at the time....they lost out when NEB became available....then they joined the SEC and the BIG Ten lured MD.......

So if the Big 10 REALLY wants to expand within the next 2 years, MO may be a requirement. KU or OK would involve breaking a GOR....Conn and KU wouldn't have enough football moxey anyway. OK would bring academic and culture issues. TX doesdn't want to move, nor does UNC.

So the Big Ten could afford to pee all over MO two years ago, but might have to kiss up to them at this point.....as others have suggested, that would be a tough sale for Mo's sports fans and t-shirt backers.........

Obviously the situation changes dramatically if the Big Ten decides to wait 10 years for the GORs to run out......but tjhere have been a lot of indicatikons they would much prefer to move before tjhe current TV contracts expire.....

 

[Fishy]

The Big Ten's problem, at least in terms of expansion, is a lack of warm bodies.

Missouri was snubbed pretty hard by the Big Ten the last time around and they really do not need the Big Ten this time around. And have the conditions that caused the Big Ten to reject Mizzou in the past changed so much that they're now a candidate?

The ACC has a grant of rights, but beyond that, it's pretty clear that Virginia and probably North Carolina have rejected the Big Ten and opted to stay in a generally southern conference.

Then there is UConn - we have no obvious partner to enter with and, oh by the way, we have the worst football team in DI. We're in a conference with a bunch of schools with more parking spaces than books and they're drubbing us weekly.

If someone puts a gun to your head and asks you to make a prediction, if you don't say conference realignment has gone into deep hibernation, you do not have enough regard for the well-being of your head.

 

[BoatShow]

People in MO are being gifted a World Series do they really need to be the Belle of the CR ball too!!?

 

[TruDomGopher]

As I indicated in my previous post, I think UConn will ultimately be in the B1G. (In fact, you may remember that the administration at Rutgers knew way before the official announcement that they would get a B1G invite when a suitable partner was found. UConn may already be in the same situation.)

The bad news, as I see it, is UConn is going to be waiting awhile. A long while. The major conferences are much, much more stable than expansionist junkies seem to think. With the GOR's in place, all the more so.

IMHO, Missouri is not happening. B1G didn't want them. B1G didn't want them again. Don't know why exactly, but I'll bet the B1G still doesn't them and now I'm sure the feeling is mostly mutual especially since MO thought they were falling onto concrete and hit a feather bed instead. The most likely SEC candidate in my opinion is Vandy and, frankly, that's the longest of long shots and probably not happening. My guess is that nothing's happening until the GORs near expiration, or maybe if Texas goes slightly more insane and starts shopping again, or maybe if the Holy Mother appears on the 50 yard line during a Notre Dame game and gives the Irish a directive from heaven. I think the B1G really does want to see how the Rutgers/Maryland integration plays out. I don't think the B1G is ready to try a "grow a program" at this point.

Unless some Black Swan swims into the picture, like a Canadian school or John Hopkins running a full slate of D-1 sports or Amherst suddenly getting sports mania, I think UConn has to make the best of the wait and do all the right things in the interim.

Down the road, I could see B1G putting the full court press on Virginia or Kansas, but that's a long way off at this point.

 

[mushroomgod]

As I indicated in my previous post, I think UConn will ultimately be in the B1G. (In fact, you may remember that the administration at Rutgers knew way before the official announcement that they would get a B1G invite when a suitable partner was found. UConn may already be in the same situation.)

The bad news, as I see it, is UConn is going to be waiting awhile. A long while. The major conferences are much, much more stable than expansionist junkies seem to think. With the GOR's in place, all the more so.

IMHO, Missouri is not happening. B1G didn't want them. B1G didn't want them again. Don't know why exactly, but I'll bet the B1G still doesn't them and now I'm sure the feeling is mostly mutual especially since MO thought they were falling onto concrete and hit a feather bed instead. The most likely SEC candidate in my opinion is Vandy and, frankly, that's the longest of long shots and probably not happening. My guess is that nothing's happening until the GORs near expiration, or maybe if Texas goes slightly more insane and starts shopping again, or maybe if the Holy Mother appears on the 50 yard line during a Notre Dame game and gives the Irish a directive from heaven. I think the B1G really does want to see how the Rutgers/Maryland integration plays out. I don't think the B1G is ready to try a "grow a program" at this point.

Unless some Black Swan swims into the picture, like a Canadian school or John Hopkins running a full slate of D-1 sports or Amherst suddenly getting sports mania, I think UConn has to make the best of the wait and do all the right things in the interim.

Down the road, I could see B1G putting the full court press on Virginia or Kansas, but that's a long way off at this point.

I would agree with all this, except it really doesn't square with the recent comments by Glass, the comments by UM's AD a couple months ago, and the report before that by CBS' Dodd....all to the effect that expansion is very much still on the table....as well as the '16 tv contract negotiations, which is driving the timeline to get to 16 schools....it sure SEEMS that they're putting a lot of thought and energy into this issue. It could be that they are "inviting" a school/schools from the ACC/Big 12 to challenge the GORs, but I don't see that happening, at least in the present timeframe. So it's hard to see what is really going on.............

 

[TruDomGopher]

mushroomgod, I hear what you're saying. I'm just Joe Blow speculating and I don't know anything. But I enjoy the speculating. Having said that...all the different people commenting may not be talking about the exact same thing. My guess and operating assumption is this: The Demigods of TV (and some influential college peeps) want FOUR power conferences. That leads to a nice, neat playoff picture and ka-ching, ka-ching. However, to accomplish that goal, one of the P5 has to go down and as a practical reality, that's very, very hard to do. College sports is built on tradition. Just because TV wants it, just because a school wants it, just because there's lots of dollars involved, doesn't mean it will happen. Administrators can't just ignore the alumni base and their state politics. However, unless and until we get to four power conferences, expansion is always going to be an ongoing issue.

That's a completely separate view of expansion from, say, expanding the B1G to 16 prior to the contract negotiations. That may ultimately work into a larger picture, but for now and for the B1G it's a question of "who can we add?" and "do they bring enough to the table either now or in the future?" With the GOR's in place, it's tough to see any adds that make financial sense. UConn's on the bubble, financially (Frank the Tank's got some great stuff on this, BTW) and would need a partner that's at least on the bubble.

In order to gain the financial traction necessary to justify an expansion in time for the 16 TV contract, it would have to be both big and doable--like Texas really having an out of the GOR. Depending on the Lonestar Network work around, that would add the whole state of Texas to the B1G and that would be enough to get both the networks and B1G presidents salivating.

And UConn would be SOL, because Texas would bring their dance partner, AAU or not.

I think the landscape is what it is for awhile. I don't think the B1G is going to add UConn and say, Buffalo, just because they can and it makes a nice even number. I think the B1G wants to grab market; I just don't think there's anyone viable. They'll wait out the GOR's. I may be wrong, but if they were going to 16 in time for the tv contract, they'd have announced it by now. Or it would have to be a couple of the "white whale" schools that will alter the landscape irrevocably, make the B1G Network a truly national network, and give the B1G a license to print money--like they don't have one already.

Realistically, I think if UConn is going to have a future in the B1G, it depends mightily on the relative stability of the P5. It's possible--not likely IMHO, but possible--that TV might be deep pocketed enough to buy out one school, Kansas say, to get the B1G to 16 with this contract. The Big 12 could backfill east, solving some of WVU's isolation and travel woes. Anything's possible, but I think the ultimate TV exec dream is P4 and playoff, not P5, and I just don't see that happening anytime soon. Expansion will be an ongoing dynamic and the rumor mill will continue to churn, whether it involves a couple of available spots in the B1G or going to P4.

(With my luck, they'll announce the major realignment of all conferences Monday. I probably should have checked with the Dude of WV or Tuxedo Yoda before I wrote this post.)

 

[B1GALUM]

The Big Ten's problem, at least in terms of expansion, is a lack of warm bodies.

Missouri was snubbed pretty hard by the Big Ten the last time around and they really do not need the Big Ten this time around. And have the conditions that caused the Big Ten to reject Mizzou in the past changed so much that they're now a candidate?

The ACC has a grant of rights, but beyond that, it's pretty clear that Virginia and probably North Carolina have rejected the Big Ten and opted to stay in a generally southern conference.

Then there is UConn - we have no obvious partner to enter with and, oh by the way, we have the worst football team in DI. We're in a conference with a bunch of schools with more parking spaces than books and they're drubbing us weekly.

If someone puts a gun to your head and asks you to make a prediction, if you don't say conference realignment has gone into deep hibernation, you do not have enough regard for the well-being of your head.

Agree with Fishy.

A few additional thoughts ...

The powers that be in the B1G and BTN, when discussing expansion of the conference, have continued to focus on the East coast even after the ACC GOR. Granted this in relation to welcoming Maryland and Rutgers to the B1G and bringing the B1G, as a 14 member league, to the East coast. However, the focus remains building a presence in the East coast.

Comments from ESPN's Adam Rittenberg after the ACC GOR ...
There are potentially attractive candidates in other regions like Missouri, but adding a member from anywhere other than the East Coast doesn't seem to click with Delany's bi-regional vision. The Big Ten is in the process of looking for a space for an East Coast office, most likely in New York. Delany noted Wednesday that the Big Ten has 1.2 million alumni living between Northern Virginia and New York. http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/76834/expansion-not-dead-but-not-b1gs-priority

Comments from Delany after the ACC GOR ...
"I can't speak for others, but we've been focused on making a home in a new region, making new members feel at home in this region," Delany said. "Everything we'll do competitively and in television and in bowls is to bring, as quickly as we can, a level of comfort. The Eastern corridor is ... the richest corridor in the world from the standpoint of financial institutions, political institutions, media institutions, and we're new to it. So if we can build relationships, make friends and be impactful and relevant over time, that's the goal.
"We're not going to be changing the world, but we are looking forward to doing everything we can to build a presence in that place."
http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/76834/expansion-not-dead-but-not-b1gs-priority

I think for the time being the powers that be in the B1G and BTN believe this presence can be achieved by bringing Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Nebraska football and Indiana, Michigan State basketball to the region by way of Maryland and Rutgers. Of course, all of you have and can continue to better articulate than me how achieving a significant presence in New York and New England without additional universities from these areas will be a challenge especially with basketball given the new ACC line up and continued presence of the Big East.

I think further westward expansion of the B1G only occurs if Texas decides to join the B1G or possibly a Kansas/Oklahoma combination but GOR issues and ties with other schools in Texas/KSU/OSU make this difficult.
Despite the ACC GOR, it seems to me that the B1G is still focused on the East coast and that if and when further B1G expansion occurs, although likely not soon, universities in the East will remain a target. The casual B1G fan will clamor for a football add but, I suspect for Delany, Silverman and the B1G presidents, universities that provide academic excellence, commitment to research, population, and opportunities for other programming such as basketball, hockey and lacrosse will take precedent.

 

[billybud]

Rutgers, if they continue along the line of their 49-14 pasting by Houston, may not be much of a draw for Big Ten fans...How many Ohio State or Michigan fans will spend money to travel to watch their team pound Rutgers versus travel to a Ohio State-Michigan Match..or Penn State-Ohio State, etc?

 

[billybud]

UConn still looks like a likely target for Big Ten expansion.....I do not see an ACC program going to the B1G.

But either UConn, Maryland, or Rutgers or all three need to raise their football programs...

 

[uconnfan68]

No way I see UVA in the SEC. They bring them nothing. UNC brings basketball, but not much else. FSU would be the best fit, but Florida will block that if they can.

They bring the same thing they do to the B1G, a state flagship university, just like most of the other schools in the SEC (UGA, Alabama, Mississippi, LSU, UF, UT, UK, Arkansas, USC). They are also in the geographic range of the SEC much more so than the B1G.

 

[B1GALUM]

Rutgers, if they continue along the line of their 49-14 pasting by Houston, may not be much of a draw for Big Ten fans...How many Ohio State or Michigan fans will spend money to travel to watch their team pound Rutgers versus travel to a Ohio State-Michigan Match..or Penn State-Ohio State, etc?

I think the thought of Delany et al is not so much that Big Ten fans will travel from the states of Michigan or Ohio to watch their respective team against Maryland and Rutgers; rather it is that the Michigan and Ohio State alumni who already reside near Maryland and Rutgers will be drawn to the game.

 

[woomba]

There's enough local interest of Big Ten alums in NYC and DC to make the attendance figures work out - similar to how the current lower tier schools work out right now.

The only thing that will shake up expansion short term is if the Big 12 decides to expand to 12 but I doubt it happens. The Big 12 is most unstable out of the P5 and that's a mixed blessing for the Big Ten in that I do think that if the Big Ten pushed strongly it can shake off a few schools but the Big Ten would much rather take ACC schools over expanding Southwest (unless Texas joins, but probably not realistic)...and the ACC has proven to be more stable than expected.

 

[CL82]

The only thing that CR has taught me is that it is entirely unpredictable from here in the cheap seats. So if the consensus on the board is that the CR landscape has settled down..... change is coming.

 

[ctchamps]

The only thing that CR has taught me is that it is entirely unpredictable from here in the cheap seats. So I the consensus on the board is that landscape has settled down..... change is coming.

You obviously don't have a gun to your head partner!

 

[Gfunk]

As I indicated in my previous post, I think UConn will ultimately be in the B1G. (In fact, you may remember that the administration at Rutgers knew way before the official announcement that they would get a B1G invite when a suitable partner was found. UConn may already be in the same situation.)

The bad news, as I see it, is UConn is going to be waiting awhile. A long while. The major conferences are much, much more stable than expansionist junkies seem to think. With the GOR's in place, all the more so.

IMHO, Missouri is not happening. B1G didn't want them. B1G didn't want them again. Don't know why exactly, but I'll bet the B1G still doesn't them and now I'm sure the feeling is mostly mutual especially since MO thought they were falling onto concrete and hit a feather bed instead. The most likely SEC candidate in my opinion is Vandy and, frankly, that's the longest of long shots and probably not happening. My guess is that nothing's happening until the GORs near expiration, or maybe if Texas goes slightly more insane and starts shopping again, or maybe if the Holy Mother appears on the 50 yard line during a Notre Dame game and gives the Irish a directive from heaven. I think the B1G really does want to see how the Rutgers/Maryland integration plays out. I don't think the B1G is ready to try a "grow a program" at this point.

Unless some Black Swan swims into the picture, like a Canadian school or John Hopkins running a full slate of D-1 sports or Amherst suddenly getting sports mania, I think UConn has to make the best of the wait and do all the right things in the interim.

Down the road, I could see B1G putting the full court press on Virginia or Kansas, but that's a long way off at this point.

Ski-U-Mah,

Those Black Swans you highlight are mostly unrealistic, but maybe JHU going d1 over many years in an array of sports. However, JHU would never aim for FBS.

These fantasies of adding Canadian universities are incredibly overstated on these boards, you are not alone. You should know your puck history - premier Canadian preps almost exclusively avoid CIS, so many better options: including going south and playing at American universities & minor leagues based in the US that are comparable or better than junior leagues. Most major CIS schools offer limited or no athletic scholarships, attendance is very low, esp for football, and last, but not least & absolutely crucial: there are plenty of FCS schools in the US that would cry foul if suddenly Canadian schools were upgraded to FBS status due to money grabbing, international media expansions. If CIS was interested in D1 level athletics, they would have made the necessary changes by now. As it stands now, there are at least 50 too many FBS schools & there are FCS schools with aims of going up, which is ridiculous. Please don't counter with the Simon Fraser argument - they play at the d2 or d3 level - a different animal.

 

[Gfunk]

They bring the same thing they do to the B1G, a state flagship university, just like most of the other schools in the SEC (UGA, Alabama, Mississippi, LSU, UF, UT, UK, Arkansas, USC). They are also in the geographic range of the SEC much more so than the B1G.

They also have a balance of strong sports traditions - around 20 NCAA titles. Let's also be honest here, Va has pretty damn good hs football & basketball. Why VPI nor UVa have yet to capitalize on this fact is beyond me.

 

[SouthronCross]

#1. No way Missouri leaves the SEC for the B1G. It would be a step down now. #2. If the SEC decides to expand, they will take whomever they want, except perhaps Texas, who doesn't seem to want to play nicely with anyone. I would expect UVa and UNC in the SEC before the B1G. I could see FSU there too, in spite of UF's objections. No reason to have 2 Mississippi teams and not 2 Florida teams.

UNC might go to the SEC, if the ACC ever imploded. Which it won't for the life of the GOR, at least. The UNC Board of Governors might allow it, but, the NC General Assembly is not going to let UNC go anywhere without finding NC State a soft landing spot first.

Of course, the UNC administration might opt for the B1G, but, they'd face a backlash from the fanbase like they'd never seen in the history of the University.

While UVA fans might like the idea of the SEC, the UVA administration does not. They'd go to the B1G without a second thought.