Seadragon76

The choice of the higher seed hosting the conference title game can work (Look at C-USA, who uses this model), but a Big 6 BCS conference using this model strikes me as odd. You're leaving a lot of money on the table if someone else could host the game.

I expected Texas State and UT-San Antonio to contact the WAC but Denver and Seattle as well? They're still looking at Montana but Montana hasn't made a presentation to them and is still weighing their options.

Montana would be a GREAT addition to the WAC, as would a school like North Dakota State to give them a natural travel partner.

True, but there's no way Montana goes without Montana State. If the Griz goes, then the Bobcats will follow.

As for Denver and Seattle: Both teams are looking for a home (In the case of the Redhawks, they're actually looking for a conference to call home) that is closer. Denver is the oddball western post of the Sun Belt right now. Moving to the WAC would be better for them and the WAC gets back into the Denver market that it would like to have.

For Seattle, they just need a home. The WCC (Which they are a former member) have already said no to the Redhawks (Seattle wants to be in the WCC because the members are similar to Seattle itself). Being in the WAC would give the Redhawks some decent regional rivals (Outside of OoC games with Washington, Washington State, Portland, etc) and a place to call home.

Also to note: Adding Denver and Seattle gives the WAC 10 teams overall with 8 for football with Texas State and UT-San Antonio. At this point, beggars can't be choosers.

Lastest rumor: The Big East Seriously Looking at TCU

I know the Big East is desperate for attention in Football, but I suggest you guys should just stick with trying to bring Villanova up, OK?

As for those who are possibly fearing the end of the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry...

...You can get off that ledge now.

As part of the division alignment announcement comes the 2011-2012 Big Ten Schedule. It works like this:

-5 Division Games

-1 Protected Rivalry Game (Matchups are as follows: Michigan-Ohio State, Nebraska-Penn State, Minnesota-Wisconsin, Michigan State-Indiana, Iowa-Purdue and Northwestern-Illinois)

-2 Crossover Games

Also of note: Michigan-Ohio State will be played on the final day of the regular season in both years, like it has been for many years.

Why not at this point? Ohio State-Michigan is already one of the greatest rivalries out there. Why not give it a primetime slot and let the world watch Michigan... stink it up again against Jim Tressel and the Bucks.

Now, things have gotten real... How real?

WAC Commish: You two traitors (Fresno State and Nevada) WILL pay the $5M penalty and wait until 2012 to join the MWC

Well, the WAC has already mentioned a few of the schools that MBurmy said as potential additions. Two more possible teams the WAC are looking at: Texas State-San Marcos and Texas-San Antonio (Both schools have ambitions to move into the FCS level).

This whole thing is really crazy, but I think it all started when Utah left for the Pac-12. With Utah gone, BYU went into 'Needy Little Brother' mode and decided to jump ship from the Mountain West. The WAC might still have sore feelings from the incident that lead to the creation of the Mountain West over 10 years ago, so having BYU join the WAC in everything but football might seem a little weird for a school that does have a football program (You see these moves more for schools that don't have football).

If the Big XII were smart they'd grab Boise State and TCU to replace Colorado and Nebraska.

I think it would be in their best interest to make a run at the two Utah schools, Utah and BYU. Both schools put a better product on the field year-in and year-out than any other school in the Big XII region, especially in both football AND men's hoops. Plus, BYU has a HUGE following. And can anybody name the last time Boise State or TCU even made the NCAA Tourney??

Um, hello! Boise made the Men's Tourny in 2008... I assume that everyone forgot about that since, you know, the football team is that much better.

In big news on the Big Ten front...

Nebraska is all but saying that they'll leave the Big 12 for the Big Ten

There is no school in the Cal State system which is even close to the academic standards which the Pac-10 demands.

None of this has anything to do with "academic standards." It has everything to do with exploiting fast kids for money.

You see, the admiral has the right idea. This whole notion of 'academic standards' is pretty much pointless and useless when going up against the idea of making more money.

Plus, in my theory, the Pac-10 would have the San Diego market all to itself. That's a large market out there that can be used to help launch a television network akin to the Big Ten Network. You have the biggest markets on the West Coast in the Pac-10 (Seattle, Portland, San Francisco-Oakland, Los Angeles, San Diego). Why not go after San Diego State and take that market all for yourself?

I really hope we don't go mega expansion. The Big Ten adds one and the Pac-10 adds two. That's it.

That's pretty much my theory as well. I know this would be better in that Reel-Line-Mint thread, but here me out...

In 2015, Notre Dame's contract with NBC expires and after 4 straight subpat seasons for the Irish, NBC decides not to renew the contract. This pretty much forces Notre Dame's hand and allows them to finally join the Big Ten, which retains it's name despite having 12 members (The Atlantic 10 also does this, but with 14 members). The division format goes like this:

East: Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue

West: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Northwestern, Wisconsin

The Big Ten also announces that it'll rotate the Big Ten Championship Game between Chicago's Soldier Field and Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium.

This means that four of the six BCS conferences now have 12 members. This leaves the Pac-10 and the Big East all by themselves, but they cannot resist the temptation of the money a conference championship game can bring. The Pac-10 makes it's move first. Of couse, any and all moves have to get past Stanford because of it's status as the education big fish in that pond. After some considertations, the Pac-10 decides to stay within it's Pacific Coast region and takes two California schools: Fresno State from the WAC and San Diego State from the Mountain West. The Pac-10's division format goes as follows:

North: California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, Washington, Washington State

South: Arizona, Arizona State, Fresno State, San Diego State, UCLA, USC

The Pac-10 announce that it'll host their championship game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA.

The Big East is in the biggest pickle because of the options it has to grow to 12 teams. There are three scenarios that appear in my theory:

Scenario 1: Get four of the non-football schools to start programs (Providence, Seton Hall, Marquette, Depaul)

Scenario 2: Get Army and Navy, then ask both Villanova and Georgetown to make the move to FBS football

Scenario 3: Get Army and Navy, take Temple back from the MAC and then add either Eastern Carolina or Central Florida to join.

Scenario 1 is the least probable of the three, not the mention the most expensive because you're asking four schools to start a FBS football program, which takes 2-3 years and lots of money to pull off. This one probably won't happen.

Scenario 2 has the Big East adding Army and Navy as associate members for football only. Then, they would ask both Villanova and Georgetown, both current Big East members in other sports, to make the move to FBS football. Again, this takes time and money for this to happen, even more so with Georgetown since they are currently in the Patriot League for FCS football and the Patriot League doesn't give out scholarships in that sport. This one won't happen either.

Scenario 3 starts like Scenario 2, but they also add Temple as a third associate member. Then they look at Conference USA and think about either East Carolina or Central Florida. Considering they already have USF as a member, UCF joins the Big East and the conference splits into these divisions:

North: Army, UConn, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple

South: Central Florida, Cincinnati, Louisville, Navy, South Florida, West Virginia

Now, as for the Non-BCS conferences:

-Mountain West stays at 8 schools

-MAC stays at 12 schools

-Conference USA adds Louisiana Tech from the WAC to replace Central Florida

-Sun Belt stays at 10 schools (Unless Arkanasas-Little Rock and Denver add football programs, but that isn't likely)

-WAC is in danger with 7 schools. They end up taking Sacramento State after they decide to move up after the school gets money to expand Hornet Stadium to reach FBS standards.

Again, this is all theory. None of this could happen or even all of it. Just take what I said with a grain of salt.

Welp, now I've done it; I've pissed off Omaha.

If you did... No one will care because they're too busy swooning over the UFL's Nighthawks.

What do you guys think about this? Assume NU and Mizzou stay put, and the Big XII adds Houston, TCU, Rice and North Texas. The new South Division would be the Texas schools (UT, A&M, TTU, Baylor, TCU, Houston, Rice, NTU) and the North Division would be the same (NU, CU, KU, KSU, MU, ISU) and they bump up Oklahoma and Ok State to the North.

Uh, no.

If you do that, you might as well spilt the two divisions and turn them into the old Big Eight and SWC once again. The North teams being the Big 8 and the South teams being the SWC.

To me, a 16 team superconference is very dangerous and there is a precidence of having a conference that large failing. Look at the WAC during the mid 90's. Half of the schools in this enlarged WAC weren't happy with things and they left. Those eight formed the Mountain West Conference while the WAC was struggling for a while before Boise State joined in 2001.

The way I see it, Notre Dame is the key to this arguement.

What I think might happen is Notre Dame saying no to the Big Ten (again) and actually jumping on board to be in the Big East. They're already members of the Big East in other sports, so to join the Big East for football makes logical sense.

One good thing out of this is the easier road towards a BCS bid for the Irish. Being in the Big Ten means playing and fighting off Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Michigan State, etc. I think that ND fans would rather beat up on Louisville, USF, and so forth and reach the BCS and the big bucks that way.

If Notre Dame says no the Big East, then they may have to force themselves into doing something that might not be good for the conference, like adding Army and Navy as football only members or even asking Villanova and Georgetown to move up to FBS level play.

What? No love for Iowa State here?

They have the AAU credentials the Big Ten wants. The Big Ten would also get the Des Moines media market as well plus natural rivalries with Minnesota and Iowa.

But, I can only dream and I'm sure there are other reason you buzzkills will come up with.

So from that list, here's a possible list of colleges for expansion

-Iowa State

-Rutgers

-Syracuse

-Pittsburgh

-Missouri

Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas is also on that list, but I feel it's too far west for the Big Ten. Chicago would also be nice, but they're Division III.

So, from that list where do they go? Do they stay with their Midwest roots and take either Iowa State or Missouri or do they try and grab a hold the eastern lands with Rutgers or Syracuse or even Pitt.

Is there any chance for a raster (raster means in works with Paint, right?) Aussie Rules templete made, so can I create the jersey for my WAFA team.