ESTONES6

There is a lot to be disagreed with when it comes to his analysis. He makes some decent points, nothing new or profound though. His default answer is either BIG 10 or SEC. My only issue is that he completely disregaurds the possibility of an Eastern/Atlantic Coast conference surviving. It is very possibly that the ACC and Big East can work together and form a super conference. I think an east coast conference could not just survive, but even do somewhat decent. If they can keep Viriginia, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Florida State, Miami, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Pitt, Syracuse, Louisville, and Cincinatti... Along with lesser schools like a UConn, NC State, or UCF/USF... If they can convince Notre Dame to become a full member... then they have a respectable, 14-16 school football conference. By no means would they be a power house, they would still likely be 4th or 5th on the list behind the BIG 10, SEC, and PAC... and possibly the Big XII, but they would have a large foot print and good competition. Not to mention, they would still be the premere basketball conference, especially if they can retain basketball schools like Marquette, Vilanova, St. John's, and Georgetown. If the ACC/Big East can work together for the mutual gain, they could end up leaving the Big XII on the outside looking in (instead of the other way around, as it currently appears). Besides... with the BIG 10 going to 14 in 2 years, and the much criticized new logo, curious to see how the G in B1G start to look more and more like a 6 instead of a 0?

I know. I just like to stir the pot. Virginia/Kansas State and Notre Dame. Then I consider the BI6 done. Virginia Tech & NC State to the SEC. Then the PAC, Big XII, and Big East/ACC can fight for the scraps.

I know. I just like to stir the pot. Virginia and Notre Dame. Then I consider the BI6 done. An East Division of Penn State, Maryland, Rutgers and Virginia.

I don't think Boston College. I think Notre Dame and mystery school X (which may actually have an X in the middle of its name).

Hehe, someone said something they weren't suppose to. Denial is usually the first sign.... Just saying. When this first started with the BIG 10, didn't they deny deny deny that they invited Nebraska, Notre Dame, Mizzou and Rutgers. Then a week later Nebraska "applied" for the Conference. The SEC said the same thing with Texas AM and Missouri. The SEC denied denied denied, then out of no where, Texas AM jumped from the Big XII and shortly thereafter, Mizzou jumped ship too. I'd be willing to bet that every school, at some point over the last 2+ years, has either been contacted by the SEC, PAC or BIG 10, or has tried contacting the SEC, PAC, or BIG 10 to get a feel for expansion and if they would be receptive to letting their school join.

Rutgers has made a significant investment in the football program, and its starting show. Next years recruiting class would put Rutgers 3rd in the BIG 10 behind Michigan and Ohio State. I believe they have 5 bowl wins since 2006. Sure they may not be one of the big five bowls, but its bowl wins, its bonus money. As someone already said... the BIG 10 is going for footprint. As has been talked about before; The BTN contract stipulates something like $0.30 on the dollar for every TV set in a state that does NOT contain a BIG 10 college. The BIG 10 gets something like $0.70 on the dollar for every TV watching the BTN with in a state that contains a school in the conference. It's not so much that Rutgers is a power house in the New York market... its that the BIG 10 has multiple schools with large fan bases, i.e. Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska, Penn State, Indiana, etc. and many of their schools have extensive alumni networks the plunge into the Atlantic Coast, like New York, New Jersey, Baltimore and Washington DC. A big part of it is not New York watching Rutgers, but New York watching Penn State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Michigan, etc. Its all about the dollars. Its always about the dollars. That's why the SEC has made it clear that the primary focus of their expansion is to new states that don't already have an SEC member college in them. That's why NC State and Virginia Tech make more sense than Clemson and Florida State.

I agree. I think those are the very logical next steps. VT and NC State to the SEC, Florida State and Clemson to the Big XII, Virginia and Mystery School X to the BIG 10.

I think Louisville and Cinci could be going to the Big XII. If conferences are going to minimum of 12, average of 14 (16), the Big XII is going to need more than just 10 teams to keep up with the revenue.

Kansas State is an AAU school with respectible basketball and football programs, in the contiguous footprint of the BIG 10, while being in a state that doesn't already have a school in that state. That's the criteria to join the BIG 10. Virginia also meets this criteria

The ACC won't impode, per say. It will be significantly weakened though. The Big East doesn't really have any football powers and the ACC is down to pretty much Miami, Florida State, and Clemson. We will be looking at the SEC, BIG 10, and PAC as the major confrerences with the Big XII and ACC/Big East as the second level... but that is assuming the BIG 10 and SEC are done expanding. With the BIG 10 going to 14, I don't think the SEC will want to sit back. I think the SEC will be the first conference to push to 16... with the BIG 10 shortly there after. Depending on how proactive the Big XII is, they could leave the PAC-12 out to dry as well. If the Big XII goes after Clemson, Georgia Tech, Miami and Florida State, the Big XII becomes a different beast. That pretty much means the PAC-12 will be left at 12 for good... unless they find value in Boise State and/or the service academies.

So the Big East is about... 3 days away from being dead? That means Cincinatti, Louisville, USF, UCF, SMU, and Houston are the only football worthy schools left in the Big East... and they are middle to bottome of the pack. I wouldn't be surprised to see Lousiville and Cincinatti get invites to the Big XII, in hopes to somehow form a halfway decent presence with West Virginia. Maryland joining the BIG 10 in 2014. I'm assuming some negotiation was made concerning the $50 million exit fee.

Your links/pics aren't showing up.

If you have the BIG 10 and SEC sitting at 14, with both conferences interested in 16, and the PAC sitting at 12 (actively looking at expension behind closed doors)... the Big XII might be able to say they are the 4th football conference, but they are hanging all their hopes on 2 concrete programs (Texas and Oklahoma) with a bunch of peaks and valleys like Kansas State, TCU, West Virginia, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State? Sure, having all those school in football makes for a somewhat stable conference. But if you are looking at all the conferences around you expanding and bringing in boat loads of money, you can't expect that these schools want to sit idly by. Its the dollars. Its always the dollars.

All depends on the Common Wealth of Virginia. They want VT and Virginia to stay in the same conference... and its up to the Common Wealth as to what conference/s those 2 schools join. Virginia is an AAU school, which the BIG 10 values just as much, if not more, than how many households the BTN gets in to. A school will not be considered for expansion unless they are a member of the AAU. If the BIG 10 is on board, I would be looking for Virginia to join the BIG 10 and VT and NC State to join the SEC.

Okay, so far. As George Costanza, once said, "Okay, now ya got greedy." Maybe the first four join, but there is NO WAY the Pac-12, 16, whatever will allow Boise State to join, and it is doubtful they would allow TCU to join. This after you just stated "the SEC has made it clear that their expansion will not include schools that are located in a state that already has a school in that State." Maybe you foresee that by that time, all bets are off and it's bedlam, but still... Bedlam. Exactly. The SEC wants footprint and new states, much the same way the BIG 10 is directing their expansion. However, if more and more schools start to fall change, I don't see the SEC using the State-mandate as the control. I think if the BIG 10 gets their 16, and the PAC-12 get 14 or even 16, the SEC isn't going to go after Cincinnatti and Pitt just to to increase their footprint, instead of taking better programs, with bigger followings in Clemson or Florida State. The PAC-12 isn't going to be the only 14 team conference in a 16 school super conferences. They will make a hard push at the Red River 4 (Texas, Tech, OK, and OK State). I think all but Texas would be on board for the move. I could see Texas trying to snub their nose and stay independent, but its going to be a lot harder in the new College Football landscape and the PAC-12 would be willing to make exceptions with the Longhorn Network. I think those 4 schools are more willing to join the PAC than then SEC. I think they feel they can compete/dominate in the PAC.

I didn't like them at first... but its something unique, its something different. In all honesty, they are division names that are temporary. The BIG 10 has a plan for 16, with 4 divisions of 4 teams. If that is their end game, then I think you will see a normal North, South, East, and West come to fruition. Let's face it, you can only do so much with alliteration. There is an interesting dynamic at play here. 16 seams to be the number these Conferences are looking at. 16 teams for 4 major conferences leaves a lot of teams out, that probably should be in a major conference. There would almost definitely be a 5th major conference, all thought it would be the bastard step child of the Big 4 - the 4th being either the Big XII or the ACC/Big East. I have a sneaking suspicion that 18 could be the number that does it. 18 colleges for basketball and football... the revenue generating sports, for 4 conferences. This would most certaintly render a Pacific Conference, a South/South East Conference, an Atlantic Conference and a Midwest/North East Conference. The left overs will be reduced to basketball only members (Marquette, Xavier, etc.). I should be getting home from work at a decent time tonight. I will try and post a 4 Conference BCS map with potential moves later tonight.

Thinking end game here: Phase 1 - Nebraska and Colorado leave the Big XII to join the BIG 10 and PAC-10, respectively. Utah leaves the WAC to join the PAC-10 to make the PAC-12 Phase 2 - Texas A&M, fed up with the catering to Texas, leaves the Big XII for the SEC. Mizzou, although favoring the BIG 10, does not receive and invite, thus joining the SEC. Pitt and Syracuse bolt from the Big East to the ACC. Phase 3 - Big XII on the verge of collapse, adds TCU (via the Big East) and West Virginia to bring their total up to 10. Phase 4 - The Big East, on the verge of collapse, adds Boise State, San Diego State, and Navy. Phase 4 - ND, still spruning the advances of the BIG 10, leaves the Big East to join the ACC for all sports, but maintaining their football Independance. Phase 5 - The BIG 10 pissed at ND, invited Maryland and Rutgers to the BIG 10, throwing the most traditionaly rich conference somepletely untraditional. __________ So what's next? The SEC has made it clear that their expansion will not include schools that are located in a state that already has a school in that State. So the SEC taps NC State on the shoulder. NC State accepts, wanting to get away from North Carolina. This leaves the SEC at 15. The Virginia Common Wealth will not allow Viriginia and VT to separate conferences, unless its for the BIG 10 and SEC. Virginia, being an AAU member, applies for acceptances into the BIG 10, with VT doing the same to the SEC. SEC accepts. BIG 10 accepts. With the writing on the walls, Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State leaves the Big XII to join the PAC-12, bringing the total to 16. The Big XII collapses in on itself. TCU and Boise State join the PAC-12 to bring the total to 18. The newly formed amalgamation of the ACC and The Big East, under the ACC name, pick up the scraps from the Big XII, Big East, and ACC. The BIG 10 invites Kansas and Kansas State, thuse bolstering their basketball more than their football clout, bringing the BIG 10, to 17 teams. Meanwhile, the SEC invites Florida State and Clemson, bringing their total to 18. The BIG 10 finally makes 1 last push at ND, advertising the ND is the last dominoe to fall in the massive College Football Realignment of the 2010's. ND accepts. PAC-18, the BI8 TEN, SEC and ACC are the only remaining conferences. The BCS ammends rules for the number of games that are allowed to be played in a season, thus allowing each conference to have a 4 team playoff within their conference, with the winner of each being Seated 1-4 for a 4 team playoff for the BCS Title.

ESPN reporting that Maryland Board of Regents has unamimously accepted the Big 10 invite. Many thought that Maryland would NOT unanimously accept, but rather have to rule based on the Majority. ESPN also reports that Rutgers could vote as early as tomorrow (Tuesday, Novemeber 20) to accept the Big 10's invite as well.

I think it's just... Dreadful Condensed (the sans serif version obviously). ZING!

looks like Serpentine, and just like Comic Sans, please don't use it. If you like it, use it. Don't let snobs hinder your design or creativity.

This is a custom font made by Nike specifically for Minnesota. I don't think it's available to the public. Anything similar? I wouldn't mind seeing something non-italicized. I just hate when block fonts or individual letter fonts are italicized. It just looks cheap to me.

With this new agreement between the PAC-12 and the B1G, it is almost playing in to the BCS's plans of never having a playoff. I think we are going to see more and more of this in the future. Some SEC's teams and B1G teams are starting to play each other, some B1G and Big XII teams are starting to play each other, SEC and Big XII teams are playing more and more of each other. With all the inter-conference games, it will be easier for the BCS to "calculate" or "determine" which teams are the best. If Michigan beats Alabama and Ohio State in the same year, and Alabama and Ohio state both have only 1 loss (to Michigan), it will be easier to justify their rankings. ...It can also cause more problems if Michigan beats Alabama who beats LSU who beats tOSU who beats Michigan. But in the end, the BCS has to be excited about this new development.

Oh to be young and naive.

Either of these:

Has anyone been able to identify the Boston Bruins block-style font? Its wonderful. (Forgive me for not posting a pic. I believe its been requested a few times and I don't want to keep posting the same pics over and over)