rams80

The Big East has already extended a standing invitation. I'd say feelings aren't too hurt.

Source?

The Maryland to B10 is done and was done before the B10 even expanded. The latest push involving the Terps is the Big East trying to get them to join and BC to re-join.

I'm pretty sure there are still enough bad feelings from BC bailing out that UConn at least would try to thwart a reunion.

Well they wouldn't be expanding just to reach markets, it is just one factor. In the case of Virginia Tech it is a program that has gotten to to the BCS Bowl games the last few years and and has a strong rabid traveling fan base.

Don't force me to throw up that aerial image of the Boston College-Virginia Tech ACC championship game.

Florida State and Texas A&M going to the SEC is getting more and more steam, according to Tomahawk Nation and Warchant.

TAMU is a done deal, will be announced August 22nd. FSU is being talked about and sources say they would accept, pending an offer. However, look out for Florida to veto that move.

I see Virginia Tech as a more likely candidate.

Florida alone doesn't get a veto. Florida needs to convince 3 other schools to say no. That said, assuming Virginia's legislature doesn't throw up roadblocks, Tech bailing on the ACC wouldn't be too surprising.

So...since rumors keep flying that Texas A&M is going to bail for the SEC with or without Oklahoma and the Pac-12 may yet have another raid on tap for the rump 12...

Over under on when the Big 12 just completely flies apart: 2013.

Thoughts? Comments? Debates?

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/sports/articles/2011/07/22/20110722phoenix-coyote-season-ticket-sales-up.html

I know it's old but it's worth noting if nothing else:

As of July 1, the team sold more than 1,000 new season tickets, putting them in the top five in the National Hockey League, Nealy said.

The Coyotes also saw more season-ticket renewals than ever, Nealy said.

The team reported that more than 90 percent of last year's season-ticket holders have renewed for the 2011-12 season, a franchise record.

Let me guess. Cardinal season ticket holders get an 85% discount on Coyotes tickets. And current season ticket holders merely had to check the "Please sir, I'd like some more" box to get free renewals.

Well, the WAC is striking again.

UT-Arlington

Football is not on the immediate table for UT-A.

I still have no idea why they don't just add Portland State. It's the largest university in Oregon, and it would give them enough football teams to have a legitimate conference.

Because Portland State doesn't want to go I-A?

Nearly every fan wants the wings in the east. Everyone is tired of playing the pacific division during the playoffs. Games starting at 10:30 terrible! The wings are on the eastern time zone! They need to be in the east.

Yeah! Think of all those scheduling losses!

That said... what about Grand Rapids? They'd obviously have to build a bigger arena, but they have a firmly entrenched fanbase for hockey (the Griffins are consistently in the top 5 for AHL attendance) and while the media market isn't huge, at #41 it's at least bigger than Buffalo and has that all-important "only game in town" factor going for them.

Oh God, it'd be the Grand Rapids Rampage all over again. *shudders*

How well are the Aeros supported? Always thought Houston should had been one of the first southern franchises of the southern migration.

At this point I think the ship has sailed for Houston. Going along with my "the NHL should avoid markets with established NBA teams" theory a NHL organization in Houston would have to compete with the Rockets for fans, ratings, merchandise sales, and corporate dollars.

Actually the Aeros were extremely well-supported when they were in Houston, more so than the Rockets, though the Rockets took a long time to get good. Even with their NBA Finals run in 1981, fans didn't start coming until the Hakeem and Ralph era of the mid-1980's. The main reason for the Aeros not merging with the NHL was the Molson Boycott by the Canadian cities like Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Quebec that were trying to get into the league. As a result, during the merger discussions it was revealed that those three cities would be included, as would another hockey team, instead of an earlier proposal that could've guaranteed those three cities, as well as Cincinnati, Hartford, and Houston all a spot at the table. When the folks with both leagues told the Aeros owner Kenneth Schnitzer the final team would be the New England/Hartford Whalers instead of the club in Houston, he basically told both leagues to go themselves and soon attendance plummeted with this news and he closed up shop the following year. He also tried to ask that the Aeros be put in as a pure expansion franchise or to relocate another failing club to Houston to replace the WHA Houston Aeros, but once again the NHL refused.

That's a great story.

The Aeros went belly up a year before the Molson boycott forced the issue.

*slow clap*

Well played Commissioner, well played.

U MAD ATLANTA?

If you're in Texas and you just started a football program, I'm pretty sure I-A is your eventual goal.

Historically Pittsburgh is more successful than Philly. Granted that predates the current ownership, but just throwing that out there.

I think all this complaining about mileage is stupid personally. I also think that a Minnesota-Chicago-Detroit-St. Louis-Nashville division might be the best division possible for destroying the love of hockey in Blues fans. Two teams that play ridiculously ugly hockey and two teams that will now always be able to reload on talent since Bill Wirtz is croaked. Any disputing this?

As I've pointed out, Columbus is within 500 miles (driving distance) of both Washington and Carolina, as well as other conference opponents in Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Toronto, and Philadelphia.

Nashville is within 500 miles (driving distance) of none of them.

And Nashville is more of a cultural fit in the Southeast than Columbus.

/What good is ease of travel when your fans don't travel anyway?

Meh I've never thought of it being a cultural fit. I've always thought of it as a locational fit. And Columbus clearly fits in better with the rest of the East.

/Columbus fits in better with Washington and arguably Raleigh anyways. What's Raleigh like culturally?

//Still thinks everyone's thinking of the Southeast Division as including Atlanta as far as Nashville fitting better...

Nashville is a geographically southeastern city. Columbus is a northern Midwestern town. Which makes more sense?

Plus as shown above, the overall and average mileage shows that Nashville makes more sense in the southeast division than Columbus does.

I wouldn't call Nashville a geographically southeastern city any more than I would call Columbus a geographically northeastern city.

Columbus is further East than Nashville. Nashville in the Western Conference, Columbus in the Eastern Conference.

OK, let's approach it from this tack since reason seems to have trouble registering here. I think the good people of Nashville are going to take more pleasure in watching the hometown team beat down their fellow Southerners in Raleigh, Miami, Tampa Bay, and Washington than some teams in Yankeeland. Conversely, the people of Columbus, who really, really would like to see the hometown team play Detroit a lot (among others). Does that make sense to you?

This is a professional league with a continent-wide footprint. Travel is really a tertiary concern, if that.

Seriously. You are proposing putting Ohio State's hometown in SEC-land. Does that really make sense?

As I've pointed out, Columbus is within 500 miles (driving distance) of both Washington and Carolina, as well as other conference opponents in Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Toronto, and Philadelphia.

Nashville is within 500 miles (driving distance) of none of them.

And Nashville is more of a cultural fit in the Southeast than Columbus.

/What good is ease of travel when your fans don't travel anyway?

The University of Massachusetts at Amherst will announce at a press conference at Gillette Stadium tomorrow that the school's football team will be moving to the NCCA Football Bowl Subdivision's Mid-American Conference in time for the 2012 season. With the move, UMass will shift all of its home football games from the on-campus Warren P. McGuirk Alumni Stadium to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

UMass football press conference will announce upgrade to FBS

3 questions: What is the commute like? Is the attendance going to be like "Temple in the Linc?" Is this a temporary move pending massive stadium building or not?

though I did move Ohio State and Michigan to seperate conferences

I'll be taking your next of kin information now.

Cincinnati Reds in the American League with Cleveland Indians (their in-state rival) and the Boston Red Sox? An absolute "no-no".

To be fair, Pennsylvania has two NL teams (in-state rivals, if you will) in real life.

Cincinnati will never switch leagues. They were the first team and will ways be in the NL.

Hmm. Maybe in that case Cincinnati and Charlotte can switch places. Or, if that's not good enough, move CIN to the NL North, STL to the NL south, and CHA to the AL South.

You're not seriously proposing splitting up the Cards and the Cubs, are you?

April 1 was the informal deadline date for the WAC to announce their next round of expansion. So far nothing for either football or basketball.

However, they are trying to get something (or so they say).

One last thought:

Multiple sources have told me that major college football officials across the country want the WAC to add teams from the Football Championship Subdivision.

Why? The more FBS teams ? there are 120 now, with UTSA and Texas State coming aboard and Villanova likely to join them ? the better the chances of filling 70 bowl slots.

Or they could...you know...shut down some of those money losing tuition sucking wastes of chamber of commerce time. I know this is blasphemy, but still...

How do you get text under your avatar other than member or moderator?

When you hit enough posts without getting banned, such privileges will come. I won't give you a number, lest you spam your way to it in under a month.

Let me get this straight,the big 12's new name is A)The Big 12 or B)other name

The Big 12 is the new name, narrowly beating out Texas and its 9 B!tches

Rumor I heard recently.

Big East adds:

-Houston

-UCF

-Villanova

C-USA adds:

-Louisiana Tech

-Temple

Just a rumor for now, but there it is.

Would the Big East also jettison some of the basketball only schools in this scenario?