rams80

Is there any possibility of doing football-only conferences, with the "traditional" conferences remaining for the other sports? I know it's highly unlikely, but these shifts pretty well ruin college basketball.

Pretty much every conference will be like the Big East. It'll change everything about college basketball.

Except these other Conferences won't have such things as "DePaul" or give an excessive-to-the-point-of-existential-threat amount of power to the Providences and Seton Halls of the world.

I haven't been keeping up with this over the past few weeks and to go back now and read this topic it's pretty surreal. There could be some huge changes next year. As a fan of an up and coming program it's definitely interesting to see how this all plays out and if there's potential for even more upward mobility.

Unfortunately, your up and coming program sacked its coach. (For decent reason, although things would not have come to a head had South Florida actually won big games in October for once) Past history indicates that up and coming programs who fire/force out coaches for stalling out over a couple of years tend to plummet back down into the nethers from whence they came. We like to call this the "Indiana Trajectory".

So the very latest rumors are that the Big Ten will also invite Syracuse, Rutgers, Notre Dame, and Maryland to join. Pierce the heavens, baby.

Presumably Missouri prays that Notre Dame remains stubbornly obstinate about their independence in this scenario.

Maryland, eh?

I wonder how the ACC would respond.

Presumably brokering a merger with the shell-shocked football survivors of the Big East after the SEC steals those ACC programs least concerned about the amount of cheating that goes on in conference (so no, Georgia Tech wouldn't be leaving).

So the very latest rumors are that the Big Ten will also invite Syracuse, Rutgers, Notre Dame, and Maryland to join. Pierce the heavens, baby.

Presumably Missouri prays that Notre Dame remains stubbornly obstinate about their independence in this scenario.

Nebraska first....

Mizzou and Texas next....

Colorado even?....

To put it lightly, the Big XII is :censored:ED.

I wonder where Baylor, ISU, Kansas, and Kansas State would do next if that happens?

The fate that awaits all good ronin.

Seppuku.

Can someone explain to me why NU leaving made Texas and texas A and M think that the big XII was completely over with? Why not invite Pitt, Rutgers, etc and carry on with 12? I know I am missing something.

Setting aside the fact Rutgers and Pitt don't make enough to afford routine flights to Texas with unbalanced revenue sharing...

Nebraska is still the Big XII North's flagship program. If the cornerstone of one division is pulling out, along with a couple other members, you aren't going to be able to adequately replace them. In that situation, it is every man for themselves.

And now reports are coming in on SportsCenter that the 6 proposed Pac 10 invitees are bailing. Goodbye Big XII.

Don't mess with Texas Dr. Tom.

Colorado: " Baylor, Texas (for a few days), the Big XII, Notre Dame preserving the peace, and Dan Hawkins (on general principle). We're goin to the Pacific Baby!"

Allegedly anyway. A mere 15 legislators can't compensate for a basketball program that is still more noteworthy for one player murdering another, a football team that flat out sucks historically as well as presently, the market size of Waco versus Denver, the comparative research and academic resources of small Baptist school versus large state university that is culturally "West Coast". And you know what's funny about non-revenue sports? They don't generate revenue and are therefore meaningless in the greater scheme of things.

Obligatory elephant-in-the-room question: If all these Big XII schools bolt for the Big Ten and Pac-10, what becomes of the schools that are left behind (Iowa State, Kansas, K-State etc.)? There's not enough of them to form a conference of their own, even if Notre Dame were to join them. Are they just SOL?

The Mountain West could poach survivors. Or Conference USA. Or maybe *hears snickering from Iowa* the MAC.

Surprised that ya'll arent all over this already but the Big XII just told Mizzu and the Huskers the Big Ten that they have till Friday or the 15th or crap, whenever to make up their mind if they will stay in the Big XII or not issue their own set of invitations.

Fixed.

Ultimatums from organizations that have hitherto been less than proactive about ensuring their own survival or addressing member concerns are rather empty.

The Big XII canceled their press conference last night. Since the meetings conclude this afternoon, last night had to be a dinner which Bebee told the presidents/chancellors, "are you in or out?" They are scheduled to speak this afternoon.

Missouri says maybe.

We all know the perfect match is Notre Dame, now whether Notre Dame and the Big 11 will ever put their egos aside is a whole different story. A couple things I wouldn't mind seeing. If the Big 11 does expand, then change the name to the Great Lakes Conference or something like that. I also think that maybe they should ditch a member and truley become the Big 10. The question is, which is the least valuble member? Minnesota? Northwestern? Maybe Illinois? I'm thinking money-making sports here.

I know someone posted about San Diego State joining the Pac 10. It will never happen. Vanderbilt has a better shot of becoming a member than does SDSU. San Diego isn't really a sports town, they don't support the Aztecs and the Aztecs are good in basketball and pathetic in football,and it's academic standards, I don't think are up there with Stanford and UCLA. There is nothing there attractive to the Pac 10 about SDSU. I can't figure San Diego out, it's like this black hole of sports.

Rule 1. The brand awareness of the Big Ten moniker trumps any renaming convention. Damn the math and all that.

Rule 2. The Big Ten isn't kicking anyone out.

Slightly off topic, but....

Pac 10 to eviscerate Big XII?

Personally, for all the grief the Oklahoma schools get about academics, I'd be more concerned about whether or not Texas Tech's reported accreditation problems would pass muster with the likes of Stanford.

Still...Dan Beebe might want to change his tune from "is everyone on the plane?" to "is anyone on the plane?"

I don't care what anyone else thinks... The MLB needs five teams per division.

my facebook my twitter

I don't disagree with this. Either expand or eliminate interleague play. Preferably, eliminate it, because it would suck to have a team in a tight race finish out the season in an interleague series as opposed to playing one of their rivals with whom they're fighting for a playoff spot.

EDIT: wait - your FB and Twitter links aren't part of your sig? You actually pasted them in your post?

It's a spammer.

Well, I'm going to have to say those three loathsome words I hate...

It's the Clippers.

Do you guys drop confetti after every win?

So there's a new wrinkle to the MSG renovation plans. They're going to add "bridge seating" that will be suspended from the ceiling to hold up to 1,000 more fans.

It's a great idea for almost any other arena, but it'll ruin the iconic "Fan Ceiling" that the Garden features.

Am I the only one who sees that ending disastrously?

That thing strikes me as a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Presumably every banner they've put up since the 1950s. It seems like for Kentucky it's a question of "when" rather than "if" regarding NCAA sanctions.

Rupp Arena - Home to the Greatest College in the NCAA.

I find it odd that there is no distinction to the National Championship banners.

It's like everything there is one equal accomplishment.

Why blow a lot of money on a fancy banner that the NCAA's going to take away from you later?

That thing strikes me as a lawsuit waiting to happen.

You know, maybe if the Big Ten adds a few more schools, they could choose a different name? I'm thinking the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives, which would recognize the academic side of things.

They will have to check with Murray Sperber to see if he has not already filed for that name as a trademark.

I'm sure he'd appreciate the irony. He was an English prof after all.

SeaDragon76 your theories would work if the Big 10 didn't Invite Mizzou, Nebraska, Rutgers, and Notre Dame. Rutgers will not decline a bid to the big 10 to join Conference USA. I think it would be cool to have the big 10 title game in Green Bay. I also think too many things happen at the rose bowl, why not Qwest, University of Phoenix or Qualcomm stadium.

That has been denied by multiple parties, including the "invited" schools and the Big Ten.

That has GOT to go down as one of the all-time best/funniest sports team names of all-time.

I agree that it's unique. Having been to some Beef games though, I think it's a good fit for the city when you consider that when Omaha was founded it was a major stockyard / meatpacking hub. All the ranchers from the west would bring their herds into town and then they'd ship the meat down the Missouri River.

I'm hearing a bunch of Boise State going to the MTN West rumors, too. Anyone else think so?

The Beef moniker was a tribute to the size of the linemen.

Boise State to the MWC is pretty much a done deal barring a lot of other spectacular raiding of the MWC going down.

Everything west of Minneapolis and St. Louis is a vast wasteland.

I'm sure the millions of people living in Kansas City, Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake, Austin, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, Oklahoma City and others would disagree with you on that. My point is that there is a "frontier" of schools around the Missouri River and then a small pocket of Utah-Colorado until you hit Washington-Oregon-California.

Millions of people live in Afghanistan too.

Regardless, the city of Lincoln is on a spending spree.

Pershing was a dump when my Dad went to grad school there back in the 1970s. This building is needed.

Well... Vandy, GT, and MD have all been mentioned by someone close to the situation, according to ESPN. They literally described it as "Think outside the box." Vandy could work. It's in Big Ten Country, and would be one of the lesser teams like NW and Illinois. It also brings them into the basketball discussion, which is why I think the Big Ten would rather have Syracuse before Rutgers.

West Virginia AND Virginia Tech both could work, and I think, would be ideal if they can't get Notre Dame. Geographically they work well, making a East and West conference, with a Division of Penn State, NY area team, VT, WV. East conference being the aforementioned teams + Ohio State, Michigan State, Indianan, and Illinois (Indy and Illi because it would break up Indy with Purdue and Illi from Northwestern).

As for OSU/Michigan. They will NOT be in the same division/conference. You would be crazy to think so. If they are smart, they will separate them so they have the possibility of OSU/Michigan for the Big Ten title and have National Title implications. It would NOT be smart to put them in the same division/conference. Since this is mainly a money-driven move, I don't think the Big Ten officials would be that naive to make that mistake.

There is no way the rivalry would be cheapened. Having a 2 game playoff, meeting in the regular season and then in the Big Ten Title game, extracting revenge or enforcing dominance. That is the Big Ten's dream.

Vanderbilt is NOT in Big Ten Country. Vanderbilt is in Nashville, Tennessee. Tennessee is NOT IN BIG TEN COUNTRY. Plus, I've been to a Wandy football game, and I seriously doubt the Big Ten will pull that team in to play Ohio State or Iowa every season. This realignment is all about football, and Vandy brings nothing to the table.

Ohio State and Michigan will be in the same division. I'm willing to bet a large amount of money on it. Look at the SEC's top rivalries: the Iron Bowl, the World's Largest Cocktail Party, Battle for the Golden Boot, etc. They all are intra-division.

It could easily be argued that Tennessee-Alabama and Georgia-Auburn are just as big. If you have a guaranteed out of division rival, additional rivalries can be preserved.

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.

Notre Dame considers joining any Conference to be beneath them, let alone joining up with the twice-gutted Big East football Conference. The Big East's AQ status is tenuous at best, and that could go away with the next batch of BCS contract negotiations.

Interestingly, the Big East football coaches have suggested the Big East offering Notre Dame a "join for football or you are completely gone" ultimatum, but the general thought process behind that move was that if Notre Dame's non-football sports are left homeless and feeling the fiscal pinch, Notre Dame would be more willing to join the Big Ten. This, in turn, theoretically slakes the Big Ten's hunger and they don't rip away a couple of Big East teams.

Also, assuming the Big East attempts to soldier on with football, it's likely they will rip more teams away from C-USA. Prime targets would be Memphis (Louisville is told to get bent), Central Florida (Likewise South Florida), and East Carolina. Telling Villanova and Georgetown to haul their football programs to I-A strikes me as a worst case scenario.