TBGKon

A&M could go down tomorrow?

I can tell you one thing. The Big XII is gonna talk with all the teams, and they're going to say "Whatever the cost, T A&M cannot win the conference." That would just be the ultimate insult to injury.

Nebraska went to the Big 12 title game last fall, so not ike that can't happen

How can a great conference like the Big XII fall apart so epically.

While the conference's roots are tenured (Big 8 and SWC), but the Big 12 in it's current form is only 15 years old.

A 16-conference can work if you treat it like 2 small conferences with an association crossover.

Each 8-team division would play the other teams in division plus one or two rotating (or permanent) opponents from the other one. The other three games would be non-conference. Division winner would meet in the title game and go from there.

Wrote this in the TAMU peacing thread.

Well I think this will set off a firestorm leading to the end of Big XII football altogether. Texas is destined for Independence, Pac 12 wants 16, the Oklahoma schools and Kansas schools make sense to go there. Baylor, Mizzou, Tech and Iowa State will find homes no doubt about it. Unless the are really serious about SMU, Houston, etc and I doubt BYU would leave being independent, I think the end is near. Of course I don't know all the paperwork logistics, but to me I think it's only a matter of time.

This is for sure the first HUGE domino to fall. Next up is who the SEC targets for # 14 (or more). Then who the Big 12 targets for replacement (if any).

Just invite Rice, Houston and SMU. SWC reunion, and it gets the conference membership back up to twelve.

Those schools are way too small and have way too little fan support to be in a BCS conference.

Both of the schools you bolded have larger enrollment than Wake Forest and Vanderbilt.

One could say the same about Baylor. How did they get into the Big XII and not Houston or Rice (SMU I could understand)? Baylor's football program was the laughing stock of the Big XII up until a couple of years ago, and they weren't exactly setting the world on fire in (men's) basketball either.

Yes, but they're losing A&M. There are bigger fish in the pond (BYU, Notre Dame?) for the Big 12 to target first before your list.

I actually would not mind getting one of those.

If you're going to buy fakes, at least get the fake that was based off of the real thing.

In response to jkrdevil's post above, I think your on the right track, but here's what I see going down:

You SEC and my SEC would be the same, as well as some kinda of merger of the remaining ACC (all sports) & Big East (football schools). This way for NCAA purposes in the b-ball tourney, the basketball Big East keeps its auto qualifier and the new Atlantic East takes the ACC's auto qualifier slot.

As for who goes where:

- That's my ideal SEC as well

- I think ND and Texas have lucrative enough deals that staying/going indy is the best plan.

- Rather than the B10 going south, I see them going towards Rutgers (NY market) and some combo of Maryland/Virginia (DC market), Pitt (seems to fit with the rest of the B10), or Iowa State (just so they're not on an island). Syracuse was a thought here, until I realized that as of 2011 they are no longer in the Association of American Universities.

- The Oklahoma and Kansas quartet going to the Pac is good too. I always had the Okla. pair going west, but the Kansas pair makes sense too.

- Whatevers left of the ACC and Big East becomes the Atlantic East (or something different. This way for NCAA purposes in the b-ball tourney, the basketball Big East breaks off and keeps its auto qualifier and the new Atlantic East takes the ACC's auto qualifier slot.

- The remainders I see are Texas Tech and Baylor. Either they can side for Atlantic East since TCU is Big East in 2012, or can go to CUSA.

No waybig ten goes non-bcs. They'll hit Kansas, k-state, Maryland, rutgers, baylor, Texas tech, iowa state or not expand before they go non-bcs.

For sure, there is a big list of teams for the B10 before the reach for non-BCS.

If TAMU bails on the big 12 for the SEC, where does that leave some of the other schools? Texas I would assume would go independent, and with their resources including their own network, they could do that very easily. But where does that leave Oklahoma, and to a lesser extent, Texas Tech?

Oklahoma would probably be invited to the SEC. If they decline Mizzou may get it. Assuming that for a moment, I'd see OU, Ok ST and probably Tech trying go out to the PAC 12 like before. KU, K-State and Iowa St? Don't know. Probably would have to hope for mercy from the B10 or Big East otherwise maybe settle for MWC, which would bump up that conference but lower those schools.

I can't seem to find a link, but there's talk that when aTm bolts for the SEC that KU, K State and Mizzou are hopping a train to the Big East.

Strange, but definitely possible.

I almost forgot the Big Unit was a Giant to close out his career.

Teddy Purcell, Nate Thompson, Steven Stamkos, Mike Smith after batting practice with Rays.

It happens.

If I remember, Smitty hit a homer during BP. Here's a shot of Stamkos taking some hacks:

I can't help but wonder if the NHL shouldn't take the NBA approach a bit and look to "alternative" markets. Instead of being #3 or #4 in a big market that just doesn't care that much because they have other options (and their sports hearts are already taken), head to the Portlands and Salt Lakes and San Antonios of the world, where you're the big dog. I'm not saying those cities specifically, just using them as examples. There are plenty of cities with metro areas of around a million where the NFL and even NBA don't have teams. If you're the only professional winter sport in town, I think you stand a better chance than in a place where teams from the 3 more popular sports are already entrenched.

It makes sense to me to be the big dog for a million people, rather than the small fish for four million.

I can concur that going the route of finding markets where hockey is popular and doesnt have that much competition in the market. Winnipeg is the perfect example for this theory.

Another thing to consider is common ownership. If there's NBA owners out there that operate their arenas looking for more booking dates.

Back in the day I would legitimately purchase jerseys until I bought a Takeo Spikes jersey which fell apart after 2 washes. I vowed to never get burned like that again. The fakes I buy look almost as good, sometimes better, cost less, and none have fallen apart like the replica I bought.

I'd love to know how you washed it because I have NFL replicas that still look decent after many years of washing/drying.

The key is to not place them in the dryer.

Well according the Winnipeg team will be playing in the Eastern Conference for the upcoming season. This despite the fact that the closest team to them in the conference (Toronto) is just under 1000 miles away.

Under that scenairo, I'd move Winnipeg into the Northeast, put Boston in the Atlantic, and move Pittsburgh to the Southeast.

If they're in the same division as Florida and Tampa Bay, that is going to be a brutal road schedule for them.

As of now, its just temporary for the upcoming season. The NHL has probably already given their teams a schedule to work around other events for the next year.

Chase Utley, minutes ago, fresh off hitting a HR for the Single A Clearwater Threshers in a rehab start. Roy Oswalt and Carlos Ruiz were here too, trying to find pics of them:

Jim Thome - Clearwater Threshers

I had also thought the rumor was that the Big XII didnt want any more Texas teams either...

The Big East meetings start on Tuesday

Will Villanova and/or TCU be extended invitations?

Villanova already has been:

http://www.ncaa.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/110210aac.html

1. Philly will actually have a solid FBS program (they'll have priority for the Linc, so where will Temple go?)

2. I hope they get to play Notre Dame and Boston College every season...the Catholic Cup deserves to remain!

Temple will stay at the Linc, and Villanova will play at the Philadelphia Union Stadium (for awhile anyway)

Being the resident USF fan, and from other sources I follow, the candidates seem to be:

- TCU

- Central Fla

- Villanova

- Houston

- Memphis

- E Carolina

There's also a scattering of Mizzou/Kansas/BC/Maryland, but not sure if the Big East has the ower to sway current BCS auot qualifying schools.

TCU best be target #1. Outside of that I could really care less. Most of my fellow USF fans think UCF is a mistake and will hurt us, but I dont think we can argue that unless it actually happens.

With the Big12 going to 10 teams (and losing their CCG), I wouldn't be surprised to see Jerry World in Dallas extend an invitation to the Pac 12.

Yeah right, only if a Texas based team were in the Pac 12...

The new Pac-12 to unveil division format next week. It looks to be a North/South split.

NORTH

California

Oregon

Oregon State

Stanford

Washington

Washington State

SOUTH

Arizona

Arizona State

Colorado

USC

UCLA

Utah

In the end, the Pac 12 went with the most obvious option. Now on to site selection for their championship game.

The divisional format and site for the title game are items two and three in terms of importance. when the school presidents/chancellors meet next week the biggest issue they have to discuss and agree to is about how revenues are going to be shared. Voting to switch from an appearance-based model that favors USC and UCLA to an equal-distribution model is more important.

Keep in mind yesterday, the City of Pasadena approved $152M renovation of the Rose Bowl. It will expand club seats from 550 to 2,500. It would also widen up to 12 access tunnels at the end zones, double the number of concession stands and increase restrooms.

Plans for Rose Bowl Renovations

Very true about the Rose Bowl, but I would think they avoid that as a host site, due to the fact that a Pac 12 champion would likely return to the Rose Bowl for the actual Tournament of Roses in the same stadium about a month later. That and the fact that it's already a current Pac 12 team's home site.

In the end, the Pac 12 went with the most obvious option. Now on to site selection for their championship game.

3 places I can think of are Glendale, Denver and Seattle

I would also think San Diego, San Fran (Candlestick), and Vegas (albeit a tad small for a venue) could also have outside considerations.

The new Pac-12 to unveil division format next week. It looks to be a North/South split.

NORTH

California

Oregon

Oregon State

Stanford

Washington

Washington State

SOUTH

Arizona

Arizona State

Colorado

USC

UCLA

Utah

In the end, the Pac 12 went with the most obvious option. Now on to site selection for their championship game.

http://en.allexperts.com/q/College-Football-2792/ncaa-div-1-qualifications.htm

Aha, found some info on the subject of becoming D-1A/FBS football. The minimum average attendance for all home games looks to be 15,000:

"20.9.6.3 Football-Attendance Requirements. The institution annually shall average at least 15,000 in actual attendance for all home football games.

I understand Nova would play at the Union's PPL Park, but isn't there some kind of average attendance minmum that FBS schools have to meet? Thus, would playing in a sub-20,000 seat stadium be an issue?

I guess they could attempt to play neutral site home games close to the home of their visitors, ala Florida Atlantic playing a "home game" at Ford Field in Detroit agaisnt Michigan State this season.

C'mon, man. Of course they own their own IP. The issue is giving one company (EA Sports for Madden, Reebok for jerseys, etc.) exclusive licenses. Don't you think Madden would be better and/or cheaper if there was another company allowed to make NFL video games?

Agreed, I can recall back before the Reebok exclusive deal came into play, replica jersey store price was about $5, sometimes less. Then all of a sudden, Big Reebok goes exclusive and the same jersey that I bought the year before is now $70.

Please tell me something is wrong with this picture?