Division 1 College Conference Realignment

[illwauk]

Butler decided to skip on waiting

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/7984779/butler-bulldogs-move-atlantic-10-now-set-season

Butler will join the Atlantic 10 next season instead of waiting until 2013-14, the school announced Tuesday.

"We are grateful to the Atlantic 10 for welcoming us into the fold a year ahead of schedule," Bulldogs athletic director Barry Collier said in a statement. "Ultimately it was in our best interest to reach an agreement with the Horizon League for immediate departure."

"The unexpected circumstances that precipitated Butler's request to move immediately were unfortunate," A-10 commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade said in a statement, "but we will welcome Butler into the A-10 as a valuable new member."

I heard this is the Horizon League's new logo:

v2.0

[crashcarson15]

Yeah, the HL was going to bar Butler from postseason competition, so...

It'll be Oakland as member #10 though. I'd bet on it. They'll be the sixth baseball program, and UDM can't block them on their own now that they've lost their buddy in blocking OU.

Wouldn't be shocked at all to see the HL try to pick up IUPUI and IPFW as well to be honest. Keeps a strong Indiana presence.

[illwauk]

IIRC, the Horizon League requires basketball arenas to have a minimum capacity of 5,000. I think IUPUI and IPFW are both currently under that, and they still have Valpo. Oakland is probably a done deal, but I hope they go after Murray State too.

[DarkJourney]

What to do now Florida State?

Where to turn to now Clemson?

“We did (discuss expansion),” Neinas said while answering the opening question. “And the athletic directors confirmed their position that they’re comfortable with 10 members.”

The word of the day kids is: Lying.

Come you should see right through these guys. You're the biggest cynic on here. You've admitted as much.

[Geoff]

If you actually believe that statement means the Big XII won't be expanding, you're an idiot. They haven't contacted FSU yet directly because they can't without it being tampering. I'm certain there has been indirect contact with at least FSU but nothing official like Big XII higher up to FSU higher up. There is an intermediary.

[Island_Style]

If you actually believe that statement means the Big XII won't be expanding, you're an idiot. They haven't contacted FSU yet directly because they can't without it being tampering. I'm certain there has been indirect contact with at least FSU but nothing official like Big XII higher up to FSU higher up. There is an intermediary.

Yup. BOT's dont do what our's did unless something has been going on. Why was FSU and Clemson talked about in SEC expansion? Because they wanted out but didnt get the invite. Big 12 said, we are stable now, come on over. Now it is all protocol.

I only did A&M as an example but I could link similar time lines for TCU WVU and Mizzou. Still wondering if DFW actually believes that.

[dfwabel]

IslandStyle, you have used Greg Swaim as a source and he really was not good with the BYU to the Big XII news he was confident in circa 2011.

The main problem is that if there is a 64 team, four major conference pool of teams for college football, those 64 and the conferences themselves are walking an even finer line than the BCS is in terms of antitrust violations. The NCAA has been found in violation of antitrust laws many times before. The airing of games is a commercial activity, and weakens the academic mission of the teams, and thus making the athletic department taxable. While some of those 64 voted for the $2K stipend, they still may be subjected to collective bargaining for the labor (aka in the NCAA as "student-athlete").

I have waited for the Utah AG to file suit against the BCS longer than those in the Coyotes thread have been looking for GWI to file suit against the NHL and nothing has been done on either side. June 20, 2012 is somewhat vital to any suit claiming that college football is at least an oligarchic business, if not a monopoly as that is when the BCS leaders meet again and could announce their approved plan.

Is the NCAA system (of amateurism) broken? Hell yes.

Is no FBS playoff one of the three biggest reason the NCAA system is broken? No.

[Island_Style]

I'm just saying im confident about Clemson and FSU. Rest is speculation. The Big 12 will get 12. The Big 12 will get some SEC territory. You didn't answer my question. Do you really think the Big 12 is staying at 10?

[dfwabel]

The Big XII is not having FSU/CLE as their target, it is the $ from Notre Dame first. The Big XII is still days away from signing away Tier 1 and Tier 2 rights away to the conference away for seven additional years from the six years they already have given the conference. Even if FSU/CLE joined tomorrow, they would have to wait four years to see 100% of that money, plus an exit fee whit would be loaned most likely from the new conference.

[Geoff]

FSU-Clemson is not a package. Would FSU like more eastern-based teams to lessen travel? Yes, but the Noles would just as easily be ok with Notre Dame coming in with them to complete the 12. Notre Dame would only consider moving their Olympic sports right now and most likely not moving football until the NBC contract ends after the 2015 season.

Saying the Big XII is not targeting FSU is smart on your part because you're both right and wrong (unofficially but not officially). Unless, of course, you fully believe they aren't.

[HedleyLamarr]

Notre Dame football won't be joining a conference until any playoff system is "conference champions only".

As long as there's a "wild card" spot, Notre Dame won't need to join a conference. Furthermore, Notre Dame can cut a deal with a few big-time bowl games (Fiesta, Cotton, Sugar, etc) that'll pay up so that their game remains relevant once a 4-team playoff comes to fruition. They still have enough beef on the annual schedule (Michigan, Southern Cal) and enough schools that would love to do a home-and-home to always keep themselves on the big-picture radar screen.

Notre Dame's not hurting for money. They still have plenty of name-value and prestige and a national following that'll keep plenty of coin in their bank accounts.

[Island_Style]

Agree with Hedley

FSU and Clemson is a soft package. FSU is being a friend right now but if VT wanted in and the Big 12 wanted VT then FSU will say OK. FSU is wanted, though. I think Clemson is wanted but not as much as FSU. The Big 12 is going to at least 12 and FSU will be one. I think Clemson is 95% in. Only a couple of monkey wrenches can through them off. VT and ND. Florida is a good prize in the CFB world.

[CubsFanBudMan]

Just catching up with this thread, but I want to throw in that other conferences expanding to 16 does not guarantee it for the Big Ten and Pac-12.

In fact, they might be a step ahead of them in forming an "affiliated" 24-team superconference with existing members whose champions ultimately play in a Rose Bowl that feeds the national title game. Might be.

Those two conferences already have a deal in place to crossover some football games in a few years.

The Big Ten isn't adding Duke, UNC, etc. If this is about football, why would they? And it's been mentioned several times here that the Pac-12 has few obvious candidates, and certainly not 4. I don't think either conference will "settle" for anything other than a slam dunk. Nebraska was that. Notre Dame would be that, but I think they want to be elsewhere. They could have saved their Big East counterparts and could have turned it around quickly like the Big XII has.

[Island_Style]

Writer for the Tally paper sees the writing on the wall.

[Foxxtrot44]

Just catching up with this thread, but I want to throw in that other conferences expanding to 16 does not guarantee it for the Big Ten and Pac-12.

In fact, they might be a step ahead of them in forming an "affiliated" 24-team superconference with existing members whose champions ultimately play in a Rose Bowl that feeds the national title game. Might be.

Those two conferences already hve a deal in place to crossoversome football games in a few years.

The Big Ten isn't adding Duke, UNC, etc. If this is about football, why would they? And it's been mentioned several times here that the Pac-12 has few obvious candidates, and certainly not 4. I don't think either conference will "settle" for anything other than a slam dunk. Nebraska was that. Notre Dame would be that, but I think they want to be elsewhere. They could have saved their Big East counterparts and could have turned it around quickly like the Big XII has.

I jokingly suggested this scenario earlier in the thread...but the longer this "will they/wont they" realignment drama goes on the more plausible it seems to become.

[leopard88]

Not at the upper reaches of Division I and they don't have a football team, but . . .

Boston University is joining the Patriot League.

No word on any other additions.

[dfwabel]

And Boise State's tenure in the MWC will last just two years as they will move football to the Big East and other sports back to the WAC in 2013.

[rams80]

Latter part is not confirmed. WAC looks like a bad place to park your Olympic Sports right about now.

[Cujo]

Does Boise State not know the Big East is just as worthless as the Mountain West now?

[dfwabel]

Does Boise State not know the Big East is just as worthless as the Mountain West now?

For football, the Big East will still be better than the MWC. In terms of SoS, the 2013 Big East will still be better than the 2013 MWC. More importantly, the regular season TV rights are currently four times higher per team and will only increase at a much higher rate than what the MWC could even think about. Big East will have Houston, Dallas, San Diego, Tampa, Orlando, Cincinnati, and Lousiville markets. MWC will have Fresno, Las Vegas the secondary/outlying markets of SLC, SF/SJ/OAK, and DEN. If you are not part of the Pac-12, west of the Mississippi means less national following, less eyes and less money.