Division 1 College Conference Realignment

[dfwabel]

SJ Mercury- News Previews the Pac-10 President's Meeting This Week

I can see why the California Quartet of USC, UCLA, Stanford and Cal would rather not be split up. I think the Pac 10 needs to look at the BigTen and consider a model that tries to maintain rivalries. IMO, the zipper format is probably best.

Onto the ACC. If/When the day of the super-conference comes, do you see the ACC surviving? I think if the SEC expanded to 16 teams, they would easily take Florida State and Miami, and probably Clemson and Georgia Tech, too. By doing that, every team in the league would be guaranteed at least one in-state rival.

On the northern side, I could then see the BigTen making a play for Virginia Tech and maybe Boston College, but who else? Maryland, Virginia? I think if that day comes, Duke and North Carolina might join the BigEast to even FURTHER push that league's basketball dominance.

Some decisions should announced at 2:30 Eastern/11:30 Pacific today.

In terms of revenue sharing, it seems as if USC and UCLA will get $2MM more every year until there is a certain amount of total revenue met, then it will be shared equally by all teams. The announcement will stream live at the conference website.

The ACC can still survive by taking some of the larger (or leftovers) from the Big East if another change occurs. VT and UVa would have to be paired as the Virginia legislature did with the ACC expansion. If there was a football playoff, it would generate so much money for everyone that conference raiding would not be necessary.

[dfwabel]

The divisions for the Pac-10 have been announced. They are going North/South, with Cal and Stanford going with the Oregon and Washington schools. 9 game schedule, with 4 cross-divisional games each year so that the NoCal will play SoCal each year, while Oregon will play the SoCal schools every other year.

The title game for 2012 will be hosted the team with the best conference record, but no tie-breaking system has been set.

The ASU President in his opening comments did say, "soon to be the Pac-12". Larry Scott also said, Pac-12. They are changing their name next season. They will have equal revenue sharing for media revenues. If it is less than $170MM in a given year, UCLA and USC would get an additional $2MM

[Seadragon76]

The choice of the higher seed hosting the conference title game can work (Look at C-USA, who uses this model), but a Big 6 BCS conference using this model strikes me as odd. You're leaving a lot of money on the table if someone else could host the game.

[rams80]

The choice of the higher seed hosting the conference title game can work (Look at C-USA, who uses this model), but a Big 6 BCS conference using this model strikes me as odd. You're leaving a lot of money on the table if someone else could host the game.

It will only change the year Washington State gets the game. Granted that will never happen, so *shrugs*.

[Cujo]

So I can only assume that the Pac-12 will try to build up a Colorado-Utah rivaily since the original ten schools are pretty much paired off. I already think Utah stinks for various reasons. Should be interesting.

[dfwabel]

The choice of the higher seed hosting the conference title game can work (Look at C-USA, who uses this model), but a Big 6 BCS conference using this model strikes me as odd. You're leaving a lot of money on the table if someone else could host the game.

That question was one of the first two or three that I listened to. Larry Scott said that they wanted to ensure a sellout at the venue, a "collegiate atmosphere", admitted trade-offs (such as logistics for visiting fans), but will not rule anything out long term.

[AJM]

The divisions for the Pac-10 have been announced. They are going North/South, with Cal and Stanford going with the Oregon and Washington schools. 9 game schedule, with 4 cross-divisional games each year so that the NoCal will play SoCal each year, while Oregon will play the SoCal schools every other year.

The title game for 2012 will be hosted the team with the best conference record, but no tie-breaking system has been set.

The ASU President in his opening comments did say, "soon to be the Pac-12". Larry Scott also said, Pac-12. They are changing their name next season. They will have equal revenue sharing for media revenues. If it is less than $170MM in a given year, UCLA and USC would get an additional $2MM

http://www.pac-10.org/News/tabid/863/Article/214501/historic-decisions-by-chancellors-and-presidents-define-the-future-pac-12-confe.aspx?bg=/portals/7/images/Pac-10/Pac-10-Scott_Larry-web.jpg

Alignment looks good to me! Cant complain with ASU keeping USC, UCLA and gaining the new schools.

[pianoknight]

That question was one of the first two or three that I listened to. Larry Scott said that they wanted to ensure a sellout at the venue, a "collegiate atmosphere", admitted trade-offs (such as logistics for visiting fans), but will not rule anything out long term.

Agreed. One of the pitfalls Scott was trying to avoid was the shockingly low attendance at ACC Championship Games. However, both the SEC and the Big12 use a neutral site as well and the stadiums are always packed for CCGs. I guess that's more a criticism of poor football in the ACC than the fact that they use a neutral site.

I think the Pac 10 would be silly not to use a neutral site. Look at all the NFL stadiums in the region! Seahawks, Raiders, 49ers, Chargers, Cardinals and now the Broncos, too. Not to mention other locations like Vegas.

Regardless of the stadium location, they need to make sure they promote the game, though.

[dfwabel]

Nevada and Fresno State will each pay a $900,000 penalty for leaving after July 1, which is hardly the $5 million the WAC wanted. The money will be paid in five installments of $180,000 beginning Aug. 1, 2011. It will then be distributed to the existing membership.

Both schools will participate in the WAC next season, which is a much more important issue for the conference as, according to them, couldn?t afford to be a six-team league ? not even for one season.

?Any earlier departure would have caused the six remaining WAC schools severe financial hardship and threatened the automatic qualifying status in several NCAA sports, including men?s basketball. This settlement allows the WAC and Mountain West to proceed with scheduling for the 2011-12 season.? WAC commissioner Karl Benson said.

[pianoknight]

I already think Utah stinks for various reasons. Should be interesting.

Colorado ain't exactly a rose, either. Makes them perfect rivals.

They should call this the "Game you watch after the Ohio State-Michigan, Nebraska-Iowa, Virginia-Virginia Tech, Notre Dame-Navy, Florida State-Miami, USC-UCLA, Oregon-Oregon State, Texas-Oklahoma, Wisconsin-Minnesota" Rivalry Game.

In other news, Vince McMahon is starting the XFOC, Xtreme Federation of Olympic Curling.

[dfwabel]

The Big East meetings start on Tuesday

Will Villanova and/or TCU be extended invitations?

[Burmy]

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!

[The_Admiral]

the Catholic Cup deserves to remain!

Isn't that what priests call a reacharound?

[omnivore]

The Big East meetings start on Tuesday

Will Villanova and/or TCU be extended invitations?

You'd have to think that this is just formalizing TCU's invite. Boy, the MWC can't take two steps forward without being attacked from either side of the coast. That'd bring them back to a nine-team league. I wonder what they'd do, if anything, to rectify that.

[rams80]

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)

[TBGKon]

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.

[crashcarson15]

I actually think UCF would be good for the Big East. That's just me though.

[pcgd]

the Catholic Cup deserves to remain!

Isn't that what priests call a reacharound?

Even if nobody else will...I will applaud this. Top notch...

[omnivore]

It'll be interesting to see what team gets in. Army and Navy have to be considered dark horses. It's got nothing to do with success at this point, it's mostly about survival if they were raided again. But given they announced they'd only be adding two football members, it makes you think they're just going to pursue schools that'll only join the league for football even though it goes against most of the conventional wisdom of the day. That would rule out TCU, who'd probably bolt the league in the long-term anyway once a more geographically sound option revealed itself (hello Big 12)

[crashcarson15]

It'll be interesting to see what team gets in. Army and Navy have to be considered dark horses. It's got nothing to do with success at this point, it's mostly about survival if they were raided again. But given they announced they'd only be adding two football members, it makes you think they're just going to pursue schools that'll only join the league for football even though it goes against most of the conventional wisdom of the day. That would rule out TCU, who'd probably bolt the league in the long-term anyway once a more geographically sound option revealed itself (hello Big 12)

Honestly, I don't think Navy would be bad for the Big East.