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Big Ten expansion

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by mustangj17, Dec 15, 2009.

  1. Armchair_QB

    Armchair_QB Well-Known Member


    This "epic failure" shit is just fucking ignorant.

    Why would it be considered an epic failure? By expanding by one the Big 10 gets what it wanted all along- two divisions and a football championship game. They increase their revenues but only have to split the money with one more school.

    As has been mentioned before, a 16-team league has been tried before and it failed miserably.

    Yeah, we're talking about much bigger programs in the Big 10 vs. what the WAC did but that doesn't change the fact that a 16-team league is unworkable in any sport you want to consider.

    The Big 10 has never said they would add more than one team. Hell they haven't even said they'll definitely expand. All the speculation and "reports" about schools that have already been invited have been an exercise in throwing-shit-against-the-wall news creation.

    A good rule to follow would be that if the "report" comes from a mouth-breathing radio host moron it's a steaming pile of shit and not worth discussing.

    If anything the rumor-mongering has done nothing but help create an environment that allows the Big 10 to go quietly about its business while everyone is distracted by the speculation over what could happen.
     
  2. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    If you try to add four teams and only one takes the bait, it's a pretty big failure.

    That said, I don't see how Rutgers or Missouri could ever say no. Both of those schools, for the Big 10 are OK additions. The real prizes are Nebraska and ND. If you don't get one of those schools, there's no way anyone could consider the expansion effort a success.
     
  3. Armchair_QB

    Armchair_QB Well-Known Member

    Well, they haven't asked anybody so I don't see where the failure is.

    And, again, nobody knows what the real "prize" is. Every school that has been mentioned has been mentioned in speculation by people who have absolutely no fucking clue what is going on.

    Plus, Big 10 by-laws require that a school must first ask to join the league before it can be considered for admission. They added that after the last go-round with Notre Dame. Nobody's going to be invited unless they ask to be invited.
     
  4. zagoshe

    zagoshe Well-Known Member

    Which school is going to say no to the Big Ten?

    Certainly no school in the Big East or ACC and not likely any school in the Big 12 North and they won't ask Notre Dame unless they know the answer ahead of time.
     
  5. Stoney

    Stoney Well-Known Member

    Bullshit. First of all, as AQB pointed out, the Big 10 hasn't formally "offered" anyone yet, much less four schools. And, even if they had, that's how the game is played, it would hardly mean failure.

    The Big 10 only has to add one school to get the championship game and increase their revenue base. That alone would give them what they want and make this a success. The only question is whether they want to monumentally rock the established college football alignment by taking several teams, or keep the current basic structure in place by taking only one. Either way the Big 10 should be bringing in more money as a result.

    The folks that should be fearing this are in the Big East and Big 12, which could potentially be decimated by re-alignment. The Big 10 should be better off no matter how it plays out.
     
  6. mb

    mb Active Member

    You're right. I'm sure North Carolina or Duke or N.C. State or Wake Forest would jump to the Big Televen at the drop of a hat. Certainly Florida State would love to join. Surprised Virginia hasn't gone already.
     
  7. Suicide Squeezer

    Suicide Squeezer Active Member

    I think the Big East is dumb for not making the first move on this.

    It's so easy, too.

    Rutgers continues to flirt with the Big Ten. Fine, tell the Scarlet Knights you're moving on without them. Give the guys at the Mountain West and Conference USA a call. Then call Notre Dame, Boise State, Army and Navy and tell them this plan:

    Your goal is to create a massive 32-team conference. You divide the teams into eight quadrants of four, aligned with mostly traditional rivals. This is what the divisions look like:

    - Army, Navy, Notre Dame and Syracuse.
    - Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville and Pittsburgh.
    - East Carolina, Marshall, Memphis and West Virginia.
    - UAB, Central Florida, Southern Mississippi and South Florida.
    - Houston, Rice, Tulane and Tulsa.
    - New Mexico, Southern Methodist, TCU and UTEP.
    - Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State and Wyoming.
    - Brigham Young, San Diego State, UNLV and Utah.

    Every year, each team plays a 10-game sked - all three of its divisional opponents, an in-conference rival of the school's choosing, three teams from a rotating division like in the NFL and three non-conference opponents, also of the individual institution's choosing.

    After the 10 games, the top team in each quad makes the conference playoffs and they crown a champ after the 3-week tourney. The remaining teams and losers fill their 12-game skeds by being paired up with one another. For those eligible, the games can lock you up a bowl bid, with a win equaling a more desirable postseason bowl.

    The biggest sell in all of this is Notre Dame, who with the three non-conference games can still play any combination of Michigan, Boston College, Purdue, USC, UCLA, Stanford or Georgia Tech if the Irish so choose. You sell it to South Bend with the potential TV empire this creates - a triple-header each Saturday on NBC in which Notre Dame is always a part (home and away for in-conference games and home games for non-conference tilts). It instantly gives Notre Dame more games on NBC and more control of its TV deal. You can also set it up with a Thursday or Friday night game on NBC (something the struggling network should enjoy as filler that will grab ratings). NBC could also broadcast the rest of the games regionally on its family of networks (USA, MSNBC, CNBC, Universal Sports, Bravo?) or you sell the rights to an entity like Turner to do the same.

    Most importantly, the new conference sets itself up as the premiere one in all the nation with its playoff system. Whatever margin of disparity in talent that existed (if it even existed) prior to its creation when these schools were in their previous conferences disappears. Athletes that would've considered schools in the other five BCS conferences give this one a little more thought. Anybody who's anybody will want to play in it because of its prestige. You also take the stance that no team can play a I-AA opponent with its non-conference games, mostly for no other reason but to prove you're hardcore and mean business (though, the busine$$ aspect is precisely what you lose from the revenue those games create).

    The winner of this conglomerate also would be nearly impossible to shun from the BCS Title Game after the attention it receives all season long compared to its smaller counterparts.

    You can easily make something work for hoops, too. Add some of the bigtime basketball schools out west still in small leagues (like a Gonzaga or St. Mary's) and you can make some kind of east/west conglomerate.

    Why wait to see your conference become a joke when teams leave? Take action and make something happen for the better, IMO.
     
  8. slappy4428

    slappy4428 Active Member

    Intriguing... never gonna happen, but interesting. Might I subscribe to your newsletter?
     
  9. Suicide Squeezer

    Suicide Squeezer Active Member

    Haha, I know. Still, though, it'd be nice if it could, or at the minimum be considered.
     
  10. Bubbler

    Bubbler Well-Known Member

    WHERE THE FUCK IS BALL STATE IN THAT SCENARIO?

    Seriously, it's an interesting idea.
     
  11. Suicide Squeezer

    Suicide Squeezer Active Member

    And let's nix the newsletter. I'll let you know when I have the book done.
     
  12. Bubbler

    Bubbler Well-Known Member

    Read on the wire today that Delany has a hard-on for some vague concept of having teams in the Sun Belt.

    The months-long jerkoff continues ...
     
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