Big East / Big Ten.

RandyTiger · 04-30-2010, 04:54 PM

I just read an article about the possible expansion of the Big Ten conference, and something jumped out at me:

Quote:

As the Big 12 prepares for its own earthquake triggered by major conference realignment

and...

Quote:

And what happens if and when the Big East begins to disintegrate, which is sure looking like a possibility, especially if a couple additional schools hook on with the Big Ten.

This is the first I've heard of any conference troubles/realignment. Granted, I'm pretty much focused on baseball only, but could someone possibly inform me what's going on with the Big-12 and Big East, just out of curiosity, please?

William Satterwhite · 04-30-2010, 06:10 PM

Basically, one of the more viable Big Ten expansion plans would be to poach one, three or five (depending on just how big of a superconference they want to shoot for) Big East schools (Pitt, Rutgers and Syracuse are the names most often thrown out in the most likely to happen three team scenario). There's also been recent talk that the SEC would react to whatever move the Big Ten made with their own expansion, most likely choosing from the "football-first" schools from the ACC- in such a scenario the ACC would then jump on remaining Big East schools to fill in where needed.

As for the Big 12, there is also a scenario where Missouri or Texas jump to the Big Ten and the Big 12 goes after Arkansas to replace them, again in that scenario the SEC goes after one or more ACC school(s) and the ACC goes after a Big East school. There's also talk of Colorado going to the Pac 10 but the Big 12 has any number of high end Mountain West/WAC/Conference USA schools they can poach off of anyway- they really aren't in any trouble I wouldn't think. But basically, with the exception of the obvious one (Notre Dame going to a 12 team Big Ten), every Big Ten expansion scenario either directly or indirectly leads to the Big East ultimately ended up on the losing end.

RandyTiger · 04-30-2010, 06:20 PM

I figured it would be a domino effect, but the whole thing was a surprise to me, as I wasn't aware anyone was expanding/contracting. Heh. Shows how much attention I pay to college sports.

Thanks.

William Satterwhite · 04-30-2010, 06:41 PM

Yeah, just remember it's really all still just talk and hot air at this point and I honestly just think it's an attempt to put pressure on Notre Dame. Everything really got started this past bowl season when the Big Ten finally realized that shutting down for the last two-three weeks of the football season wasn't doing them any favors and that a championship game would help keep them in the news. Then the Pac 10 said they would consider expansion as well and finally this past week the SEC announced that they would react accordingly to whatever the Big Ten did. Ultimately, I think Notre Dame goes to the Big Ten, the Pac 10 picks up Utah and BYU and the radical realignments that everyone is excited about comes to nothing.

Of course, when the Big Ten does poach a handful of Big East schools or goes for the ultimate kill and lands Texas, Texas A & M and Missouri causing all heck to break loose, I invite anyone to pull this thread back up and make me eat my words

Skipaway · 04-30-2010, 07:50 PM

In most scenarioes with conferences go big, you are looking at basically Big 10 and ACC eat up Big East, while Pac-10 and SEC eat up Big 12.

RandyTiger · 04-30-2010, 07:54 PM

Bigger isn't always better, far as I'm concerned. Might be the case here.

Skipaway · 04-30-2010, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by William Satterwhite

Of course, when the Big Ten does poach a handful of Big East schools or goes for the ultimate kill and lands Texas, Texas A & M and Missouri causing all heck to break loose, I invite anyone to pull this thread back up and make me eat my words

Most of the crazy scenarios about Texas have them go to SEC or Pac10? I didn't read anything about Big-10 and Texas, other than the articles saying how unlike that would be. All stories are crazy anyway.

Skipaway · 04-30-2010, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandyTiger

Bigger isn't always better, far as I'm concerned. Might be the case here.

I think bigger is better, and the ideal case is that with all these conferences expanding, they'd just shut out the small conferences in BCS arrangements. If you want a playoff, that's actually the easier way.

If you have four super-conferences, you can easily resolve the money problem and have two teams each from the super-conferences to play in a playoff.

William Satterwhite · 04-30-2010, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skipaway

Most of the crazy scenarios about Texas have them go to SEC or Pac10? I didn't read anything about Big-10 and Texas, other than the articles saying how unlike that would be. All stories are crazy anyway.

Yeah, that's mostly what I've seen as well but it's still a possibility, I saw an article a while back that basically makes the argument that a Texas/Texas A & M/somebody else combo would make the most sense for the Big Ten and for Texas. Short of the unlikely event of the Big 12 collapsing in a non-Texas related move, that conference serves them better than any potential move to the Pac 10 or SEC. The primary reason schools like Missouri and Nebraska are looked at as easy targets for the Big 10 is due to the inequities in the the Big 12 contracts that benefit Texas.

marc · 05-01-2010, 07:48 PM

There have been so many rumors of different teams joining the Big Ten it's hard to keep track of it all. From Big 12 schools such as Texas, Missouri, and Nebraska to Big East schools such as Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Connecticut.

Who knows what will happen, it seems the Big Ten will almost surely expand but I don't think anyone really has an idea of how many teams or from which conference(s) these teams will come from.

The Texas thing is the most intriguing, it very likely won't happen but it would make a lot of sense from almost every non-geographical aspect.

stevebydac · 05-02-2010, 12:53 AM

If the Big 10 poaches Syracuse and Pitt and/or Notre Dame, the Big East will be left with mainly strong basketball schools (less football emphasis overall). In turn, the Big East will likely poach some of the smaller leagues for basketball-focused schools. And so on and so on...

This will have a ripple affect all across the country, affecting dozens of schools in one way or another.

Cooleyvol · 05-02-2010, 01:49 PM

B12 being eaten up is VERY improbable.

TC Dale · 05-02-2010, 06:08 PM

SI's Peter King twittered Friday about the teams "supposedly" already selected at WNDU, try this link.

Big 10 Expansion at hand? Swarbrick on what it could mean for Irish

Skipaway · 05-03-2010, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cooleyvol

B12 being eaten up is VERY improbable.

It would only happen if Big 10 expansion turned out to be 16 teams. That way Big 10 would probably take Missouri and Nebraska.

That could weaken Big 12 enough for Texas to take up the bid by SEC. SEC can expand to 16 teams too by expanding to include Texas and Oklahoma schools.

Pac-10 could take some of the rest, and then you have the Big 12 reorganizing with other smaller western conferences.

It's surely improbable.

Skipaway · 05-03-2010, 04:29 PM

It might be the best way toward college football playoffs though. Make Big 10, ACC, SEC, and Pac-10 all 16 team super-conferences. All of them have conference finals, and then you have a four-team playoff.

marc · 05-03-2010, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skipaway

It might be the best way toward college football playoffs though. Make Big 10, ACC, SEC, and Pac-10 all 16 team super-conferences. All of them have conference finals, and then you have a four-team playoff.

I would agree. It would also probably be a bad thing for those hoping to see a bigger playoff, say 16 teams. With 4 "super conferences" the playoff format would almost surely be kept small.

RandyTiger · 05-10-2010, 04:59 PM

Here's a follow-up on the possible expansion:

Report: Big Ten extends invitations to four schools in expansion bid | detnews.com | The Detroit News

Schools reportedly invited are: Notre Dame, Missouri, Nebraska and Rutgers.

Skipaway · 06-06-2010, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cooleyvol

B12 being eaten up is VERY improbable.

Now it looks quite likely!

Right now Big 12 is much more freaked out than Big East about the impending doom.

Cooleyvol · 06-06-2010, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skipaway

Now it looks quite likely!

Right now Big 12 is much more freaked out than Big East about the impending doom.

ok, meat.

RandyTiger · 06-06-2010, 08:17 PM

For more information: Big Ten admits other conferences could change expansion timeline - ESPN Chicago

There's also an interesting blog article on this whole thing, along with possible Mountain West gobbling up Big 12's remains: http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/po...12s-dissection

04-30-2010, 07:50 PM	#5
Skipaway Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Where you live Posts: 11,017	In most scenarioes with conferences go big, you are looking at basically Big 10 and ACC eat up Big East, while Pac-10 and SEC eat up Big 12. __________________ Jonathan Haidt: Moral reasoning is really just a servant masquerading as a high priest.

05-01-2010, 07:48 PM	#10
marc Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,505	There have been so many rumors of different teams joining the Big Ten it's hard to keep track of it all. From Big 12 schools such as Texas, Missouri, and Nebraska to Big East schools such as Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Connecticut. Who knows what will happen, it seems the Big Ten will almost surely expand but I don't think anyone really has an idea of how many teams or from which conference(s) these teams will come from. The Texas thing is the most intriguing, it very likely won't happen but it would make a lot of sense from almost every non-geographical aspect. __________________

05-02-2010, 12:53 AM	#11
stevebydac All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: In a fictional baseball world Posts: 843	If the Big 10 poaches Syracuse and Pitt and/or Notre Dame, the Big East will be left with mainly strong basketball schools (less football emphasis overall). In turn, the Big East will likely poach some of the smaller leagues for basketball-focused schools. And so on and so on... This will have a ripple affect all across the country, affecting dozens of schools in one way or another. __________________

05-02-2010, 06:08 PM	#13
TC Dale Global Moderator Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 4,982	SI's Peter King twittered Friday about the teams "supposedly" already selected at WNDU, try this link. Big 10 Expansion at hand? Swarbrick on what it could mean for Irish __________________ ----------------------------------

05-03-2010, 04:29 PM	#15
Skipaway Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Where you live Posts: 11,017	It might be the best way toward college football playoffs though. Make Big 10, ACC, SEC, and Pac-10 all 16 team super-conferences. All of them have conference finals, and then you have a four-team playoff. __________________ Jonathan Haidt: Moral reasoning is really just a servant masquerading as a high priest.

04-30-2010, 06:10 PM	#2
William Satterwhite Minors (Double A) Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 188	Basically, one of the more viable Big Ten expansion plans would be to poach one, three or five (depending on just how big of a superconference they want to shoot for) Big East schools (Pitt, Rutgers and Syracuse are the names most often thrown out in the most likely to happen three team scenario). There's also been recent talk that the SEC would react to whatever move the Big Ten made with their own expansion, most likely choosing from the "football-first" schools from the ACC- in such a scenario the ACC would then jump on remaining Big East schools to fill in where needed. As for the Big 12, there is also a scenario where Missouri or Texas jump to the Big Ten and the Big 12 goes after Arkansas to replace them, again in that scenario the SEC goes after one or more ACC school(s) and the ACC goes after a Big East school. There's also talk of Colorado going to the Pac 10 but the Big 12 has any number of high end Mountain West/WAC/Conference USA schools they can poach off of anyway- they really aren't in any trouble I wouldn't think. But basically, with the exception of the obvious one (Notre Dame going to a 12 team Big Ten), every Big Ten expansion scenario either directly or indirectly leads to the Big East ultimately ended up on the losing end.

04-30-2010, 06:20 PM	#3
RandyTiger Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 2,510	I figured it would be a domino effect, but the whole thing was a surprise to me, as I wasn't aware anyone was expanding/contracting. Heh. Shows how much attention I pay to college sports. Thanks.

04-30-2010, 06:41 PM	#4
William Satterwhite Minors (Double A) Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 188	Yeah, just remember it's really all still just talk and hot air at this point and I honestly just think it's an attempt to put pressure on Notre Dame. Everything really got started this past bowl season when the Big Ten finally realized that shutting down for the last two-three weeks of the football season wasn't doing them any favors and that a championship game would help keep them in the news. Then the Pac 10 said they would consider expansion as well and finally this past week the SEC announced that they would react accordingly to whatever the Big Ten did. Ultimately, I think Notre Dame goes to the Big Ten, the Pac 10 picks up Utah and BYU and the radical realignments that everyone is excited about comes to nothing. Of course, when the Big Ten does poach a handful of Big East schools or goes for the ultimate kill and lands Texas, Texas A & M and Missouri causing all heck to break loose, I invite anyone to pull this thread back up and make me eat my words

04-30-2010, 07:54 PM	#6
RandyTiger Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 2,510	Bigger isn't always better, far as I'm concerned. Might be the case here.

05-02-2010, 01:49 PM	#12
Cooleyvol Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Union City, TN Posts: 6,383	B12 being eaten up is VERY improbable.

05-10-2010, 04:59 PM	#17
RandyTiger Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 2,510	Here's a follow-up on the possible expansion: Report: Big Ten extends invitations to four schools in expansion bid \| detnews.com \| The Detroit News Schools reportedly invited are: Notre Dame, Missouri, Nebraska and Rutgers.

06-06-2010, 08:17 PM	#20
RandyTiger Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 2,510	For more information: Big Ten admits other conferences could change expansion timeline - ESPN Chicago There's also an interesting blog article on this whole thing, along with possible Mountain West gobbling up Big 12's remains: http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/po...12s-dissection Last edited by RandyTiger; 06-06-2010 at 08:20 PM. Reason: Added second link.