NCAA Conference Realignment

[apete6]

Lot of buzz on the Nebraska sites that Nebraska to the Big 10 is a done deal and could be announced as early as tonight. Additional buzz that ND and Mizzou are next.

 

If that happens, why wouldn't Big 12 just get TCU and someone else decent and call it a wash (Arkansas maybe)?

Because a team like Texas couldn't already care less about teams like Baylor, KSU, ISU, etc. They're not interested in a more watered down conference.

 

Wouldn't TCU and Arkansas be better than all of those teams though, at least in football?

[Guest]

Lot of buzz on the Nebraska sites that Nebraska to the Big 10 is a done deal and could be announced as early as tonight. Additional buzz that ND and Mizzou are next.

 

If that happens, why wouldn't Big 12 just get TCU and someone else decent and call it a wash (Arkansas maybe)?

Because a team like Texas couldn't already care less about teams like Baylor, KSU, ISU, etc. They're not interested in a more watered down conference.

 

Wouldn't TCU and Arkansas be better than all of those teams though, at least in football?

 

They're not better than Mizzou and Nebraska, which is why it would be watered down.

 

EDIT: And Arkansas is a pipe dream for the Big 12 anyway.

[Derwood]

if Nebraska (or whoever) was announced tonight, when would they start playing? The Big Ten schedules are already set at least 3 years in advance.

 

Also, would the Big 12 dump them on the spot, or would they keep playing until the Big 10 was ready for them?

[Jon]

Some of the speculation I've seen, though there hasn't been much out there recently, is that it would at least take roughly 18-24 months for the transition, if not longer. It's conceivable that the new Big Ten would begin to operate in time for the 2011 football season, but that seems to be a stretch. 2012 is probably more realistic.

 

There are obviously lots of things that need to be worked out just from a football perspective: what happens to the current bowl lineup (set for the Big Ten through 2013), how long will the season be (expand to 13 games?), how many conference games, what happens to the non-conference contracts that Big Ten teams already have worked out over the next 5-10 years if the number of non-conference games gets reduced, etc.

 

Expansion is just the first step in a series of rather crazy changes. That doesn't even touch on the TV situation, which is especially important since I'm sure ESPN is going to have its say on how the transition takes place.

[Derwood]

not to mention divisional lineups

[treebird]

Lot of buzz on the Nebraska sites that Nebraska to the Big 10 is a done deal and could be announced as early as tonight. Additional buzz that ND and Mizzou are next.

If the Big 12 collapses, where the hell does KU end up? Independent?

 

Death Penalty

 

YES

 

(this got stuck on the bottom of the page and was awesome so i had to move it up)

[UMFan83]

Some of the speculation I've seen, though there hasn't been much out there recently, is that it would at least take roughly 18-24 months for the transition, if not longer. It's conceivable that the new Big Ten would begin to operate in time for the 2011 football season, but that seems to be a stretch. 2012 is probably more realistic.

 

There are obviously lots of things that need to be worked out just from a football perspective: what happens to the current bowl lineup (set for the Big Ten through 2013), how long will the season be (expand to 13 games?), how many conference games, what happens to the non-conference contracts that Big Ten teams already have worked out over the next 5-10 years if the number of non-conference games gets reduced, etc.

 

Expansion is just the first step in a series of rather crazy changes. That doesn't even touch on the TV situation, which is especially important since I'm sure ESPN is going to have its say on how the transition takes place.

 

I'm sure it will be difficult as all hell, but I'm sure there is a protocol for how to figure this out seeing as how the Big East and ACC just ran through this less than a decade ago.

[kujay]

Lot of buzz on the Nebraska sites that Nebraska to the Big 10 is a done deal and could be announced as early as tonight. Additional buzz that ND and Mizzou are next.

 

If that happens, why wouldn't Big 12 just get TCU and someone else decent and call it a wash (Arkansas maybe)?

Because a team like Texas couldn't already care less about teams like Baylor, KSU, ISU, etc. They're not interested in a more watered down conference.

 

Wouldn't TCU and Arkansas be better than all of those teams though, at least in football?

 

They're not better than Mizzou and Nebraska, which is why it would be watered down.

 

EDIT: And Arkansas is a pipe dream for the Big 12 anyway.

 

I don't get why Mizzou football is seen as some attractive thing, as compared to KU. Sure they are slightly better historically and probably now as well, but they aren't in Nebraska's league in terms of prestige or recruiting power.

[Guest]

I don't get why Mizzou football is seen as some attractive thing, as compared to KU. Sure they are slightly better historically and probably now as well, but they aren't in Nebraska's league in terms of prestige or recruiting power.

 

I shouldn't have gone down that road, because the Big 12 would lose a ton of TV viewers by losing St. Louis, half of KC, and Nebraska's fanbase. That's why Texas would leave.

 

As to Mizzou v. KU football, it doesn't take much imagination to see why Mizzou is more attractive. Better past, better present, better future outlook, better fan support, there's not much in KU's favor. Relative to Nebraska, they've been pretty even in performance for about a decade now, and they've had better ranked recruiting class 2 of the last 3 years(despite of the bump Nebraska gets for being Nebraska).

[kujay]

I don't get why Mizzou football is seen as some attractive thing, as compared to KU. Sure they are slightly better historically and probably now as well, but they aren't in Nebraska's league in terms of prestige or recruiting power.

 

I shouldn't have gone down that road, because the Big 12 would lose a ton of TV viewers by losing St. Louis, half of KC, and Nebraska's fanbase. That's why Texas would leave.

 

As to Mizzou v. KU football, it doesn't take much imagination to see why Mizzou is more attractive. Better past, better present, better future outlook, better fan support, there's not much in KU's favor. Relative to Nebraska, they've been pretty even in performance for about a decade now, and they've had better ranked recruiting class 2 of the last 3 years(despite of the bump Nebraska gets for being Nebraska).

 

I guess the area where I disagree is fan support. Especially the last few years it's been about even if not favoring KU in terms of attendance, and we all know that KU is regarded as the school that "travels" better.

[Guest]

I guess the area where I disagree is fan support. Especially the last few years it's been about even if not favoring KU in terms of attendance, and we all know that KU is regarded as the school that "travels" better.

 

I'm on my way out the door, but I don't think that's right. Wiki said that KU set their record for single game attendance with 52k last year, and Mizzou easily averaged over 60k last year.

[da bears]

mizzou averaged 64,120 last year while ku averaged 50,581.

[kujay]

Perhaps it doesn't matter in the end (and may be part of the point of all this), but I'm sure the % of capacity numbers are much closer.

[SpongeWorthy]

Some of the speculation I've seen, though there hasn't been much out there recently, is that it would at least take roughly 18-24 months for the transition, if not longer. It's conceivable that the new Big Ten would begin to operate in time for the 2011 football season, but that seems to be a stretch. 2012 is probably more realistic.

 

There are obviously lots of things that need to be worked out just from a football perspective: what happens to the current bowl lineup (set for the Big Ten through 2013), how long will the season be (expand to 13 games?), how many conference games, what happens to the non-conference contracts that Big Ten teams already have worked out over the next 5-10 years if the number of non-conference games gets reduced, etc.

 

Expansion is just the first step in a series of rather crazy changes. That doesn't even touch on the TV situation, which is especially important since I'm sure ESPN is going to have its say on how the transition takes place.

 

I don't really see anything here that should be that difficult to overcome in time for the 2011 season.

[Jon]

I don't really see anything here that should be that difficult to overcome in time for the 2011 season.

I would think that 2011 is more likely if there's significant realignment across the country. If everyone has to make these changes, there's nobody trying to hold things up in efforts to prevent certain changes. Every party, including the conferences, the bowl committees, and the TV outlets, would be in the same boat.

[Butterscup1679666578]

A Big 12 school's executive told the Omaha World-Herald on Tuesday that he expects Nebraska to leave the Big 12 for the Big Ten as early as Friday, ahead of the Big 12's deadline reported previously.

 

Lee Barfknecht writes:

 

Direct confirmation from Nebraska of a conference change for the Huskers wasn't immediately available. Sources at two other Big 12 schools told The World-Herald that their athletic directors have instructed them to be ready by week's end for a briefing on probable Big 12 changes.

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/13233/nebraska-to-big-ten-on-friday

 

Probably nothing again, but who knows. I'm just ready for it all to be over one way or the other.

[Andy]

This might as well just be called the Conference Realignment Thread or something at this point.

[MSG T]

You all need to watch out, our big lug Chet is going to try to throw a monkey wrench in the whole thing.

 

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100608/SPORTS0206/100608038/Gov.-Culver-wants-to-mold-realignment-Iowa-State-discussion

 

:pig: :pig: :pig:

[Jon]

Teddy Greenstein[/url]"]A source involved in expansion talks believes that Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany dropped a significant clue when he said Sunday that the league "could act and act again."

 

With Nebraska facing a Big 12 loyalty ultimatum and eager to learn by Friday whether it will be asked to apply for Big Ten membership, the source believes that Big Ten expansion will occur "in steps."

 

"Jim is getting his hand forced, and he doesn't like it," the source told the Tribune.

 

But Delany might have no other choice if he wants to reel in Nebraska.

 

Another source with close ties to Big Ten officials suggested the league wants to add Nebraska and stop there - at 12 teams.

 

.........

 

Both sources believe that financial terms are now being discussed between the Big Ten and Nebraska. Specifically, when would the Cornhuskers get a full share of the league's revenue pie? Would it be in their first year of membership - or would they have to accept a reduced rate until the third year?

[Ding Dong Johnson]

big lug Chet

yep

[inari]

The idea of an Iowa-Nebraska rivalry excites me to no end.

[TruffleShuffle]

is nebraska really in the same class as most of the conference academically? and i know they're big into football but their basketball team always sucks. plus the population of the state is less than 2 million. i don't see this move as being a big deal for the conference, frankly.

[circlecitycub]

ISU looking for love

[MSG T]

is nebraska really in the same class as most of the conference academically? and i know they're big into football but their basketball team always sucks. plus the population of the state is less than 2 million. i don't see this move as being a big deal for the conference, frankly.

 

Research wise, they're behind but not by a lot. And they have been upgrading facilities to try to draw more research funds. Once in the B10, and able to at least partially take advantage of the CIC and it's research cooperatives, they should move into lower to middle tier B10.

 

However, they are not in that area yet. Some of the other schools mentioned as B10 possibilities, Mizzou, Rutgers, Pitt, Maryland, VA, Ga Tech and the like, are much better equipped on the research side. 2-3 of those would jump into the top 3-4 of B10 schools immediately.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

is nebraska really in the same class as most of the conference academically? and i know they're big into football but their basketball team always sucks. plus the population of the state is less than 2 million. i don't see this move as being a big deal for the conference, frankly.

Their basketball team was slightly above average one year... If they are joining the Big 10, I hope their football team is on its way back up to stay after being down so long. An Iowa/Nebraska rivalry doesn't do a whole lot for me in just name alone. I'd enjoy the hell out of it just the same if Kent State suddenly became a football powerhouse and joined the conference.