Conference Expansion/Reshaping

[Cerebral_DownTime]

I don't think the Big Ten is broken.

Financially? No.

Competitively in the only two sports that matter?

Very, very broken.

Oh yeah?

How so?

[jb]

I don't think the Big Ten is broken.

Financially? No.

Competitively in the only two sports that matter?

Very, very broken.

Oh yeah?

How so?

Non-competitive for national championships except for one team in football, two in basketball, and even they have varrying degrees of respect. Some would say there are no true football title contenders after the BCS debacles. I'd call 'em hatas, but they are out there. I'd let a JoJo or bayou weigh in, for example, as neutral parties.

But the Big 10 is way behind the SEC and Big 12. Have to augment to compete. Problem is, they aren't adding quality. They are adding markets.

[JCoz]

I don't think the Big Ten is broken.

Financially? No.

Competitively in the only two sports that matter?

Very, very broken.

Oh yeah?

How so?

Non-competitive for national championships except for one team in football, two in basketball, and even they have varrying degrees of respect. Some would say there are no true football title contenders after the BCS debacles. I'd call 'em hatas, but they are out there. I'd let a JoJo or bayou weigh in, for example, as neutral parties.

But the Big 10 is way behind the SEC and Big 12. Have to augment to compete. Problem is, they aren't adding quality. They are adding markets.

I just completely disagree here JB.

Behind the B12? Really?

Fact is that right now everyone is chasing the SEC in football. 2nd place is everyone.

Basketball? The B10 is a respectable conference, and shows very well as a conference in the tourney every year. Haven't been any juggernauts of late but the landscape of CBB is tough sometimes, extremely volatile.....

You are over the edge on this.

The conference football wise does not need to add more than one more major power....

Teams like A&M, GT, MD, Vandy, NEB, ND these are quality programs....solid mid-tiers as far as on the field product.

I think a UT + some of those makes for a very strong conference.

How many teams at the level of a UT are available?

People narrowly focused on the football aspect bitch about some of those teams as if the B10 would be passing on college footballs brightest stars...

The news is that there isn't but maybe 1 that fits the B10 and is a superpower - UT. Oklahoma doesn't fit the criteria, and that's about the only other elite team out there.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

I couldn't possibly give less of a shit what the "hatas" think. If that's your argument to back up your claim that the Big 10 is broken, well AHAHHAAHHAHHAHHAHAHHAHAHA!

The Big Ten's top 4 football programs went 4-0 last bowl season. 3 teams in the top 10 com ing into this season (despite my strong dislike of preseason rankings).

Alot of people don't respect the Big 10? No shit. But those people don't matter anyway so it's moot.

Haters gonna hate.

[jb]

I am shocked, shocked, I tell you that J Coz and CDT think the Big 10 remains uber alles. Utterly stunned and beguiled.

Like I always try to tell yah, love y'all, I'm a Buckeye fan, and we are in synch on about 85 out of every 100, but the fan gene pool on this forum I consider to be remotely objective when it comes to the S & G is about the size of a rural south eastern WVA town.

Is what it is and I still like it. Last word won't be mind. Have at it.

I'll cath up wichu on another topic.

[JCoz]

I am shocked, shocked, I tell you that J Coz and CDT think the Big 10 remains uber alles. Utterly stunned and beguiled.

Like I always try to tell yah, love y'all, I'm a Buckeye fan, and we are in synch on about 85 out of every 100, but the fan gene pool on this forum I consider to be remotely objective when it comes to the S & G is about the size of a rural south eastern WVA town.

Is what it is and I still like it. Last word won't be mind. Have at it.

I'll cath up wichu on another topic.

JB, what I am saying is objective.

All I am challenging is that the Big twelve is somehow a slot above. Don't mix and match opinions into one common thread. Really there is little in this thread that CDT and I agree on.

Clearly its the SEC and the rest at this point, kind of like in BB its the ACC and the rest.

That, IMO, is not homerism to say.

I am shocked that you would even stick the B12 up there like that.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

JB, you know damn well i'm not objective when it comes to OSU, to expect it is to expect the sun to rise in the west. The whole board should know it by now. I'm the most homerish honk around. And i'm damn proud of it. But to say the Big 10 is broken competitive wise is jut flat wrong and you have nothing to back up the claim. I couldn't careless what other people think of the Big 10, they won't respect us anyway. They think we're all fat corn eating hillbilly rubes.

[Triple-S]

I know there's a lot of old-schoolers on this board, who don't like even Penn State being in the conference, and would probably go as far as kicking Sparty out and having Chicago St. join again.

I am not one of them, I believe that having teams like Nebraska, Missouri, and Notre Dame could only add to making the Big Ten even better as a college football conference and in other sports and academically as well.

Picture a TOSU-Nebraska Big Ten title game in Indianapolis with a shot at the national championship or a rose bowl on the line, would that not be amazing?

BTW, you'd be lying to say you wouldn't enjoy seeing ND-TOSU on a regular basis in meaningful games.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

I don't want to play ND every year. If the want to do a home and home once every decade, that's cool. But I don't want them in the Big Ten.

Plus when was the last time ND played a meaningful game at all?

Picture a TOSU-Nebraska Big Ten title game in Indianapolis with a shot at the national championship or a rose bowl on the line, would that not be amazing

I'd rather be tased 100 times that see that shit scenario come to pass.

Fuck.That.

[mattvan1]

Not worth a new thread, but UT blogger (Jo Jo - is he legit?) drops PAC 10 rumor.

Because it appears the Pac-10, which has its meetings in San Francisco starting this weekend, is prepared to make a bold move and invite Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Colorado to join its league, according to multiple sources close to the situation.

http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1090747

[furls]

gonna be lots of these rumors, lots of wishful thinking. I think ultimately, the big conferences will come and it will sooner rather than later. Weird, but I actually am starting to believe that the B12 may dissolve with elements going to the B10, SEC, and P10. I could see the P10 picking up some of the big minor conference guys, Utah, BSU etc. The B10 picking up a couple of B12 teams, a couple of BE teams and the remainder of the B12 ending up in the MWC/WAC/CUSA. I could see the rest of the BE ending up in the ACC. Leaving us with the PAC10, B10, SEC, and ACC.

[JCoz]

You mean Pac10 not B12, right Furls.

I agree 100%

[furls]

Thanks, nice catch. I edited it for clarity

[JCoz]

Dispatch article - Check it out boys....I'm excited to see something leak that the B10 is indeed seriously thinking about Texas as I suspected, despite all the articles that have come out saying it was a mere pipe dream.....

E-mails hint Big Ten expansion eyes are upon Texas

OSU's Gee says UT president 'would welcome a call'

Thursday, June 3, 2010 11:41 PM
By Bill Rabinowitz



THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

A decision about expanding the Big Ten might be months away, but e-mail conversations indicate that the University of Texas is an object of the conference's attention. And the school's athletic director isn't making a commitment to stay in the Big 12.
Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee sent an e-mail to Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany on April 20 saying that he had spoken with Texas President William Powers.
"I did speak with Bill Powers at Texas, who would welcome a call to say they have a 'Tech' problem," Gee wrote in an e-mail that was among several obtained by The Dispatch through a public-records request for documents and correspondence related to Big Ten expansion proposals.
Texas Tech is one of Texas' rivals in the Big 12 conference. Ohio State officials declined a Dispatch request to explain the "Tech" problem.
"Public record laws do not require us to provide further clarification on meaning," OSU spokeswoman Amy Murray said in an e-mail. "While a few of the e-mails are cryptic, we aren't obliged to provide additional explanation."
Although speculation about the Big Ten's interest in Texas has been widespread in the 5 1/2 months since the conference announced it would consider expansion, the e-mail is rare evidence of communication between the school and a high-ranking Big Ten representative.
Texas and Texas Tech are two of three state-sponsored schools from Texas in the Big 12. The other is Texas A&M.
Texas and Texas A&M are members of the Association of American Universities, a prestigious alliance of research-minded universities. Texas Tech is not. The Big Ten has made it clear that AAU membership is important for prospective members, with Notre Dame an exception because of its excellent academic reputation.
Although Texas Tech has had athletic success in recent years, it is considered a notch below Texas and Texas A&M athletically. After last season, Texas Tech endured an ugly firing of successful football coach Mike Leach amid allegations that he mistreated players.
Don Hale, Texas' vice president for public affairs, said he did not think the three Texas schools had a legal commitment to be in the same conference. But he said the Texas Legislature may apply pressure for that to happen.
"I think it's a political issue," he said today. "Because they're state institutions, I think the concern is that one can't move without the others."
Shortly after Hale's comment, Rivals.com reported that multiple sources indicated that the Pacific-10 is prepared to invite Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Colorado to join its league.
Gee's initial e-mail to Delany on April 19 said that he is "of the mind that we control our destiny at the moment, but the window will soon close on us. Agility and swiftness of foot is our friend."
That e-mail was a day after Delany addressed the Association of American Universities meetings in Washington, D.C. Expansion was expected to have been on the agenda.
In the same e-mail, Gee commended Delany on his "brilliant presentation."
Minutes after Gee sent the e-mail, Delany replied with a thank-you note.
"We are fast-tracking it but need to know the $ and observe contracts," Delany wrote. "Also need to make sure we leverage this to increase chances of hr additions. Finally double chess # of moving parts including not harming brand as we executy."
In baseball, HR means home run. In the Big Ten, the addition of Texas would certainly qualify. The Longhorns have the only college athletic program that earns more revenue than Ohio State. Texas' revenue for the 2008-2009 school year was $138.4 million, nearly $20 million more than Ohio State.
The Longhorns have elite football and basketball programs, and Texas is considered a top-tier academic institution.
For Texas A&M, the allure of the Big Ten would be largely financial. The Big Ten Network has become a cash cow for member teams. Four years ago, Texas A&M's athletic programs were in such dire financial shape that the university loaned it $16 million.
Texas Athletic Director DeLoss Dodds did not douse speculation that the Longhorns could be leaving their conference when he spoke Wednesday at the Big 12 conference meetings in Kansas City.
Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe opened the meeting with a plea for the league members to stay together. But Dodds, whose school also could be a target for the Southeastern and Pacific-10 conferences, would not commit to that.
"You've known me for very long; I am not hanging back," Dodds said, according to the Associated Press. "I'm not waiting to see what other people are going to do. I'm going to know what our options are, so that's not going to change. My hope is that the Big 12 survives and you and I retire knowing it's a great conference. It's been very viable, and if it stays in place, it will continue to be very viable."
Dodds said Texas didn't start the talk about its possible departure from the Big 12.
"If we need to finish it, we'll finish it," he said. "We're going to be a player in whatever happens."

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Gordon Gee talked to Texas' president. The Earth's axis shifts.

[JCoz]

Gordon Gee talked to Texas' president. The Earth's axis shifts.

You downplay it till your hearts content CDT, but this is as big a deal as there is in college athletics.

[Triple-S]

Gordon Gee talked to Texas' president. The Earth's axis shifts.

I was curious man, you being alumni and all, how do you feel of Gordon Gee?

I think from an outsiders standpoint, he's a good on the academics side, but It annoys the hell out of me that someone like him as a major pull on whether or not, say we should have a playoff, as he really doesn't appear to be a guy that would have any clue pertaining to college sports. Not that, that is a bad thing, just don't know if he should have final say on athletic matters.

[exiledbuckeye]

Apparently it's no longer a foregone conclusion that Texas/Texas A&M are a package deal in conference realignment.

http://www.texasmonthly.com/blogs/burkablog/?p=7161

[JCoz]

Gordon Gee talked to Texas' president. The Earth's axis shifts.

I was curious man, you being alumni and all, how do you feel of Gordon Gee?

I think from an outsiders standpoint, he's a good on the academics side, but It annoys the hell out of me that someone like him as a major pull on whether or not, say we should have a playoff, as he really doesn't appear to be a guy that would have any clue pertaining to college sports. Not that, that is a bad thing, just don't know if he should have final say on athletic matters.

Dude, the presidents of universities have always had the power. This is not something new, or exclusive to Ohio State.

Gee is powerful because he is the President of Ohio State, one of the most powerful universities in the country.

If he was still the president/chancellor of Vanderbilt, he would not hold the same sway.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Gordon Gee talked to Texas' president. The Earth's axis shifts.

You downplay it till your hearts content CDT, but this is as big a deal as there is in college athletics.

Feh.

Not really.

Plus I was joking around.

I like Rabinowitz, he's the best baseball writer working for the CD, but this is about the 3rd time he's hyped this shit up. Color me skeptical, but mildy interested.

Gordon Gee talked to Texas' president. The Earth's axis shifts.

I was curious man, you being alumni and all, how do you feel of Gordon Gee?

I think from an outsiders standpoint, he's a good on the academics side, but It annoys the hell out of me that someone like him as a major pull on whether or not, say we should have a playoff, as he really doesn't appear to be a guy that would have any clue pertaining to college sports. Not that, that is a bad thing, just don't know if he should have final say on athletic matters.

He's ok I guess. I've never met the guy.

[JCoz]

CDT, I'm confused at your response.

Forget the CD. You do realize that B10 expansion is GOING TO HAPPEN right? And SOON. They set the table at 12-18 months and conferences all over are already reacting.

If the actions of the Pacten and B12 do not convince you that radical shifts are RIGHT around the corner, you've got you head in the sand.

This isn't a mythical college playoff we are talking about here.

This is a done deal.

The B12 wont be in existence in another year. And in all likelyhood, within two years, there are only going to be 4 BCS conferences of 16 teams each.

This will be the biggest change in college football in our lifetimes to date.

All that's left at this point is seeing where things stand after the smoke clears.

I would expect that it would be more than mildly interesting for any CFB fan, regardless of whether you hate it or love it.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

I'll believe it when it happens. Alot of moving parts, alot of talk. We'll see...

To me, expansion is like being forced to shoot your own dog.

[fairvis]

Armageddon is going to happen, boys. The Big XII is not long for this world. We're on our way to 4 16-team divisions in FBS. Here's two scenarios in how I think it may play out.

The big get for everyone in this is obviously Texas. For these scenarios, I have Texas and Texas A&M attached at the hip.

Scenario 1: Pac-10 gets all of the reported teams, becomes Pac-16.

Pac-16 East (Central Division):
Texas
Texas A&M
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Texas Tech
Colorado
Arizona State
Arizona

Pac-16 West (Coastal Division):
USC
UCLA
Cal
Stanford
Oregon
Oregon State
Washington
Washington State

Big Ten adds five teams, becomes Big Sixteen. Gets Rutgers, Nebraska, Missouri, Notre Dame, and Syracuse.

Big Sixteen East:
Rutgers
Syracuse
Penn State
Ohio State
Michigan
Michigan State
Notre Dame
Purdue

Big Sixteen West:
Indiana
Illinois
Mizzou
Nebraska
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Northwestern
Iowa

The SEC won't stand pat. They'd add Florida State, Clemson, Kansas, and Kansas State. FSU and Clemson into the SEC East, Kansas and KSU into the SEC West.

The ACC then picks up South Florida, Pitt, UConn, Cincinnati, Louisville, and West Virginia. Maintains as a premier basketball conference (can you imagine Duke/UConn as a regular season game? Or in the ACC tourney?)

People left out of the pie, left to join Conference USA/Mountain West/WAC:
Baylor
Iowa State

The Big East and Big XII would no longer exist (well, Big East basketball still may).

64 teams in 4 power conferences, versus right now where we have 65 teams + Notre Dame.

Option 2: Texas and Texas A&M join the Big 10 along with Notre Dame, Nebraska, and Rutgers.

Big Sixteen East:
Rutgers
Penn State
Ohio State
Notre Dame
Michigan
Michigan State
Purdue
Indiana

Big Sixteen West:
Illinois
Northwestern
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Iowa
Nebraska
Texas
Texas A&M

The rest... well, it gets really ugly, really quickly. Where does Mizzou end up? Do the Kansas schools really go to the SEC? Does the Pac-10 expand to 16 without Texas?

[JCoz]

I'll believe it when it happens. Alot of moving parts, alot of talk. We'll see...

To me, expansion is like being forced to shoot your own dog.

Better say good bye to that pooch CDT. Clean your .22

[Ziner]

FWIW they are reporting out here that if an offer comes from the P10 CU gone as soon as the offer come. If Mizzou is determined to go B10 then the B12 is gonna fall quickly as stated.

Massive realignment is going to happen and happen quickly. No school or conference is going to want to be left out so now that the P10 is talking about it things will speed up because there is going to be a rush to get the teams you want. Bidding war for UT is going to be interesting. ND better give up its independence and beg the B10 for a spot now. Otherwise they will be left with out dance partners and might as well start a conference with the service academies.

[Loo]

Boy this whole 4 super-conference thing went from a possible theory to a near certainty in about a week.

[JCoz]

ND better give up its independence and beg the B10 for a spot now. Otherwise they will be left with out dance partners and might as well start a conference with the service academies.

I laid this exact scenario out a week or two ago.

ND will not have much more time to deliberate on the topic of independence vs joining a conference

[Ziner]

JCoz, what do you think about KU/KSU if UT/A&M get wooed to the P10? I understand academically they arent quite there, but KU basketball is too big of a program to be left out of a conference. Joining the SEC or ACC would be quite ridiculous logistically. Unless they try to keep some of the B12 teams and grab some WAC and MWC teams, but they wouldnt be happy with that.

If UT and A&M go to the P10 would the B10 go KU, KSU, Mizzou, Nebraska and ND? Or are they determined to go east in your opinion? Unsure of their AAU status.

[JCoz]

The academics just aren't there, Ziner. AAU, CIC these are huge parts to this puzzle, and that is why you wont hear the B10 in connection with Oklahoma, or Kansas teams at any point.

I do actually think that Kansas/K State may be looking at SEC.

I think in the case of no UT, the Big ten will pick up a combination of 5 from Cuse/Vandy/MD/Rutgers/Neb/ND/Mizzou

That's my view of it anyways.

[Ziner]

Was looking it up, according to wiki KU is in the AAU

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associatio ... iversities

KU and KSU in the SEC would just be odd.

I think the B10 should go after CU... for purely selfish reasons

CU, Nebraska, ND, Mizzou and Cuse would be fun... at least for me. Attending games at CU would be exponentially more fun.

[JCoz]

Was looking it up, according to wiki KU is in the AAU

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associatio ... iversities

KU and KSU in the SEC would just be odd.

I think the B10 should go after CU... for purely selfish reasons

CU, Nebraska, ND, Mizzou and Cuse would be fun... at least for me. Attending games at CU would be exponentially more fun.

I stand corrected Ziner. Still would never fly with K State though.

Colorado reportedly has a hankering for some Pacten lovin similar to the report about Mizzou having a hard-on for the B10.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Nobody wants a Colorado football team in their confrence. Or basketball.

[Ziner]

Nobody wants a Colorado football team in their confrence. Or basketball.

Even if they throw in some of their best weed?

Edit: on a serious note to be fair they have won a National championship more recently than anyone in the B10 besides OSU, UM, and PSU. They arent going to the B10, but I figured I would defend them a bit.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Nobody wants a Colorado football team in their confrence. Or basketball.

Even if they throw in some of their best weed?

DeVier Posey, Chimdi Chekwa, Dane Sanzenbacher, and Melvin Fellows all smoke pot. (allegedly).

But no not even for the Colorado weed... Those Colorado teams are awful.

[JCoz]

Nobody wants a Colorado football team in their confrence. Or basketball.

Even if they throw in some of their best weed?

DeVier Posey, Chimdi Chekwa, Dane Sanzenbacher, and Melvin Fellows all smoke pot. (allegedly).

But no not even for the Colorado weed... Those Colorado teams are awful.

???

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Nobody wants a Colorado football team in their confrence. Or basketball.

Even if they throw in some of their best weed?

DeVier Posey, Chimdi Chekwa, Dane Sanzenbacher, and Melvin Fellows all smoke pot. (allegedly).

But no not even for the Colorado weed... Those Colorado teams are awful.

???

One of my best friend's older brother sells alot of green on campus (and to me on occasion), he claims he's sold them all bud. I have no idea if it's really true. But it wouldn't surprise me. I went there while I was in school and I passed a familar looking guy on his way out and it ended up being Chris Gamble.

[JCoz]

Pretty funny. Glad they haven't been caught....fuck, both starting WR's on this years team....

[danwismar]

...all of which hearsay (or first-hand experience) naming specific current players by name is rather out of place in this forum...if you don't mind my saying so.

[hermanfontenot]

I didn't know any of those guys smoked. I did see Marvin McNutt smoke Chekwa like a blunt in the Iowa game last season, though.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Like I said, I have no idea if it's true. I do know that I saw Gamble coming out of his house, and there was only 1 reason he'd be there. And I don't think any of these guys are "potheads", it may be a one time thing. Or he may be feeding me a line. Take it FWIW (which admittedly ain't much).

[JCoz]

...all of which hearsay (or first-hand experience) naming specific current players by name is rather out of place in this forum...if you don't mind my saying so.

Good point Wiz. Pm might have been the way to go with that kind of rumor

[JCoz]

This is seriously exciting as hell, just the anticipation of this kind of change is wild....

More tidbits....

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5251329

The day before writing about his conversation with Powers, Gee wrote Delany to say he was "of the mind that we control our destiny at the moment, but the window will soon close on us. Agility and swiftness of foot is our friend."

Delany said: "We are fast-tracking it but need to know the $ and observe contracts," according to the Dispatch.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

...all of which hearsay (or first-hand experience) naming specific current players by name is rather out of place in this forum...if you don't mind my saying so.

Good point Wiz. Pm might have been the way to go with that kind of rumor

Probably. But I say left field shit to Ziner all the time so it didn't really cross my mind.

I didn't think it was big deal seeing how we had a rumor posted on the Cavs board about one player banging the mother of another.

No worries, though. No more posting unverified rumors on my part anymore.

[furls]

So it looks like it will all hinge on UT who could end up in the B10, P10 or SEC. I would think that the P10 would be least likely based on geography and finances. The B10 has more $$ for similar geographic issues. The SEC makes the most sense for Texas based on location alone with similar $$, although right now the B10 $$ is a little better. The aspect that fans tend to forget in this discussion is the importance of the academics, to paraphrase Frankthetank, "Stop thinking like a fan." The academic merits of Syracuse vs. Rutgers vs. Nebraska may not matter to us, but they certainly do to research facilities. The CIC (basically the B10 + University of Chicago) openly share research and facilities, that actually matters (alot) to these guys. When I say MSU you think Sparty, these guys think world class physics research. When I say scUM your stomach turns, these guys think veterinary medicine, law and medicine and so on. Texas is a lot more like the B10 schools than the SEC.

Now the question is how big of an effect would adding UT, ND (who I think may be forced in) and Nebraska have the B10 Network $$? I would say that those three alone could make the BTN a national network, not a regional one which would drive the cash through the roof.

Right now the B10 network gets a premium fee from cable companies for the channel in B10 regions, I think this would be enough for them to demand national treatment, particularly if the network is savvy enough to start pulling some of its major match ups off ESPN/ABC as that contract dies. At a minimum, they could demand much more cash from ESPN and ABC to keep the games. I wouldn't be surprised if those three teams drove per team revenue up to 30M w/in 3 years.

[JCoz]

So it looks like it will all hinge on UT who could end up in the B10, P10 or SEC. I would think that the P10 would be least likely based on geography and finances. The B10 has more $$ for similar geographic issues. The SEC makes the most sense for Texas based on location alone with similar $$, although right now the B10 $$ is a little better. The aspect that fans tend to forget in this discussion is the importance of the academics, to paraphrase Frankthetank, "Stop thinking like a fan." The academic merits of Syracuse vs. Rutgers vs. Nebraska may not matter to us, but they certainly do to research facilities. The CIC (basically the B10 + University of Chicago) openly share research and facilities, that actually matters (alot) to these guys. When I say MSU you think Sparty, these guys think world class physics research. When I say scUM your stomach turns, these guys think veterinary medicine, law and medicine and so on. Texas is a lot more like the B10 schools than the SEC.

Now the question is how big of an effect would adding UT, ND (who I think may be forced in) and Nebraska have the B10 Network $$? I would say that those three alone could make the BTN a national network, not a regional one which would drive the cash through the roof.

Right now the B10 network gets a premium fee from cable companies for the channel in B10 regions, I think this would be enough for them to demand national treatment, particularly if the network is savvy enough to start pulling some of its major match ups off ESPN/ABC as that contract dies. At a minimum, they could demand much more cash from ESPN and ABC to keep the games. I wouldn't be surprised if those three teams drove per team revenue up to 30M w/in 3 years.

I agree Furls, and it's a point I've been trying to drive home here for months. You missed out on most of that, but I have to show you this in case you haven't read it yet, I posted the full the article in one of the 2-3 expansion threads, here is the link: http://barkingcarnival.fantake.com/2010/02/15/being-bill-powers/

It is still by far and away the best, most intelligent write up on expansion that I have come across, and anyone who reads it will come away with more knowledge on the topic than you could get from the 4-letter network or anywhere else IMO.

Enjoy.

[JoJo White]

Right now, Baylor is trying fuck with UT's plans to do anything. Fucking Baptists do not want to be left behind - they pulled this same shit in the 90s when Gov. Richards threw her weight around to strongarm the Big 12 into accepting BU.

Same thing is happening now:

http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1091406

Already, the political forces in Texas are preparing to make demands that if six schools from the Big 12 are going to be invited to the Pac-10, Baylor should replace Colorado on that list, according to two sources close to the situation.

[furls]

First dominoes are set to fall. According to ESPN, the Big XII is forcing Mizzou and Nebraska's hands, and I believe that will set this whole thing in motion. Should Mizzou and Nebraska move to the B10, then that effectively ends that B12 and everyone will flee sinking conference before the good seats in other conferences fill up. It still begs the question, where does Texas end up?

The more I think about it the less likely I think it is that Texas ends up in the SEC, it will come down to the B10 or the P10. Both are equally difficult logistically, now if the B10 splits into an East West and brings a few B12 teams into the mix well, then it can make life much more convenient for the folks from Austin. Definitely an interesting time.

[motherscratcher]

Thanks for that link Coz. Interesting as hell. It's a lot more complicated than "Who do we want to play in football."

[JoJo White]

More confirmation that members of the Texas Legislature won't let any new Pac-16 exist without Baylor.

http://www.kbtx.com/sports/headlines/95 ... ml?ref=039

Already, the political forces in Texas are preparing to make demands that if six schools from the Big 12 are going to be invited to the Pac-10, Baylor should replace Colorado on that list, according to two sources close to the situation.

"If you're going to have an exported commodity involved in this, do you think we're going to allow a school from outside the state of Texas to replace one of our schools in the Big 12 South? I don't think so. We're already at work on this," said a high-ranking member of the Texas Legislature who asked not to be identified.

The source said there is a block of 15 legislators who will work to make sure Baylor - not Colorado - is invited to the Pac-10.

"If the Pac-10 wants Texas, and we know they do, they may have to take all of our Texas schools," the source said, adding that Texas Tech has also benefited from political inclusion on the invite list.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Fucking Baptists do not want to be left behind -

This is one of the funniest goddamn things posted in this thread.