Big Ten and other Conference Expansion

[DaveyBoy]

Are you implying K-State is located in a huge state like Rutgers is?

Key words "right now"...everyone would agree that the Big Ten as a whole is having an uncharacteristically bad year...while Rutgers is having an uncharacteristically good one. Why not invite Kansas State?

 

[Muck]

Why not invite Kansas State?

Because they don't have a Lacrosse team.

 

[jarv]

Also, would you really want to replace games against any of the teams currently in the Big Ten with games against Rutgers and Maryland? I know I wouldn't. Also, who really wants to travel to an away game in New Jersey?

I guess the current cash we get from the network and the billions we get from the CIC isn't enough. Is the extra 20 cents or whatever from every subscriber who gets BTN in NJ and MD worth selling out the tradition of the conference? I don't think so either. But then again, I won't be seeing any of that money. Let's go back to 10 teams.

 

[Bucklion]

Maryland? Really? Color me unimpressed. I don't see how expansion to include Maryland really helps the conference any. Yes, they had a good run in basketball for a while, but even that has died way down. Rutgers is in a good market, but they were awful forever until Schiano showed up..at which time they weren't awful, but weren't anything great either. And their basketball program is horrible. I dunno, I don't get it. Seems like expansion just to expand, like going to a store and buying something just so you don't leave with nothing.

 

[MaliBuckeye]

Both Maryland and Rutgers have really troubling issues with their athletic departments these days, particularly financially. I've read that, particularly with Rutgers, the University is cutting funding and raising fees while continuing to expand their athletic programming.

While this isn't all that different than a lot of schools that aren't Ohio State, Michigan, Texas, Florida... it still makes for interesting consideration.

Both of these schools bring TV eyeballs, but also can use our money more than we can use their levels of competition.

 

[armsbendback]

Also, would you really want to replace games against any of the teams currently in the Big Ten with games against Rutgers and Maryland? I know I wouldn't

.

As long as we play Michigan, Wisconsin, and whoever we cream in the B10 CGS each year, I really don't care about playing some other of the schools every year

Also, who really wants to travel to an away game in New Jersey?

See, there's this place called New York City just up the road from Jersey. I'd gladly take Monday off work spend a saturday afternoon watching us roll up on Rutgers, then spend Saturday and Sunday nights in NYC every two years

I guess the current cash we get from the network and the billions we get from the CIC isn't enough. Is the extra 20 cents or whatever from every subscriber who gets BTN in NJ and MD worth selling out the tradition of the conference? I don't think so either. But then again, I won't be seeing any of that money. Let's go back to 10 teams.

As long as we're not removing teams from the B10 and as long as each team plays its most 2-3 relevant rivals per year, how is adding new teams"selling out the tradition of the conference?

 

[Muck]

Another Maryland blog:
Assessing The Maryland To The Big 10 rumors

As all of you have heard by now the Maryland Terrapins are at the center of the conference realignment conversation again.

As first reported by InsideMDSports.com the rumors of Maryland potentially making the jump from the ACC to the Big 10 is looking more and more like a real possibility. Details on how this would all work due to the conference's new $50 million exit fee are not yet known but at this moment there are some things we do know?

The Board of Regents will be meeting Monday morning at 9:30 to discuss the possibility of leaving the league for more Midwestern pastures.

Kevin Plank, CEO of Under Armour and Maryland alumnus, reportedly cashed in $65 million in Under Armour stock earlier this week.

People in and around the Maryland athletic were less than pleased with the 'sweetheart deal' that commissioner Swofford gave Notre Dame for partial membership.

.../cont/...

It's my understanding that Kevin Plank is definitely cash poor and is still too heavily tied up in UA stock, so the report of his cashing out may be nothing more than a desire to diversify.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

All those two teams would do is water down the conference. I mean, Rutgers? Seriously??

No thank you. We're better off as a conference without them.

Disagree. This is the direction in which Delaney should have originally gone. You can't keep looking to add only college football superpowers.....or at least faded superpowers. Should that mega-monster-conference ever arise, we'll have a seat at the table. In the meantime, the Big Ten needs to look at the cash registers, demographics and the future.

To my mind, some combination of MD, Rutgers, BC, UVA or Syracuse adds far more value to the Big Ten than the faded, tarnished one-trick-pony that is The Corn.

 

[Muck]

Random poster on TestudoTimes (Maryland blog).

like i said yesterday this is a done deal. the 4 schools that eventually go to the big ten md rutgers ga tech and nc. md will receive close to 30 million a year from tv where they now get about 16 million. academically the u of md will receive millions in federal grants. you can like the move or not like it but it is what it is. should have no effect on basletball recruiting as md recruits nationally now that we have a coach who recruits. with the added money it should help football. they can recruit players for the big 10 rather than the acc. better players go to the big ten. acc football keeps going downhill.

not my speculation info from same high ranking offical that said this was a done deal yesterday morning. unc and ga tech make sense because of their academics and they are in teh south so the big ten would cover ny nj to ga.

No doubt it's total BS but it would sure as hell beat 'Cuse & Boston College.

UNC would be huge.

BTW the comments on the site I linked above are a really good read to get a handle on what Terrapin fans are thinking.

 

[Muck]

Doofy Dodd's take:
Delany's long-term play for Big Ten Network riches: Maryland, Rutgers to Big Ten

or now, it is the strangest expansion news since this latest go-round started in December 2009.

In five years it might remind us that Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany remains the smartest man in any room.

Maryland and Rutgers to the Big Ten? Really? The ACC has a $50 million exit fee. ACC commissioner John Swofford ? that sly old fox ? was thought to have hit the grand slam when he landed Notre Dame in everything but football. Swofford also said his league was set at 14 when it added the Irish.

Apparently, none of that means much of anything. Exit fees are only worth the paper they are printed on. This reported move obviously means the Big Ten has better lawyers who can spot bigger loopholes. It also means there is a long-term strategy, not one that will be immediately evident if the move is announced as soon as Monday.

If it happens, Delany may eventually have hit hit the walk-off of all walk-offs perhaps with his alma mater in his hip pocket. And, remember, that alma mater includes one Dean Smith making Delany one of his captains in 1970.

.../cont/...

 

[Muck]

Rutgers' governing boards are poised to officially approve university merger plan

Rutgers University?s governing boards on Monday are expected to officially approve the medical school merger that will boost the state university?s size and stature, catapulting it into the top tier of research institutions nationwide.

The vote is the last procedural hurdle before Rutgers can legally absorb most of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey beginning in July. The merger plan also calls for Rowan University in Glassboro to take on a new South Jersey medical school and offer some joint programs with Rutgers? Camden campus.

..../cont/...

OK that is potentially a big deal.

 

[Muck]

I need to start casting a wider net. Apparently the ECU board is convinced this means they'll end up in the BEast. BTW believes Maryland is being 'traded' for Penn State. What cockamamie theories have other fan bases concocted?

 

[sflbuck]

Anybody that thinks or judges this move based on competitive football or basketball programs is missing the point. This is all about "potential" eyeballs on TV's and a bunch of academic stuff that can ORD explain much better then I.

What is really interesting is this one move (pulling Maryland out of the ACC) has the potential to spark the final move to the 16 member superconferences.

Does FSU and Clemson now look for the exits?

Does the SEC look to add FSU/Clemson? OR does the Big 12 use them to get back to 12 teams?

Does the Big 10 continue its move academics and eyeballs strategy? Does that mean Georgia Tech and BC make the most sense?

This situation has a lot of moving parts and I don't think that Delany even knows how the dominos fall from here.

If this plays out like I think, the biggest loser will be Notre Dame. After spurning their natural midwestern alliances all in the name of football independence, they signed an agreement with a rival conference. Now that conference looks like it at the very least is under attack.

To use this boards favorite movie imagery, Notre Dame is Fredo and Michael (Big Ten) has just kissed Fredo and told him " I know it was you Fredo..You broke my heart"

I look forward to the Big Ten taking Notre Dame on that fishing trip 5 years from now.

 

[Bucknut24]

Random poster on TestudoTimes (Maryland blog).




No doubt it's total BS but it would sure as hell beat 'Cuse & Boston College.

UNC would be huge.

BTW the comments on the site I linked above are a really good read to get a handle on what Terrapin fans are thinking.

he is right about MD being a done deal, my friend from MD posted on my FB yesterday it was done and they were officially voting on Monday

 

[Mike80]

Anybody that thinks or judges this move based on competitive football or basketball programs is missing the point. This is all about "potential" eyeballs on TV's and a bunch of academic stuff that can ORD explain much better then I.

What is really interesting is this one move (pulling Maryland out of the ACC) has the potential to spark the final move to the 16 member superconferences.

Does FSU and Clemson now look for the exits?

Does the SEC look to add FSU/Clemson? OR does the Big 12 use them to get back to 12 teams?

Does the Big 10 continue its move academics and eyeballs strategy? Does that mean Georgia Tech and BC make the most sense?

This situation has a lot of moving parts and I don't think that Delany even knows how the dominos fall from here.

If this plays out like I think, the biggest loser will be Notre Dame. After spurning their natural midwestern alliances all in the name of football independence, they signed an agreement with a rival conference. Now that conference looks like it at the very least is under attack.

To use this boards favorite movie imagery, Notre Dame is Fredo and Michael (Big Ten) has just kissed Fredo and told him " I know it was you Fredo..You broke my heart"

I look forward to the Big Ten taking Notre Dame on that fishing trip 5 years from now.

Screw BC, I want UVA