Big Ten and other Conference Expansion

[DaveyBoy]

if the B1G loses the shot at Missouri without getting at least 1 of Texas/Ok/ND, I will be disappointed.

I have faith that Delany will improve the conference through expansion.

But if we end up without at least 1 big name FB addition, we wil have lost. The SEC is getting deeper and better.

 

[Gatorubet]

The Big Ten needs to make every effort to get Texas..even if it means biting the bullet to let Oklahoma come along with them. We can't afford to get left behind here. If we gobbled up both of them the football tradition in our league would be unparalleled.

I don't think either of our conferences in our current configuration will be weakened by other conference rearrangements to the point we could be seen as "left behind". We are both stronger than that.

At this point it is about optimization, not being left in the dust.

 

[bassbuckeye07]

I don't think either of our conferences in our current configuration will be weakened by other conference rearrangements to the point we could be seen as "left behind". We are both stronger than that.

At this point it is about optimization, not being left in the dust.

Once FSU goes to the SEC ND, Florida, Texas, OU to the B1G

 

[JBaney45]

I don't think either of our conferences in our current configuration will be weakened by other conference rearrangements to the point we could be seen as "left behind". We are both stronger than that.

At this point it is about optimization, not being left in the dust.

The SEC has a lot more realistic options for strong expansion candidates. The SEC getting Texas might be a long shot..they could get OU if Texas goes independent. They also have the option to go after teams like Florida State, Miami, Clemson etc.

The Big Ten is kind of stuck. Notre Dame is going to hold out as long as they possibly can. If we can't go get Texas, then we're stuck trying to pursue Missouri (if the SEC doesn't get THEM) or else go east after programs that are just not that strong. Basically the SEC would be improving their league while the B1G waters ours down.

The NCAA should have gotten out ahead of this last summer and put 12 team football caps on these leagues. They are allowing a dangerous game to be played here imo.

 

[Psalty]

New York Times - SEC to Discuss Admission of Texas A&M

It might be tough to get a quality 14th member if this gentleman's agreement in regards to not adding a school from an existing state is in play.

Eleven of the 12 Southeastern Conference presidents will meet Sunday at a secret location to discuss the admission of Texas A&M to the league, according to a high-ranking SEC official with first-hand knowledge of the talks.

The official said there was a 30 to 40 percent chance that the presidents could vote against Texas A&M's membership. He also said there was the issue of which university would become the 14th team, something many in college sports will monitor.

"We realize if we do this, we have to have the 14th," the SEC official said. "No name has been thrown out. This thing is much slower out of the chute than the media and blogs have made it."

The official said that three weeks ago, Texas A&M's president, R. Bowen Loftin, called the SEC commissioner, Mike Slive, and said the Aggies regretted not joining the league last summer. Two weeks ago, Slive and the SEC counsel met with Texas A&M officials. The SEC requested that Texas A&M figure out the legal viability of leaving the Big 12 contract they signed last year.

"They have a contract now," the SEC official said. "We're very sensitive about being part of breaking a contract. What we asked them to do was to go settle their issues and not have us be on the table as the agent of causing them to leave."

The SEC official said he wondered if the SEC presidents would vote for A&M only if they were assured that a team from within one of their states - Florida State, Clemson or Georgia Tech, for example - would not be added.

"I'm going to try and say, don't bring it up now," the SEC official said. "That shouldn't be a condition or part of the negotiation for this next issue. But it could."

 

[gnepmatt]

Could The B1G go after Virginia Tech? Try and get them before the SEC does.

 

[Psalty]

Delany says Big Ten is not looking to expand.

Teddy Greenstein - Chicago Tribune

Delany also told the Tribune that any SEC expansion - the conference is reportedly interested in adding Texas A&M and a 14th school - would not affect the Big Ten.

"No, we're about as comfortable as we can be with where we are," Delany said. "We've said we will continue to monitor the landscape, but we have closed down active expansion. Every period you look at it, but we don't expect anything the SEC does to affect us."

 

[Psalty]

NYT, Peter Thamel via Twitter

A DIFFERENT high ranking SEC official just called to say (angrily) that any report involving Clemson, FSU and Missouri is totally wrong.

 

[DaveyBoy]

this is not active expansion...it's becoming reactive expansion

the B1G can't afford to have the SEC grab a team that is close enough to the B1G footprint to affect recruiting greatly. That's why Missouri is so important.

Mizzou fits both the SEC and the B1G fine.
VaTech fits the SEC more.
Maryland and Georgia Tech fit the B1G more.
Texas fits the B1G and the SEC.
ND doesn't fit anywhere.

Delany says Big Ten is not looking to expand.

Teddy Greenstein - Chicago Tribune

 

[Nicknam4]

I can't see Texas fitting with the B1G because of its location.

 

[fanaticbuckeye]

I can't see Texas fitting with the B1G because of its location.

Better than TCU to the Big East. The amount of money increased would offset the travel concerns in my opinion.

 

[buckeyesin07]

Fiu speculates on future alignment:

SEC: adds aTm and FSU

PAC: adds Okla/Okla St/TTech/Kansas

B1G: adds Mizzou/Md/Rutgers/Syr

ACC: adds USF and UCF to replace FSU/Md

Big East: adds E Carolina (and already scheduled TCU), loses Syr/Rutgers/USF

Big XII: adds Houston, Colorado State, Rice, Southern Miss, SMU, Tulsa, and UTEP to replace Texas/Okla/OKla St/Texas/Mizzou/TTech/aTm (Ouch)

Independents: ND, Texas, BYU, Army, Navy

Comments - perhaps he's been reading this thread. I don't know why the SEC would stay at 14 with the PAC and B1G at 16, I see them also going to 16. And he doesn't talk about how the four 16-team conferences could form a playoff system able to shut out Texas and ND if they're independents.

The more I read, the more I think he's right that Texas will become an independent. I get the impression that school thinks that he's leaving money on the table by joining a conference with any other school.

 

[OSU_D/]

this is not active expansion...it's becoming reactive expansion

the B1G can't afford to have the SEC grab a team that is close enough to the B1G footprint to affect recruiting greatly. That's why Missouri is so important.

Mizzou fits both the SEC and the B1G fine.
VaTech fits the SEC more.
Maryland and Georgia Tech fit the B1G more.
Texas fits the B1G and the SEC.
ND doesn't fit anywhere.

That is really the only reason to remotely consider Mizzou given its poor academic status save Journalism, lack of quality sports, and marginal additional markets.

Missou should get an offer only IF Texas is already in just for conference geography/SEC geography.

 

[Bleed S & G]

Dissapointed to hear Delany saying what he said on the previous page. If AtM goes, I would hope we would be all over OU, Okie State, Texas, & ND.

 

[LovelandBuckeye]

Dissapointed to hear Delany saying what he said on the previous page. If AtM goes, I would hope we would be all over OU, Okie State, Texas, & ND.

I wonder what our Husker fans here would say to having their hated Sooners back in their conference if that happened. I would love to watch Boomer Sooner get whooped 4-6 times a year.