August 13th, 2011 at 10:32 AM ^
I think Oklahoma and OSU (not that OSU) would have to be a matched set.
August 13th, 2011 at 10:28 AM ^
This is going to be a fun season with expansion talk, lingering OSU troubles AND football season to boot. If the B1G goes to 14 hopefully this is the end if “Legends & Leaders” and M and OSU can be in the same division. So board what two are we getting?
August 13th, 2011 at 12:26 PM ^
As the Big 12 crumbles, these are the best two pieces for the Big Ten.
Then, as the ACC starts pillaging the Big East we swoop in for Pitt and give Notre Dame one last chance to be a part of the 64-team non-NCAA conference. If they don't don't join, no shot at the 64-team championship. ND balks and gives up independence.
August 13th, 2011 at 10:35 AM ^
August 13th, 2011 at 10:57 AM ^
Why does Missouri being a slave state have anything to do with the present day?
History: Missouri, was a border state and the legislature voted to remain in the Union. There were far more Unionists in the State than Pro-southern voters.
August 13th, 2011 at 11:02 AM ^
I'm pretty sure it was a joke.
August 13th, 2011 at 11:07 AM ^
Ok, I failed at detecting the sarcasm.
August 13th, 2011 at 11:26 AM ^
I wouldn't worry about it and to be completely honest... Shit like that matters to southerners, not that they want to have slaves but they have this brotherhood of the south thing and if you were on their side in the Civil War you instantly gain Respect and if not you get hatred (no, really...)
August 13th, 2011 at 12:30 PM ^
There is no such thing as "The Civil War" down here, it is "The War of Northern Agression."
Also, you refer to this skirmish in past tense, below the Mason-Dixon line it has not yet ended. I will send transmission of the enemy's movement when the bars empty out and muskets have been picked up for battle.
Hopefully my position has not been compromised with this piece of intel...
August 13th, 2011 at 11:25 AM ^
Missouri sent troups to fight with the Union, but some towns also sent troups to fight with the Confederacy. Bizarre situation.
On a lesser note...I expect the B1G will keep its powder dry on expansion. I'm not convinced there's a pot of gold at the end of the expansion rainbow. ND would be the only exception, but that's not going to happen any time soon.
August 13th, 2011 at 12:12 PM ^
Yeah, at the Battle of Vicksburg Missouri had 23 Regiments fighting with the Union and 19 fighting with the CSA.
August 13th, 2011 at 12:10 PM ^
I'm only half joking here.
August 13th, 2011 at 10:57 AM ^
They were considered a border state but could hold slaves.
August 13th, 2011 at 3:28 PM ^
You(the states) were either free or slave. Most of the slave owning state made the decision to secede from the Unions. Others, like Missouri, did not
August 13th, 2011 at 11:13 AM ^
Slave state ? You sir deserve to be bitchslapped, back hand style for said comment.
August 13th, 2011 at 12:34 PM ^
This is a very ignorant post. So everyone that has ties to Missouri, even in 2011, is a potential slave owner or slave?
August 13th, 2011 at 10:36 AM ^
I like Duke, UNC, UVa, and Maryland. Va Tech maybe. I feel a lot more excited about those guys than the Pitt, Syracuse, Rutgers ideas.
August 13th, 2011 at 10:39 AM ^
...and yet you don't list a single program with a decent football team. Why expand just for the sake of getting bigger? Are we trying to bolster our lacrosse reputation?
August 13th, 2011 at 10:41 AM ^
I think Duke, UNC, UVA, and Maryland will stay with the ACC until it completely collapses; and given the ACC's prestige in basketball, I think it will put up more of a fight to stay alive than people give it credit for.
August 13th, 2011 at 11:37 AM ^
The traditionalist in me just threw up in my mouth a bit, but those first three schools are excellent academically and draw large dollars as they're all in the top twenty five...
Go to page 16...
August 13th, 2011 at 3:57 PM ^
August 13th, 2011 at 4:17 PM ^
I don't understand BC's appeal. According to the link above, they're not in the top 50 for academic research expenditures, they don't have a good football program (in the modern era) and they're small religious school, even smaller than NU. BC seems like a poor mans ND to me.
August 13th, 2011 at 11:46 PM ^
I've hated BC my whole life and can't believe I'm defending them but they are a prestigous academic school. They probably aren't near the top of research expenditures because of their small size. The football program has done pretty well since joining the ACC. Better than I think you are giving them credit for. You're right about the poor man's Notre Dame part though. That drives them nuts.
August 14th, 2011 at 10:29 AM ^
They are a prestigious undergrad institution, but ND doesn't bring anything to the table with the academics the CIC wants either. They sell tickets and BTN subscriptions so that makes up for it (like Nebraska does). If there's a second tier football team added, I would bet the house it will be a research powerhouse.
August 13th, 2011 at 10:36 AM ^
August 13th, 2011 at 12:34 PM ^
actually makes me long for the 10 team B1G, the Pac 8, Big 8, SWC, etc. Unless/until there's a real playoff and championship, this whole newfangled BCS and expansion stuff is an abortion.
What the college football world REALLY needs is a power shift back north. And for you to get off my porch.
August 13th, 2011 at 10:36 AM ^
The Big Ten isn't known for following other conferences just for the sake of doing so. I don't think there will be more expansion in the Big Ten for awhile unless ND wants to join.
August 13th, 2011 at 12:55 PM ^
B1G shouldn’t expand for the sake of expansion. IF all the building crumble and Mega conferences are a must THEN we pick up ND/Maryland/Rutger(UGH!!)/Missouri. All AAU schools except ND.
DC/NY/NJ/STL/KC TV markets =$$$$.
August 13th, 2011 at 10:36 AM ^
Am I the only one who thinks a 16 team "conference" is probably the dumbest idea ever? Who wants to see teams once or twice a decade when you play in the same conference as them? Just too big. I for one hope the Big Ten stays put at 12 or if we're so hell bent on adding teams only go to (also too many but more palatable) 14/
August 13th, 2011 at 10:45 AM ^
What you are seeing is just the natural progression toward a playoff.
August 13th, 2011 at 10:38 AM ^
We should just stay put. The Big12 isn't going to attract anyone of note. The ACC has no pull. The BigEast is garbage. The Pac10 is too far away. We'll have our choice of whatever we schools we want...if we want any. Fuck ND. Let them stay on their island and bore the shit out of anyone watching NBC on a saturday afternoon.
August 13th, 2011 at 10:38 AM ^
August 13th, 2011 at 4:34 PM ^
Also, because the Big Ten has equal revenue sharing, adding more teams means each school gets a smaller slice of the pie. Accordingly, it only makes sense to expand if you can add a school that clearly expands the revenue stream. Given that we already get two teams in the BCS virtually every year (which is the maximum allowed), it's not that simple to find new schools that will bring in more money.
August 13th, 2011 at 10:42 AM ^
congratulations Texas, you officially killed the Big 12
August 13th, 2011 at 10:42 AM ^
I dont see the SEC takin Missouri it just way to far away teams flyin halfway across the country for a game and I doubt fans travel that far... I could see possibly Georgia Tech instead
August 13th, 2011 at 3:15 PM ^
I'm surprised the SEC doesn't add Oklahoma and Okie State.
August 13th, 2011 at 10:43 AM ^
they add 4 teams for 16 total. You don't add 2 because you only have 7 per division and with the protected cross division game, 7 teams would be hard to manage per division.
I'd like to see: Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Syracuse and Pittsburgh.
Notre Dame, in my opinion, is the trigger..though the most difficult trigger. You get them into the fold and I think it becomes much easier to convince Oklahoma. ND already has several built in rivalries and OU would get to renew their's with Nebraska. Pitt is already renewing the rivalry with Penn St and Syracuse would be key, in terms of the NY TV market and for basketball purposes (ND and Pitt for basketball as well).
August 13th, 2011 at 11:26 AM ^
OU and OSU are a package deal per their state legislature.
August 13th, 2011 at 10:46 AM ^
This is so stupid. I am all for expansion, but Im just not feelin these teams going to the SEC. It would also totally ruin college hoops. The only way Id be on board for these changes, is if it meant there'd be a playoff. Really doubt that will happen, but you never know.
August 13th, 2011 at 10:46 AM ^
ND and Texas or Oklahoma. If we somehow get both then I say we get Pitt or Rutgers to expand the East coast exposure.
August 13th, 2011 at 11:05 AM ^
Either:
<br>Pitt
<br>Syracuse
<br>Maryland
<br>UNC
<br>Virginia
<br>Duke
August 13th, 2011 at 11:32 AM ^
It's a jersey thing
August 13th, 2011 at 10:50 AM ^
How about four of Maryland, UNC, Duke, Syracuse, Virginia, Va Tech? Syracuse gets us the NY market. UNC/Duke gets us part of the triangle (although something needs to be done about Wake Forest). If we take VaTech, then we need to take Virginia, becuase there is no way the VA legislature will allow VaTech to leave without Virginia. UNC/Duke gets us two academic and basektball powerhouses.
August 13th, 2011 at 11:03 AM ^
The only teams out of those that I think would ever be approved would be Duke and UNC and that would be a tough sell. UNC has that scandal going on right now in football and would hurt the B1G's image. Duke cares only about basketball and nothing about football. I think the B1G's basketball schedule works against us for them. The rest of the teams aren't dominant enough in either basketball or football to justify bringing them in with their academics.
August 13th, 2011 at 11:17 AM ^
If we take VaTech, then we need to take Virginia, becuase there is no way the VA legislature will allow VaTech to leave without Virginia.People were saying the same thing about Texas/Texas A&M back when Texas was rumored to be coming to the Big Ten, and yet, by all accounts, Texas A&M will now be leaving the Big XII without Texas.
August 13th, 2011 at 12:05 PM ^
There is no way Duke, and UNC leave the ACC. Forget about football, the ACC is a basketball powerhouse. There is no way the state of North Carolina allows the break up of UNC, and Duke from NC State, and Wake Forrest.
I like your progressive thought process, but a more likely scenario would be to bring in teams from the Northeast, Mid Atlantic, and Midwest, not the Southeast.
August 13th, 2011 at 2:54 PM ^
As for the state of NC allowing that breakup.... Duke is a private school and can do what it wants.
That said, there's no way Duke goes anywhere without UNC (and vice versa) and I highly doubt they'd leave the ACC.
August 13th, 2011 at 3:17 PM ^
Big Ten basketball is great as well and Big Ten football would be an upgrade.
August 13th, 2011 at 10:55 AM ^
The odds of us getting ND are still going to be slim .... With that being said I wouldnt mind taking a Rutgers , Kansas , Missouri and Oklahoma