Time for B10 to Initiate a Bidding War
With USC and UCLA seemingly joining the fold coupled with reports that both the B10 and SEC are vying for 20 members, it makes a ton of sense to add Stanford, Washington and Oregon ASAP (remember it’s all about brands not geography). This would bring B10 to19 teams and likely prompt the SEC to chase Clemson, Miami and Florida State - at a minimum.
At that point, the B10 should open it up and publicly state they are taking applications for the 20th and final spot and that once decided there will be a moratorium for a period of X years. UNC, UVA and ND would have to give it serious thought - would love to add the Heels and shut the front door on everyone else.
It’s like a game of Risk, but much more exciting
The Kamchatka Bears would be a great addition.
Getting Kamchatka would be HUGE considering they're the only entry point to Asia from the Western Hemisphere.
A lesser, but similar, key position point would be the Siam Bengals. All of Australia comes with it!
Logged in to up vote this amazing response! LoL
My takeaway from all of this is that it is really nice to be a fan of a team that I know is going to end up on the winning side of this. Eery B1G and SEC member has to be thrilled they aren't in the Big12, Pac12 (10), or ACC right now.
Risk is super boring, right up until the point when someone inevitably flips the board over and a massive fistfight breaks out.
The key to playing a good game of Risk is to drink heavily while playing... I remember some rather wild games happening back in college.
And pot. We used to play the War of 1812 Overture midgame and lategame. That added good atmosphere.
No - then no one gets angry when the dice roll against them (or when someone backstabbing them). One time a guy embedded a shot glass into his own living room wall over the events in the game... it was hilarious.
Why not one 64 team conference with four 16-team divisions?
One answer is that there are not enough teams that are high revenue generators. In fact, in every conference, we have schools with huge fanbases and others that are meh. That there is equal TV revenue sharing in all the major conferences has always been a bit of a surprise but perhaps that is the only workable way to put a conference together.
r/whoosh
USC and UCLA to B1G. How does this make sense?
Common sense left the building a few years ago.
Markets. Rutgers isn’t in the B1G because of their athletics, if got the B1G more access to the state of New York via Jersey. California for better or worse is a massive market with large alumni pools. Plus who doesn’t want B1G After Dark? Wasn’t the two day Michigan - Rutger contest fun? Wait…where’s everyone going? Guys come back…
Fox wants it.
Capitalism. The per school payouts dictate everything from here on out.
Bringing OSU, Wisky, and Michigan out to Los Angeles would be like a home game for those Midwestern teams. UCLA and USC draw very few people to their games. I'd bet that the Rose Bowl and Coliseum would sell out instantly with B1G teams coming to L.A. to play.
Have you ever been to a Rose Bowl with USC in it? It's a home game for them. It's not as bad as a typical road game, but a 70-30 split in the crowd still sucks.
I had always thought the BIG should have beat the SEC to the punch and invited OU and TX. USC and UCLA are good. Agree we should get OR and WA....maybe even Stanford. Heard someone elsewhere argue for Duke and NC. Let's face it, ND has a standing invite wherever they want, but I wouldn't mind seeing them join the ACC then that league going belly up when a bunch leave for the SEC.
To hell with ND! They had their chance several times.
Part of it is media presence and access to a geographical market. I think you also MUST consider brands. Duke, North Carolina, Kansas and Arizona are basketball blue bloods. If you add them no one is watching any other conference, Kentucky still gets air time but they would be completely isolated.
I’m guessing it would be tough for them to invite Oklahoma because they probably aren’t a great academic fit, while Texas is a pretty good school in its own right.
Would absolutely be huge for football, but if you made me guess, I’m guessing Oklahoma would’ve been a tough sell for the checking off the academics box.
cool the 6th thread on this in 4 hours
no to stanfurd unless cal comes too. aside from michigan and an ohio state, cal - stanfurd is the biggest rivalry imo.
i probably think that just because im a cal alum
You complain about another thread then provide a long comment on it. Brilliant.
Three sentences is a "long comment?"
That's what she said...
I didn’t complain. i was being snarky.
this is way better than the 19 threads about recruiting and nil and what school 17 year olds think they want to play at in 18 months
While respecting your personal feelings on it, I would say that Texas vs Oklahoma is the next biggest rivalry after Michigan and Ohio State, followed by Alabama and Auburn.
I'd put Bama/Auburn #2. That's the only rivalry I would listen to as potentially having an intensity that approaches OSU/Michigan territory.
Those rednecks are nasty.
I agree that your rednecks are worse.
After living in the south for several years I agree. No fights like hillbilly/redneck fights. These fuckers don't understand they are both being destroyed.
Thanks for the insight. Did not know about the GOR issue.
Do you know if Texas is contractually bound to the SEC? Seems to me there may be an opportunity for them to reconsider. Imagine adding Texas, USC, UCLA, Stanford, Washington and Oregon and putting a lid on it!
Good work on that ACC, way to think ahead. This tells me that we need to work hard to poach the rest of the good Pac12 and ND right now and get a 10 year head start on the SEC in having a true super conference.
I thought ESPN said the ACC teams are tied up for 15 or 16 years.....not sure how or why
Even as a Super League SEC powerhouses will still schedule Baby Seal CC and Saint Ann’s School for the Blind every season.
In about 5-10 years Arizona state, TCU, Cal, Oregon state, etc might be the Baby seal's of the world
In the middle of conference play to boot.
Regardless of anyone's personal feelings, the best case scenario is that the Big Ten adds: USC, UCLA, Oregon, Washington, Stanford and Notre Dame. All top academic schools with solid athletic programs. Gives the west coast schools some closer travel. Rivalries all over the place. Big Ten network and Fox both get marquee games to show every Saturday from 11 until the night time kickoff on the west coast.
FUCK Notre Dame!
Ahhh yes. One three word phrase that feels just as good typing it as it is saying or reading it!
I do not see how this happens without one or all of those Pac 12 teams coming along, especially for travel reasons.
I would like to see some thought given to academics and other perhaps more intangible similarities. Stanford definitely meets that. ND as well. I would offer Virginia Tech as a good fit.
The schools you chose are not all necessary no-brainers. There are a few places they could go with it:
Biggest Brands: ND, Oregon, UNC?
Best Football Teams: Oregon, ND.... Stanford? Pittsburgh?
West Coast Foot Print: Oregon, Cal, Stanford, Washington
Best Athletic Programs: Oregon, Stanford
Biggest Remaining Untapped Markets Not in Southeast: Denver, Portland, Seattle/Tacoma, Phoenix
I fucking love this idea.
If it's all going to be about money and crass commercialism, just go for it.
20th spot goes to the highest bidder.
Conferences are dumb
Nobody is touching the ACC unless the conference completely folds. The ACC grant of rights is like an ironclad contract.