A&M moves up its BOR meeting from 8/22 to 8/15
A&M to the SEC is looking more and more like a done deal. A&M had originally scheduled a Board of Regents meeting for 8/22 to discuss (and presumably approve) the deal. Today, the Texas legislature scheduled hearings for next week to discuss (and presumably kill) the deal. A&M's response? They have just moved the BOR meeting up a week to 8/15, this Monday.
http://tamu.247sports.com/Article/Aggies-Moving-Monday-35218
August 12th, 2011 at 8:02 PM ^
You said of Nebraska joining the BigTen: "A fit culturally, but didn't address any of the other needs"
I am telling you that Nebraska exceeded the need of expanding the TV market. Nebraska instantly strengthens the BigTen Network as people all over the nation, especially in every single Great Plains state love the Huskers.
These are 2009 TV rating stats for nationally televised games:
Nebraska 3.57
Notre Dame 2.4
Missouri with its supposedly big TV market that has St. Louis and Kansas City had a mere 2.0
Nebraska's worst year the past 10 years has been a 3.1, Notre Dame's best year over that time frame has been a 3.2. In terms of TV viewing Nebraska > Notre Dame.
Nebraska has a huge TV Market - because they have many fans everywhere and thus meets the need of giving the BigTen Network leverage when negotiating new contracts.
August 12th, 2011 at 11:38 PM ^
The needs were academic, expanding towards the south and east, and a school that encompassed large television markets. Nebraska fit none of them. They were chosen because they're a football draw. We don't disagree on that. In fact that was my whole point. The idea that the Big Ten wants and needs to expand to the south and east is BS, we're not going to expand unless we can get more eyeballs and that comes through prominent football programs.
August 12th, 2011 at 5:12 PM ^
You might want to put a pin in that. UVA might be worth it for the academic distinction and new market, but they haven't done anything to earn "up and comer" status in a meaningful way. You won't get a whole lot of viewrs for your average "Michigan vs. UVA" game, unlike, say, "Michigan vs. Nebraska."
You might want to wait on UNC before their heads are off the chopping block. Again, solid academics, and in this case, generally more "up and comers"...but they got caught baaaaad. Also: nobodies before Butch "Buy me a Program," Davis. It would be worth waiting to see if they can accomplish anything with a not dirty-as-coal coach, especially with sanctions ahoy.
August 12th, 2011 at 5:21 PM ^
Neither would be as good as Nebraska, that was a home run. But of the teams we could get (outside of Texas and ND which are great fits but unlikely to come) we could keep our battle with the SEC going with teams like UVA and UNC. Gaining the DC and Charlotte media markets would be big, and I can't think of other teams that would be bettere fits. Maybe we go to 16 teams and take UVA, VaTech, Duke and UNC.
If 16 teams is where we're headed, those have to be schools worth considering.
August 12th, 2011 at 5:30 PM ^
Don't get me wrong...I'm not disagreeing. I think Virginia Tech is the biggest and best option out there, and getting them and UVA would be logical, to a degree. UNC I'm not high on, is where I disagree. I don't really think of them as an up and comer. They were a bottom-feeder team that upjumped themselves Oregon style, got caught big, and I expect nothing from them until further notice.
Duke is a private institution, which is not a match for our profile (though we are courting ND, and Duke is AAU), but my biggest concern is the truly meaningless football team. I know their basketball is top shelf, but it's really football which moves the needle on these deals: why an otherwise decent Kansas organization faced a real possibility of being left in the cold last time around. But...I digress. UNC is the choice I would really say is imprudent. Also: any Big East School, and I say that fully betraying a personal connection to Pitt. They are just not worth it.
August 12th, 2011 at 5:38 PM ^
That's fair, I just see UNC as a higher stock than you. I don't like Duke for the same reason I don't like Kansas - big basketball program isn't enough. But UNC is a pretty big school with a solid football fanbase in addition to a basketball program on par with those others. They're not Nebraska on the football field, but I think they'll continue to be a solid football program. They have a lot of NFL guys and a big enough name to hire good coaches. UNC in the Big Ten would turn into a very good football team.
August 12th, 2011 at 5:46 PM ^
August 12th, 2011 at 5:39 PM ^
I don't think conferences will go to 16 just to go to 16. It's still going to require making more money, and the Big Ten just used its biggest revenue increaser by adding a championship game.
The Big Ten doesn't have to make the same amount of money or more than any other conference, they need to make more per school, adding schools that aren't football powers isn't going to help.
August 12th, 2011 at 6:07 PM ^
I agree with you that they won't grow to 16 just to grow. But I don't agree that a team would have to be a "power" to be added, they would just need to be above the average Big Ten team to make it a net gain. I believe UNC is, from a financial standpoint, above average for Big Ten schools. Not up with schools like UM, OSU and PSU, but right there with the rest.
UNC has an elite basketball team with a major brand. They generate more money than any Big Ten bball program. As a football program, they would be average. Below UM, OSU, PSU and Neb on a yearly basis, but probably on par or close to with Wisconsin, MSU and Iowa, certainly ahead of the Big Ten bottom feeders. They have an elite baseball program (small point, but a point nonetheless).
Outside of sports, North Carolina is a large state in terms of population, about the same size as Michigan and larger than all Big Ten states save PA, OH and IL. It's one of the fastest growing states in the country as well, and could be bigger than the biggest Big Ten states in a decade. A lot of UNC grads in ATL and DC, big boom for the BTN.
I'm not saying it's a slam dunk, and the Duke factor makes a big difference too, but hypothetically UNC alone would be a great addition, I think.
August 12th, 2011 at 6:58 PM ^
UNC in a vacuum would probably be ok, but I think they become a money loser when you have to bring along Duke and NC State. And that's really the problem with everyone outside of Texas and ND. If they're worth having, even as a secondary school to someone else we actually want, there's someone else that hsa to come along that makes them not worth it.
August 12th, 2011 at 9:22 PM ^
FSU out of ACC leaves a spot (or 3 there) - those spots go to SYR (and potentially WVU / RUT) - the Big East will be giving teams... again.
TAMU out of the Big 12 opens the door for TCU to become the 2nd biggest team (prestige wise, already there success wise) in the Bit 12. They can get back to 12 by adding Louisville and Cincy.
Big 10 takes Pitt and makes ovatures towards Rutgers, Syracuse, BC, in an attempt to feignt towards the NE market, all the while knowing that ND (upon collapse of the Big East as a football AQ) will join up, athletically if not academically.
Lesster Big East powers eat shit. Guaranteed, Nordenberg at Pitt is on the phone right now with the Big 10. With M, OSU, ND, Pitt, Nebraska and PSU, you can make a great set of round-robin rivalries that will get TV sets. Just my opinion on where this is going.
All bets are off if the Big 12 does what it should - kick Texas out.
August 13th, 2011 at 1:09 AM ^
August 12th, 2011 at 6:01 PM ^
August 12th, 2011 at 6:02 PM ^
If they really wanted to stay in Florida, I could see them swiping South Florida.
Edit: Of course they still have Miami, so maybe Syracuse is more attractive with the NYC connections and a nothern partner for BC.
August 12th, 2011 at 9:16 PM ^
The Carolina 4 will never accept South Florida into their conference.
August 13th, 2011 at 1:52 AM ^
Why? What would be the problem?
August 13th, 2011 at 5:41 PM ^
At 9 teams, Duke and UNC and one other school voted against adding BC, VT, and Miami, all are top 60 schools.
The ACC adding South Florida is the equivalent of the B1G adding Cincinnati if, say, Wisconsin joined the Pac-10. It would never happen in 1 million billion trillion years.