Georgia Tech, B1G approved?

At first I was like, Maryland/Rutgers?

And then I was like, Georgia Tech? 

Now I'm like, total ACC domination?

No other reputable reporter is corroborating this report

Will hold off until they do so...seems kind of ridiculous. 

I don't think everyone has noticed that the big Ten has gotten away from actually using "ten" in logos and whatnot. The logo actually looks like it says B16, which is exactly what they want to get to, 16 teams.

I love the fact that if this happens, we've taken every major market that ND was using as a catalyst for having their agreement with the ACC.

We have Michigan State and Purdue already.  Maybe we could come up with a second fiddle division.

This may not be true right now, but with this many rumors about GT there is a good chance it will eventually happen.  Would be hilarious if they upset FSU tomorrow and announced they were leaving for the Big10.  A W.Virginia blog reported something similar last night and also stated that the Big12 had offers out to FSU, Clemson, Miami and GT.  It also mentioned the fact that the actual terms of the ACC's tv contract may not be what everyone thinks they are and that if they take Maryland to court over the exit fee it will come out.  

Willis Ward & Gerald Ford say bring it on. 

I would love to add Mizzou and UNC. I think they would be great fits in the big ten. Also we're going to
Expand so why not grab teams that fit. We'd get two solid to good athletic departments, a phenomenal svhool and an ok one. Also MizZou would have instant rivals (and we'd be stealing from the SEC).

As someone who has lived their whole life in Atlanta, I can tell you that it's Dawg country. UGA is the team here. Yes, Ga. Tech gets a lot of press and interest, but UGA is like that default team that everyones crazy about. I've been to both their football stadium and new basketball arena. The basketball is very nice, and Tech hasn't been good as of late, but have been to the final 4 in the last 10 yrs so that's worth something. Their football situation is anoter. Combine a dangerous area around stadium with an inability to fill it up all the way and that's not good. I want to the Clemson game last year, and I saw just as much orange n purple as I did gold and navy. Bottom line: great school, ok sports teams, decent fan base, and a heck of a long way away from Big Ten country. My verdict: I like them, but don't want them in the Big Ten. I'll take Kansas though...

Well if the B1G must go to 16 teams, then I like the addition of Georgia Tech.

I would still rather be at 12 teams though...

Great, an option team in the B1G. I hope they're not in our divison.

But if GT did join the conference, it will be a ugly for them football attendance-wise. Their stadium seats 55K, but this year they had only 44K for Virginia and 42K for Duke. If GT's fanbase can't fill the stadium for longtime rivals aside from Clemson or Georgia, then good luck with Minnesota or Indiana or Wisconsin. It's bad enough when the TV cameras show 6,000 no-shows in the upper reaches of one section of Michigan Stadium, but 10,000+ empty seats in that little bandbox will look sorry as hell.

I'll predict we round out the conference with Hawaii because we have to get as close as possible to that massive Chinese market.

This is all about media markets.  They should just sell out and get Texas so the BIG conference (yes, BIG should be its new name) can have access to 8 of the 11 top media markets in the country.

1. New York (Rutgers)

3. Chicago (BTN HQ, NU, UIUC, alums from everywhere)

4. Philly (PSU)

5. Dallas (UT-Austin)

8. DC (Maryland)

9. Atlanta (GaTech)

10. Houston (UT-Austin)

11. Detroit (UM/MSU)

www.nielsen.com/.../tv/nielsen-2012-local-DMA-TV-penetration.pdf

and I hate it. No one's even giving lip service to anything other than money and TV markets now. The B1G is using the athletic conference as a way to just make money off TV sets. No concern for athletics or tradition or anything but money. Moneymoneymoney

I wonder if when Jim Delaney has the B1G headquarters built out of gold in 10 years and we have nothing else to spend money on if he'll still think it was all worth it

Goodbye BigTen(11), hello The B1G Coporation

Personally, I think its a great addition.  GT is a great school and the campus is in a great location.  That said, I do NOT look forward to playing them and their crazy offense.  No thanks.

i genuinely believe this is part of a master plan by delany to screw notre dame over.

so unless the Big Ten pushes aside one of the most basic and important criteria for membership in the conference (ND is a special case), schools that are not members of the AAU are not going to be invited into the conference.

Having said that, it's all about the money, so who the fuck knows what Delaney can persuade the conference presidents to do.

I know they are playing for a conference championship(but only by default)..how much longer do you think they keep him around? 9-4, 11-3, 6-7, 8-5, 6-6 and no bowl victories while at Ga Tech.

GT would be the first time that the Big Ten has expanded and not given a damn about contiguity.  There's no way to even get to Georgia via a 15th team.  The shortest route has them three states away (via Indiana or Ohio->Kentucky->Tennesse->Georgia)!

I don't like it.  Georgia, to me, is southern.  I'm okay with being Midwest+Northeast, but this is a bit too much.

BC, Clemson, Pitt and UNC come to mind. It opens up the possibility of several other neighboring schools too. Personally I like it. GT is a fine academic institution, which I think should be the main focus of expansion.

In all seriousness, this move is obviously about getting into the Atlanta market and more importantly establishing a presence in the South. I knew this would be coming, but I never would've thought it would be this quick. I expected a few years at 14 before we super expanded to 16.

Atlanta is a great town, frequent and cheap flights from Detroit (Northwest/Delta hub to hub). I hope they're in our division. Great school, huge market.

Look at how Texas A&M jumped out from under UT's shadow with just one year in the SEC. GT will be fine in football. And this will absolutely help M recruiting in one of the most talent rich states in the country.

is coming to Atlanta.  Would be a great side-trip for people when Michigan plays their every 15 year "conference matchup" versus GT in Atlanta.

Would love to see Clemson join.

please no