Johns Hopkins lax to B1G?
Article yesterday on Inside Lacrosse speculated that Hopkiins has been approached by the B1G for associate membership. Not a lot of substance to the story, but if true this is huge news for lacrosse. Would get the B1G to 6 teams, the magic number for conference formation and an AQ.
Hopkins is the lacrosse version of Notre Dame. Proud program with a ton of tradition. Think they are the center of the lacrosse universe. Have always been independant. Only lacrosse program with their own TV deal (ESPN) to cover every home game. Etc. Lacrosse is their only D1 sport. Everything else is D3.
From a B1G perspective interesting that they would actually consider an affiliate member. Whole story is probably not a big deal to the majority, but for lacrosse followers this would be a major change to the landscape.
Article: http://insidelacrosse.com/news/2013/01/17/hopkins-draft
edit: Due to popular demand, changed the title. Figured the fact that this was for lacrosse and had nothing to do with football would be assumed.
January 30th, 2013 at 11:54 AM ^
The one difference is that Notre Dame has over 20 sports at the Division I level, and the Big Ten would require that either they join in all 20+ sports, or none at all. Johns Hopkins has only 2 sports at the Division I level, and the Big Ten conducts a championship in only 1 of those two. Therefore, Johns Hopkins would be joining the Big Ten in every single Division I sport that they sponsor, something that Notre Dame consistently refused to do.
January 30th, 2013 at 11:59 AM ^
Never thought of it that way. Still, sounds strange.
January 30th, 2013 at 3:04 PM ^
it makes some sense. But, how would they handle the revenue split? Obviously they wouldn't be contributing any revenue in anything but lacrosse, so would they just get a portion of that money, or would they maybe just get some base amount that is greater than what they could make on their own, but not the $20+ million that the other schools get?
January 30th, 2013 at 11:58 AM ^
is that the B1G is convinced that lacrosse is going to make a good deal of money on TV soon (which I would tend to agree with) and Johns Hopkins is seeing $ signs in their eyes at the prospect of getting a big chunk of money for having their games on the BTN.
It does seem strange though because AFAIK we don't have affiliate members in any other B1G league (i.e. CCHA doesn't count) and I've never known the Big Ten to even entertain ideas of affiliate members (Notre Dame)
January 30th, 2013 at 11:44 AM ^
At first, the title suggested a humorous OT, but now I understand the lacross angle.
And yet, if you really want to discuss B1G expansion, how about competition between hospitals? We could stage individual events in operating rooms witih spectators — but no cheering or Junior Mints allowed. Recruiting "hello" posts on this blog could include "fake incision times."
January 30th, 2013 at 12:12 PM ^
I for one welcome our new med school overlords.
January 30th, 2013 at 12:36 PM ^
From a Hopkins perspective I see two major sticking points. 1. Having to alter a schedule that includes traditional rivals on traditional dates, many of which have been in place for decades (or over 100 years in a couple of cases). 2. ESPN deal. Do they make money from this deal? If not, does the B1G offer include $$$ that would make a huge impact on a small D3 athletic department? Does BTN allow them to keep an ESPN deal? Does BTN give them a similar deal (can't see the other B1G schools signing off on that plan)?
January 30th, 2013 at 1:42 PM ^
As a Hopkins alum, I think that the traditional rivalries should not be that hard to maintain. Lax schedules have ballooned over the last 15 years, pushing the season earlier and earlier. Hopkins has kept their traditional rivalries (MD, UNC, UVA, Cuse, P-ton, Navy, Towson, Loyola) and had room to add a bunch of other regulars and semi-regulars - Albany, Army, Hofstra, Mt. St. Mary's, Siena, Manhattan. Some of these are tomato cans to warm up with, others were Petro scheduling against former assistants and coaches with whom he has had long relationships.
A bunch of these can go, esp. since MD would still be on the schedule. If UVA or UNC comes to the B1G, that would also work well for JHU.
Re: TV $$, Hopkins' espn deal has had a lot to do with the ABC afflilate in baltimore, which would still be happy to broadcast their games.
January 30th, 2013 at 12:50 PM ^
it's actually a brilliant idea. The problem with adding new members has always been that it cuts down on the number of times football teams play each other, and this has no effect on that. Also, it adds a marquee program in a growing sport that has high interest in strategic areas for the conference, which could cause other dominoes to fall, and getting them in the CIC would be huge.
January 30th, 2013 at 1:30 PM ^
LOVE this move. Extending that B1G conference into as many sports possible is a good thing. Shits about to get real.
Michigan has them on the schedule this year.
The B1G Lax Conference is gonna be STACKED if this happens. Hopkins, MD, PSU.
I hardly got to knew the ECAC. Michigan hasn't even played an official conference game yet.
January 30th, 2013 at 1:47 PM ^
I would love this move. It would guarantee me seeing my Jays here every year (although it would not surprise me if Petro kept M on the schedule permanently anyway.)
From a CIC perspective, it would be a huge coup. Hopkins is #1 nationwide for federal research $$.
I don't think JHU's traditional rivalries would be threatened. It would mean replacing a couple of the tomato cans on the JHU schedule with harder contests, but still not as brutal as the UVA-UNC-Cuse-Pton-MD guantlet that comes later in the season.
As far as conference fit goes, it would have to be either ACC or B1G, but from a research university perspective, B1G is a MUCH better fit.
January 30th, 2013 at 4:29 PM ^
How would JHU share in conference revenue if this happened? I've also been thinking about this as it relates to hockey, maybe someone here knows how it works.
Is revenue from hockey/lacrosse broadcasts split evenly between every conference member, or just those who sponsor the sport? Seems unfair that non-hockey/lacrosse schools would get money from the BTN broadcasting those games.
To me it would be common sense to just give JHU 1/6 of the lacrosse revenue (and the B1G might be able to sign its own ESPNU contract with JHU on board), but I suspect it's more complicated than that.
January 30th, 2013 at 7:51 PM ^
...and another ACC school, for consistency in membership. Even if said school was Georgia Tech, which does not field lacrosse. UVa would give the Big Ten six lacrosse-playing members. Were UNC or Duke to be #16 (or all four entered for an 18-team conference), so much the better.
January 30th, 2013 at 10:56 PM ^
Well it makes sense. They are in our existing geographic footprint......
*thinks about this and cries*