Report: Georgia Tech in mix for B1G as well

MUCH better add than either of the other two schools, for football, basketball, TV market, and especially academics.

No No No No No No No.

No.

Georgia Tech would be a boon.  Great academic school, expand the market into Atlanta, great football tradition.

I could get behind that. 

GT is an excellent school, but I think they're just too far geographically.

As a new GaTech grad student certainly would be cool to see big ten teams down here. I bet Michigan fans could overwelm Tech's small little stadium.  Tech would bring in more of a market in Atlanta than Rutgers would in new york or Maryland in DC. Still not good though.  Tech will always lag way behind UGA in terms of marketshare.

Perhaps there was something to CBS's Dodd's suggestion that the longeterm plan included UNC and gettting a footbprint in Georgia.

At this point, I am on the 'anything but Rutgers' train.

I'm not sure I understand the disrespect for Maryland's academics. By measures like board scores they'd be in the upper half of the B1G (only Michigan and Northwestern are clearly better) and, no doubt in part thanks to their proximity to DC, they're rolling in research money.

Of course I'd have no complaint about Georgia Tech on that score either. Both would be good adds academically IMO.

If we are definitely going to expand, geography matters less than improving the conference both athletically and academically.  Ga Tech would do that far more than Maryland or Rutgers.  I would add Rutgers to get the NYC and Philly markets, but don't see the upside to Maryland at all. 

Ugh.  I already hate how Micigan can go 3 years without playing a team in the conference.  The addition of 2 more teams will just make that even worse.  Hard to consider a team in your conference when you only play twice a decade.  I feel like we play schools such Western and Eastern at least that often...

Better than Rutgers. Who's next? Albion?

This is a fan site.  All the talk about expansion here eventually leads to a comment about where our television market will expand to.  Let's make that irrelevant for the sake of being fans for a moment and talk about who actually we want to be in the Big Ten.

Personally GT sounds great to me.  They are a bit far away, but apparently that isn't an issue anymore.  Maryland and Rutgers do absolutely nothing for me.  There is no record of sustained success in their football programs in recent history.  It would be purely for TV which, as a fan, I will refuse to say is a good reason.

So I guess geography means absolutely nothing for conferences anymore.  Sure, Boise State to the Big East probably sent that message loud and clear, but having teams in Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Georgia all a part of the same conference seems ridiculous.

If Maryland and Rutgers end up in, and Georgia Tech comes as well, Virginia Tech makes the most sense for a move to 16.

No single school in that conversation is a fantastic addition for any one reason, but I suppose that does add depth and markets to make the B1G the strongest conference in many ways.

The fallout in terms of other conferences realigning to match scares me, though, because there are bigger fish and we will see conferences disappear.

Have we covered that ND just spurned the B1G to join a conference that appears to be bailing en masse to join the B1G?  Anyway GaTech>Rutgers.  Pretty even with Maryland as far as I am concerned with athletics and academics.  Living in DC, I know that Maryland football doesn't bring this market, and I'm pretty sure Rutgers doesn't bring the NYC market, but do any of us know that GaTech brings Atlanta?

Michigan would at least get better at defending the triple option. That is if Paul Johnson still has a job there.

I am sooooo totally against this. Sorry but I totally disagree with all this adding more schools garbage. We have a great conference lineup, it needs to perform better.



GAtech isn't enough, and in no way helps the conference overall. Look at Texas. People don't even watch their network. Espn is engrained in college football, so expanding the BiG network share isn't all that is cracked up to be. People are looking for page clicks. Just stop please and thank yous!!!



All this crap talk about adding schools is change for the sake of change. Super conferences are not what's best, people will calm down and see that in the next few years, especially if the new playoff works better than the bcs. Which it still will be controversial, always will be!! MNC's are mythical, always have, always will be.



Rutgers and Maryland talk: As former nova resident, VAtech and UVA are way more relevant to that area. Maryland is an afterthought and frankly a laughing stock. Very fine schools, but if this is based on both academics and athletics, they are too small potatoes.



Seriously folks, Rutgers is a nobody, and I am sick of hearing their damn name associated with the BiG. If we take those two schools, we ought be be made fun of as a weakass conference. I would be uncontrollably pissed. Even more so if gatech is brought on, since they have no ties to the BiG at all. Who ever plays them? Rare matchup in bball. Do they even have the athletic department to compete with us? No hockey!! F me!



We have four flagship programs in our conference and Wisconsin is no slouch, especially recently in athletics. Stand pat!! I personally think all this realignment is a fools errand and makes everyone look bad. Acc is a joke, big east is a joke. We need to be leaders and make the legends. Not follow the leaders and destroy our legend. Geesh!! I am out and off my soap box.

How about we don't do something dumb, Jim Delaney?

So we're definitely poaching the ACC then.  I don't know what to think.  I guess our main priorities are TV markets and AAU membership.

So, add UCLA to the short list!

/ducks

I hate this expansion crap

I would want regional divisions though.  East and West.

East:

• Rutgers
• Maryland
• Georgia Tech
• Penn State
• Ohio State
• Purdue
• Indiana
• other east/south team, like Va Tech

West:

• Michigan
• Michigan State
• Illinois
• Northwestern
• Iowa
• Nebraska
• Wisconsin
• Minnesota

Yes, I realize UM and MSU are further east than either Indiana school, but this format divides power more effectively. 

Take the best schools from ths ACC just to stick it to Notre Dame

Take the best schools from ths ACC just to stick it to Notre Dame

Anyone but Rutgers!

Just as ND breaks off the rivalry with Michigan to play opponents from the ACC, the Big Ten starts to go after the ACC schools.  If a few dominos fall maybe the whole conference will fall (doubtful but "To Hell with Notre Dame" it's hopeful).  Perhaps by then FSU will venture over to the Big 12, the Big Ten has raided any decent teams left and ND has several games with the bottom feeders and any other mid-major additions the ACC can get to keep a conference in tact.

Ga Tech would be a decent pickup. Great school, and the football program has its moments. Not even remotely a geographic fit, but since when does that seem to matter these days?



Still, it'd give the conference some good inroads into Georgia recruiting.

This All Needs to Stop!

Let's just add everybody.

Delany will mandate they cannot run that frickin triple option.

GT is a hell of lot more preferable than Rutgers. The latter is an embarrassment. GT is a good school with pretty good sports.

I love this one. What about Syracuse, they would be a good fit better than Rutgers.

I know that they are in the SEC and may not be likely to jump but I would look at a Vanderbilt in addition to Georgia tech. Could be interesting as both could potentially be good programs. I would also look at Virginia, Virginia tech and make another run at ND - if they have any foresight they will realize that the acc is not going to be a great place to be when the conferences realign. All of these would be much better options than Maryland or Rutgers.

I would take Georgia Tech over Maryland any day

...the most academically overrated school out there.

I've dealt with multiple recent GT EE grads with > 3.5 GPAs and I'm not impressed at all with their problem solving ability or critical thinking skills.

The engineering grads from UM, PSU, and several other lesser known schools I could name have all impressed me far more than GT grads.

Dennis Dodd did an interesting piece on Big Ten expansion and his thoughts on the motives of Jim Delany and it was posted last evening - (LINK)

About two-thirds into this pieces, there is this:

"Clearly, this isn't about football. It seldom is in conference realignment. The Big Ten has enough perception problems in football. Maryland and Rutgers aren't going to improve its image. It's about new viewers for the Big Ten Network. I talked to a Big Ten AD less than two years who told me the league presidents were impressed with Georgia Tech and Maryland before settling on Nebraska. Both are AAU schools. Neither play particularly great football. But each would add a new Big Ten footprint. Sub in New Jersey for Georgia and you see the strategy hasn't changed."

I guess my first question - as there are likely people more in the know than I am on this subject - revolves around Big Ten bylaws. I had thought there was a bylaw that restriced expansion to states contiguous to the Big Ten footprint, which Georgia is not. If that is the case, it would mean changing the rules, but I assume that if they really were looking to expand revenues, that's easy enough. 

That being said, if there is any traction to this at all, I would definitely take Georgia Tech over Rutgers like others, particularly if we're talking about bringing a decent football program in addition to competitive basketball. Still, is there a reason the conference would do this other than the potential money? I have to believe that, if Maryland and Rutgers want to come to the Big Ten at all, then dollars are part of the driver for the schools as well. 

Thanks.

I'm not a big fan of the big ten expanding but the landscape of college athletics is heading in that direction..I feel like if we don't pull the trigger on expanding we will be behind the eight ball in a couple of years looking to add schools that are less attractive.. As aprehensive as i am about it, i still think the big ten needs to do this.

I would like to kill all expansion with fire.

GT makes no sense whatsoever from an athletic standpoint. It would make more sense to add Syracuse and Pitt to Rutgers and Maryland; at least there would be some semblance of geographical logic, in addition to the fact that they would bring in pre-existing athletic rivalries.

But fuck it all, it's just about the $$ so those numbskulls will do whatever they want.

I've lived in Atlanta my whole life, and I just got off the phone with my borther-in-law who lives in north Jersey.  He said that in terms of TV networks, Rutgers would hardly do anything.  But from experience, GA Tech turns the Atlanta attention pretty well. UGA is still the biggest market there, but Tech has a brand spanking new basketball arena, and a nice football standium.  Small (by B1G terms), but well represented.  Personally, I would rather add teams like Iowa State, Kentucky, Kansas, or Kansas State.  But Tech would fun to see in the big ten. Better option than Rutgers/Maryland! The only problem is you risk getting mugged walking across the campus. 

You're all forgetting about the burgeoning Big 10 hockey scene.   Ga Tech, Maryland, and Rutgers hockey...DO WANT!

Although I would love having Big Ten games 20 minutes from where I live I have to wonder why the Big Ten would want Rutgers when their athletic department lost $ 26.8 million last year. Nobody goes to their sporting events.

Here in Central NJ we have two choices for cable TV. Comcast has the Big Ten network as a extra fee option while Verizon Fios has it part of their basic package.

Vote on Maryland to come tomorrow.  If they approve it Rutgers will follow on Tuesday per ESPN

Am I the only one who thinks Nebraska and Penn State were both good, well thought-out additions to the Big 10 but that most (if not all) further expansion suggestions just seem half-baked and unsuited in at least one or major ways?

Rutgers?  No thank you.

Maryland?  meh.  no thanks.

Georgia Tech?  getting warmer, but no.

In terms of football, academics, and overall national/international reputation none of these schools suit the Big Ten and the Big Ten does not suit them.  Maybe it would be an upgrade from the ACC, but the doesn't make it "the right move".  I actually can't think of a school that I'd be excited about the Big 10 grabbing up right now unless I completely disregard geography and/or reality.

:-/  Can't we just be happy with 12 teams in the Big 10 and 10 teams in the Big 12?  :P

Is Notre Dame also still in the mix?  Cause, I mean, NC game and all.  They just seem like a B1G caliber program. 

Cut the big ten to 10 teams and leave it alone. I already hate that we dont play everyone in the conference. Expansion is gonna kill traditions.

Maryland. Might as well UVA and BC that way you can have a LAX and Hockey Conference. Even though Im against the expansion and the teams in it.

Atlananta supposedly has the 2nd most CFB fans of any city -- considering that bigger cities like Chicago have more NFL fans.

Nebraska was an excellent add in almost every way. Why make it weird with all of the kinda-sorta fits?

Rutgers is just no

Maryland is pretty much just no

Georgia Tech fits with the B1G geographically about as well as WVU is to the Big 12, aka not at all.

Money is ruining college sports

If expansion is going to happen, you can do alot worse than GT. But as long as we're thinking Georgia, how great would UGA be? I know, never going to happen. But from an academic and athletic viewpoint, they'd be a perfect B1G member school. UGA is pretty much the UofM of the South.

Yay Triple Option!