So, how should the conference be re-aligned?

Submitted by ballertim87 on

[Edit - Posted before I saw the new front page post by Brian... Mods, delete if necessary]

This is just for people to share their opinions as to which teams should be divided into each division (and what those divisions should be called).  Maybe we could figure it out for Delany...

At first glance, what is up with all the red?! We could, hypothetically, divide the conference into red (Ohio, Wisc, Neb, Ind, Mary, Rut, Minn--maroon, I know) and not-red (Mich, State, PSU,  Iowa, Pur, Ill, NW).  (We could call them "The Red" and "Panic Prone", for any Chevelle fans out there.)

But SERIOUSLY, I think we could realistically do what could have been done after the Nebraska expansion and just divided them (and named them)  "East" and "West".

East - Mich, OSU, PSU, MSU, Maryland, Rutgers, (Ind or Pur)

West - Neb, Wisc, Iowa, Minn, NW, Ill, (Ind or Purd)

^Obv, there is some power imbalance, but I think many of us agree that you can't do the split solely based on power and prestige because, in the end, you're always going to get the ebbs and flows of success in each program--some more than others.

Unfortunately, I don't have the time to take this any further at the moment ... let the opinions and the speculation, begin...

willywill9

November 19th, 2012 at 12:41 PM ^

Ebbs and flows sure, but you have to make some competitive assumptions long term.  You have to keep Mich+OSU+MSU,  Nebraska+PSU+Wisc,  In my opinion, of course.

IPFW_Wolverines

November 19th, 2012 at 12:41 PM ^

Put Rutgers and Maryland in the leaders and move Minnesota to the Legends.  I don't think they will completely blow up the divisions until they add number 15 and 16.

EGD

November 19th, 2012 at 12:44 PM ^

We must keep Northwestern in Michigan's division.  I want my semi-annual combination road game-Chicago trip.  Otherwise, how far is Rutgers from NYC?

Hardware Sushi

November 19th, 2012 at 1:58 PM ^

I've had this argument with my boss as I write quite a bit of documentation. The answer is English is dumb and those two (biannual and semiannual) mean the same thing - twice per year - even though biweekly typically means every two weeks.

Biennial is the correct term for every two years (or biennially). Semiannual is more commonly used now to avoid confusion between biennial and biannual.

UMRecruitingFannatic

November 19th, 2012 at 1:03 PM ^

Where is Rutgers?  New Jersey right?  But where?  I mean it's a small state... but has anyone ever been there?  Does it have a campus or a college town?  Is it someplace you would want to roadtrip to?  Is it near NYC (oh wait, it has to be since all 10 million New Yorkers watch every Rutgers game).

Leaders And Best

November 19th, 2012 at 12:47 PM ^

Central: Michigan, Ohio State, Michigan State, Illinois, Northwestern, Purdue, Indiana

Northwest/East: Nebraska, Penn State, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Maryland, Rutgers

- almost every major rivalry game is protected within division (except Little Brown Jug) and creates East Coast partner schools for PSU

- Eliminates need for the protected crossover thus enabling 2 rotating interdivisional games per year (one of the biggest problems with the SEC setup)

-maintains competitive balance between divisions

rbgoblue

November 19th, 2012 at 12:54 PM ^

The Northwest/East division doesnt make sense.  The inequality in traveling expenses as well as the geographic separation within the division is unfair to those teams and imposes difficulty on establishing intra-divisional rivalry down the road.

Leaders And Best

November 19th, 2012 at 1:05 PM ^

but that is negated by the fact by keeping the 2 pods together the other travel is shorter. Any other breakdown would split these teams up in some fashion (like Wisconsin and PSU are right now).

For example, Wisconsin currently would play Iowa and Nebraska every 6 years while maintaining yearly games against OSU, PSU, and MD or Rutgers. PSU has a protected crossover with Nebraska in the current setup. The change would maybe add one extra longer road trip (Wisconsin to Maryland or Rutgers), but you would also gain one nearby rival schools (Iowa and Minnesota).

JeepinBen

November 19th, 2012 at 12:47 PM ^

Pods:

Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, Purdue (Historical Rivalries)

MSU, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Illinois (Chicago Center)

Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, New Team X (Corn)

PSU, Maryland, Rutgers, New Team Y (N00BS)

9 Conference Games: 3 in your Pod every year, Play 1 new pod every year (4 games), 2 "random" games that can preserve rivalries (us vs. state in years Historic doesn't play Chicago) and finish out the schedule with balance.

Smikal

November 19th, 2012 at 12:51 PM ^

9 conferences games, 2 cross division One fixed x div rival

North

Ohio State

Penn State

Rutgers

Indiana

Maryland

Purdue

Illinois

 

Northest

Michigan

Nebraska

Michigan State

Minnesota

Iowa

Wisconsin

Northwestern

MAS

November 19th, 2012 at 12:50 PM ^

Big 10:

Illinois

Indiana

Michigan

Minnesota

Northwestern

Ohio State

Purdue

Wisconsin

 

Fake Big 10:

Iowa (sacrifical)

Maryland

Michigan State

Nebraska

Penn State

Rutgers

New Team #1

New Team #2

 

expatriate

November 19th, 2012 at 12:53 PM ^

In order to make this determination you need to come up with some logical way of putting the teams into divisions- prestige, talent, geography, etc.  However, therein lies the problem.  There is no logic that defines how and why the Big Ten makes decisions except in what can glean an extra dollar.

If they find out that Maryland playing in the Legends will increase viewership by 14 people in Western Maryland over putting them in the Leaders, it will happen.  There is no other rationale.

We don't need logic, we need MBAs.

sundaybluedysunday

November 19th, 2012 at 12:55 PM ^

For the love of all that is holy, if they don't put Maryland in the same division as Michigan so the very large alumni base in DC gets a game every other year, I will be rather pissed about this whole deal.



And yes, I'm aware we have a lot of alumni in NYC. And no, I don't care about them more than myself.

expatriate

November 19th, 2012 at 1:00 PM ^

My twin brother went to Maryland so while I would love to go to Michigan games in College Park we are both cringing at the thought of having to root against each others teams (we both grew up Michigan fans).  I live in DC (he lives in Baltimore) so it would be nice, but terribly awkward.  So personally I have to lean on the side of not being in the same division for selfish reasons.

 

Oh, and New Yorkers won't go to Rugters for a game the way DC folks would show up in College Park anyway.

MGoRossGrad

November 19th, 2012 at 1:00 PM ^

East:

Michigan

Ohio State

Penn State

Indiana

Purdue

Rutgers

Maryland

 

West:

Nebraska

Michigan State

Wisconsin

Northwestern

Illinois

Minnesota

Iowa

 

9 conference games.  3 cross overs.  Sad faces.

lhglrkwg

November 19th, 2012 at 1:01 PM ^

Legends Divison

  • Michigan
  • Michigan State
  • Nebraska
  • Northwestern
  • Minnesota
  • Iowa

Leaders Division

  • Ohio
  • Penn State
  • Wisconsin
  • Indiana
  • Purdue
  • Illinois

Big East

  • Rutgers

ACC Atlantic

  • Maryland

ghost

November 19th, 2012 at 1:13 PM ^

East- Michigan, Ohio, MSU, PennSt, Rutgers, Maryland, Indiana

West- Wisc, Neb, Iowa, Minn, Purdue, Ilinois, NWST

If they go to 16

East- Michigan, Ohio, PennSt, Rutgers, Maryland,, GT, #16

West- Wisc, Neb, Iowa, Minn, Purdue, Ilinois, NWST, Indiana, MSU

Arizona Blue

November 19th, 2012 at 1:14 PM ^

The new conference should be broken into the Dollars and Cents divisions:

 

Dollars:

Michigan

Nebraska

Ohio

PSU

Wisconsin

Maryland

Rutgers

Cents:

MSU

Indiana

Minnesota

Purdue

Northwestern

Illinois

Iowa

 

joeyb

November 19th, 2012 at 1:22 PM ^

  • Michigan
  • MSU
  • OSU
  • PSU
  • Wisconsin
  • Nebraska
  • Northwestern

 

  • Maryland
  • Rutgers
  • Indiana
  • Minnesota
  • Purdue
  • Illinois
  • Iowa

The worst team in the first division and the best team in the second division swap after each season.

CriticalFan

November 19th, 2012 at 1:23 PM ^

How does having to add in one of these games affect the schedules? Does UM just back out of one of the OOC games? Do we get to reshuffle the odd/even year split between good home slates and the bad ones?

Waiting to hear WAY-TOO-SOON speculation on that...

Hardware Sushi

November 19th, 2012 at 1:33 PM ^

Best quote I've found on the news, from a Maryland board:

"Now I'm just waiting for the bulletin that Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Indiana are joining the SEC."

Hahaha

LSAClassOf2000

November 19th, 2012 at 3:27 PM ^

We could always base the divisions on something completely random, such as straight line distance from Park Ridge, Illinois (or indeed, Leaders and Legends, whichever you prefer):

"Reasonably Local"

Northwestern

Purdue

Wisconsin

Illinois

Michigan State

Indiana

Iowa

"Not As Local"

Michigan

Ohio State

Minnesota

Penn State

Nebraska

Maryland

Rutgers

turtleboy

November 19th, 2012 at 1:55 PM ^

I really hope this means we drop an out of conference creampuff and play another B1G school every year. When the divisions were first announced everybody said they were lopsided with Ohio, PSU, and Wisconsin towering over the conference, that year Michigan, State, and Nebraska ended up having their way with the B1G. Now PSU, Ohio, and Wisconsin are back. I think they're pretty evenly balanced. Maybe I'd like to play Illinois every year, well, certainly more than I'd want to play either new school every year, but i say play more B1G opponents, and fewer Western Michigan, Eastern Michigans, and fuck Notre Dame.

MosherJordan

November 19th, 2012 at 1:55 PM ^

If the Leaders and Legends teach us one thing, it's that the B1G cared about competitive balance when it formed the divisions. An East division with OSU, Mich, PSU, MSU would be heavily lopsided. It'll never happen that way. Swap OSU for NW, and your East/West proposal might work.

As for names, I'm thinking we're going to dump Leaders and Legends for Masters and Comanders.