The B1G may be trying to add Oklahoma and Texas
That would effectively kill the Big 12.
December 7th, 2018 at 11:35 AM ^
Feel free to vomit, and then eat it.
If you’re Oklahoma faculty, tell your colleagues to start going to more conferences. If it’s a money thing, get on the ADAA to increase your research budgets. Even little bro sends a few people.
December 7th, 2018 at 11:44 AM ^
Eeewww.
December 7th, 2018 at 11:29 AM ^
Additionally, Oklahoma is a culturally backward state. It seems to somehow combine the worst of the Great Plains, the Deep South, and Texas.
Good football, though! :) I can imagine worse fits.
December 7th, 2018 at 11:03 AM ^
Yes. A lot worse. MSU and Rutgers are worse relative to UM but they're actually reputable academic institutions. Nebraska and Oklahoma.... well
December 7th, 2018 at 11:41 AM ^
Last year Nebraska was trying to hire three assistant profs in my area. They were offering B1G level salaries, and got some new hires out of good schools (UM level). None of their hires were great, but they’re clearly trying to build up intellectual capital - at least in my area. They are hiring again this year.
Nebraska seems to have a real desire not to be by far the worst school in the B1G.
December 7th, 2018 at 9:48 AM ^
With Texas, they'd have to figure out how to resolve conflicts with the Longhorn Network. I can't imagine the Big Ten would agree to let that continue the way it is.
December 7th, 2018 at 10:20 AM ^
Read the story. The Longhorn Network is small pinto beans to the B1G Network's viewership and money trough. Also, it appears that UT is getting tired of the lack of national exposure they get because of it. The source in the story calls it a pebble staring down the BTN's road paving machine. Or something like that...
December 7th, 2018 at 9:52 AM ^
Expand the playoffs.
December 7th, 2018 at 9:56 AM ^
Key takeaways:
Oklahoma and Texas were vetted the last go-round and approved if they moved forward.
AAU is not an issue.
The Longhorn Network will not be an issue.
Oklahoma and Oklahoma state are not tied together by law.
Divisions would likely be eliminated.
Fox, B1G, Big 12 are already in conversations well ahead of the GOR expiration.
College football expansion has ruined many rivalries. One good thing is that the B1G would be giving ND the middle finger!
December 7th, 2018 at 10:12 AM ^
What is GOR?
Also, we we just be going to 16 teams, or would there be consideration to dropping anyone? Perhaps, just maybe, Rutgers and Maryland?
December 7th, 2018 at 11:19 AM ^
Grant of Rights - basically a contract for schools to stay in the conference. If a school leaves, they are still part of that conference's TV rights. So if Texas and Oklahoma left for the Big Ten before the GOR expired, they would still be a part of the Big 12's TV rights and thus TV money made from their games would go to the Big 12 and not the Big Ten.
December 8th, 2018 at 8:27 AM ^
Correct. Thanks for posting that.
December 7th, 2018 at 10:22 AM ^
Giving ND the middle finger is great, but this also puts OU and Nebraska back on the same field. So, win - win!!! Reclaim a natural and historical rivalry while telling ND to get fucked. I'm good with all of this!
December 7th, 2018 at 11:09 AM ^
"AAU is not an issue."
Says who? What's your source for that? Which BIG Presidents are advocating that?
It's not an issue for AAU member Texas, but it is for non-member Oklahoma.
Here's the source for all this, according to the 247 article:
"That could be the case, according to one report by Minnesota insider Greg Flugaur, who obtained information from a B1G source named BTM."
On one hand, we have a decades-long record of the BIG presidents only inviting schools that are members of the AAU at the time of the invitation. Oklahoma is not.
On the other, we have an anonymous "BIG source named BTM".
Is it possible that the BIG presidents could set aside a significant institutional academic standard they've adhered to for decades because of money? Sure.
However, it's going to take far more than a single anonymous "source" before I'm going to assume this is what the conference presidents are going to to.
December 7th, 2018 at 1:05 PM ^
Don - not arguing your point but a legit question as I know nothing about this - AAU is the Assoc of American Universities? If so I didn't see Nebraska on there - was there an exception made for them when they joined? https://www.aau.edu/sites/default/files/AAU-Files/Who-We-Are/AAU-Member-Universities--Admission-Year.pdf
December 7th, 2018 at 1:10 PM ^
" If so I didn't see Nebraska on there - was there an exception made for them when they joined?"
I've got an extended comment on this point further down in the thread, but the short answer is Nebraska was a member when the BIG invited, but by the time formal membership went into effect, NEB had been tossed out of the AAU.
The people ultimately who will decide this are the BIG university presidents, not Jim Delany. It's possible that they could extend an offer to non-AAU member Oklahoma, but it would represent a stark reversal of everything the BIG has done over the past several decades. The fact that it would be done (in Oklahoma's case) solely for money makes me very skeptical that people like Schlissel would agree to it.
December 7th, 2018 at 1:30 PM ^
Gotcha. Surprised Oklahoma isn't a member, but I guess surprised Nebraska isn't anymore as well. Always thought of Oklahoma as academically analogous to Nebraska and would have thought both would be aboard. Guess not.
December 7th, 2018 at 1:42 PM ^
Don, Notre Dame is not a member of the AAU. That didn't stop them from getting an offer, so it's not as black and white an issue as you put it.
I don't believe the Big Ten would take Oklahoma, unless it got something it really wanted in return. That would be Texas. That would be a coup for them even without the athletics.
December 7th, 2018 at 8:36 PM ^
"That didn't stop them from getting an offer, so it's not as black and white an issue as you put it."
There's never been confirmation that the BIG offered a full conference membership to Notre Dame, or what such a membership might have been contingent upon.
December 7th, 2018 at 11:30 AM ^
Last point is important. F ND. Add a rule that nobody in the expanded Big10 can play ND. Also, if Texas is serious but OU doesn't come along because of the OkSt issue, that opens a slot for ND one last time. Would be fun watching them squirm.
December 7th, 2018 at 5:04 PM ^
Fox, B1G, Big 12 are already in conversations well ahead of the GOR expiration.
Why would the Big 12 be involved, what's in it for them? This would destroy that conference.
December 7th, 2018 at 10:02 AM ^
At least the West may be a little more competitive.
December 7th, 2018 at 10:03 AM ^
M is ready. We already got them on the schedule.
December 7th, 2018 at 10:05 AM ^
If they take Rutgers, Maryland, Michigan State and Jim Delany with them, then DONE DEAL!
December 7th, 2018 at 10:15 AM ^
No, keep Sparty. Look at their FB program over the past few seasons. Draw a trend line - it is heading south since Harbaugh came in and restored respectability to our program. Sparty feasted off of RichRod's terrible in-state recruiting and was able to get players that never would have considered them in the past and would have just gone to Michigan. While Hoke started to reverse this trend, the instability under Hoke after year 1 kept sparty afloat, as did the recency of their success. That is in the past - Sparty is about to return to a regular 6-8 win team that is annoying, but rarely beats us. Kind of like a little brother.
December 7th, 2018 at 11:41 AM ^
Keep perpetuating the myth that Dantonio "took over the state." He's a good coach (*and* a jackass) that prospered mostly with underrated recruits. I'd say that UM's coaching ineptitude was way more important than recruiting.
I'll put this another way: There have been way more Cousins (in-state 3-star with no UM offer) than Gholstons (high-rated guy that everyone wanted).
December 7th, 2018 at 10:08 AM ^
Booooooo. I hate all of this. TV money is ruining college sports. History will not smile kindly on this era of college athletics.
December 7th, 2018 at 10:17 AM ^
I mostly agree but what era of college athletics does history smile kindly on?
December 7th, 2018 at 11:36 AM ^
Whichever one you are nostalgic for.
"They didn't pay players back when I grew up" is Old People for
"I was a kid and unaware that they were paying players, taking steroid, and using hookers. Therefore they didn't do it."
December 7th, 2018 at 10:17 AM ^
So we're going to take Texas (fine) and Oklahoma (what in the actual fuck) into the Big 10, along with Rutger and Maryland, but not Notre Dame?
I liked it much better when conferences were regional and smaller. Although the thought of Texans playing in November, north of the Mason-Dixon line, does amuse me.
And if we're going to keep adding teams we need to change the name. Calling a conference with 11, 12, 14, or 16 teams the Big 10 makes us sound like idiots.
December 7th, 2018 at 10:31 AM ^
If this keeps up, we're going to end up with 32 teams in four divisions: B1G East, B1G West, B1G North, B1G South
December 7th, 2018 at 10:52 AM ^
Mad--we tried to take Notre Dame, but THEY refused us.
December 7th, 2018 at 11:11 AM ^
Lets go for 20, then we can have the Big 10 and the little ten. Of course coach grumpy would have to be in the little ten.
December 7th, 2018 at 10:17 AM ^
The other important thing to do is to lawyer up on processing Rutger.
More attractive recruits are out there!
December 7th, 2018 at 10:18 AM ^
I like this part:
In terms of alignment, the Big Ten, along with the ACC, will push for reform that would allow for one big conference, no divisions, and the ability to eliminate round-robin play, the source told Flugaur. Currently, as is the case with the Big 12, conferences with only one division have to play round-robin schedules, and while Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney and the rest of league brass publicly support divisions, Flugaur indicates that’s not the case behind closed doors. The opposite would actually allow for an increase in value to television and media and an easier expanding value.
December 7th, 2018 at 11:46 AM ^
I'm not so excited about that bit...I can imagine a season where M, OSU and PSU are all 11-1 or 10-2 but each split their games with the other two, while Wisconsin or Nebraska run the table with a schedule that's the existing West plus Rutgers and Indiana. At least with a championship game that team gets put back in their place with a 59-0 drubbing; this way they win the title outright.
December 7th, 2018 at 10:21 AM ^
Would never happen. I remember when these 2 schools were being thrown around before.
For OU, Oklahoma St wouldn't stand for them being left behind, and I believe there's even state legislation to prevent that from happening.
For Texas, similar deal, Baylor, TCU, and TT would have powerful people in the state flying off the handle if Texas tried to leave them behind.
AND, since people mention Kansas, that would never happen for the same reason! I have a couple that are good friends of mine, one is a KU alumn, the other KSU, who live in Kansas; they both say Kansas would never be able to leave KSU, that they're a package deal for changing conferences.
So unless the B1G and B12 want to essentially merge to form some kind of mega conference, there's no way OU and Texas are coming to the B1G alone.
December 7th, 2018 at 10:33 AM ^
They said Texas A&M and Texas would never split either. No one cares about rivals when gobs of money are tossed around.
December 7th, 2018 at 10:50 AM ^
That's valid. If the remaining B12 teams still get enough money from their TV deal it has potential.
Or if Texas & OU get enough extra money I guess I could see them saying "F you guys we're leaving!" regardless of the politics.
December 7th, 2018 at 10:41 AM ^
They all said that about Texas and Texas A&M--and the Aggies bolted on their own.
Now the one thing I agree on--it ain't gonna happen because this is probably conjecture at best and if these things are really being negotiated--no one knows about it. They operate under a cone of silence.
The Nebraska to the Big 10 story is an example of that. Everyone knew someone was coming, but Nebraska and the Big 10 were so cloak and dagger about it it happened while everyone was still trying to figure if it was going to be Missouri, Kansas, etc. AND of course, the Message Board Guys were all over the academic angle--NO WAY Nebraska, man, their academics are poop!
But, in the end, very secretly, Nebraska was the choice.
As for Rutgers and Maryland--we all knew the B1G wanted the so-called "New York Market"--
I'd love Oklahoma and Texas. Then a 10 game schedule in conference.
It's headed that way, folks. It'll be four super conferences, NFL like divisions, and playoffs with at least 8 teams. But gradually like the Chinese Water Torture.
December 7th, 2018 at 11:21 AM ^
"AND of course, the Message Board Guys were all over the academic angle--NO WAY Nebraska, man, their academics are poop!"
At the time the invitation was extended to Nebraska to join the BIG, Nebraska was a member of the AAU (Association of American Universities), which is comprised of schools that are major research institutions. Every other BIG school is an AAU member, and has been for decades.
However, in the time between the invitation and the date that Nebraska formally became a BIG member, Nebraska was kicked out of the AAU because of 1) A dispute revolving around the fact that their medical school was not located in Lincoln, which meant that the $$ involved in medical teaching/research was not counted by the AAU in evaluating Nebraska's credentials; and 2) the AAU refused to count a some or all of Nebraska's agricultural research $$ in its evaluation.
Subsequently, the Nebraska chancellor stated that if Nebraska had not been an AAU member, the BIG would never have extended the invitation in the first place.
In addition, many Nebraska people blame Texas for instigating the expulsion of Nebraska from the AAU in revenge for Nebraska leaving the Big 12. And why did Nebraska leave? Because the people that run athletics at Texas are egotistical assholes who believe the entire planet should revolve around UT. Nebraska is hardly the only institution that has this opinion of Texas.
If the BIG brings Texas into the conference, there's an excellent chance we will regret it.
December 7th, 2018 at 1:17 PM ^
Never?
December 7th, 2018 at 10:28 AM ^
Yeah, lets make it even more difficult to win our first conference championship in forever.
December 7th, 2018 at 10:34 AM ^
I hate this comment, because its too accurate
December 7th, 2018 at 10:32 AM ^
YES YES YES PLEEEEEZE
December 7th, 2018 at 10:35 AM ^
I doubt OU could leave Oklahoma State. The state legislature would probably kill it. We'd have to take OU and OSUw. OU and especially Texas would be better off if they were in different conferences.
The Red River Rivalry is essentially a CFP elimination game. This would give both teams a chance to get into the playoff if either one loses that game. Also, it immediately gives them one tough OOC game.
December 7th, 2018 at 11:01 AM ^
I doubt OU could leave Oklahoma State. The state legislature would probably kill it.
People said the same thing when the B1G was courting Texas and Mizzou -- but got Rutgers and Maryland instead. The conventional wisdom was the Texas legislature would make Texas and TAMU a package deal.
None of that ever happened and TAMU went to the SEC.
December 7th, 2018 at 12:06 PM ^
I lived in Virginia when the ACC took VTech. State legislature wanted VT in the ACC with Virginia, so UVA reluctantly went to bat for the Hokies. I'm sure VT will repay the favor in 30 years when their AD votes for Duke to go to the ACC title game over UVA.
December 7th, 2018 at 12:25 PM ^
I don't believe this for a minute. Sure, there will be some politicians in Oklahoma raising a fuss. Bottom line is the bottom line though. If OU goes to a better place for them and OK St goes to the Pac-12 or SEC, they're both better off financially than staying in a Big 12 without TX.
OU's president is a former governor and US Senator. He understands how to get things done there. He's not going to negotiate a move without knowing it will go through.
They'll agree to play each other every year. OU asked about getting into the Big Ten before with OK St. They know it's a non-starter. Pairing with Texas is probably their only way in.
December 7th, 2018 at 10:35 AM ^
Great then we can play Big Ten West Teams once every 9 years.