Conference Alignment and Research Dollars Reconsidered
About a month ago, I wrote a diary using compiled research expenditures by school and athletic conference. The best expansion scenario featured Duke, UNC and Pitt, all of which are almost certainly off the table at this point (the ACC recently increased its buyout fees to $20m, yeesh). Here is a revised list of schools that I would consider available. Criteria for available: not an SEC, Pac, ACC or B1G school and currently in a BCS auto-bid conference (and ND). All numbers are five year aggregates and *1,000.
The Current Big Ten:
| Wisconsin | 4,116,318 |
| Michigan | 4,063,612 |
| Ohio State | 3,202,138 |
| Minnesota | 2,965,622 |
| PSU | 2,873,737 |
| Illinois | 2,457,119 |
| Northwestern | 2,093,400 |
| Purdue | 1,948,883 |
| Iowa | 1,650,222 |
| Michigan State | 1,580,244 |
| Chicago | 1,551,427 |
| Nebraska | 1,054,776 |
| IU | 678,879 |
Fun facts:
| Total Spending | 30,236,377 |
| Median Spending | 2,093,400 |
| Average (includes <40,000,000 as zero) | 2,325,875 |
| Average Per Year | 465,175 |
| Highest Spender | Wisconsin (4,116,318) |
| Lowest Spender | Indiana (678,879) |
Available schools:
| 1 | Texas | 2,126,324 |
| Big Ten Median | 2,093,400 | |
| 2 | Cincinnati | 1,576,410 |
| 3 | Rutgers | 1,399,272 |
| 4 | USF | 1,366,260 |
| 5 | Missouri | 1,126,801 |
| Lowest B1G School | 678,879 | |
| 7 | Louisville | 675,035 |
| 8 | Kansas State | 627,893 |
| 9 | Kansas | 605,485 |
| 10 | Oklahoma State | 526,012 |
| 11 | Connecticut | 523,633 |
| 12 | Notre Dame | 398,712 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | 393,766 |
| T14 | Baylor | <200,000 |
| T14 | Syracuse | <200,000 |
| T14 | Texas Tech | <200,000 |
September 18th, 2011 at 11:07 PM ^
I just checked the report (wow boring night I guess) and TCU isn't on it, meaning less than $40,000,000 in annual research.
September 18th, 2011 at 11:17 PM ^
It's football Sunday! The ratings juggernaut is back in action with more commercials than ever before!
September 18th, 2011 at 11:24 PM ^
I'm laying in bed with megangoblue (who's currently asleep) with this open and another tab playing "It's Christmas in Canada" because the Lu Kim bargaining scene was stuck in my head all day.
September 18th, 2011 at 11:54 PM ^
What a lovely tableau. Cuddles for everybody!
September 18th, 2011 at 11:56 PM ^
Or did Chuck Testa get to them?
September 19th, 2011 at 12:03 AM ^
and car repairs to worry about. That's why they're so low-energy and gray in the picture.
September 18th, 2011 at 11:36 PM ^
September 19th, 2011 at 12:02 AM ^
Frankly, I think the B1G and Delaney are wise to stay away from TX, and ND is showing some brass cojones by balking at conference membership in football.
If the B1g stays at 12, I'm good with that. I like our 12.
There isn't another school out there I'd be excited about adding. The available choices are either athletically meh, toxic, or academically ineligible.
We should stand pat.
September 19th, 2011 at 11:49 AM ^
if the B1G remains at 12, it would still be a "super conference". No need to add anyone that doesn't bring value. Forget ND ... who needs to deal with their pompous attitude.
Go Blue!
September 19th, 2011 at 9:29 AM ^
I thought they would still be raking in the money for their CSI department's continuing investigation of the horrific time when CRAIG JAMES KILLED 5 HOOKERS WHILE AT SMU. That's gotta be worth something, right. I mean, CRAIG JAMES wouldn't have just KILLED 5 HOOKERS WHILE AT SMU without there being a very costly investigation.
September 19th, 2011 at 12:15 PM ^
I was hoping for Pitt and Syracuse, and not just because my daughter go to 'Cuse and the other one might. Both have decent football and basketball programs, are decent academically - though 'Cuse deeply regrets dumping '50s decision to dump the Med School which is killing the research dollars. Plus 'Cuse breeds sportscasters, especially the ESPN guys. Would have give Penn State some old rivals back as well. Plus some some other sports, especially lacrosse (I know, an east coast game, but hey what the hell).
Would that bring in ND? Dunno. Frankly, I am sick and tired of ND getting special treatment in football. IMHO, there brand's right up there with Olds and Pontiac.
Great post. Stunning to actually consider something truly important, like academics and research on things like, say, cancer in all this crazed moneylust morally bankrupt college sports landscape; where, too often, prison teams like Oh Shit State and the SEC get the glory.
September 19th, 2011 at 12:21 PM ^
I was hoping for Pitt and Syracuse, and not just because my daughter go to 'Cuse and the other one might. Both have decent football and basketball programs, are decent academically - though 'Cuse deeply regrets dumping '50s decision to dump the Med School which is killing the research dollars. Plus 'Cuse breeds sportscasters, especially the ESPN guys. Would have give Penn State some old rivals back as well. Plus some some other sports, especially lacrosse (I know, an east coast game, but hey what the hell).
Would that bring in ND? Dunno. Frankly, I am sick and tired of ND getting special treatment in football. IMHO, there brand's right up there with Olds and Pontiac.
Great post. Stunning to actually consider something truly important, like academics and research on things like, say, cancer in all this crazed moneylust morally bankrupt college sports landscape; where, too often, prison teams like Oh Shit State and the SEC get the glory.
September 19th, 2011 at 4:57 PM ^
Other than ND, not that much value to the remaining prospects accusing to this NY Times blog:
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<br>http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/19/the-geography-of-college-fo…