Pitt and Syracuse apply for ACC; Baylor and Iowa State reach out to Big East
September 17th, 2011 at 10:49 AM ^
So in one move the Big East and Big Twelve are done? Love the fact that Baylor threatened to sue Texas A&M but do the exact same thing not two weeks later. Hypocrites.
September 17th, 2011 at 10:59 AM ^
i wouldn't fault baylor for hypocracy on this issue. it appears that this move is reactionary to the inevitability of the breaking up of the Big 12 conference. better to be proactive than get left hung out to dry.
September 17th, 2011 at 11:12 AM ^
I dont like all this conference expansion, but if it leads to having a playoff someday then Im all for it.
September 17th, 2011 at 3:39 PM ^
The Big SouthMidEast?
September 17th, 2011 at 11:02 AM ^
on their "Save Texas Football" campaign. http://www.baylor.edu/nation/index.php?id=84855
We stand at a crossroads. The universities of the Big 12 Conference signed solemn agreements, one with the other. Those are contracts. The stability those contracts bring is good for the institutions and the extended communities that energetically support them. Will you rise up and take a stand for the Big 12 Conference?
September 17th, 2011 at 10:54 AM ^
That Pitt and Syracuse rumor floated around here yesterday. I thought it was BS. I guess it makes sense for them in some ways. The Big East is going to need a name change pretty quick here. Maybe Conference USA?
Edit, Link: http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/6980644/pitt-syracuse-appl…
September 17th, 2011 at 10:49 AM ^
As the other team I Hail to, this is big news. WTF is up with this happening an hour and a half before kickoff?
September 17th, 2011 at 10:57 AM ^
when all the fans are getting loaded? OSU pulled the same trick last week when they announced that 3 more players would be suspended for Toledo.
September 17th, 2011 at 11:00 AM ^
I'm only down one beer, so maybe I don't "get it". Although I would now call no expansion for the B1G (unless it;s Texas and ND) and WVU to the SEC to join TAMU.
September 17th, 2011 at 11:07 AM ^
the Big East is staying the same size, assuming all four of these deals go through. I don't see Texas and ND signing on to the Big Ten just because ISU and Baylor want out of the Big 12. Something besides aTm leaving would be needed to provoke such a dramatic move. Maybe Pitt and Syracuse are tired of having to play Rutgers and Cincy every year.
September 17th, 2011 at 11:08 AM ^
Texas would need to get BYU and...I have no idea. They cannot be happy with everyone ditching them after they strongarmed everyone in the BXII to stay.
September 17th, 2011 at 11:11 AM ^
would be my eventual guess. No one's going to take in Boise except for the Big 12 in the endgame.
September 17th, 2011 at 11:13 AM ^
Texas doesn't want Boise. I would bet the house on that. I could see Houston before Boise.
September 17th, 2011 at 11:18 AM ^
their conference championship game that easily? If these deals go through, the Big 12 will be down to a group of 8. Add BYU and Houston, 10 in a heavily diluted conference. The Big 12 will need more football power programs in the not-too-distant future. Boise and some other random school would improve the athletic credibility of the conference and restore the conference championship game. How many more schools have to leave before the Big 12 loses its BCS autobid?
September 17th, 2011 at 10:56 AM ^
If the Big East falls apart, doesn't that put more pressure on Notre Dame to join the Big Ten? If all their other sports teams needed to join a conference which conference would they choose other than the Big Ten? And would the Big Ten allow them to join without having their football team commit as well?
September 17th, 2011 at 10:58 AM ^
isn't stupid enough to even ask if they could join without football. The Big Ten is not the BE, we don't need those other sports for publicity.
September 17th, 2011 at 11:01 AM ^
That checks. This would be neat to watch go down.
September 17th, 2011 at 11:35 AM ^
Texas and ND to the ACC rumor has been really hot for the last few weeks...Specifically in regards to UT. I would have to have ND go to the ACC over us.
September 17th, 2011 at 11:01 AM ^
They would have to become a full member I would think. I'd like to leave them twisting in the wind a bit while we seek out a 14th member to bring in with them. Of course an odd number of teams wouldn't be a problem if they had just split the divisions at the Indiana border. ND could be the extra team in the West to make up for the UM/PSU/Ohio trifecta in the East.
September 17th, 2011 at 11:06 AM ^
It's the Big 12 that's falling apart, not the Big East.
September 17th, 2011 at 11:26 AM ^
yeah, it seems to be a pretty even trade, pitt and baylor are on the same level and iowa state and syracuse both usually suck, plus the big east gets TCU next year, i would say the big east is in pretty good shape
September 17th, 2011 at 11:35 AM ^
Baylor has been to 17 bowl games.
Pitt has been to 27 bowl games.
Baylor average attendance: 40,043
Pitt average attendance: 52,165
Baylor MNC's: 0
Pitt MNC's: 9
September 17th, 2011 at 12:58 PM ^
you know its kind of like what other college fans say about U of M, what have you done recently? baylor and pitt are just as relevant these day, you cant just rely on your past or tradition, who cares about pitts championships 30 years ago? also, the cuse suck these days and iowa state is 3-0 this year.
September 17th, 2011 at 1:31 PM ^
Well they're currently up by seven on an Iowa team that's been very good in Big Ten play lately, were in the BCS this past decade and have had multiple first round picks in the past few years. Pitt is far more relevant than Baylor, and I really don't know why that's even a conversation.
September 17th, 2011 at 1:34 PM ^
Except your wrong. It isn't about what you have done lately when it comes to making money: the only thing that matters to the NCAA and conferances.
http://www.clc.com/clcweb/publishing.nsf/Content/The+Collegiate+Licensi…;
Top-75 Universities in 2006
(1.) The University of Texas at Austin (2.) The University of Michigan (3.)University of Notre Dame (4.) University of Georgia (5.) University of North Carolina (6.) The University of Florida (7.) University of Oklahoma (8.)University of Tennessee at Knoxville (9.) The University of Alabama (10.)The Pennsylvania State University (11.) Florida State University (12.)Louisiana State University (13.) Auburn University (14.) University of Kentucky (15.) University of Wisconsin (16.) University of Miami (17.)University of Illinois (18.) University of Nebraska (19.) University of Arkansas Fayetteville (20.) University of South Carolina (21.) Oklahoma State University (22.) University of Kansas (23.) Duke University (24.)Clemson University (25.) University of Maryland
Michigan has dropped to 8th overall in 2010 after years of suck, but once they start winning they go up.
For your point....
Syracuse is 33. Pitt is 37. Baylor is 59. ISU isn't among the top 75
September 17th, 2011 at 11:37 AM ^
ISU for Syracuse is not an even trade. ARe you high...Same with Pitt and Baylor, although that is a little more even. Pitt and SU represent two large cities. ISU represents nothing and Baylor is what, the forth most popular team in Texas.
September 17th, 2011 at 12:59 PM ^
yeah, cuz people really care about college football in NY
September 17th, 2011 at 1:25 PM ^
Thats your response in favor of ISU? Wow.
1. Syracuse has more than football going for it (BBall the obvious one).
2. It is in NYC and if only a very small percentage of people follow it, that is still more than ISU. 3. It gets the ACC more exposure in general in NYC. More money from advertising gained when advertising to NYC than in Iowa, as well as a broader range of products that can be succesfully advertised in that market.
4. Most importantly, no one cares about ISU...
September 17th, 2011 at 12:15 PM ^
That being said, I don't see the Big East taking them. If the Big 12 is imploding then Kansas would be their top target, with Baylor and ISU far down the list.
September 17th, 2011 at 11:01 AM ^
Good luck to Baylor and Iowa State. If I'm the Big East I'm looking at Kansas first, then Missouri or a package deal with KSU. I'm not even sure Iowa State or Baylor would be next on my list. Are they more attractive than Temple or adding Villanova football?
September 17th, 2011 at 11:08 AM ^
People are suggesting that Texas and ND may join them in all sports but football. If this is the case, this move is nothing more than a temporary one, as the BCS contract ends in 2014. Once the rules start being rewritten, I think we see some major conference shuffling going on outside of the PAC 12, BIG 10, and SEC.
September 17th, 2011 at 11:11 AM ^
And read FrankTheTank's Slant.
http://frankthetank.wordpress.com/
This man has been right ever since the beginning of the Big 10 Expansion. According to him, Monday appears to be Decision Day for the future of the Big 12. I think the ACC non-football contracts seem to be the most likely thing to happen, and man, will that be interesting.
September 17th, 2011 at 11:24 AM ^
I honestly think that while landing Texas and Notre Dame would be a big media coup for a conference, they are both eventually poison.
Especially Texas.
Because with Texas comes political meddling from the Texas legislature in a way that no other state micromanages its universities. I can't imagine any conference being able to deal with that in the long run.
The rumors that have swirled occasionally about these schools joining the B1G are, if true, a bit bothersome.
Nebraska is proving to be a great cultural fit as a university, not necessarily because of the culture of Nebraska, but because the school and its athletic department are run the way that other B1G schools are run. By relatively sane people.
Neither ND, with its arrogance, or Texas, with its political drama, are fits for us. I hope the rumors about both going to the ACC for other sports, and independent for football (ND already is) are true. Keep them away from us!
September 17th, 2011 at 11:28 AM ^
Agree with your assessmen, which is why I want to keep them both the hell out of the ACC!
September 17th, 2011 at 1:19 PM ^
Just two more teams to beat the snot out of UVa.
September 17th, 2011 at 1:23 PM ^
Double post fail.
I'll use this space to say that I welcome joining the ACC and getting out of our current shitshow of a conference.
Personally, I would have rather gone to the Big Ten, and I think the B1G is making a huge mistake if they want to expand east because BC and UMd ain't walking through that door, and UConn and Rutgers are meaningless additions.
I think the B1G has to have Texas and ND as very serious candidates and be comfortable with going to those 14. Once you have them, there's no reason to add anyone else so I hope the B1G would stay at that since having those national brands would deliver the NY market themselves. Just please no Rutgers, send them to the new BE/B12 hybrid "left-behind" conference.
Go Orange! I hope UNC and Duke welcome their new basketball overlords that will now dominate NE recruiting even more than now. So long G'town and Nova, have fun in the new Atlantic 10.
September 17th, 2011 at 6:55 PM ^
Say, after all that lacrosse trash talking, you sure were awfully quiet after the tournament was over. I think you did say something once about that being what matters, right?
September 17th, 2011 at 7:20 PM ^
I extend my congratulations and look forward to beating the snot out of you next year, and now in every other sport.
September 17th, 2011 at 11:40 AM ^
all the regional rivalries that used to define conferences. Cross-country rivalries like ND-USC are the exception, not the rule. Contests out of conference are the spice of a football season, but the meat and potatoes are the games with longtime opponents within the same general geographic region. To the extent that region becomes irrelevant in conference structure, fans will care progressively less about the games with opponents two time zones away. It's idiotic short-sightedness.
September 17th, 2011 at 11:44 AM ^
Pitt would have been a great addition to the Big Ten. Looking East, I don't know who else brings the blend of academic and sporting excellence of Pitt.
Texas is about to be broken free from the Big 12 if the Oklahoma/Okie St rumors to Pac 12 are made true on Monday (which I'm more inclined to believe, given the timing of Baylor/Iowa States' move.)
However, in the end it will be four conferences of 16 (PAC, B1G, SEC and ACC.) Not sure how Baylor and Iowa St think that running to the Big East will help.
Oh yeah, Go Blue! It's game day!!!
September 17th, 2011 at 11:53 AM ^
I agree re: Pitt. I prefer the B1G to stay at 12, but if it has to go to 14, I think ND and Pitt would have made nice fits.
September 17th, 2011 at 4:23 PM ^
if the B1G moves to 16, they wouldn't need to change the logo again.
September 17th, 2011 at 2:07 PM ^
I may be in the minority but I think ND with all their arrogance and UT with all their political drama (and whoever they want to drag in with them) are both still worth an invite to the B1G. ND with their nationwide alumi helps raise the profile of the B1G with the casual fan and UT helps with the level of football we put on the field and could narrow the gap between the B1G and the SEC. With Michigan, Ohio, PSU, Nebraska, and UT we have a very strong top 5.
Besides, the move to 16 teams is inevitable and I can't think of two better teams that we have a legitimate chance to add.
September 17th, 2011 at 2:51 PM ^
Since it doesn't really look like anyone in here has been following along, I will give a quick rundown:
-Oklahoma is the decider. They will decide whether or not they are staying in the B12. If they do not, all hell breaks loose.
-OKSt. would likely follow them to the PAC as well as possibly two other teams. UT and TT have been brought up. So has Mizzou and KU.
-Mizzou could very likely go to the SEC if not the PAC. I would think they would be the SECs first choice.
-Texas could go to the ACC and I would guess TT would follow.
-Basically, it's very possible that the Big East has no options outside of ISU, Baylor and KState by the time everything is said and done.
-The B1G interests me. If I am them, I wouldn't make a move. If they do, however, who is left? ND isn't coming. It's highly unlikely UT will. Then what is left for AAU institutions? ISU, Rutgers, Maryland? I would hope that people could recognize what ISU would bring to the B1G in terms of the academic side, especially research. We aren't going to bring TVs, however do you think Maryland and Rutgers will? It also isn't like either of them have had a huge amount of recent success in athletics.
September 17th, 2011 at 3:14 PM ^
Speaking of Pitt. Looks like Gibson is working his magic once again. Iowa scores three passing TDs in ther 4th quarter, giving up 399 yards of passing so far. Yep, still not sure why he has a job.
September 17th, 2011 at 3:42 PM ^
It's great that the B1G wants to stay at 12, but if you start having 16 team conferences I would guess there would be a problem with the B1g in its current makeup. Texas and ND have good academics, but so do Pitt and Syracuse. Do you act preemptively?
September 17th, 2011 at 4:33 PM ^
I've never heard an explanation of why the B1G needs to go to 16 teams if somebody else does. Saying it's inevitable doesn't count.
So many people say it has to be four 16 team superconferences and playoffs. What if the B1G says we're going to stay at 12 or 14? What's going to happen to them?
Expansion just to get to 16 seems like a dumb idea. It waters down the product and costs the existing schools money.
September 17th, 2011 at 7:56 PM ^
I agree. 16 team conferences make no sense especially considering that you are cherry picking the best programs. So now, every teams road to any sort of championship is much harder. College football will suffer if this happens.
September 17th, 2011 at 9:47 PM ^
16 team conferences may not make sense, but if you have three 16 team conferences and one 12 team conference, and you want a playoff system, there is somethng fundamentally unfair. You must be the best of 16 teams in three of the conferences, and best of 12 in one?
That won't fly. which is why I think the B1G needs to be a bit more proactive than they seem to be at the moment.
September 17th, 2011 at 7:02 PM ^