Conference Realignment Rumors: No Room At The Big Ten Inn
by Brian Favat on Aug 13, 2011 2:49 PM EDT
in Conference Expansion
Email
PrintIf the conference apocalypse is finally upon us and the Aggies will soon usher in the era of the 16-team super conference, it doesn't look like the Big Ten will be joining the ranks of the super-sized. At least not right away. This is according to Chicago Tribune sportswriter Teddy Greenstein, who was all over the Big Ten expansion talk last summer and seems to be generally on top of these conference realignment rumors.
Today, Greenstein confirmed with commissioner Jim Delany confirmed that the B1G has shut it down with respect to active conference expansion.
Delany also confirmed to Tribune that SEC expansion would not affect Big Ten -- for now: "We have closed down active expansion."less than a minute ago via TweetDeck 
Favorite 
Retweet 
Reply
Teddy Greenstein
TeddyGreenstein
So it would appear that the Big Ten is currently happy with 12 programs, according to Greenstein's sources. Commence with the waterworks in New Brunswick, Storrs, Pittsburgh and upstate New York (I mean New York City ... Syracuse is NYC's college team, after all).
That's a good thing for the ACC, as rumors continue to swirl that the SEC may invite Florida State, Clemson and Missouri to join Texas A&M as programs 14, 15 and 16. This is of course assuming that the SEC approves a Texas A&M invitation in their super, super secret closed-door meeting tomorrow. An SEC official has said that there is a 30 to 40 percent change the conference could turn away the Aggies and opt not to expand at all.
If the SEC does poach one or both of Florida State and Clemson, I believe the ACC can and will move forward. However, if Delany was also looking to keep up with Mike Slive in the superconference arms race, I'm sure the B1G would cast the eye of Sauron towards ACC programs like Maryland and Georgia Tech (both mentioned as Big Ten expansion candidates last summer). At that point, I'm not sure the conference could survive raids from both the north and the south.
As always, stay tuned.
23 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
New Orleans market available...
Tulane would make a good addition to the ACC. Great academic institution, Top 50 TV market, the Superdome for a home stadium, and improving athletics. Regardless of what you might hear officially from the Administration, the fans, students and alumni want an upgrade from C-USA.
The ACC can have Tulane. The SEC has LSU. The only program in that entire state that means anything.
Editor at Alligator Army - The Florida Gators Blog
The Florida Gators - The most despised team in all of college football - Which is fantastic.
As an ACC fan,
I’m hoping that possible replacement schools for FSU or Clemson do not include Tulane. Not a huge fan of that option.
I still believe the ACC should go after Penn State if the SEC goes to 14 – trying to take from the B1G makes the ACC a better league.
Hahahahahahaha funny joke!
Oh….you were serious.
My hatred for Purdue is so great that no mortal human can detect its existence.
by HawksNation on Aug 13, 2011 9:05 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I think the ACC should go after Penn State, Florida, AND Texas
Then it would really become a better league.
"Lattimore, as the kids can say, can ball, and sometimes does it to the extent one might say [he] is out of control in his balling." - Spencer Hall
by GwinnettGamecock on Aug 14, 2011 3:21 AM EDT up reply actions
Why not just ad Southern Cal and Notre Dame while they're at it?
My hatred for Purdue is so great that no mortal human can detect its existence.
by HawksNation on Aug 14, 2011 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions
The conferences nobody is poaching from:
Pac 12, SEC & B1G. This is the natural order of things, the ACC is only shrinking from here on out.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Aug 14, 2011 2:21 AM EDT up reply actions
Bullcrap
That’s only ‘the natural order of things’ if the ACC sits back and allows it. There’s no reason that the ACC can’t be a top tier conference. Penn State is a great eastern team, there’s no reason why they would outright reject joining the ACC if there’s another shake-up.
Actually there are several reasons.
1) Money – The Big Ten is loaded down with cash and the cash flow will only increase once the current TV deal expires.
2) Stability – Isn’t the ACC the league that the SEC is currently considering poaching one or several members from? No one, absolutley no one, is taking a team from the Big Ten.
3) Football – Penn State is very good at this sport. The ACC is doomed to be a basketball league forever.
4) Academics – Now the ACC actually is a very respectable academic league, but in the Big Ten, Penn State also enjoys membership in the presitgious CIC.
My hatred for Purdue is so great that no mortal human can detect its existence.
by HawksNation on Aug 14, 2011 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions
Uh, huh.
Give me the ACC’s pitch to Penn State. Go on, I’m waiting.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Aug 15, 2011 3:32 AM EDT up reply actions
Footprint includes states that are actively growing. IAC will eventually grow to be like the CIC. Penn State will be playing in an Eastern league (I doubt they self-identify as a midwestern school).
Do you think TCU considers themselves Eastern?
Geography means so little any more. 10 years ago, perhaps there could have been an angle to get Penn State away but since then they have completely immersed themselves in the culture of the Big Ten. They have genuine rivals in Michigan and Ohio State and lesser ones with Michigan State and Iowa. The health of the CIC has never been better and the state of the Big 10 is rock solid with the BTN only making the deal that much sweeter.
Your pitch is based upon conjecture that the IAC will ascend to CIC level, a shaky proposition considering member schools from the ACC continue to be mentioned as potential candidates for other leagues. Every single conference expansion move over the last 30 years (except, really, BC to the ACC) has been about stability in one form or another. There’s nothing more stable than a 100 year old league that adds a school every 25 years or so and loses nothing (U of C dropped varsity sports).
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Aug 15, 2011 12:48 PM EDT up reply actions
To be fair, the members of the IAC that are rumored to be poached by the SEC add little to the conference academically. Addition by subtraction.
The only school that if left would help improve the IAC’s academic profile more than Clemson or Florida State is N.C. State.
Editor, BC Interruption
Also, comparing the CIC and the IAC is a bit apples-to-oranges based on the heavy research-based approach of the Big Ten. The academics aren’t directly comparable between the large state flagship universities of the Big Ten and the schools in the ACC (private schools BC, Wake, Duke and Miami plus UNC, UVA and GT).
Editor, BC Interruption
Differing opinions
I think the ACC and the IAC have strong futures. You clearly disagree. At this juncture you can not convince me that the ACC is a dying league, just as I can’t convince you that Penn State would fit well in the ACC.
Demographics
I think demographics will play a significant role in the future of both the CIC and the IAC. The IAC is increasing situated in a growing part of the country. Cities in Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia all seeing steady gains in overall population.
The CIC is located in an area of the country that is seeing some of the biggest shifts in population in the US. Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Flint, Evansville, Dayton, Saint Paul, Toledo, Pittsburgh are all witnessing significant declines in population the last decade.
http://www.boston.com/news/special/census/top100cities.htm
Editor, BC Interruption
Mine isn't so much an argument that the ACC is dying
rather than that the Big Ten (forget about the states themselves) is thriving. I’m taking issue with the idea that any member would be tempted to leave. What you see in the Big XII right now? That would never happen in the Big Ten. Even the perceived “elites” of tOSU & Michigan treat on the same level with Indiana & Iowa. From the standpoint of a university and athletic department there really isn’t a better place to be. 20 years from now? Perhaps, but with so many states running tight budgets nobody is going to make a sale in this climate based on a quarter-century investment.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Aug 16, 2011 2:13 AM EDT up reply actions
Any member would be tempted to leave. Equal revenue sharing helps this and will be the demise of the Big 12 (and possibly the Big East).
Editor, BC Interruption
Even if we are headed for four 16-program super conferences — which I don’t believe we are, at least right away — the BCS AQ programs will look out for one another before adding the ECUs, UCFs, Houstons or Tulanes of college football. If there are 68 current BCS AQ programs (69 if you count TCU, 70-71 with Notre Dame and BYU), where are all of these slot in a four conference, 16-program format coming from for non BCS AQ programs. Math is fun!
Any super conference setup that has more than 1-2 current BCS AQ programs isn’t a realistic one. I.e.
The 2014 [ACC] Version Will Probably Be …
Atlantic – Boston College, East Carolina, NC State, South Florida, Wake Forest, UCF
Coastal – Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech
http://cfn.scout.com/2/1095334.html
Editor, BC Interruption
Vomit
ECU? UCF? USF?
Blegh – rather UConn than ECU and UCF.
No worries
Far too many reaches on that list to consider even remotely credible. These decisions aren’t made by fans / bloggers / writers for a reason.
Editor, BC Interruption
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on BC Interruption
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
