Conference shuffling?

[Da Schwab]

Nebraska is now a Big 10 school, press conference later today.

Mizzou is almost certain to follow, and that puts some serious pressure on Notre Dame to defecate or get off the pot. If ND joins then IMO the Big 10 is done, but if ND stays away the conference needs to add at least one more school, preferably 3. Kansas? Rutgers? West Virginia? Syracuse?

I don't understand why the Big 10 would go out of their way to take teams from the Big East. If the Big 12 is dissolving like it looks to be, especially with Colorado announcing leaving for the Pac 10, then take Mizzou, Kansas and Kansas St. This way all of the conferences look somewhat geographically symmetrical and everyone has a home (besides Baylor).

[MadCityBucky]

The Big 10 wants the NY market which is the only reason why teams like Rutgers is in the discussion, I don't see Rutgers coming to the Big 10 though.

On Baylor I read on orangebloods? that some Pac 10 schools like Cal objects to Baylor because they're a very christian university.

[links]

This all has to do with money and TV contracts. Each Big Ten school made 22 million off the Big Ten Network last year. While Big 12 schools made around 8 million in TV contracts. I don't see the Big Ten adding Iowa State, Kansas, or Kansas State. They added Nebraksa, and get the entire market of Nebraska. If they add Missouri, they get the Kansas City market and would pretty much have thier Big Ten Network accross the entire Midwest. No need to add Kansas or Iowa State.

If they continue to add they will go east for the TV markets. Thats why you hear theRutgers and Syracuse schools. With them they add the New York TV market. The Pac 10 just added Colorado, pretty much saying it was for the Denver market, because they are looking at forming their own TV network.

I think it is all going to end up with 4-5 16 team conferences. With the Big East and Big 12 falling apart. You will have the Big 10, Pac 10, ACC, and SEC. Along with the MWC picking up some leftovers from the Big 12 and possibly Boise State.

Just to clarify I mainly looked at this just for football, which makes more money than basketball.

[DelaneyRudd]

Apparently Texas has drawn a line in the sand that all 4 Texas schools have to be together. Adding Baylor will show a true end to Pac-10 standards of academics and institutional goals. They didn't add BYU in 1978 for that reason.

If Notre Dame accepts their Big10 invite the Big-12 will survive with only losing Colorado to the Pac-10. The Pac-10 would then add Utah and be a 12 team league. That would prevent the MWC from getting an auto BCS bid. With Notre Dame hurting the Big10s numbers and Boise helping the MWCs numbers the MWC would qualify for an auto bid. Without Utah they go back to being right under the level. The Big-12 could even add TCU to replace Colorado to hurt the MWC even more in this scenario.

im confused, are you saying baylors a bad school academically? b/c that's crazy

Yeah, Baylor is very good academically, definately better than Tech, and right there with A and M.

I wonder why the Mountain West hasn't invited Boise yet. With the Big 12 possibly finished, the MWest could add Boise, Baylor, Kansas and K-State, which would make the a very good football AND basketball conference. They could have a true playoff system like the ACC with 12 teams as well.

Part of it is seeing if the Big 12 adds a MWC school or the Pac-10 loses out on the TX schools and decide to make Utah the 12th member.

[Icness]

The latest:
--Colorado is now in the Pac-10, done deal
--Nebraska is in the Big Ten, done deal
--Texas and Texas A&M will be announced in the Big Ten as early as Friday, 99% done deal
--Oklahoma is moving to the SEC, 99% done deal
--OK State moving to Pac-10, 80% done deal
--Kansas is angling to go to the SEC, primarily for hoops. I put that one at about 50%. If they don't go to the SEC then Louisville is very likely.

Still nothing from Notre Dame, which appears to be sticking to their "we're happy to be independent" guns.

[MadCityBucky]

The latest:
--Colorado is now in the Pac-10, done deal
--Nebraska is in the Big Ten, done deal
--Texas and Texas A&M will be announced in the Big Ten as early as Friday, 99% done deal
--Oklahoma is moving to the SEC, 99% done deal
--OK State moving to Pac-10, 80% done deal
--Kansas is angling to go to the SEC, primarily for hoops. I put that one at about 50%. If they don't go to the SEC then Louisville is very likely.

Still nothing from Notre Dame, which appears to be sticking to their "we're happy to be independent" guns.

[MadCityBucky]

Here's a article on Texas & Texas A&M.

http://www.kctv5.com/sports/23860558/detail.html

I'll wait till it's official though I can't say I'm not excited as a Big 10 fan to hear all these rumors.

[Icness]

Here's a article on Texas & Texas A&M.

http://www.kctv5.com/sports/23860558/detail.html

I'll wait till it's official though I can't say I'm not excited as a Big 10 fan to hear all these rumors.

The guy who talked to that reporter is the same guy I texted with, he told me it was going out there. He said it's up to the Big 10 because the schools have applied already.

Big losers here: Kansas State, Iowa State, Texas Tech, and Baylor. Maybe the old SWC can form sans Texas and Arkansas and add the northern schools here?

[MadCityBucky]

Well where would Kansas go? They're too big of a school not to get to some decent conference, maybe the Pac 10 invites them if they can't land Texas.

Personally all this seems a bit of a stretch. Going to hear it from someone high up in Texas or the big 10 to buy all this.

EDIT: Crappy math skills

[Mags FTW]

I don't understand why the Big 10 would go out of their way to take teams from the Big East. If the Big 12 is dissolving like it looks to be, especially with Colorado announcing leaving for the Pac 10, then take Mizzou, Kansas and Kansas St. This way all of the conferences look somewhat geographically symmetrical and everyone has a home (besides Baylor).

K-State isn't in the AAU.

[WEFFPIM]

Wow, this is crazy.

Any word on potential shake-ups from the Big East, Icness?

[Icness]

Person that I know in the Michigan AD confirmed to me that Texas and TAMU have formally applied to the Big Ten. The application has yet to be decided upon, which you should interpret as the conference giving Notre Dame one last breath. ESPN is now reporting TAMU potentially to the SEC but that's the first I've heard of that, though I know nobody at TAMU or the SEC. Makes more sense though from a travel standpoint.

[Icness]

Wow, this is crazy.

Any word on potential shake-ups from the Big East, Icness?

I know they like where they are as a basketball conference and they are confident they can continue to thrive in hoops. As far as football, no idea but I'm guessing they are okay as long as Louisville, Syracuse, Rutgers and Pittsburgh don't leave. I could see them chasing Navy and Army and Temple if anyone leaves. It's already the thinnest BCS conference; maybe they have to play-in against the MWC winner?

What this does to the BCS is a very good question!

[Mags FTW]

If A&M is thinking about flying solo to the SEC could the B10 get both ND AND Texas? That would be quite the coup.

[Icness]

If A&M is thinking about flying solo to the SEC could the B10 get both ND AND Texas? That would be quite the coup.

I could see them pairing with Oklahoma, which I know has approached the SEC. They have to take an even number and A&M makes the most sense.

I'm surprised that Mizzou isn't already in the Big Ten. Cold feet maybe?

[ReasonablySober]

If A&M is thinking about flying solo to the SEC could the B10 get both ND AND Texas? That would be quite the coup.

I could see them pairing with Oklahoma, which I know has approached the SEC. They have to take an even number and A&M makes the most sense.

I'm surprised that Mizzou isn't already in the Big Ten. Cold feet maybe?

On the part of the Big 10 would be my guess. Why accept Mizzu when you could get Nebraska, Texas and TAMU bringing them to 14. Leave the option of Notre Dame and if they come aboard then accept Mizzu, Syracuse or Rutgers. If not, go with 14.

[Mags FTW]

I could see them pairing with Oklahoma, which I know has approached the SEC. They have to take an even number and A&M makes the most sense.

I'm surprised that Mizzou isn't already in the Big Ten. Cold feet maybe?

On the part of the Big 10 would be my guess. Why accept Mizzu when you could get Nebraska, Texas and TAMU bringing them to 14. Leave the option of Notre Dame and if they come aboard then accept Mizzu, Syracuse or Rutgers. If not, go with 14.

That's how I would play it if I were the Big Ten. Decide on whether you want a 14 or 16 team conference. Get that number of commitments minus 1 and then go to ND with an "ultimatum" saying that that they would like to offer them the final slot and if they do not take it, they are going to offer it to another school.

[Da Schwab]

I'm absolutely baffled as to why OK St. is going to the Pac 10 without OU backing them up. I think their best move would be pushing to move to the SEC with OU, which could cause a HUGE power shift in the conference.

I am completely surprised at Texas' moves. I was sold on them moving to the Pac 10, basically because I thought it would be better geographically in the long run. UT and TAMU coming to the Big 10 makes travel a bit difficult for schools like Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. I thought the Big 10 would prefer to be more centralized and add more Midwestern teams (a la Notre Dame), since they already have their network set up. I understand the time and money that would be needed to start a Pac10/16 network may be risky in the long run, but you almost can't fail with schools like USC, Cal, Texas and OU being the flagship schools for such a network.

This entire situation is just becoming all sorts of confusing and it shows how much money is playing a role, rather than symmetry and fairness.

[WEFFPIM]

So, no one else is reporting anything about Texas/A&M approaching the Big Ten. OrangeBloods is saying Texas will go to the Pac-10 along with Tech, Oklahoma and OK State once Nebraska announces they're going to the Big Ten. A&M wants to go to the SEC.

[Mags FTW]

I am completely surprised at Texas' moves. I was sold on them moving to the Pac 10, basically because I thought it would be better geographically in the long run.

meh

1,379 mi from Austin to LA 2,115 mi from Austin to Eugene, OR
1,189 mi from Austin to Madison 1,372 mi from Austin to Ann Arbor

Not that big of a difference. And don't forget how bad it sucks to be in the P10 for basketball. Most of your games start at 10 on the East Coast.