Here we go again!

That must be some really green grass in Big 10-land. I've been hearing the rumors for a while but didn't believe it.



The good news is MD will be able to compete in baseball and basketball once again.

quote:

The good news is MD will be able to compete in baseball and basketball once again.

The Big 10 football schools must've needed a door mat.

I hope that means UConn will get the ACC invite...

time will tell where uconn goes

interesting how they can millions to move but have no money to currently suport athletics

agree with you on that one TRHit!!

I read something over the weekend that the Big Ten is going to help fund some of that $50 million buyout...but it didn't say how much.

quote:

Originally posted by fenwaysouth:
That must be some really green grass in Big 10-land. I've been hearing the rumors for a while but didn't believe it.



The good news is MD will be able to compete in baseball and basketball once again.

I do not follow Basketball much but the Big 10 is very strong at the moment. So if they can compete with Indiana, Ohio St. and Michigan State all the better. Almost seems like the big 10 may become more of a basket ball conference.

The other team rumored to be looking at the big 10 is Rutgers.

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
interesting how they can millions to move but have no money to currently suport athletics

TR looks like that exit fee is not sure thing may end up in court....also from what i read this may actually save baseball....each big ten school received about 25 million a year from the big ten....i think this is significantly more per year than they received from ACC...so they will be qable to keep more sports...


Excerpt from the artticle:
Earlier this year, Maryland eliminated seven varsity sports due to the department’s multimillion-dollar deficit, and now will be subject to a $50 million exit fee from the ACC. During a September vote among university presidents, Loh was one of two to vote against the fee, citing “legal and philosophical grounds,” claiming that the fee would not hold up in court.

The Big Ten, meanwhile, distributed $284 million in revenue to its 12 schools this fiscal year, most of which came from the wildly profitable Big Ten Network. Adding Maryland gives the Big Ten access to the valuable Washington D.C. television market.

Afterthought.....

This is somewhat ironic & timely after 6O Minutes ran a segment about the growth of college football last night (11/18/12). One of the primary interviewees was the Michigan AD at their Big House. Michigan AD was the former CEO for Dominos Pizza. Apparently college football is a bigger business than running a national pizza chain? Check it out.

Here is the segment: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18...-a-campus-commodity/

Just reading all of the rumors out there on the internet...kind of interesting even though many are nothing more than a fantasy in the writers' minds.

But a pattern seems to be evolving of more ACC teams to go (to Big 12 and possibly 2 more to Big 10) and ACC and Big East remnants merging.

Most rumored ACC to Big 12? FSU, Clemson and Va. Tech.

Most rumored ACC to Big 10? UVa and Ga. Tech.

One thing seems to me more clear...Big 12 at only 10 teams will likely expand more soon and they need some bigger TV markets. Aside from robbing the ACC...Louisville? BYU? Cincinnati? (I hope).

So now the Big 10, which currently has 12 teams, is expanding to 14 teams, but will still be named the Big 10, while the Big 12 currently has 10 teams, but is still calling itself the Big 12.

speaking of televison markets--- I live in ne-ct and my cable provider gives me these channels: west coast sports---ucla---usc---


big ten --- acc--- texas



\mew mexico state sports--- sec


we also get college womens volleyball and sokker

I recently found myself watching the Amherst/Williams game. How desperate was I for some college football?

Amherst came from behind to win...

that happens to be some fine football

It was fine D3 football. I hadn't seen a lot of D3 football on television, but there weren't any interesting D1 games on at the time. So I gave it a shot.

My brother played D3 football so I've seen a few D3 games live - back in the day. And the Amherst/Williams game was fine D3 football, played by very intelligent young men.

those young men are also fine athletes

Yes, they are fine athletes.

Did you know that ESPN Game Day came to Williamstown a couple of years ago for the Williams-Amherst game? Apparently it was to commemorate the 150th?? anniversary of the rivalry game. It was pretty cool.

I don't think ESPN is quaking in their boots as NBC Sports Network (formerly Versus) announced a 2-year renewal for nationally televising Ivy conference football, hockey, lacrosse and basketball.

If I have time I will tune in, and it is pretty good football (excellent hockey) just as the D3 football that twotex and Trhit describe.

Truthfully, I find it an easy game to watch as there are far fewer penalties, and the game flows well (less TV timeouts).

College football is money driven? Wow ,who would have guessed that, especially when they pay their idiotic coaches millions of dollars.

It used to be conferences made geographic and travel sense. Some conferences tried to maintain a certain level of academic integrity on who they allowed to join the conference. Colleges academic standing would rise by joining certain athletic conferences.

Now it's all about the dollar and television markets. The conference television networks aren't interesting in a corner of the country. They want to expand into new markets. The Big Ten, a Midwest conference just expanded to the eastern seaboard. Adding Rutgers and Maryland is all about new markets for the Big Ten tv network.

Football is driving the craziness. I believe there will ultimately be four major conferences with sixteen teams broken into two divisions of eight. Conference championships will be round one of the playoffs. Then it's down to four. Colleges won't be able to whine about the BCS ratings. Want in? Win your division.

My ten year prediction: The four major conferences will be the SEC, Big Ten, Big Twelve and Pac12. The Big East and the ACC will be left on the outside looking in since it's all about football. I predict Clemson, Florida State and VA Tech will leave the ACC for a football conference.

A lot of people are predicting the same thing RJM.

There is currently at least two pretty big problems, maybe more, with that scenario.

1. The Pac12 is presently not interested in expanding...at all. It was they who said no to Texas and Oklahoma just a year ago and the significant majority of their schools...for different reasons...object strongly to expansion. Sure, things can and will change, but this is a BIG hurdle to get over for your scenario to play out.

2. Notre Dame is even more opposed to joining a conference in football than the Pac12 is to expanding. There will be no 64 team format without ND. Period.

There's a reason I called it a long term prediction. Some decisions made in the past couple of years contradict my prediction. But I believe in the big picture the writing is on the wall. The rules are changing quickly. I'm going to enjoy the day college football tells Notre Dame they don't make the rules anymore and join a conference or be left out.

I don't believe any conference that says they're not interested in expanding. This is a poker game. No one is going to show their cards early. If I remember correctly had Texas been willing to be part of the PAC12 network they would have been added. When the Big 12 told Texas they could have their own network it was the deciding factor. The Big 12 couldn't afford to lose Texas and Oklahoma.

There was FAR more to the 'no' to Texas by the Pac12 than reported widely in the media. Those issues remain.

Of course things can and likely will change, but I have serious doubts about the most popular 4x16 theory.

The ACC will be fine. Big East has been on the machine that pings for a while...football-wise.

My Hokies need a new HC, DF, OC, etc. The program is too big to stay down for long. I hope Beamer steps down while he's still able and can do so voluntarily...

ACC sues MD for $50M.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/...lion-buyout/1729711/

Reported that Louisville is moving to ACC.

quote:

Batty67 posted....My Hokies need a new HC, DF, OC, etc. The program is too big to stay down for long. I hope Beamer steps down while he's still able and can do so voluntarily...

Batty67,

You need to step back and look at the last 20 years. I live among many Hokie fans, and you ALL are being ridiculous. I recall driving to a game many, many moons ago (early 90s) and the radio guys were calling for Beamer's head. Really? How did that turn out?

Beamer built this thing from freaking scratch 20 years ago. 2012 was a down year by the standards that Beamer created. Let this play out.....Beamer is a loyal guy almost to a fault. Give him the opportunity to re-build his staff. I think you will see a new OC, and a new emphasis put on recruiting going forward. They need a new start with a new OC and some offensive weapons. Hokie football fans have been spoiled rotten. Step back and look at the big picture. Beamer created his legend, and he deserves better.

quote:

Originally posted by fenwaysouth:

quote:

Batty67 posted....My Hokies need a new HC, DF, OC, etc. The program is too big to stay down for long. I hope Beamer steps down while he's still able and can do so voluntarily...

Batty67,

You need to step back and look at the last 20 years. I live among many Hokie fans, and you ALL are being ridiculous. I recall driving to a game many, many moons ago (early 90s) and the radio guys were calling for Beamer's head. Really? How did that turn out?

Beamer built this thing from freaking scratch 20 years ago. 2012 was a down year by the standards that Beamer created. Let this play out.....Beamer is a loyal guy almost to a fault. Give him the opportunity to re-build his staff. I think you will see a new OC, and a new emphasis put on recruiting going forward. They need a new start with a new OC and some offensive weapons. Hokie football fans have been spoiled rotten. Step back and look at the big picture. Beamer created his legend, and he deserves better.

Um, I was there at the games with the Corps of Cadets in the mid-80s when brand new coach Frank Beamer's teams stunk and was independent. I've been there and have seen the slide for the past 5 years. Teams have thoroughly figured out VT and how to make Beamer reactive and profit accordingly. Other issues to be sure, but I DO have persective...

Not to interrupt the great Hokie debate, but getting back on the original topic of conference shuffling.

Just read that Louisville got the invitation to join the ACC, leaving UConn still in the Big East.

Good news or bad news (from a baseball perspective)?? Any thoughts?


Also, ECU (football only) and Tulane (all sports) are joining the Big East in 2014.


I never would have followed this stuff in the past, so I really don't know much, but isn't this an unusual level of change in such a short time period?

Fenway, FYI, there are even conference talks in the local HS level. Apparently the 3 Bridgeport High Schools are talking about leaving the FCIACs for the Naugatuck Valley Conference. I am pretty sure this is not about TV contracts

quote:

Fenway, FYI, there are even conference talks in the local HS level. Apparently the 3 Bridgeport High Schools are talking about leaving the FCIACs for the Naugatuck Valley Conference. I am pretty sure this is not about TV contracts

LOL. I can't blame them, it has always been tough to compete in the FCIAC.

the louiville deal is done

Is the Big East pretty much cleaned out of quality football programs at this point? How about Conference USA?

quote:

Originally posted by Batty67:
Is the Big East pretty much cleaned out of quality football programs at this point? How about Conference USA?

Full disclosure: I am a Cincinnati alum.

But to your question...Hmmmmm...no, not in my view at all.

Cincinnati has won 3 of last 4 BE titles and tomorrow can clinch a share of their 4th in 5 years (2 outright, 1 shared with WVU and UL last year, and if they win one this year it will be shared with UL, Rutgers and Syracuse). Wanna know who the other winner was in the year Cincinnati was not? UConn.

Cincinnati has won 10 games or more in 4 of last 5 years...a win tomorrow and in their bowl game will give them 5 of 6 years...one of only a few teams to do that.

And they are one of only 6 schools to finish last season in the top-25 in football and basketball.

And before anyone goes off on graduation rates (based on perception from Huggins basketball era)...know your facts. Cincinnati was 2nd in Big East in football graduation rate last year (behind Rutgers) at 79%. Basketball has improved markedly from the 0% days to 56%...higher than Syracuse, Louisville and UConn as well as Virginia, Maryland and Georgia Tech.

Yes, the Big East is a giant mess today. But I would say there remains at least one quality team.

Truthfully, I don't wanna get in a debate with anyone about the merits of adding Cincinnati or not to your favorite conference. But the above are facts and dispute the assertion made above.