869 replies to this topic

[Justin Slotman]

Barry Alvarez went on record over the weekend saying the Big 10(+1) was looking for a twelfth school, and they were looking eastward. They're having a press conference at 3 CST to make some sort of formal announcement (not to pick anyone, probably just to officially say they are looking to expand.)

Names being mentioned: Notre Dame (obviously, but I think they're still too delusional for a conference, especially a conference where they wouldn't be the biggest name), Pitt, Rutgers, Missouri. The Rutgers Internet football fans really really want it to be them.

[Justin Slotman]

(Posted in the football forum since that's the only reason teams leave conferences anymore.)

[Rippa]

Does Rutgers think that they actually would do better in football in the Big Ten than the woeful Big East?

And if they moved for basketball too - well that just would be comical

[Nathan Davis]

Missouri is "looking eastward"?

[Justin Slotman]

Nathan Davis, on Dec 15 2009, 02:05 PM, said:

Missouri is "looking eastward"?

I know. But they keep getting brought up.

[EVA]

Rippa, on Dec 15 2009, 12:59 PM, said:

Does Rutgers think that they actually would do better in football in the Big Ten than the woeful Big East?

The Big 10, or The Big 12 2 as it might be, has better TV contracts, better bowl tie-ins, etc etc, than the Big East.  This would be a big financial windfall for them.  And as success in major college football is as tied to money as anything, it would go a long way towards making them more competitive in the long run.

[Justin Slotman]

Rippa, on Dec 15 2009, 01:59 PM, said:

Does Rutgers think that they actually would do better in football in the Big Ten than the woeful Big East?

And if they moved for basketball too - well that just would be comical

Rutgers fans really hate the Big East bowl tie-ins, and are also in love with the extra cash they'd get from the Big Ten. And honestly, Big Ten football isn't completely unwoeful either. Plus the way Schiano schedules (read: incredibly weakly) they can still probably win 7-8 games every year (especially if they get into the division with Indiana, Illinois and Northwestern.)

Men's bball would of course find themselves in a slightly easier situation, but they'd still be hopeless. Women's bball suddenly doesn't have to worry about UConn anymore!

[Beech27]

I love to hate Missouri way too much to lose them.

[Justin Slotman]

Notre Dame leaving would work out the best for the Big East as a conference obviously, since they wouldn't have to add another marginal football program like Memphis or UCF. (Though adding Memphis obviously makes Big East basketball that much crazier.)

As long as we're speculating pointlessly--I would enjoy semi-annual RU-PSU games at the Linc.

EDIT: Wait--I confused myself here. Notre Dame leaving opens up another football slot in the Big East, probably Memphis, so it's best for conference stability. Any other team leaving means an even weaker 8-team football league.

[happjack]

Pitt is the best fit when it comes to academics, research and football history but the Big Ten already has one Pennsylvania school and the old man up there will do everything in his power to keep Pitt out. Hopefully the Pitt admin can pull off something like Virginia Tech did and force the state legislature to force Penn State to only vote for Pitt when the time comes.

Big East football will be dead if they lose either Pitt, Rutgers or Syracuse and as a Pitt fan I would rather go back to being an independent than be in a conference with the likes of Memphis, its bad enough being in one with the likes of USF, Cincy and West Virginia.

[Dewar]

Yeah, Notre Dame to Big 10 would almost directly lead to Memphis to Big East, IMO. That way the football league plays eight league games, and Rutgers and South Florida could (hopefully) stop scheduling multiple 1AA teams each season.

[Dewar]

happjack, on Dec 15 2009, 02:18 PM, said:

Pitt is the best fit when it comes to academics, research and football history but the Big Ten already has one Pennsylvania school and the old man up there will do everything in his power to keep Pitt out. Hopefully the Pitt admin can pull off something like Virginia Tech did and force the state legislature to force Penn State to only vote for Pitt when the time comes.

Big East football will be dead if they lose either Pitt, Rutgers or Syracuse and as a Pitt fan I would rather go back to being an independent than be in a conference with the likes of Memphis, its bad enough being in one with the likes of USF, Cincy and West Virginia.

Since you couldn't beat Cincy or West Virginia, they aren't good enough to be in the same conference anymore? That's rich. And people call Notre Dame fans oblivious to their spot in the college football world....

[Justin Slotman]

dewrules, on Dec 15 2009, 03:19 PM, said:

Yeah, Notre Dame to Big 10 would almost directly lead to Memphis to Big East, IMO. That way the football league plays eight league games, and Rutgers and South Florida could (hopefully) stop scheduling multiple 1AA teams each season.

But...but Schiano needs to play Howard so he can own DC-area recruiting.....

Yeah, he's only going to stop doing that when something forces him to stop doing that.

[Justin Slotman]

dewrules, on Dec 15 2009, 03:21 PM, said:

happjack, on Dec 15 2009, 02:18 PM, said:

Pitt is the best fit when it comes to academics, research and football history but the Big Ten already has one Pennsylvania school and the old man up there will do everything in his power to keep Pitt out. Hopefully the Pitt admin can pull off something like Virginia Tech did and force the state legislature to force Penn State to only vote for Pitt when the time comes.

Big East football will be dead if they lose either Pitt, Rutgers or Syracuse and as a Pitt fan I would rather go back to being an independent than be in a conference with the likes of Memphis, its bad enough being in one with the likes of USF, Cincy and West Virginia.

Since you couldn't beat Cincy or West Virginia, they aren't good enough to be in the same conference anymore? That's rich. And people call Notre Dame fans oblivious to their spot in the college football world....

Plus isn't WVU one of Pitt's oldest football rivals?

[Rippa]

Justin Slotman, on Dec 15 2009, 03:39 PM, said:

Plus isn't WVU one of Pitt's oldest football rivals?

Yeah - the Backyard Brawl has been going on since 1895

[Justin Slotman]

Rippa, on Dec 15 2009, 03:54 PM, said:

Justin Slotman, on Dec 15 2009, 03:39 PM, said:

Plus isn't WVU one of Pitt's oldest football rivals?

Yeah - the Backyard Brawl has been going on since 1895

I imagine Pitt-PSU is more emotionally satisfying though. And the only way that's going to start again is Pitt in the Big Ten (where they could probably still schedule the Backyard Brawl OOC.) But that's only going to happen over That Old Man With The Glasses' dead body. I believe JoePa has publicly stumped for Rutgers in the past.

[Dewar]

Justin Slotman, on Dec 15 2009, 02:30 PM, said:

dewrules, on Dec 15 2009, 03:19 PM, said:

Yeah, Notre Dame to Big 10 would almost directly lead to Memphis to Big East, IMO. That way the football league plays eight league games, and Rutgers and South Florida could (hopefully) stop scheduling multiple 1AA teams each season.

But...but Schiano needs to play Howard so he can own DC-area recruiting.....

Yeah, he's only going to stop doing that when something forces him to stop doing that.

The Howard game doesn't bother me nearly as much as scheduling a second 1AA game, when only one counts towards bowl eligibility anyway. Bring in Air Force, make it a service academy sweep....

[RossWB]

Nathan Davis, on Dec 15 2009, 01:05 PM, said:

Missouri is "looking eastward"?

Yes.  There have been some rumblings about them being dissatisfied with the Big 12, like this one.  Apparently they're annoyed at getting jumped by lesser teams (in terms of records, or at least head-to-head results) in bowls three years running (which could still happen in the BXI, although at least an 8-4 Mizzou team wouldn't get jumped by a 6-6 team, the way they did this year) and dissatisfied with the BXII's (incredibly shitty) TV deals.  As much as the BTN gets mocked, it's raking in money for the BXI and the BXI still has excellent deals with ABC/ESPN, too.  The BXII has some ABC games and.. regional FSN games?  Versus?  

Notre Dame is obviously choice #1, but it's unlikely to happen while they still have the NBC gravy train and special dispensation from the BCS.  After them, Mizzou, Pitt, Syracuse, and Rutgers are probably the best choices for expansion.

[RossWB]

Beech27, on Dec 15 2009, 01:28 PM, said:

I love to hate Missouri way too much to lose them.

There would be nothing stopping Mizzou and Kansas from playing each other in the non-conference every year (see: Iowa-Iowa State, South Carolina-Clemson, Florida-Florida State, or Miami-Florida State until Miami joined the ACC).  Though it would mean that Kansas would have to deviate from their usual non-conference plan of scheduling as many delicious cupcakes as possible.

[KrisZ]

Pitt is the odds on favorite to get the slot according to people in the know.