Big Ten plans statement on potential expansion

Rumor has it that the "official list" looks something like...

Pittsburgh
Missouri
Louisville
Syracuse
Rutgers
Cincinnati

3 months ago GopherNation 28 comments 0 recs |

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No institution is an ideal fit besides That School From South Bend

But my other fave would be Mizzou.

Chadnudj’s post on www.rivalryesq.com pretty much sums up my feelings as to why it’d be a really good fit.

"If we got to we're going to crawl in this locker room. And on our back is going to be an axe..."

by buddylee853 on Dec 15, 2009 1:22 PM CST via mobile reply actions 0 recs

OK, now I'm including Pitt

After researching their institution, I am really impressed!

"If we got to we're going to crawl in this locker room. And on our back is going to be an axe..."

by buddylee853 on Dec 15, 2009 2:34 PM CST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

That’s just the recycled rumors. There is no chance that the Big Ten will ever add Cincinnati or Louisville. Any list that includes those schools is being put together by a sportswriter who has no idea about what the Big Ten cares about.

http://www.rivalryesq.com/
The quintessential Big Ten smoking room.

by Bama Hawkeye on Dec 15, 2009 1:49 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Some of those schools

Don’t pass the academic standard.

Also, why would Missouri leave the Big XII? That wouldn’t make much sense for them. They were one of the original Big 8 schools not to mention they would be leaving some historic rivalries behind.

by rencito on Dec 15, 2009 2:03 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Word on the street is Mizzou feels it's been disrespected as a member in recent years

Try Google-ing Missouri and Big Ten together.

What other real rivalry do they have besides KU?

"If we got to we're going to crawl in this locker room. And on our back is going to be an axe..."

by buddylee853 on Dec 15, 2009 2:27 PM CST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

Not buying it

I don’t see anything that looks like a serious reason for Missouri to leave or that it in anyway feels “disrespected”.

by rencito on Dec 15, 2009 2:40 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Money

it’s the only reason any of this is happening.

If Mizzou can get more money from the Big Ten (and be on a more level playing field than it is with Texas), it has no reason not to jump. I promise that the fact that Mizzou played Kansas State and Oklahoma in 1937 will not stop them.

http://www.rivalryesq.com/
The quintessential Big Ten smoking room.

by Bama Hawkeye on Dec 15, 2009 2:59 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

If it is all about money

…and I don’t disagree that it is, why would the Big Ten benefit from Missouri? There would have to be something in it for them, too. Notre Dame makes sense. Rutgers also makes more sense than the other schools mentioned given the size of their TV market.

by rencito on Dec 15, 2009 4:30 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

For a real lame reason

I would hope for Louisville, Cincinnati or Syracuse just because we would finally have a team in the conference named after a city. :)

"they're calling insane hogs???"

by CrowTrobot on Dec 15, 2009 2:11 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

My take

Louisville and Cincinnati are out because of academic standards.

Pittsburgh and Syracuse are out because they would rather stay in the Big East for basketball.

Missouri is out because they would rather not leave the Big XII.

That leaves Rutgers and its large TV market.

I would rather wait until Notre Dame is willing to join.

by rencito on Dec 15, 2009 2:30 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Here is why Missouri would leave

http://campuscorner.kansascity.com/node/571

what you say here can, and will, be used against you

by GopherNation on Dec 15, 2009 2:36 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

That doesn't make any sense at all

The Big Ten is the same way. There is no contractual obligation for the bowl selection process. It happens all the time to Northwestern and Minnesota.

by rencito on Dec 15, 2009 2:40 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

not the same

Missour 8-4
ISU 6-6

In the Big Ten you can only take a team with one less loss (unless two teams make BCS), so ISU would not have leap-frogged Mizz.

what you say here can, and will, be used against you

by GopherNation on Dec 15, 2009 2:44 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

It is the same

All that matters is conference standings. I believe it is the same thing with the Big 10.

Mizzou 4-4
Iowa St 3-5

by rencito on Dec 15, 2009 4:34 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

no, it is overall record

what you say here can, and will, be used against you

by GopherNation on Dec 15, 2009 9:02 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

The list as I see it

1 – Notre Dame (not going to happen, but they are the perfect fit from B10 perspective)
2 – Pitt ($$ would be vastly improved for them and they’d have an immediate PSU rivalry)
3 – Missouri ($$, could feel marginalized by a new group of schools)
4 – wildcard (team not currently on serious radar)

what you say here can, and will, be used against you

by GopherNation on Dec 15, 2009 2:45 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

For a moment...

Let’s say Missouri does move to the Big Ten. That would create an interesting hole in the Big XII. Who would they pick as a replacement?

TCU?
Utah?
Houston?
Boise State?
Rice?

by rencito on Dec 15, 2009 2:50 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Well, some people say TCU was seriously considered before Baylor was eventually added...

"If we got to we're going to crawl in this locker room. And on our back is going to be an axe..."

by buddylee853 on Dec 15, 2009 2:56 PM CST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

that's true

it was a three-way scramble among SMU, TCU and Baylor. It basically came down to the Governor was a Baylor grad or something along those lines. The Dallas paper had a really interesting article on this a couple years ago. I don’t remember exactly the Baylor connection that essentially won it for them but it was a big political battle among those three schools with each of them having powerful people in different positions in the state government.

what you say here can, and will, be used against you

by GopherNation on Dec 15, 2009 3:11 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

here is the article

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/083006dnspobaylortcusf.4bf22e33.html

UT and A&M officials "came in and said here’s what are we going to do, and I said, ‘Not without Tech,’ " Laney (House Speaker) said. "Then, they went across the hall, and Bullock (Lt Gov) said the same thing about Baylor.

“When they came by to visit with us about that, they remembered that they got a lot of revenue from the state for education. You could say they were reminded of that.”

It was reported in 1994 that Bullock held a meeting in his office where UT and A&M officials effectively sealed the deal. Cunningham and former Sen. David Sibley, a Baylor graduate, confirmed being there, and Reynolds said he listened in on a speakerphone.

No one was working behind the scenes for TCU, according to key administrative and legislative figures.

what you say here can, and will, be used against you

by GopherNation on Dec 15, 2009 3:51 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

True

I came to find this out when I went to the Texas/Baylor football game up in Waco earlier this season. I couldn’t figure out why Baylor was in the Big XII. It doesn’t fit at all. Then someone who has been a life long UT fan told me how the scenario went down.

I will say that the one cool thing is that they actually had a live full grown bear on a leash on their sideline. That was impressive.

by rencito on Dec 15, 2009 4:32 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

TCU

Is certainly deserving. I firmly believe they are the best team in college football this year. I think they would beat Alabama by double digits (I said the same thing last year about Utah). TCU also has an outstanding baseball program. Their basketball team stinks, however.

I wonder if the powers that be with the Big XII would not be as welcoming of yet another Texas team (Houston and Rice for that matter as well). I’m not sure, I just wonder about it. I could see Utah getting serious consideration.

by rencito on Dec 15, 2009 4:42 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Arkansas

http://www.rivalryesq.com/
The quintessential Big Ten smoking room.

by Bama Hawkeye on Dec 15, 2009 3:00 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Seriously?

I know that Arkansas has the old SWC ties, but why would it leave the preeminent football conference in the country? I don’t see how that one would work out financially.

by rencito on Dec 15, 2009 4:27 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Either Notre Dame or Pitt will be the choice. Both are located in traditional Big Ten areas, and would have built in rivalries upon entering the conference (Pitt and Penn State are huge rivals that should be playing every year, and Notre Dame plays at least 3 Big Ten teams a year).

No other schools make any sense when considering the mixture of academics and athletics that each school currently in the Big Ten offers.

by JG2112 on Dec 15, 2009 8:36 PM CST reply actions 0 recs