Expansion of the Big 10 at the Big East's expense

[MikeG]

I can see this happening because of that Obama and Congress want, a CF playoff system. Congress basically told the commissioners to fix it or they will. Obama wants the top 8 teams in a playoff. Pressure for conference playoffs to feed a national playoff system is a possibility. And while the Big 10 Commish is saying while Obama is a smart guy but doesn't know what he is talking about in regards to a playoff and saying that Joe Pa's wishes won't come true this season, the writing is on the wall.

First-- Obama said his opinion was that he would think a playoff was a good idea-- I cannot recall him ever actually saying he would push hard for it-- he's got a ton of other things to worry about.

yeah- a handful of TEXAS congressman whined and pleaded the system was unfair-- but they have about as much support and clout on this issue as a wet towel.

Congressmen should get their asses out of college sports and into economic problems and other things that are far more important.

[slick1ru2]

I can see this happening because of that Obama and Congress want, a CF playoff system. Congress basically told the commissioners to fix it or they will. Obama wants the top 8 teams in a playoff. Pressure for conference playoffs to feed a national playoff system is a possibility. And while the Big 10 Commish is saying while Obama is a smart guy but doesn't know what he is talking about in regards to a playoff and saying that Joe Pa's wishes won't come true this season, the writing is on the wall.

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=obama+college+football+playoff&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=oTUWSra2FeGntged-pX2DA&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&resnum=11&ct=title#

First-- Obama said his opinion was that he would think a playoff was a good idea-- I cannot recall him ever actually saying he would push hard for it-- he's got a ton of other things to worry about.

yeah- a handful of TEXAS congressman whined and pleaded the system was unfair-- but they have about as much support and clout on this issue as a wet towel.

Congressmen should get their asses out of college sports and into economic problems and other things that are far more important.

60 Minutes Interview : "This is important....we should be creating a playoff season...I'm going to throw my weight around a little bit, I think its the right thing to do" Sure, his plate is full but that's what he has advisors for, to have them do the dirty work and get back to him for approval.

[MechanicalBull]

Was'nt there some talk about Missouri to the Big Ten a year or two ago?  That would give them their 12th team.  Mizzou already has a rivalry with Illinois.  A much better fit than any Big East team. 

[Guest]

The Big Ten wants Notre Dame... if not Notre Dame, they would take Mizzou...

Then Arkansas could move to the Big 12...

Then Clemson could move to the SEC...

Then the ACC would be looking for a nother team... it probably won't want a third Florida team, but it could.  Chances are it would go after WVU for some of the rivalvries with VT, UVa, and MD, or the ACC could look at Rutgers and the NY TV market...

[Carolina_Bull]

The Big Ten wants Notre Dame... if not Notre Dame, they would take Mizzou...

Then Arkansas could move to the Big 12...

Then Clemson could move to the SEC...

Then the ACC would be looking for a nother team... it probably won't want a third Florida team, but it could.  Chances are it would go after WVU for some of the rivalvries with VT, UVa, and MD, or the ACC could look at Rutgers and the NY TV market...

Nice theory.  I just can't figure out why Arkansas would leave the SEC West for what would probably be the Big12 North.  SEC is a cashcow unlike any other college sports league.

Moreover, Arkansas' old rivals are the legacy SWC teams that comprise the Big12 South.

In your chain reaction theory, I think the BE may be saved future carnage by the Big 12 taking a team from the western plains or Rocky Mountain region.

Also, don't expect Senator Hatch and the pro-playoff folks on Capitol Hill to sit still during this process. . . . . . . at the very least, those folks are mobilized these days.  IMO, the BCS could kill the movement by shutting down it's leader (Hatch). . . . . so why not seriously consider Utah. . . . . . . . otherwise I believe the pro-playoff gang will gum up the works some way or another.

Also, as a Texan (reformed in NC now), I can say that the lobbying movement on UT, A&M and T. Tech by Texas politicians will be fierce on behalf of TCU and UH (both universities have their own power ba$e$ (DFW and Metro Houston) and have a SWC history (i would have added SMU but they have  new on campus stadium that is consistent with a commitment to small-time football (for now). . . . . Never underestimate a place where the unofficial motto is "Don't Mess with Texas".

We are talking big money here, don't underestimate the shocking development.

[Guest]

It wasn't my theory... in the first articles that mentioned Missouri to the Big Ten, they talked about Arkansas to rejoin their brothers in the Big 12 South, with Oklahoma State or Baylor moving to the Big 12 North.

I can't see anyone saying they would rather have UH or TCU than Arkansas -- it's not like the Hogs have that strong of ties to the SEC (only been in the SEC since 1992)...

In my mind, this chain reaction does not start until the creation of a playoff system and a requirement of a championship game in all conferences... the BCS conferences would see the least amount of shifting, but you'd see major changes with the others... (maybe including the Big East)

If the only playoff is the Plus One model, or if there is no playoff, then there is no reason for the status quo to change.

[smazza]

usf will be fine under any scenario

[80mins]

Whether it is nice to think about or not, the Big East is weaker after the ACC raid

I agree 100%

The two problems with the Big East:

(1) Its focus on basketball over football is ass backwards. While every other football conference is focused on football first, the Big East is primarily focused on Basketball and this focus doesn't do jack for us because Tampa is not a basketball city, and its counter productive overall to the rest of the football schools.

(2) Its alignment of teams is equally ass backwards... the BE is a North Eastern Conference with 2 Southern teams playing in it... it makes just as much sense as the SEC bringing in Boston College, Rutgers, or any other Northern School.

In my opinion the Big East following the ACC raid took necessary steps toward being a true Eastern Conference school however they only did it half ass thanks to the Basketball schools which stopped the addition of a 10th football team. The only way for the Big East to become a Big Conference like the ACC or SEC and to avoid getting raided again would be to split the Conference into two Divisions, North and South and bring in new teams, at least two of them, and kick ND, Marq, and DePaul to the curb.

However this will never happen because the Basketball schools run the BE and ultimately another raid is unavoidable...

Interestingly enough, your two points also apply to the ACC. The ACC is a basketball conference moreso than a football conference; however, the discrepancy is much smaller and they helped themselves immensely in that respect during The Great Raid. And the ACC is a southeastern conference with one northeastern school (Boston College) playing in it.

[Cow Pie]

Interestingly enough, your two points also apply to the ACC. The ACC is a basketball conference moreso than a football conference; however, the discrepancy is much smaller and they helped themselves immensely in that respect during The Great Raid. And the ACC is a southeastern conference with one northeastern school (Boston College) playing in it.

Yeah but the ACC is a complete conference in that they do not have a bunch of schools that focus on basketball 100%... instead every school focuses on all sports equally.

This is the problem with the Big East... most find it hard to get all rilled up over a non-football game against St. Johns or DePaul because they don't play football.

[TRUTH D. Antagonist]

Congressmen should get their asses out of college sports and into economic problems and other things that are far more important.

ahhh, so NCAA athletics has nothing to do with the economy.

gotcha.