PAC-10 To Issue Invites - Is this the beginning of Conference Expansion?

[Guest]

The SEC won't expand for financial reasons as much as they will for reputation and ego.

The Pac 16 would certainly take the SEC's place as the best football conferences... and a Big 16 might even move ahead of the 12-team SEC depending on which teams get the invite.

That's the part I have a hard time digesting. Really? They are going to expand for ego and reputation? Even staying at the 12, I think the SEC is better than those conferences would be at 16. Compare the top schools from a football perspective: SEC v New Big 16 v Pac 16

Yes. For ego. Pure and simple:

Should the Big Ten indeed be talking of expanding not just to 12, but to 16, to include such big names as Nebraska and Missouri from the Big 12 and Rutgers, Pitt and Syracuse from the Big East, Slive is ready for a response.

This would make the Big Ten the nation's "Super Conference" and it's champion an almost sure contender for any national championship game.

It would also shift them to become the media's golden conference and bring in the big dollars and new television contracts.

In other words, they would become the new SEC.

Except that this week, Mike Slive not only laid down the gauntlet, but firmly slapped the face of the Big Ten by saying they would never take the place of the SEC on his watch.

His exact words words were, "Given the success we’ve experienced over the past decade, we are comfortable in the position in which we find ourselves.

"Having said that, if there’s going to be a significant shift in the conference paradigm, the SEC will be strategic and thoughtful in order to maintain its position as one of the nation’s premier conferences."

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/385710-mike-slive-commisioner-of-the-sec-to-the-rest-of-the-ncaa-well-be-1

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Remember, the Big Ten has been downright AVERAGE the past few years, yet the media fawn all over the Big Ten.  The Pac 10 is no better than the Big East was when Miami dominated the league, yet the Pac 10 gets mega kudos from the media.

So you can bet dollars to donuts if they expand as rumored, the ESPN-types will start talking about how this makes the SEC the third best conference.  You may disagree with that... but they will say it over and over and over and over until the SEC reacts.

The SEC will not be able to sit idly by on their status quo.  Especially when all their mega contracts don't really give SEC teams more money than Pac 10 or Big Ten teams.

No, sir, the SEC will expand. And since they won't form their own cable network, they won't really be able to get more $$.

So the only reason left is ego.

[bulldozier1]

And for months all I heard was how the Pac-10 will not expand to follow the realignment shifts. And what-a ya know. Rumors come out about them expanding to 16 teams. Alway expect the unexpected.

[Guest]

And for months all I heard was how the Pac-10 will not expand to follow the realignment shifts. And what-a ya know. Rumors come out about them expanding to 16 teams. Alway expect the unexpected.

Not sure where you were hearing that.  When the Big 10 announced they were studying it, the Pac 10 made a similar announcement.

Moreover, they hired Larry Scott to increase Pac 10 revenue.

This was a bold move, but I was expecting Pac 10 expansion.

[smazza]

pac 16 will be hard to beat

[bulldozier1]

And for months all I heard was how the Pac-10 will not expand to follow the realignment shifts. And what-a ya know. Rumors come out about them expanding to 16 teams. Alway expect the unexpected.

Not sure where you were hearing that.  When the Big 10 announced they were studying it, the Pac 10 made a similar announcement.

Moreover, they hired Larry Scott to increase Pac 10 revenue.

This was a bold move, but I was expecting Pac 10 expansion.

I heard very little about Pac 10 expansion. And the little I did hear was them possibly would only expand to 2 teams. But highly unlikely to do any expansion. This was around the time they were to the Big 12 about TV deal. If you heard something different, thats fine. All I was trying to say for the ones that DON'T believe the SEC will not do any expansion. Don't be surprise to see FSU and UM in that conference.

And yes SMAZZA, that would be harder for the Pac 10 to beat.