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

[MechanicalBull]

If Texas and A&M go to the Pac 10, I'd have to think that this would be good for USF.  The SEC would probably raid the ACC and the ACC would raid the Big East including USF. 

It will be interesting to see how this unfolds.  I just hope we can remain in a BCS conference.  Time to win a BCS game!

[Guest]

While I'd prefer to see the Big East stay as it is, this could pave the way for a playoff system with four 16-team mega-conferences. Right now, you have 66 "BCS" teams counting ND. Four 16-team leagues gets you to 64, so which two get left out?

If the Pac-10 expands to 16, going into Big XII country, this could be a good thing for us. A break-up of the Big XII puts aforementioned Baylor and Iowa State in a bad position (the outside 2) and more likely that we end up in the ACC with at least UConn, UC, and UL.

I actually think the 120 I-A teams will be split with a total of SEVEN 16-team conferences:

Assumptions here (based on wild speculation from media reports and other posters here):

1) PAC 10 invites Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and Colorado

2) Big 10 invites Nebraska, Missouri, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse

3) SEC reacts by inviting Florida State, Georgia Tech, Clemson, and Virginia Tech from the ACC.

4) ACC adds remaining Big East teams (USF, Louisville, Cincinnati, West Virginia, and Connecticut) but needs 3 more to get to 16.*

5) MWC adds Boise State, the remaining Big 12 teams (Iowa State, Baylor, Kansas, and Kansas State), Fresno State, and Nevada

That leaves 43 left over teams:

6) The 3 independents (Notre Dame, Navy, and Army) will remain independents

7) The remaining WAC teams (San Jose St, New Mexico St, Utah State, Louisiana Tech, Idaho, and Hawaii) invite North Texas, LA-Lafayette, LA-Monroe, Arkansas State, and Middle Tennessee State from the Sun Belt.

8) C-USA invites Troy, FAU, FIU, and Western Kentucky.

9) The MAC remains at 13 teams.

The Big East will add some Atlantic 10 teams - and become a I-AA football team (U Mass, Richmond, Rhode Island, Dayton, and Fordham all play I-AA football - with Georgetown and Villanova that would make a 7-team conference - which some I-AA conferences have now). Add Xavier to the mix and you have 16 basketball teams.

The Sun Belt would stop playing football (Denver, New Orleans, Ark-Little Rock, and South Alabama would either land somewhere else for their Olympic sports or invite other non-football schools to join them).

How is THAT for wild speculation!! HA!!

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* NOTE: The ACC might stay at 12, dropping Cincy, or add 3 more teams from C-USA or MAC: I like Temple, Tulane, and Buffalo - new markets for the ACC and strong academically.

[BullsFanInTX]

If this happens, the Mountain West should just pick up the 4 other B12 schools not named Nebraska and Mizzou, Nevada-Reno, and Fresno

Mountain west is sitting pretty for being a non-bcs conference.  Plus if they add boise state they will definitely get a bcs bid.

The MWC may get a BCS bid, but currently the Mountain West is only meeting 2 out of the 3 criteria for obtaining a bid.  The bottom half of the conference is REALLY hurting them, it's so bad.  Even with Boise, they may not be able to overcome this.

[Atlanta Bull]

Let the fun begin, time to see where the dominoes fall.

Let's hope that with a .500 record in and only 4 years in a BCS conference is enough to keep the Bulls in an AQ conference. I wouldn't be shocked if the Bulls get sent back to the minor leagues but if this thing blows up to 16 team conferences I think the Bulls have a better shot. 

[BullsFanInTX]

USF will remain in an AQ conf gauranteed.  USF has too many things going for it.  All current BCS teams will likely wind up in an expanded BCS conf.  But if anyone has to be worried, it would be the likes of Baylor and Iowa St, and possibly Kansas and K State if the rest of the B12 leaves for the Pac 10 or B10.

[Cow Pie]

I can see the SEC doing something right now to lure Texas and Texas A&M away from the PAC10's offers... the SEC wants to own Dixie and if they can secure Texas / Texas A&M then all they would need to do is add some Virginia teams (Virginia U or VT) and they have the entire region under their heel.

PAC10 would be better off adding Fresno State and Hawaii since they are well within their region.

Here is my scenario:

PAC10 ---> raids the BIGXII (Minus Texas / Texas A&M)

BIG10 ---> kills the BIGXII and raids the BEast

BEast  ---> raids CUSA

SEC    ---> raids the ACC + Texas and Texas A&M

ACC    ---> kills the BEast (leaving some CUSA teams behind)

Minor Conferences are tapped into as well to leverage out the 16 team conferences.

[79 Bull]

I know most of you guys don't count on CFN for much, but here is their take on what the landscape will look like in 2015 (IF Texas goes to the PAC 10)....

ACC

Atlantic: Boston College, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Maryland, Pitt, Louisville, Syracuse, West Virginia

Coastal: Duke, North Carolina, NC State, South Florida, UCF, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

Big East - Disbanded

Big Ten

East: Connecticut, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers

West: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Wisconsin

Big 12

North: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Nevada, UNLV

South: Baylor, BYU, Houston, San Diego State, SMU, Southern Miss, TCU, Utah

PAC 10

North: California, Colorado, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, USC, Washington, Washington State

South: Arizona, Arizona State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCLA

SEC

East: Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt

West: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Mississippi, Mississippi State

http://cfn.scout.com/2/974716.html

[Carolina_Bull]

I know most of you guys don't count on CFN for much, but here is their take on what the landscape will look like in 2015 (IF Texas goes to the PAC 10)....

ACC

Atlantic: Boston College, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Maryland, Pitt, Louisville, Syracuse, West Virginia

Coastal: Duke, North Carolina, NC State, South Florida, UCF, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

Big East - Disbanded

Big Ten

East: Connecticut, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers

West: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Wisconsin

Big 12

North: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Nevada, UNLV

South: Baylor, BYU, Houston, San Diego State, SMU, Southern Miss, TCU, Utah

PAC 10

North: California, Colorado, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, USC, Washington, Washington State

South: Arizona, Arizona State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCLA

SEC

East: Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt

West: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Mississippi, Mississippi State

http://cfn.scout.com/2/974716.html

Just can't see the ACC loading up on a bunch of tier three schools. . . . . . . hope I'm wrong.

In my opinion, UNC, Duke, WF and UVA (and maybe Maryland) are going to reveal their true identity as snobs (coach K grovelled when the ACC went to 12).

It would help immeasurably if the Big 10 and SEC shook the ACC power base up (Big 10 takes Maryland and SEC bypasses Clemson and GT for UNC and Duke).

[Carolina_Bull]

Forget about facility upgrades for a second.

I know money doesn't grow on trees, but USF should announce next week that they are starting men's and women's lacrosse programs.  They should drop some decent coin to get a known commodity in coaching circles like the Duke men's coach who was hastily fired when Duke overreacted in the **** hoax debacle (he sued and settled).

Make the announcement, hire a known guy (ladies coach can be a non-splash hire) and get the program tracking before the dominoes fall in the coming months/years.

[tampabull]

Forget about facility upgrades for a second.

I know money doesn't grow on trees, but USF should announce next week that they are starting men's and women's lacrosse programs.  They should drop some decent coin to get a known commodity in coaching circles like the Duke men's coach who was hastily fired when Duke overreacted in the **** hoax debacle (he sued and settled).

Make the announcement, hire a known guy (ladies coach can be a non-splash hire) and get the program tracking before the dominoes fall in the coming months/years.

+1