More B10 Expansion Rumors + My Own Opinion

[S Cube]

I have to ask, how do you figure they end up in the Big 12? WVU lobbied hard for Louisville, who picked the ACC. Does WVU lobby for Pitt and Syracuse? Why would the Big 12 take Pitt when they can get Virginia Tech, NC State, USF, Miami, Louisville, etc?

I hope they end up in the Big 12, but I think it is a stretch. Maybe a new league gets created, who knows. But you gotta figure the SEC is also maybe a possibility.

A lot of those named schools would end up in your B2G or SEC, leaving everyone else to the Big 12. There is no way Pitt gets passed over by all three of those conferences.

[The Ancient Enemy]

Roadie,

I absolutely think there is a connection between ND and the ACC raiding.

Check this out: Supposedly, there is growing animosity in the Big Ten (mainly by Ohio State) towards Penn State. Folks are starting to get irritated that Delaney is focusing on Penn State and pushing East. This whole move eastward is partly because they want to grow PSU's sphere of influence. Delaney knows how much PSU brings to the conference and the old brass are not getting the preferential treatment anymore. The days are basically gone of OSU/UM doing whatever they wanted and bullying everybody. It was never as bad as how UT bullies the Big XII, but OSU/UM definitely are the backbone of the B10. That is no longer the case, and it shouldn't be.

There are also growing conspiracy theories in the B10 that Delaney's ultimate goal is Notre Dame and will stop at nothing to bring ND to their knees (i.e. begging for membership). Remember, ND has rejected the B10 invitations on at least 2 separate occasions. When you are the top academic conference, there is a lot of animosity created when you are rejected. There is a lot of old, established entitlement in the B10, and those fellas dont like to be spurned.

I mean, it took, what, a few short weeks for the B10 to snag UMd after that ACC/ND deal was made public. Is that coincidence? Is it coincidence that the Delaney is targeting UNC (his alma mater) and the academic prestige at Georgia Tech? I dont know, I think there is absolutely a case here that A, the B0 wants to expand, and B, ND basically picked the ACC over the B10 and the ACC is a weakling conference, money wise.

That all seems more than coincidental.

I don't think they'll stop at 20. Why stop? Why not take 24, 28, or 32? Why not take every market that has a strong academic D1A school inside it?

I think in a Louisville/Pitt debate, over who do you take, it is Louisville. I know that is hard to swallow on Bleacher Coaches, but look at how efficient that athletic dept operates. Didn't Pitt have to drop a couple sports b/c of funding issues? I don't know, maybe Pitt sneaks into an expanded B10 (I hope) or they end up in the Big XII.

I would much rather see this:

Penn State
UNC
BC
UVa
UMd
Syracuse
GTech
Rutgers
Pitt
NC State?
Duke?
Wake?
Uconn?

That eastern conference could be a lot of fun.

[Head Roadie]

Agree totally SCube, Pitt will land somewhere.

AE, very good analysis and I agree with you and you're correct, why stop at 20 or 24 if they can keep going and add schools that add value....the keys is, at what point do they stop adding value. Something that appeals to ND is also key to this. I think the ultimate prize for Delaney if he could pull it off would be ND and TEXAS.

As for Louisville being more appealing than Pitt....I would agree with you on that if you're talking Big 10 vantage point--Big 10 already has Ohio St. and PSU why do they need a 'tweener market, but....if you talk Big 12 perpspective which is where I was coming from, then Pitt which infringes on Big 10 territory, becomes more appealing to that conference, IMO.

Pitt will land somewhere if/when the ACC crumbles.....interesting stuff and fun to speculate!

[Crimson's Ghost]

I still say throw all 120 teams in a box, pick out 10 leagues with 12 teams based off of geography. Keep the traditional leagues together for the most part. Keep 5-6 Power leagues.

Oh wait, we already had that.

[southpaw]

I agree with tae this whole acc raid is to force nd's hand.

[Crimson's Ghost]

People also need to realize The Dude of WVU and any other blogger under WVU are usually morons. They also said they were 10000000% positive that Clemson and Florida State were leaving for the Big 12 sometime in June. And they thought you were a complete idiot if you didn't believe them. So take anything these guys say with a grain of salt.


If it was such a big rumor, why isn't front and center of ESPN yet?

[Head Roadie]

Domino #1 goes today. Boise State staying in the MWC. San Daygo State will be next as the Big East comes crumblin' down.

Expect more movement and other conferences to enter the fray in January.

[The Ancient Enemy]

Crimson,

If other sources who say the B10 will have 16 by June 1st are right, then the WVU guy is probably right.

Boise staying in the MW is huge. And puts SDSU in a bigtime pickle.

[S Cube]

I read that SDSU can leave the big east with no exit fee if there is no other BE team west of the Rockies. They just need to hope the MWC accepts them back.

[The Ancient Enemy]

That's the pickle. The MW can do whatever they want to SDSU, and make them rejoin on the MW's conditions.