NCAA Conference Musical Chairs [Archive] - Page 3

baseballplyrmvp

04-01-2012, 01:03 PM

SEC will reportedly leave the NCAA to form its own football league (http://cfn.scout.com/2/1173090.html)

College athletics as we all know it are now over.

In a shocking move that’ll change the college football landscape, CFN has just confirmed from several sources that the SEC will not only take expansion and realignment to another level, but it’ll make one of the biggest and boldest moves in American sports history by seceding from the NCAA and forming its own self-contained league for football only starting in 2014. The official announcement is scheduled to come sometime later this week, with the SEC choosing to wait a few days until after the basketball national championship.

The SEC will expand to 20 schools, adding Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Miami, Virginia Tech, and, most stunningly, Notre Dame, for football only.

The league will have four divisions of five teams with the four winners squaring off in a four-team playoff in late December. Because of the new format, the 20 teams in the new SEC won’t play games outside the conference, with the lone exception being made for Notre Dame, who’ll be allowed to play an extra exhibition game against USC over the next five seasons.

The plans have been in the works for several years, and with the addition of Notre Dame, along with the five schools from the ACC, the time appeared to be right to take the bold step forward.

“Notre Dame was the key to the entire plan,” said one high-ranking SEC official, who asked not to be named for this story. “Once Notre Dame said it was interested, then the idea of forming our own self-contained league became a reality. That meant we were going to be national, and then we realized that we didn’t need to be a part of the NCAA structure anymore.”

The original plan was to bring in the natural rivalry tie-ins – Clemson for South Carolina, Georgia Tech for Georgia, and Florida State for Florida, with Virginia Tech and Miami added to the mix –with North Carolina to round the league out as the 20th school. However, there was an internal debate among North Carolina officials about how the move might affect the basketball program, delaying the process for a few weeks. During the time of hesitation, the SEC and Notre Dame were able to come to an agreement, and the SEC withdrew its offer to UNC. However, that doesn’t mean there won’t be room to add more teams in the future.

“This might just be a first step,” said another SEC administrator, who also asked not to be named. “I can see us getting to a 32-team, NFL-like format at some point.”

Notre Dame officials wouldn’t make an on-the-record comment, but one source inside the university told CFN that the deal was too good to pass up.

“We’ve been waiting for the right opportunity. Notre Dame is a worldwide university with a national and worldwide following for our football program. This allows us to achieve all of our goals and be a part of something special.”

To get Notre Dame, though, the SEC had to allow the school to keep all of the television revenue for the next five seasons with the rights to the home games – and the date with USC - belonging to NBC. After five years, and for all road games and playoffs starting in 2014, the Irish will be a part of the revenue-splitting plan that’ll be finalized after the television rights have been secured.

With a clause in the television agreement with ESPN that allows the SEC to renegotiate if the league expands – which it was about to do after adding Texas A&M and Missouri – now it’s open season for the bidding war to start with the initial jumping off point expected to start around $7.5 billion for a five-year agreement, but with the hopes of securing a ten-year deal across a several networks and internet platforms.

By doing this, the SEC will formally and officially break ties with the NCAA for football and will form its own rules and regulations, it’s own schedules, and it’s own format. Some of the key highlights of the changes will be:

- Relaxed recruiting rules. The new SEC, free from the NCAA rules and regulations, will allow players to have agents, do endorsement deals, and take gifts and cash from boosters, marketing companies, and anyone else who wants to pay the prospects. However, the schools and universities will be forbidden to pay for players beyond a scholarship and stipend.

“Even though we’re not going to be a part of the NCAA,” said the high-ranking SEC official, “there are still Title IX considerations to factor in, and the last thing we want to do in this economy and with educational budgets being slashed is to allow the schools to divert any funds for football. So we’re not going to put that pressure on the universities and we’re going to make it one of our few hard restrictions: no money can be paid by the schools to the players. To be honest, all we’re doing is taking what’s already happening and taking the hypocrisy out of it.”

- The divisions will be aligned as follows:

SEC North: Clemson, Kentucky, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Virginia Tech
SEC East: Florida, Florida State, Miami, Georgia, Georgia Tech
SEC South: Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State
SEC West: Arkansas, Missouri, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Vanderbilt

“We wanted to keep the natural rivalries together as much as possible, while trying to respect the traditions and the geographic tie-ins,” said the SEC official. “There will only be four divisional games, so just because, say, Alabama and Tennessee aren’t in the same division, that doesn’t mean they won’t play each other.”

- Unlike the NFL with two games against each divisional foe, there will be only one game played against each team in the division and eight other games played outside of the division.

- All coaches will be required to wear visors to be used and thrown in lieu of a challenge flag for replays.

- Before every game, fans in all stadiums will be asked to stand, remove their caps, and recite the Tim Tebow "Promise" speech.

- At halftime of every game, a hat will be passed around the stadium to raise money for the Cecil Newton Church Renovation Fund.

- The record books will reflect that Peyton Manning won the 1997 Heisman Trophy.

- Proper attire will be required to attend the games. All women must dress as if they're going to an Ole Miss tailgating party.

- After every Auburn win, fans will be allowed to tp the opposing head coach.

- At Mississippi State, the fans will be required to use more cowbell.

:D have a great April Fools Day

SmoothPancakes

04-01-2012, 01:37 PM

:D I was gonna say. As soon as I read just the title, it had April Fool's written all over it.

baseballplyrmvp

04-01-2012, 01:43 PM

lol. i actually believed it at first....then about halfway through i remembered what day it is today. its one of the better ones i've read about in recent years though.

SmoothPancakes

04-01-2012, 01:48 PM

lol. i actually believed it at first....then about halfway through i remembered what day it is today. its one of the better ones i've read about in recent years though.

Yeah, after just finishing reading it, for the most part in general with everything, it is at least somewhat believable. I could see the SEC (and other major conferences) doing that someday. But yeah, knowing that it's April Fool's today, I knew pretty much from the title that it was a joke article. Still nicely written though and like you, definitely one of the better ones I've seen or read about.

JeffHCross

04-01-2012, 02:10 PM

- Proper attire will be required to attend the games. All women must dress as if they're going to an Ole Miss tailgating party.

- At Mississippi State, the fans will be required to use more cowbell.I, for one, welcome our new college football overlords.

gschwendt

04-03-2012, 09:52 AM

The Sun Belt to add Georgia State
(http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/brett-mcmurphy/18265934)
Not a fan of this move personally... eventually we have to get away from adding start-up programs (FIU, FAU, & USA). I'm hoping this signals that we'll be moving to 12 soon adding Louisiana Tech seeing as GSU gives us 11.

SmoothPancakes

04-03-2012, 12:21 PM

Hey now. FIU has done just fine for the Sun Belt, start-up program or not. :P

gschwendt

04-26-2012, 01:17 PM

UNT gives President authority to look at other conferences (http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/archives/2012/04/regents-delegate-authority-to.html)

souljahbill

04-26-2012, 01:33 PM

What does everyone think of the C-USA/MWC superconference? Seeing as my school is in that mix, I don't think it'll give us a real shot at the big time but being the mid-major "national champ", more or less, is pretty cool.

gschwendt

04-26-2012, 01:37 PM

What does everyone think of the C-USA/MWC superconference? Seeing as my school is in that mix, I don't think it'll give us a real shot at the big time but being the mid-major national champ, more or less, is pretty cool.It won't happen anymore... can't remember where I read it before but I remember reading that they're no longer giving it as strong consideration. I don't think it offers anything more unless it guarantees you a BCS bowl and with the teams in the mix now, it won't.

What I'd personally like to see is something similar to what the CUSA/MWC was working to build but have the two best non-AQ schools meet up in a bowl game (assuming neither is invited to a BCS). It would almost create a level between FBS and FCS but I'd be OK with that so long as we can enjoy what we currently have.

gschwendt

04-26-2012, 06:12 PM

UTEP to MWC? Mike Price says yes (http://csnbbs.com/showthread.php?tid=567073)

morsdraconis

04-26-2012, 08:03 PM

Wow. VERY interesting.

JeffHCross

04-27-2012, 07:22 PM

BCS president mentioned that the next BCS contract will not have Automatic Qualifiers. Which makes me think quite a few of these conference moves were irrelevant.

cdj

04-28-2012, 08:18 AM

C-USA adding UTSA in 2013; North Texas, FIU, Louisiana Tech also likely

Sources also said Charlotte remains a possibility to join C-USA as an all-sports member in 2013, but its football program, which will begin play in 2013, would not be able to compete in C-USA until 2015, at the earliest.

Link: CBS Sports (http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/brett-mcmurphy/18873583)

SmoothPancakes

04-28-2012, 09:02 AM

So that pretty much seals the fate and death of the WAC I'm guessing. UTSA was one of their FCS-reach adds to keep the conference alive, and now UTSA is bailing on the WAC and going to C-USA.

With Fresno State, Hawaii, Nevada all set to leave, and now Louisiana Tech and UTSA reportedly jumping ship, that's gonna leave WAC with 4 teams, Idaho, New Mexico State, San Jose State and Utah State, 5 once Texas State joins.

I think we're gonna end up seeing the Sun Belt and WAC merge. WAC is gonna be down to 4 (5 with Texas State) teams, and if Florida International and North Texas leave for C-USA, that's gonna drop the Sun Belt down to 7 teams, though they'll replace one of those lost with South Alabama. Merge the two together, you got 13 teams and a conference championship game.

Only issue would be logistics, with all the remaining Sun Belt teams being located east of Louisiana, while the closest remaining WAC team would be Texas State and then New Mexico State.

JeffHCross

04-28-2012, 10:30 AM

No more of a logistics problem than SDSU in the Big East.

SmoothPancakes

04-28-2012, 10:41 AM

No more of a logistics problem than SDSU in the Big East.

Very true. I keep forgetting about that. :D

But yeah, I think the WAC has seen the beginning of the end in college football if UTSA and Louisiana Tech really are both bailing for C-USA. There's no one they can bring up from FCS until probably at least the 2014 season, and I can't see them going through the 2013 season with only 5 teams in the conference.

gschwendt

04-30-2012, 09:29 AM

After all is said and done, I really hope Arkansas State doesn't end up in a conference with NMSU nor Idaho... we got rid of Denver, I don't want to add another bumfuck team that would be hard to travel to.

SmoothPancakes

04-30-2012, 09:33 AM

gschwendt

04-30-2012, 09:33 AM

Hey now. You're saying that in front of a Denver fan here.Just call it payback for that Jets draft montage.

souljahbill

04-30-2012, 10:27 AM

SmoothPancakes

04-30-2012, 11:24 AM

Just call it payback for that Jets draft montage.

I suppose. :glare:

gschwendt

04-30-2012, 09:17 PM

You can pencil in Texas State and UT-Arlington to the Sun Belt. UTA would be for non-football sports.

Hopefully that allows us to avoid having NMSU and Idaho dumped on us.

gschwendt

05-01-2012, 03:16 PM

souljahbill

05-01-2012, 03:26 PM

ODU? Must be trying to give Marshall and ECU some proximity games.

I know LA Tech is THRILLED to be out of the WAC.

gschwendt

05-01-2012, 03:44 PM

ODU? Must be trying to give Marshall and ECU some proximity games.

I know LA Tech is THRILLED to be out of the WAC.Yeah, but it's not nearly the CUSA they were wanting to get into. The only two quality teams remaining are ECU & USM.

gschwendt

05-02-2012, 10:20 AM

Texas State made it official this morning accepting a Sun Belt invitation. The Sun Belt is having a media teleconference at 12:50pm CT today so something more may come out of that or might just be discussion of TSU.

JBHuskers

05-04-2012, 11:21 AM

SmoothPancakes

05-04-2012, 12:57 PM

And the WAC is now down to 5. So long WAC.

JBHuskers

05-04-2012, 01:24 PM

And the WAC is now down to 5. So long WAC.

Welcome to FCS.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

JBHuskers

05-04-2012, 01:56 PM

Well the WAC may now officially be dead. Just popped up on my ESPN Breaking News, San Jose State and Utah State will join the Mountain West in July 2013.

SmoothPancakes

05-04-2012, 02:47 PM

And the WAC is now down to 5. So long WAC.

Welcome to FCS.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

Well the WAC may now officially be dead. Just popped up on my ESPN Breaking News, San Jose State and Utah State will join the Mountain West in July 2013.

:whistle:

:D

SmoothPancakes

05-04-2012, 02:49 PM

And yeah, that was why I was saying the WAC was dead. Down to 5 teams, do you really think those teams are gonna want to sit there with an almost nothing league for the next 2-3 years and then have a league full of teams that just came up from the FCS? Also, are there even enough western teams in the FCS that are actually ready or willing to make the move up to the FBS level?

As soon as those C-USA moves happened, I figured would happen exactly what is happening now. The remaining teams in the WAC are going to say to hell with the conference and look out for themselves and start trying to move to the Mountain West.

Also, if San Jose State and Utah State are and do move to the Mountain West, unless New Mexico tries to block them, I imagine it's only a matter of time before New Mexico State follows.

JeffHCross

05-04-2012, 05:52 PM

souljahbill

05-04-2012, 06:29 PM

Adding NMSU and Idaho would give the MWC the 12 teams needed for a CCG, right?

JeffHCross

05-04-2012, 07:16 PM

Yes

souljahbill

05-04-2012, 07:28 PM

They outta just scoop 'em up then.

SmoothPancakes

05-04-2012, 08:02 PM

There must be a third team leaving, because I was seeing reports today that they're down to JUST Idaho and NMSU.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/stewart_mandel/05/03/realignment-primer/index.html?eref=twitter_feed

Only team left outside of the teams leaving for the MWC and those two is Texas State, who Stewart has leaving, so someone else is picking them up (Sun Belt?) or they are going to stay in FCS.

Edit - Yep, he has Texas State being picked up by the Sun Belt this week (I guess I missed that), so yeah, that leaves just Idaho and NMSU. I just can't see those two dropping down to FCS, like Stewart Mandel thinks they will if the Sun Belt doesn't expand west. I think MWC picks them up by the end of May, if not by next week.

JeffHCross

05-04-2012, 10:10 PM

like Stewart Mandel thinks they willI don't know that he's saying he thinks that will happen. More that they may be left with no choice.

SmoothPancakes

05-05-2012, 03:20 AM

I don't know that he's saying he thinks that will happen. More that they may be left with no choice.

Well, yeah, I guess I worded that wrong, I was just trying to say something along the lines of he sees that as an option of the route they'd potentially go/fall if the Sun Belt doesn't pick them up, or the Mountain West, which I consider the more likely option of the two conferences, between the New Mexico-NMSU ties, and that the Mountain West at least makes geographical sense for adding a team from New Mexico and Idaho.

jaymo76

05-05-2012, 12:40 PM

SmoothPancakes

05-05-2012, 02:39 PM

Watching the demise of the WAC has been very sad. It was a conference with such charm that almost everybody at one time or another would admit to using on of the teams (aka Idaho) and turning them in National Champions. I kind of miss the tradition that is being thrown out in the rush for super conferences.

Yep, I'm in that boat. I know there was at least two or three times (possibly more) that I started a dynasty as Idaho, over the years, partly because it made recruiting, and lack of (good) pipelines, a bitch, thus an additional challenge.

Also in terms of real football, I miss those Saturday nights at midnight watching Hawaii at home playing Boise State, Fresno State, Nevada, SMU (going way back to 2004), etc. Those middle of the night games between Hawaii and the "powerhouses" of the WAC were always fun to watch, no matter whether it was close or a complete blowout. A great ending to a college football Saturday.

JeffHCross

05-05-2012, 03:45 PM

Just because the WAC is going away doesn't mean the end of those games. Someone will have to fill those slots on ESPN. They just became the meat for the vultures. The Big East is next.

SmoothPancakes

05-05-2012, 05:24 PM

Just because the WAC is going away doesn't mean the end of those games. Someone will have to fill those slots on ESPN. They just became the meat for the vultures. The Big East is next.

Well yeah, I know the time slot isn't going away, but I was speaking specifically in reference to the WAC (even more specifically, Hawaii at home vs. "team name here") during those classic after midnight WAC battles between insanely pass happy Hawaii, who would routinely rack up 70 points, and some of the top WAC teams in Boise State, Nevada, Fresno State, etc. Yeah, we're still gonna get those late nights games, as has been the case with a late night Pac-12 game or two each week last year, but it just hasn't been the same since those old days of watching late night WAC games while growing up.

Obviously the late night Hawaii games will continue but it won't be quite the same as the classic late night battles of the past. So for me, it's more nostalgic than anything.

gschwendt

05-05-2012, 08:05 PM

App State University wants to move to FBS
http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/04/2044859/app-state-ad-time-to-change-strategy.html

SmoothPancakes

05-05-2012, 08:23 PM

gschwendt

05-05-2012, 08:30 PM

Unless the Sun Belt adds them (or the MAC if they're desperate to get to an even 14 after Temple screwed that all up), I think they might have missed the bus. I just don't see any other conference that they'd fit into, nor that would want them.

I could maybe see the SBC pick them up along with Georgia Southern to get to 12.
West
Texas State
Arkansas State
UL Lafayette
UL Monroe
Troy
South Alabama

East
App State
Florida Atlantic
Western Kentucky
Middle Tennessee
Georgia State
Georgia Southern

We would then need to add an eastern non-football team to balance against UALR.

SmoothPancakes

05-05-2012, 08:47 PM

I could maybe see the SBC pick them up along with Georgia Southern to get to 12.
West
Texas State
Arkansas State
UL Lafayette
UL Monroe
Troy
South Alabama

East
App State
Florida Atlantic
Western Kentucky
Middle Tennessee
Georgia State
Georgia Southern

We would then need to add an eastern non-football team to balance against UALR.

That would be a fun conference with that setup. Damn, now that Florida International is leaving the Sun Belt, I was just starting to learn more in-depth about the conference (at least on the football side as I already followed to varying extents in lacrosse, baseball and basketball thanks to Denver) and really getting into the teams, the rivalries and watching the weekly SBC football games on TV. I can still do that, but it's not gonna be the same without having FIU in the conference to have a rooting interesting in it all. Now I gotta start all over from scratch learning about C-USA.

As for App State, yeah, as far as I can tell, the SBC is their only hope. With all the additions C-USA has made now, I can't see them considering App State a "necessary add", obviously none of the major conferences are gonna pick them up, the Mountain West could pull a Big East and take in an eastern cost team, but I don't see them actually doing that, nor even seriously considering it.

Like I mentioned in my previous post, if the MAC was really desperate to get to an even 14 (instead of remaining right back at 13 like they have been for years), they could possibly reach for App State, but I think if they wanted that 14, they would either look at a western Midwest team along the lines of something like an Indiana State (in-state rival for Ball State) or Illinois State (in-state rival for Northern Illinois), or go east and add some along the lines of a rival for UMass, and shift someone like Bowling Green over to the West Division.

JeffHCross

05-05-2012, 10:25 PM

If the MAC added Appalachian State, that would be another MAC school that's defeated Michigan :D

Honestly, I get why they're exploring moving up, but Boone can't sustain an FBS program. No one would want to travel there (unless you can fly via puddle-jumper into nearby airports, there's no convenient travel), I don't see them recruiting at a higher level than they do now, and even the renovations that they've done to Kidd-Brewer aren't significant enough to bring in the necessary cash flow, IMO.

All that being said ... I'd root for them considerably if they moved up. But that's not saying much, since they're already my #2 school.

cdj

05-08-2012, 02:42 PM

Idaho looking at possible return to Big Sky Conference (http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2012-05-07/idaho-looking-at-possible-return-to-big-sky)

Athletic officials with the University of Idaho and Big Sky Conference are talking about the Vandals rejoining the league.

Idaho is looking for a new home for its football team and other sports programs amid the apparent collapse of the Western Athletic Conference.

The Idaho Statesman reported that Big Sky Commissioner Doug Fullerton has keen interest in bringing the Vandals back to the regional conference. Fullerton said he’s had conversations with Idaho Athletic Director Rob Spear and expects the dialogue to continue this week.

Spear said he’s considering several options after failing to draw any interest from the Mountain West Conference.

Joining the Big Sky would drop Idaho from the highly competitive Football Championship Subdivision. But Fullerton says the Vandals could still play in a competitive league.

souljahbill

05-08-2012, 03:04 PM

That's sad.

SmoothPancakes

05-08-2012, 03:12 PM

No. Not Idaho. :( Damn you Mountain West.

morsdraconis

05-08-2012, 04:51 PM

:smh:

Damn, that really sucks. Feel bad for Idaho...

souljahbill

05-08-2012, 06:25 PM

The MWC should just get these 2 stragglers, get to 12 teams, and have a CCG in Denver at Invesco.

SmoothPancakes

05-08-2012, 06:34 PM

The MWC should just get these 2 stragglers, get to 12 teams, and have a CCG in Denver at Invesco.

:nod:

That's what I've been saying for days now (picking up Idaho and NMSU). And the CCG in Denver at Invesco would be perfect.

gschwendt

05-08-2012, 08:11 PM

NMSU President says to MWC: Pretty Please? (http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_20576856/nmsu-president-weighs-options-athletics-conferences)

SmoothPancakes

05-08-2012, 08:55 PM

NMSU President says to MWC: Pretty Please? (http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_20576856/nmsu-president-weighs-options-athletics-conferences)

If the Mountain West takes NMSU but shuts Idaho out in the cold, they're gonna go on my shit list. That would be some big time bullshit to take in NMSU but give a giant middle finger to Idaho.

JeffHCross

05-08-2012, 09:31 PM

Joining the Big Sky would drop Idaho from the highly competitive Football Championship Subdivision. But Fullerton says the Vandals could still play in a competitive league.Nice job, Sporting News.

If the Mountain West takes NMSU but shuts Idaho out in the cold, they're gonna go on my shit list. That would be some big time bullshit to take in NMSU but give a giant middle finger to Idaho.Unless New Mexico suddenly becomes a supporter of NMSU, I don't see that happening. Though I also don't 100% understand why you're blaming the Mountain West for this ... there's a lot more blame to go around than for the MW. The Big East and MW are just trying to survive at this point, and the WAC simply became the meat for the vultures.

SmoothPancakes

05-08-2012, 09:57 PM

Nice job, Sporting News.
Unless New Mexico suddenly becomes a supporter of NMSU, I don't see that happening. Though I also don't 100% understand why you're blaming the Mountain West for this ... there's a lot more blame to go around than for the MW. The Big East and MW are just trying to survive at this point, and the WAC simply became the meat for the vultures.

My only blame for the Mountain West would if they were to take in NMSU and shut out Idaho. Why only take in one and sit at 11 when you could take in both (and have both fit in your conference's geographical footprint), have 12 and have a CCG. Also, partially because what makes NMSU worthy of entrance into the MWC, but it's FU to Idaho (who might be forced to drop down to the FCS.

I'm not blaming the Mountain West for reaching the point we have in the shifting conference landscape. My only blame/hate for them would be taking in NMSU while simultaneously screwing Idaho out of a conference spot, resulting in FBS college football losing a team as Idaho would be forced to drop down. While Idaho was already a member of the FCS from 78-95, to be forced to drop back down to the FCS simply because the Mountain West didn't want to take them in, resulting in them being the odd man left out in the conference changes, is pretty shitty.

JeffHCross

05-08-2012, 10:03 PM

I think the shitty part is that ANYBODY will be possibly moving down while Texas State, UTSA, etc are all moving up. Non-sensical.

jaymo76

05-08-2012, 10:42 PM

No. Not Idaho. :( Damn you Mountain West.

If the MWC doesn't pick up Idaho then they are really dumb. Like you say, add Idaho and boom you have two divisions and a conference championship and that means more money for the conference. Dumb... let's hope reason wins out on this one and the MWC gets their heads out of their butts!

razorback44

05-08-2012, 10:50 PM

The MWC should just get these 2 stragglers, get to 12 teams, and have a CCG in Denver at Invesco.

They are most likely waiting to see if Boise State and SDSU are going to come back.

SmoothPancakes

05-08-2012, 10:59 PM

I think the shitty part is that ANYBODY will be possibly moving down while Texas State, UTSA, etc are all moving up. Non-sensical.

A very good point there and one I agree with.

If the MWC doesn't pick up Idaho then they are really dumb. Like you say, add Idaho and boom you have two divisions and a conference championship and that means more money for the conference. Dumb... let's hope reason wins out on this one and the MWC gets their heads out of their butts!

Yep, every other conference seems to want to go to 12 teams and have a CCG, except the MWC apparently.

They are most likely waiting to see if Boise State and SDSU are going to come back.

If they're waiting for that, then jaymo is right and they really are dumb. College football may indeed be going down the path where in two or three years (whatever exact date/year it was) where automatic qualifiers will no longer exist and it will just be every conference in the same pot, the Big East (even with having to fly clear across the country to play games against the other BE teams on the east coast), is still the "higher esteemed" conference and the "better" conference in the eyes of pretty much everyone over that of the Mountain West.

Boise State and SDSU made their decisions to jump to and join the Big East. I don't see them suddenly changing their minds and going right back to the Mountain West. Plus, granted it would make the Mountain West a better conference with Boise State and SDSU coming back, but would the Mountain West be willing to take them right back in immediately after Boise State and SDSU basically both just told the MWC that the conference is not good enough for them and a conference clear across the country on the east coast is?

JeffHCross

05-09-2012, 09:24 PM

SmoothPancakes

05-09-2012, 09:28 PM

They're not "going down the path" ... it's happening. AQ will no longer exist with the next contract.

And, while I agree that at first the Big East will still be a "higher" conference, I think people will be much more willing to change that view if the MWC started playing really well. The Big East is effectively the old MWC, so all the "they don't play anybody!" biases should still apply :D

Yeah, I couldn't remember if they had decided for certain to do away with AQ or if it was still just "being talked about", so I went with the "cover my ass" wording. :D

JBHuskers

05-14-2012, 10:23 AM

Football not the only sport with some musical chairs going. The Atlantic 10 gets stronger as they added Butler last week, and announced today, VCU will join the conference in 2013. Maybe part of the reason why Shaka Smart decided to stay as VCU is now going to go to what is considered a power conference in college basketball.

SmoothPancakes

05-14-2012, 01:46 PM

Well, now he's gonna have to show that he has his shit together. While Drexel, Old Dominion and George Mason (along with Delaware also to an extent) are tough opponents in the CAA, going to the Atlantic 10, with Temple, Saint Louis, Xavier, St. Bonaventure, UMass, La Salle, Dayton, St. Joseph's, and now Butler. Good god that is gonna be a tournament killer conference for anyone who doesn't finish in the top 3-5 teams at the end of the season.

razorback44

05-14-2012, 02:12 PM

Temple left the A10 to rejoin the Big East but yeah that is a very tough conference still.

SmoothPancakes

05-14-2012, 02:13 PM

Temple left the A10 to rejoin the Big East but yeah that is a very tough conference still.

Oh that's right, I forgot about that. Damnit, all these changes are hard to keep track of. :D

JBHuskers

05-14-2012, 02:35 PM

It definitely doesn't get easier to keep track of in basketball.

SmoothPancakes

05-14-2012, 03:03 PM

It definitely doesn't get easier to keep track of in basketball.

No, it does not. With conference changes happening by the week, basketball is a pain in the ass to keep track of with 33 different conferences.

JBHuskers

05-14-2012, 03:54 PM

Uhhhhh? I just heard on ESPN Radio that Florida State may consider going to the Big XII? WOW.

SmoothPancakes

05-14-2012, 04:20 PM

Uhhhhh? I just heard on ESPN Radio that Florida State may consider going to the Big XII? WOW.

Yep. Just read a long story about it all on Yahoo.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ncaaf--florida-state-trustee-sparks-firestorm-with-desire-to-join-big-12.html;_ylt=Apgb4DZMN4cfDkds2KMrpP4LcykA;_ylu=X3o DMTFsYmxwdDFlBG1pdANCbG9nIEluZGV4IGJ5IEF1dGhvcgRwb 3MDMQRzZWMDTWVkaWFCbG9nSW5kZXhUZW1w;_ylg=X3oDMTFrO DdzYXZuBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGN hdANhdXRob3IEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnM-;_ylv=3

Florida State trustee may have lit the fuse on a potential move to the Big 12

By Dan Wetzel | Yahoo! Sports – Sat, May 12, 2012 10:46 PM EDT

Just as the rumbling rumors of Florida State moving from the Atlantic Coast Conference to the Big 12 had begun to hush, here came the Saturday afternoon bombshell.

"How do you not look into that option?" asked Andy Haggard, chairman of Florida State's board of trustees, to Warchant.com. "On behalf of the Board of Trustees I can say unanimously we would be in favor of seeing what the Big 12 might have to offer.

"We have to do what it is in Florida State's best interest."

The comments rolled across the ACC like an earthquake. There's a big difference between talk and action, and the Big 12 and FSU haven't spoken even informally, sources said, but this was taken deathly serious among the power set. Truth be told, it wasn't even that unexpected.

The first shock to the system hit Wednesday, when the ACC came to terms with ESPN on a 15-year, $3.6 billion agreement that sure sounded good in the press release. Each school was supposedly getting an additional $4 million a year. The average would be $17.1 million annually. Not bad, it seemed.

The reality was bad, however. The initial bump in television revenue is actually just over $1 million a year, sources said, and a total in the $12 million range next season. The deal is back loaded so the bigger money comes in escalator provisions that, considering how broadcast rights keep growing, probably will be below market by the time any sizeable gains are realized.

That additional $4 million per school, per year? That won't come until 2021, nine years in, sources said.

Privately, almost everyone was troubled by the deal.

Furthermore, there was consternation over the length of the deal, which could favor ESPN. Some wondered if it wasn't agreed upon just to save face, the later money making it look like the ACC landed a windfall in today's dollar.

The deal is done though. The only option is to further expand to 16 teams and force renegotiations. Unless that means adding Notre Dame (highly unlikely) there is no one available that would improve the value of the league.

So here's Florida State, which acknowledged this spring it is running an operating deficit and may have to trim up to $2.4 million a year in expenditures. It's saddled with what it considers a less-than-desirable football schedule as it tries to lure 80,000-plus all the way to the Panhandle. The addition of Syracuse and Pitt to the league slate won't help that problem in the least. And it's literally surrounded by cash-rich SEC clubs.

Across the ACC, the television deal was seen as anywhere from a disappointment to a disaster, sources said.

In Tallahassee, it may have been the last straw.

______________

Yes, this threat feels real, people in the ACC believe. Chairmen of the Board generally don't unload like Haggard did unless they were encouraged by someone behind the scenes, who for political reasons can't speak so boldly.

And even if this was a rogue action, as the moves by Texas A&M and Missouri from the Big 12 to the SEC show, once trustees get involved things happen quickly and the status quo isn't the result.

"Ugh," said one league source, which pretty much said it all. ACC football has never lived up to its expectations – much of the blame, ironically, is FSU's mediocrity – but you lose the Seminoles (and maybe Miami) and the future gets more difficult.

Haggard played up the long held idea that the league office is in the back pocket of the basketball programs of Duke and North Carolina, while floating the concept that there is some pile of cash possible if the Seminoles could only package some of their lower-profile football games, maybe even like Texas does with the Longhorn Network.

"It's mind-boggling and shocking," Haggard told Warchant.com. "How can the ACC give up third-tier rights for football but keep them for basketball? … It continues the perception that the ACC favors the North Carolina schools."

The truth is the money delivered by selling off the first- and second-tier rights was shocking enough. Also true: neither of his assertions may be accurate. The ACC later said Haggard was incorrect and third-tier basketball rights are not maintained by schools. And no one has any idea what FSU could get from some of its weaker football games.

Sources say the ACC has not distributed the contract with ESPN to member schools. It rarely, if ever, does. Many in the league are wondering how much Haggard himself came up with the third-tier conspiracy, what he thinks is in the deal or why he believes it even matters so much.

It seems like a ploy to drum up fan support for a bold switch. Nothing rallies boosters like the idea of Coach K bullying someone into action, even if it isn't true. Whatever bias there may or may not be, few think it's enough to leave the league.

"This is about money," one ACC source said.

______________

The Big 12 should offer more of that money, emphasis on should.

A television contract featuring Texas, Oklahoma and FSU, with ties into two of the most populous and most-football mad states in the country should be better than the ACCs. And those tier three rights, whatever they are worth, could remain property of the Seminoles.

Whether that's enough to offset what sources say is either a $20 million or $23 million buyout to leave the ACC is another question. Then there are the travel costs of non-football and men's basketball teams. The ACC is expansive, but there are some bus trips and many flights are to major cities (Boston, Washington D.C., Charlotte), generally cheaper and easier than some of the distant outposts of the Big 12 (Ames, Lubbock).

And if there is a concern about the ACC's perceived favoring of UNC and Duke hoops, has anyone in Tallahassee heard about the Big 12 and Texas football?

For the Big 12, the concerns are few. FSU offers the national program its been seeking since Nebraska left for the Big Ten. The Seminoles aren't what they were in the hey-day of Bobby Bowden, but Jimbo Fisher has them pointed in the proper direction and no one underestimates the program's potential. This is a proven, name brand team. Its entire athletic department is successful (basketball, baseball, etc).

It would anchor the league in two of the nation's best recruiting rounds, Texas and Florida. Adding FSU and another school would allow for a football conference championship game to be staged and would help add strength to the non-Texas-Oklahoma division. That's something oft-discussed candidates Cincinnati and Louisville can't do.

Outside of FSU, almost no one can.

As for that 12th member if the Seminoles eventually decide to move, many in the ACC believe Miami is most likely to try to chain itself to FSU and come along too. Despite Miami's recent fortunes, its presence would further cement the Big 12 in the state of Florida and give it another name program.

While Clemson is often discussed as a potential partner with FSU, many believe the school's ties to the ACC are too deep (it was a founding member in 1953) and exposure in the Atlanta and North Carolina markets are too important for the university as a whole to bolt to some far-flung league.

Either way, the Big 12, which currently features just 10 teams and has not ruled out expansion, is likely to engage in whatever fact finding mission FSU wants.

Would the Big 12 be interested in Florida State?

"I can't imagine how we wouldn't be interested in Florida State," one Big 12 source said.

______________

This is, by no means, a done deal or even a likely deal. Just Friday FSU athletic director Randy Spetman reaffirmed the school's commitment to the league. Haggard's comments are concerning for the ACC though and potential game-changer for the Big 12. The ACC meetings are set to begin Sunday and the mood has changed dramatically.

The television money from the Pitt/Syracuse round of expansion didn't materialize anywhere but in glowing media accounts. Everyone is worried about the SEC, which already enjoyed a financial advantage and will soon redo its television deal, which almost certainly will deliver big.

Haggard was simply the only one who put his name to what many were thinking.

"With the SEC making the kind of money it does it's time to act," Haggard said. "You can't sit back and be content in the ACC. This is a different time financially. This isn't 10-15 years ago when money was rolling in."

It was a realignment bombshell for sure. One, deep down, the ACC feared might just be coming.

morsdraconis

05-14-2012, 05:02 PM

It's been in the workings for a LONG time. If Florida State comes, expect to see Clemson come as well.

Insiders on the WVU scout board have been all over this stuff for MONTHS (some, before WVU even joined the Big 12).

souljahbill

05-14-2012, 05:30 PM

This shit makes no damn sense. Shit isn't even CLOSE to being geographical anymore.

SmoothPancakes

05-14-2012, 05:39 PM

This shit makes no damn sense. Shit isn't even CLOSE to being geographical anymore.

I think it's safe to say that geographical considerations, for any conference, went right out the window when Boise State and San Diego State joined the fucking Big EAST, a conference whose farthest west team is Louisville.

souljahbill

05-14-2012, 05:45 PM

Everyone better be happy almost all games will be on tv because NO ONE will be traveling anymore. Home Field Advantage will be huge here on out.

JBHuskers

05-14-2012, 06:30 PM

No, it does not. With conference changes happening by the week, basketball is a pain in the ass to keep track of with 33 different conferences.

Not to mention some schools move to one conference in football and another for basketball :fp:

They should just pay the players, hire agents for college, etc.

Oh. Wait. It's not about the money.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

JeffHCross

05-14-2012, 07:30 PM

Good god that is gonna be a tournament killer conference for anyone who doesn't finish in the top 3-5 teams at the end of the season.Well, that's actually thought to be one reason that VCU is leaving. As good as the CAA has been in recent years, the A-10 has significantly outnumbered the CAA in at-large bids (and rightly so). So it's not quite a win-or-go-home situation in the A-10, while it almost absolutely is in the CAA.

SmoothPancakes

05-14-2012, 08:16 PM

Well, that's actually thought to be one reason that VCU is leaving. As good as the CAA has been in recent years, the A-10 has significantly outnumbered the CAA in at-large bids (and rightly so). So it's not quite a win-or-go-home situation in the A-10, while it almost absolutely is in the CAA.

Well, true, a good point there. The A-10 is definitely a better place to be than the CAA. But VCU will now have a heck of a battle week in and week out. However, I do believe they can do it. I've become a follower of VCU over the years, especially since the mid-2000s, and I fully believe that they can compete for the A-10 title.

Once thing is absolutely certain, the A-10 just got a hell of a lot more interesting. Butler, Charlotte, Dayton, La Salle, Massachusetts, Richmond, Saint Joseph's, Saint Louis, St. Bonaventure, VCU, Xavier. What a hell of a lineup for the top half to three-quarters of the conference. Obviously ACC is top in college basketball, with Big East and Big Ten following, Big XII right behind them, after that, I have to say A-10 is gonna be one of the top 5 conferences in college basketball with the addition if Butler and VCU.

I don't think the Pac-12 or SEC can rank above the A-10 with the new look they'll have. Sure, they have some good teams, but they are very top heavy, with 2-4 teams that are good or great, then mediocre or bad teams the rest of the conference. The A-10 is loaded down with teams that are all good and it will be true bloodshed in conference play.

razorback44

05-14-2012, 09:30 PM

Charlotte is moving to CUSA. :D

SmoothPancakes

05-14-2012, 09:34 PM

Charlotte is moving to CUSA. :D

Son of a bitch. :D I give up! I can't keep track of all of this stuff anymore. There's too many damn changes. :D

JeffHCross

05-14-2012, 09:49 PM

I don't think the Pac-12 or SEC can rank above the A-10 with the new look they'll have.I don't think the Pac-12 ranks above the CAA. Or at least not the Missouri Valley. At least the Missouri Valley deserved to get two teams in.

SmoothPancakes

05-14-2012, 09:53 PM

I don't think the Pac-12 ranks above the CAA. Or at least not the Missouri Valley. At least the Missouri Valley deserved to get two teams in.

Touche. I don't really think too highly of the Pac-12 and SEC (outside of Kentucky and Florida and after this year, Vanderbilt) in college basketball, but I don't follow the CAA and Missouri Valley as a whole and didn't want to overrate them, so played it safe there.

JeffHCross

05-14-2012, 10:03 PM

I'm saying less about the CAA/MVC there than I am about the craptastic Pac-12 basketball conference. I'll take Creighton and Wichita State over the Pac-12's bids, easily.

Tarhead10

05-15-2012, 07:42 PM

Charlotte is moving to CUSA. :D

Yeah with them just starting football in 13, there gonna get slaughter whatever conference they choose...

JBHuskers

05-16-2012, 12:31 PM

I just heard Liberty is moving up to FBS. Former Kansas HC and Nebraska offensive coach Turner Gill coaches them.

steelerfan

05-16-2012, 01:27 PM

I just heard Liberty is moving up to FBS. Former Kansas HC and Nebraska offensive coach Turner Gill coaches them.

His run at Kansas sure was short-lived. He should have stayed at Buffalo.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using Tapatalk 2

Tarhead10

05-16-2012, 01:54 PM

His run at Kansas sure was short-lived. He should have stayed at Buffalo.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using Tapatalk 2

Yeah I thought he was gonna do good things at KU..... Guess he didnt gel with the players and university...

SmoothPancakes

05-16-2012, 02:32 PM

Who the hell is Liberty joining?

JBHuskers

05-16-2012, 02:42 PM

Who the hell is Liberty joining?

Sounds like they're just putting it out there that they want to move up, and that a formal invitation hasn't been offered yet.

http://www.whsv.com/sports/headlines/Liberty_Looking_For_FBS_Invitation_151479275.html

I could realistically see them joining the MAC.

SmoothPancakes

05-16-2012, 02:50 PM

Sounds like they're just putting it out there that they want to move up, and that a formal invitation hasn't been offered yet.

http://www.whsv.com/sports/headlines/Liberty_Looking_For_FBS_Invitation_151479275.html

I could realistically see them joining the MAC.

Ahh, ok. It sounded like they were all set to move up and join a specific conference. Yeah, MAC would be my best guess. Though I suppose the WAC could try if they want to save their asses, since Liberty is standing on a "national" soapbox from the sounds of that story.

JBHuskers

05-16-2012, 02:54 PM

Ahh, ok. It sounded like they were all set to move up and join a specific conference. Yeah, MAC would be my best guess. Though I suppose the WAC could try if they want to save their asses, since Liberty is standing on a "national" soapbox from the sounds of that story.

The first report I heard was that it seemed like it was going to be immediate. Liberty would like it to be immediate, but who knows. In regards to the WAC, I don't see how Liberty could afford the travel (they're in Virginia).

SmoothPancakes

05-16-2012, 02:59 PM

The first report I heard was that it seemed like it was going to be immediate. Liberty would like it to be immediate, but who knows. In regards to the WAC, I don't see how Liberty could afford the travel (they're in Virginia).

Yeah, which made me scratch my head when they were talking about MAC, WAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt, C-USA. Pretty much only the MAC, C-USA and Sun Belt would work for them from a financial standpoint for sports travel.

souljahbill

05-16-2012, 03:44 PM

I just heard Liberty is moving up to FBS. Former Kansas HC and Nebraska offensive coach Turner Gill coaches them.

Wait......what? How long did he coach at Kansas? 1 year? I can't believe he's out already. I still remember the Auburn controversy.

razorback44

05-16-2012, 07:33 PM

Wait......what? How long did he coach at Kansas? 1 year? I can't believe he's out already. I still remember the Auburn controversy.

He coached two. Both were dumpster fires.

JeffHCross

05-16-2012, 08:37 PM

Yeah, which made me scratch my head when they were talking about MAC, WAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt, C-USA. Pretty much only the MAC, C-USA and Sun Belt would work for them from a financial standpoint for sports travel.If anybody could suddenly find enough boosters to support traveling all over the country, it's Liberty.

SmoothPancakes

05-16-2012, 09:00 PM

If anybody could suddenly find enough boosters to support traveling all over the country, it's Liberty.

Well, I can't say I really know anything about Liberty, so I'll take your word for that information. Though even if they get boosters to support the traveling, that'd still be expensive as hell for something like the WAC or Mountain West, since you would be required to fly everywhere, where with C-USA or the MAC, you could get away with taking buses to some schools.

SmoothPancakes

05-18-2012, 05:49 AM

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/brett-mcmurphy/18923863

Conference USA, which has four schools departing to the Big East next season, is reloading by adding six schools in 2013, industry sources told CBSSports.com.

Florida International, Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Texas San Antonio, Charlotte and Old Dominion will join C-USA giving the league 14 members. However, it's not clear how soon after 2013 Charlotte, which is beginning its football program in 2013, and ODU, currently in the FCS, would be able to compete as a C-USA football member.

And it is official and all set for Old Dominion.

Per ESPN:

The move will be effective July 1, 2013, school president John R. Broderick said in a release Thursday. The Monarchs, who restarted their football program only three seasons ago, will play one more season at the Football Championship Subdivision level and then play two seasons as an independent at the Football Bowl Subdivision level, starting in 2013, until it moves to Conference USA for football in 2015.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/7941382/old-dominion-monarchs-leaving-colonial-athletic-association-conference-usa

JBHuskers

05-18-2012, 10:16 AM

What's going to be cool is getting all these FCS schools who are moving up into the NCAA Football game eventually.

souljahbill

05-18-2012, 10:44 AM

At this rate, there won't be a need to add FCS teams. They'll all be FBS.

Tarhead10

05-18-2012, 01:40 PM

At this rate, there won't be a need to add FCS teams. They'll all be FBS.

Yeah no kidding, eventually it will be like college basketball...All teams under one division

jaymo76

05-19-2012, 12:13 AM

Yeah no kidding, eventually it will be like college basketball...All teams under one division

That sounds pretty good actually.

JeffHCross

05-19-2012, 04:22 PM

Well, I can't say I really know anything about Liberty, so I'll take your word for that information."LU is currently the largest Evangelical Christian university in the world." 'Nuff said.

SmoothPancakes

05-19-2012, 05:20 PM

"LU is currently the largest Evangelical Christian university in the world." 'Nuff said.

Well then, I definitely accept your word in that case. :D I did not know that about them.

JeffHCross

05-19-2012, 05:25 PM

Well then, I accept your word in that case. :D I did not know that about them.They were founded by Jerry "Oh my gosh, a purple Teletubbie!" Falwell.

SmoothPancakes

05-19-2012, 05:39 PM

They were founded by Jerry "Oh my gosh, a purple Teletubbie!" Falwell.

Ah. Another thing I did not know. Well, then, I definitely believe when you say they would be able to deal with the costs of going anywhere in the country to play in a conference then with that new information.

gschwendt

05-20-2012, 02:46 PM

FSU to Big 12 Inevitable (http://dev.chuckoliver.net/2012/05/fsu-to-the-big-12-it-is-inevitable/)

SmoothPancakes

05-20-2012, 02:49 PM

:smh: Stupid.

morsdraconis

05-20-2012, 03:01 PM

Woot! ;)

SmoothPancakes

05-20-2012, 03:08 PM

Woot! ;)

:D I knew you'd probably be happy.

At this point, Christ, just get rid of conference all together, have 124 independent teams, let them schedule amongst themselves however they want and have a true strength of schedule system to truly select the best teams for a playoff.

jaymo76

05-20-2012, 03:29 PM

Totally agree Smooth. This is just getting ridiculous. Let's start a petition to get the ACC to pick up Idaho so they can begin to recover and recreate a western division just like the big east.

JeffHCross

05-20-2012, 04:25 PM

have a true strength of schedule system to truly select the best teams for a playoff.Yeah, 'cause there couldn't POSSIBLY be controversy there ;) At least conferences eliminate some of the burden to compare teams.

These conference affiliations are getting ridiculous though. Oh well, the ACC and Big East are going to be no longer with us in a little bit ...

SmoothPancakes

05-20-2012, 05:24 PM

Yeah, 'cause there couldn't POSSIBLY be controversy there ;) At least conferences eliminate some of the burden to compare teams.

These conference affiliations are getting ridiculous though. Oh well, the ACC and Big East are going to be no longer with us in a little bit ...

Oh there'd be LOADS of controversy, but at least it would be reasonable controversy rather than the controversy we have now. Get a true strength of schedule ranking system to measure teams based on their schedules and the 12 teams they schedule, and it would result in better games.

A team playing 12 games against elite/great/moderate opponents would rate better in the SOS system and have an easier time getting into a playoff with an undefeated or 1-2 loss record than a team would playing teams the likes of Texas State, Idaho, New Hampshire and Jacksonville State, like you see today with teams in the SEC and other major conferences constantly scheduling FCS teams and the bottom feeder FBS teams to play non-conference.

And yes, it is getting just plain ridiculous now. The conference changes were at least reasonable to begin with (Nebraska to the Big 10, Missouri and A&M to the SEC, Pitt and Syracuse to the ACC, etc), but now with a bunch of west coast teams joining the Big East, Florida State, and presumably Clemson tagging along with them, on the brink of joining the Big 12, it's starting to get ridiculous. Geographical locations no longer matter, conference history (founding members leaving for other conferences, etc) no longer matter. It's beyond the point of ridiculous.

JeffHCross

05-20-2012, 06:52 PM

Well, when I said controversy, I was more talking about your idea of a "true strength of schedule ranking system". 12 games with 123 teams is an incredibly small sample size to rank teams with. Sagarin's ratings (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbt11.htm) is probably the best current set (AFAIK, his ELO_CHESS ranking is effectively what a Strength of Schedule system would be), and there are countless times that I disagree with what his ratings put out.

As much as the conferences, geographically, suck right now, a totally independent system wouldn't be an improvement in the long-term. Plus, as soon as the automatic qualifying provision is gone from the BCS (2014), I expect to see the conferences that survive become more coherent.

cdj

05-23-2012, 02:44 PM

Sun Belt won't add Idaho, New Mexico St.; FCS the next step?

Idaho's and New Mexico State's chances of remaining FBS schools look slimmer than ever after the Sun Belt announced Wednesday that it will remain at 10 football-playing members for the foreseeable future.

Sun Belt commissioner Karl Benson addressed the plight of the Vandals and Aggies during his league's announcement that non-football-member Texas-Arlington would be officially joining the SBC in 2013 after a single season in the WAC.

"We are not pursuing additional members at this time," Benson said, saying that the league would forgo playing a conference championship game. "At this juncture, the Sun Belt shouldn't be considered a landing spot whether it's an FCS member or an existing FBS member."
Benson said his announcement will "allow both Idaho and New Mexico State to know the direction the Sun Belt is headed. Personally, I wish the best for the University of Idaho and New Mexico State."

Per the Idaho Statesman, Benson also confirmed that he had spoken with Idaho athletic director Rob Spear prior to the announcement.

With the Mountain West having already declined to bring either the Moscow, Idaho or Las Cruces, New Mexico schools aboard, either's road forward at the FBS level appears extremely, extremely difficult. With the WAC down to just two football-playing members (i.e., the Vandals and Aggies) and no apparent way to bring itself back from the brink as an FBS entity, Idaho and NMSU face either convincing an FCS cavalry to ride into FBS to save the WAC, scratching out an existence as independents -- and becoming by far the two hardest programs in the country to recruit to, if they aren't already -- or dropping back to the FCS.

Link (http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/eye-on-college-football/19134749)

morsdraconis

05-23-2012, 04:52 PM

:smh:

That's just ridiculous. I feel horrible for both of them.

SmoothPancakes

05-23-2012, 04:57 PM

"At this juncture, the Sun Belt shouldn't be considered a landing spot whether it's an FCS member or an existing FBS member."

:D I hate to tell the numbnuts, but that's exactly what the Sun Belt is. Bottom two conferences in college football, #1 - WAC, #2 - Sun Belt. With the WAC about to die, the Sun Belt is about to become the new "whipping boy" of conference rankings. Teams looking to move up from FCS in the future are going to be looking at the Sun Belt right off the bat. As for FBS members, Idaho and New Mexico State are the only ones. You aren't going to see anyone from the Mountain West, C-USA or MAC come begging to be let into the Sun Belt.

As for Benson, he's a dumbass. Apparently he considers the Sun Belt on the same elite level as the SEC and Big Ten when it comes to choosing teams. Uh, sorry. You ain't elite, you're the new little man on the totem pole of FBS conferences.

JBHuskers

05-23-2012, 05:23 PM

Maybe the Sun Belt wants to keep some sort of geographical relevance :D

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

souljahbill

05-23-2012, 07:41 PM

Both teams were in the Sun Belt before. They left because they were just a bad fit for the conference.

baseballplyrmvp

05-23-2012, 09:35 PM

:smh:

That's just ridiculous. I feel horrible for both of them.especially idaho. they won a hell of a bowl game a couple years ago against bowling green.

gschwendt

05-30-2012, 12:14 PM

The Sun Belt is staying pat at 10 football teams (TSU, ULL, ULM, ASU, MTSU, WKU, Troy, USA, GSU, & FAU) and 12 total teams (UALR & UTA). Essentially, the conference has decided it doesn't want to add a championship game for football because other than the SEC, most often teams/conferences lose money surrounding a championship game.

For example, imagine a fan of a MAC team that's in the running for the CCG. If as a fan, you go to the CCG in Detroit and your team wins, in less than a month's time, you're back in Detroit for a bowl game. So now you have to choose, do you plan for the bowl game or plan for the CCG? Even if the threat of having your car stolen isn't factored in, you still have to plan back to back trips to travel to see your team play.

I prefer non-CCG setup anyway... I prefer where every team plays every other team. However, SBC is going with 8 conference games so one team will rotate off of each team's schedule season to season.

Here's also an article why it makes sense to not jump forward to the 12 team conference.
http://espn1420.com/sun-belt-was-right-to-halt-expansion/

gschwendt

07-01-2012, 03:26 PM

Boise State to stay in Big East for football
http://www.broncosports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=9900&ATCLID=205499946

razorback44

07-01-2012, 04:23 PM

Boise State to stay in Big East for football
http://www.broncosports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=9900&ATCLID=205499946

Is it just me or does that read almost like they were trying to get all of their other sports in the Big East as well?

souljahbill

07-01-2012, 04:38 PM

Is it just me or does that read almost like they were trying to get all of their other sports in the Big East as well?

They were debating whether to stay in the MWC or move to the Big East. Staying in the MWC would give all their teams a home whereas moving to the Big East would leave all sports outside football looking for a place to land. They were waiting to see how the playoff thing would unfold (AQ status) to determine whether they should leave. I guess with no TCU and no Utah, there wasn't enough "name brand" competition for Boise to stay. Funny how they've gone from the a western conference to a midwest conference to an eastern conference. Good thing for BSU that there aren't any conferences east of Maine. They can't go any further.

JeffHCross

07-01-2012, 04:42 PM

It reads that way, but no. Boise was planning to put their other sports in WAC. WAC is imploding. Boise was reconsidering leaving the MWC at all, according to reports.

ram29jackson

07-01-2012, 05:08 PM

the Big Mid East LOL

cdj

08-20-2012, 05:01 PM

The 2012 season will be the last for the WAC. (http://www.denverpost.com/colleges/ci_21355122/wac-drop-football-after-2012-season)

JeffHCross

08-20-2012, 09:26 PM

I'm both :( and happy that we didn't get a half dozen more FCS teams just to keep a conference alive.

OSUCowboyofMD

08-20-2012, 09:40 PM

Louisiana Tech will prolly move to the C-USA, Utah State to the Mountain West I guess and I know UTSA is going to join C-USA and Texas State to the Sun Belt. As for Idaho, they go independent and Idk where New Mexico State and San Jose State will go. Prolly back to FCS :dunno:

JeffHCross

08-20-2012, 09:51 PM

gschwendt

08-20-2012, 10:00 PM

All of the WAC schools, except for NMSt, have deals in place already. San Jose State is going to the MWC.

And Idaho... Though expectations are that they'll almost certainly drop down.

souljahbill

08-20-2012, 10:11 PM

And Idaho... Though expectations are that they'll almost certainly drop down.
Depends on whether you count going independent as a "deal?"

JeffHCross

08-20-2012, 10:31 PM

And Idaho... Though expectations are that they'll almost certainly drop down.Indications were today that they've officially decided to be Indy. I hadn't heard that previously that I can recall, but it was mentioned today as if it was known.

SmoothPancakes

08-21-2012, 08:29 AM

While it's sad to see a conference die, and teams (Idaho and NMSU) get left blowing in the wind), THANK YOU LORD! The WAC will be gone next year and I can FINALLY have truly, 100% realistic conferences in my dynasties without having to deal with the 4 team minimum in a conference crap.

jaymo76

08-21-2012, 03:02 PM

Not that I know enough about the topic but is Idaho financially capable of being an independent in the NCAA???

souljahbill

08-21-2012, 03:52 PM

Not that I know enough about the topic but is Idaho financially capable of being an independent in the NCAA???

They're gonna whore themselves out to big schools for the paydays.

ram29jackson

08-21-2012, 04:20 PM

something will get worked out, Its not like theyll be thrown aside

JeffHCross

08-21-2012, 09:32 PM

something will get worked out, Its not like theyll be thrown aside... they already have been? Every conference, AFAIK, has rejected them.

ram29jackson

08-21-2012, 11:56 PM

... they already have been? Every conference, AFAIK, has rejected them.

something will keep them from lowering their already low status LOL. Theyll either be in the MWC or the Pac 12 before its all over. Here come the Super Conferences

SmoothPancakes

08-22-2012, 02:05 AM

something will keep them from lowering their already low status LOL. Theyll either be in the MWC or the Pac 12 before its all over. Here come the Super Conferences

:fp: Yes, Idaho and New Mexico State will be Pac-12 bound, it's only a matter of time.

:fp: :fp: :fp: :fp: :fp:

ram29jackson

08-22-2012, 02:21 AM

:fp: Yes, Idaho and New Mexico State will be Pac-12 bound, it's only a matter of time.

:fp: :fp: :fp: :fp: :fp:

why add 4 irrelevant schols just to dismiss a couple others ?

odds are these schools and the MAC, MWC and Sun Belt will be sucked into larger conferences soon enough. But what ever, Notre Dame played schools in the 40s that dont exist anymore. It happens, life marches forward.

morsdraconis

08-22-2012, 07:18 AM

souljahbill

08-22-2012, 08:38 AM

I know the SEC won't expand just for the sake of expanding. They'll stay at 14 if they can't find 2 schools "worthy" of the league. They'd take VA Tech in a heartbeat but since VA Tech comes "packaged" with VA, they aren't biting.

SmoothPancakes

08-22-2012, 11:33 AM

As silly as Ram sounds, don't be surprised to see the 12-16 team "super" conferences coming soon. All indications are that the Big 12 is going to expand to, at the very least, 12 teams after this season (stealing teams from the ACC). I wouldn't be surprised to see the SEC make a move on expanding as well as 14 teams is a bit silly.

Oh I know it's only a matter of time before super conferences happen. But Idaho and New Mexico State are NOT going to end up in the Pac-12 like ram believes, whatever the fuck he is smoking to believe that. It'd be teams like Air Force, Colorado State, Fresno State, Nevada, even Hawaii. Idaho and New Mexico State would never get even get a friend request on Facebook from the Pac-12 unless the Pac-12 was expanding to 24 or 32 teams or something. Hell, Idaho and New Mexico State can't even get the fucking Mountain West to invite them in, instead getting the cold shoulder from them, the Sun Belt and C-USA. What the fuck would make the Pac-12 suddenly give a shit about two bottom feeder teams that none of the "lesser" conferences even want anything to do with?

Just like the MAC will not be getting sucked into the major conferences, at least conferences that actually matter like the Big 12 or Big Ten. At most, Northern Illinois, Ohio, maybe Toledo and Central Michigan would gain some interest from someone like the Big East, but that would be it. The Big Ten, if they truly wanted to expand beyond 12, would raid C-USA before they would even consider the MAC (the Big East probably ahead of C-USA if the Big East doesn't find the stability they are trying to achieve over the next 3-4 years).

Select teams from the Mountain West, C-USA, Sun Belt and a small handful from the MAC would possibly get invites to "lesser" super conferences, like the Big East or ACC. But not all of them. The rejects left over would just mold together, like the WAC (before the MWC split off) or like the original plan for "joint conference" or whatever the actual term was for the Mountain West and C-USA to join forces last year, into a conference of losers that none of the super conferences want anything to do with other than cheap, easy wins during the season.

OSUCowboyofMD

08-22-2012, 12:40 PM

All of the WAC schools, except for NMSt, have deals in place already. San Jose State is going to the MWC.

Sucks to suck :dunno: a move to the FCS is prolly what's gonna happen

JeffHCross

08-22-2012, 06:36 PM

As silly as Ram sounds, don't be surprised to see the 12-16 team "super" conferences coming soon.Well, if you're going to include 12 team conferences in the "super" idea .... duh. That's a given. But 16 doesn't seem as likely now as it did last summer. People saw with the SEC's logistical nightmare at 14 that 16 might not be the great idea it was thought to be (by some).

morsdraconis

08-23-2012, 07:21 AM

Well, if you're going to include 12 team conferences in the "super" idea .... duh. That's a given. But 16 doesn't seem as likely now as it did last summer. People saw with the SEC's logistical nightmare at 14 that 16 might not be the great idea it was thought to be (by some).

14 teams are definitely a nightmare, but that's always been the case because it's not symmetrical. 16 teams are symmetrical and shouldn't be anymore of an issue than 12 teams are. You play the 7 teams in your division plus 2 teams in a round robin format in the other division with 3 OOC games. Not sure why that's a scheduling nightmare at all. These power conference teams need to quit being pussies and actually play 9 conference games. I know that's the hangup and it's ridiculous. They already play Kickourassatyourplace University three times a year, what more do they want?

JeffHCross

08-23-2012, 11:41 PM

They already play Kickourassatyourplace University three times a year, what more do they want?I believe, if I'm remembering what I've heard correctly, that part of the issue is that a 9 game schedule leaves them with 5 conference home games in one year, and 4 conference home games the next. And, financially, they have an issue with that (probably because if they have one less conference game they can easily replace it with a guaranteed home game against Directional U).

jaymo76

08-23-2012, 11:52 PM

I believe, if I'm remembering what I've heard correctly, that part of the issue is that a 9 game schedule leaves them with 5 conference home games in one year, and 4 conference home games the next. And, financially, they have an issue with that (probably because if they have one less conference game they can easily replace it with a guaranteed home game against Directional U).

Well NCAA being the cashcow that it is, maybe the answer with super conferences is to expand the amount of games a school can play by one?

JeffHCross

08-24-2012, 12:29 AM

Well NCAA being the cashcow that it is, maybe the answer with super conferences is to expand the amount of games a school can play by one?Nah. We can't conflict with final exams (http://deadspin.com/5876034/bcs-head-says-theres-no-playoff-because-we-dont-want-student+athletes-to-miss-exams), y'know.

If they added a week, it would be interesting to see if suddenly we had 10 conference games.

SmoothPancakes

08-24-2012, 12:52 AM

Nah. We can't conflict with final exams (http://deadspin.com/5876034/bcs-head-says-theres-no-playoff-because-we-dont-want-student+athletes-to-miss-exams), y'know.

If they added a week, it would be interesting to see if suddenly we had 10 conference games.

Like the NCAA or BCS ever cared about final exams. :D

I don't know why they ever gave those excuses. All they care about is money, they couldn't give two shits about any final exams. If they cared about them missing classes, you wouldn't have 8 teams flying to Dayton for play-in games on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then 64 teams flying all over the country and playing games on Thursday and Friday (with Saturday/Sunday follow up) for two consecutive weeks.

JeffHCross

08-24-2012, 05:07 PM

ram29jackson

08-24-2012, 05:44 PM

all the FCS schools must have a D+ plus average I guess ?:dunno:

SmoothPancakes

08-24-2012, 05:54 PM

Well, if you read that article, they contend that schools don't have final exams during March Madness (which, I do believe, is bullshit for Ohio State and any school that is/was on quarters). Also, they casually ignore the fact that moving the BCS Championship to Jan 8th caused Ohio State players (and students, and fans) to miss the beginning of the quarter.

Well yeah, it's not final exams, but unless every school in the tournament is on Spring Break those couple weeks, they're all missing multiple days of classes. But regardless, it doesn't matter, because of the FCS. Heaven forbid the FBS have a tournament because "think of the kids and the classes they'll miss", but yet the FCS teams have been playing a tournament for years with no problem. FCS alone blows any argument against a tournament on the FBS level out of the water.

JeffHCross

08-24-2012, 06:02 PM

Oh, I know Smooth. I was just pointing out what they went on record as saying in the article :D

SmoothPancakes

08-24-2012, 06:07 PM

Oh, I know Smooth. I was just pointing out what they went on record as saying in the article :D

Well, it's a good thing you pointed that out, as I only had time to browse the article before, so I didn't see some of that you mentioned. But yeah, still stupid all around. :D

SmoothPancakes

09-07-2012, 04:37 PM

Sent in an email by Navy Sports Information Department, originated from Bloomberg Business Week.

Big East Conference Considers Name Change After Adding Schools
By Curtis Eichelberger on September 06, 2012

The Big East is taking steps to “tweak” its name now that it includes schools from California, Idaho, Texas, Tennessee and Florida, according to Joe Bailey, the conference’s former interim commissioner.

The Big East has commissioned a study to consider alternative names, Bailey said today at the Bloomberg Sports Business Summit hosted by Bloomberg Link in New York. He wouldn’t say when the names would be presented to conference presidents for their consideration.

“The unintended consequences of adding new schools is that all of a sudden the Big East is a national conference,” Bailey said. “It extends to four time zones in major markets. In one sense, it almost represents the United States in that diversity.”

The Providence, Rhode Island-based conference has eight football teams this season: Temple University in Philadelphia, the University of Connecticut in Storrs, the University of South Florida in Tampa, the University of Louisville in Kentucky, Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey, the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, Syracuse University in New York and the University of Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh and Syracuse leave in 2013, and the Big East will add Boise State University in Idaho and San Diego State University in California in football, and Dallas-based Southern Methodist University, the University of Memphis in Tennessee, the University of Central Florida and the University of Houston in Texas in all sports.
The U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, will join the conference in football in 2015, bringing the number of football schools to 13 and the number of programs competing in all sports to 18.

“A brand is extremely important because it tells the marketplace that this is what the Big East stands for,” Bailey said. “There is so much equity in the name, Big East, what do you do with that?”

He said it was more likely the conference will “tweak a little” than come up with a wholesale change to the name.

“Stay tuned,” Bailey said. “There will be a twist to that, but it can’t look less than authentic.”

The Big East announced last month that CBS Sports Executive Mike Aresco had been picked as commissioner. Bailey will serve in an advisory capacity until Aresco gets up to the speed, according to the conference.

Definitely understandable and not surprising. I was wondering if the BIg East was going to actually keep it's name with it's messed up membership roster now, or try to find something else.

morsdraconis

09-07-2012, 06:36 PM

Interesting. Definitely makes sense.

JBHuskers

09-07-2012, 06:44 PM

Big Least?

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

baseballplyrmvp

09-07-2012, 08:45 PM

Big America conference?

gschwendt

09-08-2012, 07:56 AM

The Big Repackaged CUSA conference

SCClassof93

09-08-2012, 08:03 AM

The We Provided Another At Large Spot Conference, would be a great name :D

JeffHCross

09-08-2012, 10:35 AM

Big Least?:+1:

SmoothPancakes

09-08-2012, 04:54 PM

And the Big East changes it's mind. Either that or the former interim commissioner and the incoming commissioner never learned to talk to each other.

Big East plans to keep name after all
Updated: September 8, 2012, 12:21 PM ET

PHILADELPHIA -- Big East commissioner Mike Aresco says there are no plans for the conference to change its name and negotiations are expected to start soon with ESPN on a new TV deal.

Aresco shot down speculation the Big East was considering tweaking its name because of its growth to a four time-zone league. Aresco says, "There's tremendous brand equity built up in the Big East name."

Joe Bailey, the conference's former interim commissioner, had said this week the Big East was leaning toward a name change.

Aresco says there is interest from other networks in the Big East TV package, but the intention is to say with ESPN. The conference and ESPN are in the midst of a 60-day exclusive negotiating window.

Aresco made his first visit to Temple on Saturday to watch the Owls play Maryland.

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8351277/big-east-change-name-brand-equity-cited

jaymo76

09-08-2012, 05:55 PM

And the Big East changes it's mind. Either that or the former interim commissioner and the incoming commissioner never learned to talk to each other.

Keep the name but just use the acronym. Welcome to the BEC!

gschwendt

09-12-2012, 08:52 AM

Notre Dame plans to join ACC in non-football sports. Will schedule 5 ACC schools per year in football.
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8369070/sources-notre-dame-football-acc

morsdraconis

09-12-2012, 12:52 PM

:smh:

Notre Dame suckers some other shitty conference to take them in everything but their most important sport and the dumb ass ACC falls for it.

:smh:

SmoothPancakes

09-12-2012, 05:37 PM

Well, at least Notre Dame will have their schedules set every year I guess. Their 6 permanent games (Michigan, Michigan State, Navy, Purdue, Stanford and USC) and 5 ACC teams. I'm guessing we're going to see teams like Boston College, Wake Forest, Syracuse, Duke and North Carolina on the schedule often.

CLW

09-14-2012, 12:43 PM

Damn this football RUINING my basketball conference of choice. :smh: So instead of :Duke: playing tobacco road teams 2X (3X if they meet in the ACC tourny) each year they get to travel to the Central Time zone?

At least :Syracuse: and :Pitt: are actually close to the Atlantic Coast. :Notre_Dame: has to be be hundreds of miles away from the Atlantic Coast.

SmoothPancakes

09-25-2012, 06:52 PM

So long Michigan-Notre Dame.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8423552/notre-dame-fighting-irish-opts-series-michigan-wolverines

ND-Michigan to end after 2014
Updated: September 25, 2012, 7:37 PM ET
By Matt Fortuna | ESPN.com

Michigan is the first casualty of Notre Dame's new arrangement with the ACC.

The Fighting Irish notified the Wolverines that they are exercising a three-year out in their series contract, meaning the last meeting between the historic rivals will occur in 2014.

Through a Freedom of Information Act request, The Associated Press obtained a letter Tuesday from Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick to Michigan AD David Brandon, canceling the games from 2015 to 2017.

The schools had extended their contract in 2007, taking the series through the 2031 season. But it was on a three-year rolling basis, giving either side the chance to opt out with three years' notice.

Notre Dame and Michigan announced this summer that a two-year break is coming in the 2018 and 2019 campaigns, but that they intended to resume the series in the years following.

"Our contract with Michigan has an automatic rollover provision -- with a year being added each time a game is played," Notre Dame senior associate athletics director John Heisler said in a statement. "We needed to avoid the automatic addition of additional games until we can get a better understanding of our available inventory in those years -- an understanding that will develop as we implement our five-game scheduling commitment to the Atlantic Coast Conference."

"The decision to cancel games in 2015-17 was Notre Dame's and not ours," Brandon said in a release. "We value our annual rivalry with Notre Dame but will have to see what the future holds for any continuation of the series. This cancellation presents new scheduling opportunities for our program and provides a chance to create some new rivalries."

The Irish beat the Wolverines 13-6 over the weekend in the latest game of a storied series that dates to 1887. They've played every year since 2002 and regularly since 1978 after not meeting from 1944 to 1977 or 1910 to 1941.

The final two games of the rivalry with take place Sept. 7, 2013 at Michigan Stadium and Sept. 6, 2014 at Notre Dame Stadium.

Brandon told the AP he was handed the letter on the field in South Bend, Ind., about an hour before Saturday night's game.

"I put the letter in my pocket and didn't bother to read it right away because I was focused on the game we were about to play," Brandon said. "I read it on the way home Sunday morning."

"It's unfortunate and a great rivalry and all those things," Michigan coach Brady Hoke said during Tuesday's Big Ten conference call. "But they have to do what they think is best. We'll move on and add some new scheduling opportunities for us."

Hoke said he and Brandon have not met yet to discuss potential future opponents now that Notre Dame is officially off the schedule, but figures they will in the future.

Notre Dame announced Sept. 12 that it would be moving all of its sports except football and hockey from the Big East to the ACC, with the football team agreeing to play five games per year against ACC schools.

Swarbrick said then that he hoped the football scheduling agreement could begin in the 2014 season, and he stressed that Navy, Stanford and USC were the rivals he felt were most important for the Irish to keep on an annual basis.

"While this move is a necessary precaution as we begin the process of meeting our new scheduling commitment to the ACC," Swarbrick wrote in his letter to Brandon, "please know that Notre Dame very much values its relationship with Michigan and we look forward to working with you to ensure that our great football rivalry can continue."

Swarbrick's letter is dated a day before the schools met on the field and cites last year's contract.

"Because I am providing you with this notice prior to the commencement of this year's football game on September, 22, 2012," Swarbrick wrote, "there is no liability to Notre Dame for cancelling those games."

No. 10 Notre Dame (4-0) is in the top 10 for the first time since 2006. Michigan (2-2) started the season No. 8 and has dropped out of the poll after losses to No. 1 Alabama and then the Irish. Both teams have a bye this week.

Brandon said he hopes to work with Swarbrick on another contract to extend the series.

"The ball is in their court because they've triggered the three-game notice," he said. "We'll play them next year at Michigan Stadium for the last time in a while -- it appears -- and we'll make our last scheduled trip to South Bend in 2014. There will likely be nothing on the board for five years after that. Beyond that, I don't know what will happen."

The Wolverines have an NCAA-best .735 winning percentage in football, and the Irish (.732) are second. Michigan leads all-time series 23-16-1.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

morsdraconis

09-25-2012, 07:00 PM

Off topic, but it REALLY bothers me when you guys post entire articles in quotes. It's borderline copyright infringement when you do that, ya know.

JBHuskers

09-25-2012, 07:10 PM

Off topic, but it REALLY bothers me when you guys post entire articles in quotes. It's borderline copyright infringement when you do that, ya know.

How? :dunno:

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

bdoughty

09-25-2012, 08:12 PM

Off topic, but it REALLY bothers me when you guys post entire articles in quotes. It's borderline copyright infringement when you do that, ya know.

Is it? I have no legal background so maybe CLW can chime it.

A: A link is provided
B: Smooth does not claim the information as his own.
C: This is not a for profit competing site to ESPN.

That said I do agree with posting a link to the site, the title and a short part of the story. Unless it is a site that is of a NSFW nature, or requires a log-in (not subscription) to view it.

morsdraconis

09-26-2012, 04:58 AM

Believe me, coming from a Redskins board full of lawyers, they enforced the hell out of that. It could have been because it was a Scout.com affiliate or some shit, but they were hyper-hardcore about it. I don't know if it has any actual legal precedent or anything, but it still bothers the hell out of me for some reason.

SmoothPancakes

09-26-2012, 12:54 PM

I could definitely understand that if it had been an Insider article and I or someone posted the entire thing, when it was intentionally made a story behind ESPN's paywall, but this was a regular article that ESPN has posted right on their main page, so I didn't think it was an issue. I posted the direct link to the story, included the title and the name of the guy who wrote it. I've always done stuff that way, and it's never been an issue or caused an issue with anyone/anywhere, so I've always continued doing it that way, as long as it's an available to everyone story and not a story posted behind a paywall.

JBHuskers

09-26-2012, 01:01 PM

Hell, ESPN plagarizes all the time under the guise of "sources"...

gschwendt

11-14-2012, 09:51 AM

Georgia Southern officially wants to play in FBS
http://www.statesboroherald.com/section/3/article/45643/preview/

souljahbill

11-14-2012, 11:55 AM

Georgia Southern officially wants to play in FBS
http://www.statesboroherald.com/section/3/article/45643/preview/

Great! Someone else to beat :Southern_Miss: by 3 TDs.

cdj

11-17-2012, 04:29 PM

Big 10 looking at Maryland & Rutgers (http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8644587/maryland-terrapins-rutgers-scarlet-knights-talks-join-big-ten-conference-sources-say)

SmoothPancakes

11-17-2012, 10:37 PM

baseballplyrmvp

11-17-2012, 10:39 PM

Unless the Big Ten ponies up money to help Maryland, I don't see them being able to afford and pay the $50 million to leave.

under armour might help up

bdoughty

11-18-2012, 02:19 AM

I have some serious doubts about the actual chances of that happening. The ACC raised their exit fee to $50 million just a few months ago, and Big East bumped their exit fee up to $10 million. Unless the Big Ten ponies up money to help Maryland, I don't see them being able to afford and pay the $50 million to leave.

Timing sure is interesting. The CEO being a Maryland booster and having attended the school. Why just earlier this week...

http://m.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2012/11/13/under-armour-ceo-kevin-plank-selling.html?r=full

Plank is selling the shares, a fraction of his stock in Under Armour (NYSE: UA), for asset diversification, tax and estate planning and charitable giving purposes, the filing said. The shares, if sold at Monday's closing price of $49.62, are worth $64.5 million.

As for Rutgers, they will be getting loans from Snookie and Jwoww.

SmoothPancakes

11-18-2012, 10:11 AM

Timing sure is interesting. The CEO being a Maryland booster and having attended the school. Why just earlier this week...

http://m.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2012/11/13/under-armour-ceo-kevin-plank-selling.html?r=full

Plank is selling the shares, a fraction of his stock in Under Armour (NYSE: UA), for asset diversification, tax and estate planning and charitable giving purposes, the filing said. The shares, if sold at Monday's closing price of $49.62, are worth $64.5 million.

Interesting. Maybe something will come of it. Though the idiots should have tried to get out before the increase to $50 million. :D

NatureBoy

11-18-2012, 11:28 PM

Under Armour founder and Maryland uber-booster Kevin Plank is "100 percent" behind the Terrapins moving from the ACC to the Big Ten, a regent told ESPN on Sunday.

The University System of Maryland's Board of Regents will meet at 9 a.m. Monday to vote whether to accept an invitation to join the Big Ten Conference, a source told ESPN.

Plank is "heavily involved behind the scenes with board members," a regent told ESPN on Sunday. The source added that several of the 17 board members were "miffed" that they were not included in the process until the late stages, so the vote could be close.

Plank declined comment at Saturday's game but insisted he is not involved in Maryland's athletic decisions.

If Maryland goes from the ACC to the Big Ten, Rutgers of the Big East will then follow suit, a source said. The Rutgers announcement could be as early as Tuesday, sources said. The addition of Maryland and Rutgers would give the Big Ten 14 members as the league gears toward negotiations on a new media rights deal when its first-tier rights expire in 2017.

There is not a consensus among Maryland athletic department officials, a source said. The school is leaning toward the move but there is still time for the school to decide to stay in the ACC, according to the source.

Maryland president Wallace Loh has been handling the conversation with Big Ten officials, a source said.

One stumbling block for Maryland could be finances. Maryland's athletic department has recently dropped sports because of budget issues, and the ACC recently raised its exit fee to $50 million.

Maryland and Florida State were the only two of 12 schools that voted against a $50 million exit fee out of the ACC, but lost the vote. Loh was quoted in the Washington Post on Sept. 13 that he was against the hike from $20-50 million on "legal and philosophical" grounds. The Post reported that Loh said Maryland planned to be in the ACC for years to come.

A source told ESPN that the Big Ten has been itchy about further expansion since Notre Dame made its official move to the ACC two months ago in all sports other than football. The source said the Big Ten can justify Maryland and then possibly Rutgers since they are all contiguous states to the Big Ten footprint.

One source told ESPN that Loh and athletic director Kevin Anderson don't have ACC ties so there wouldn't be a strong emotional pull to stay with the conference. Loh is a former provost at Big Ten member Iowa.

However, the chancellor of the Maryland system, Brit Kirwan, has been on the Maryland campus for 30 years and has strong affiliation for being a charter member of the ACC, according to a source.

One source with Maryland ties said there is a strong affinity for the ACC and making the move to the Big Ten may not be a unanimous decision among the school's board of regents.

Rutgers' exit fee from the Big East would be less expensive. The buyout to leave the Big East is $10 million if the school provides 27 months' notice. However, the league has allowed West Virginia, Pitt and Syracuse to leave the league without honoring the 27-month requirement by paying a higher exit fee.

The addition of the two East Coast schools would dramatically stretch the Big Ten's footprint. With Maryland holding down the Beltway, Rutgers offering up the New York market and Penn State's strong eastern ties, the league has a solid anchor in the mid-Atlantic states.

Maryland and Rutgers also would make the nation's richest conference even wealthier. Last season, each Big Ten school received a record $24.6 million in shared revenue, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. One source said the success of the Big Ten Network is an intriguing factor for Maryland.

If the two schools join the Big Ten, it would reopen what many thought was a stable time in the conference realignment process. The Big Ten joins the SEC as a legitimate 14-team superconference, while the ACC drops to 13 football members and likely will pursue another all-sports member to get back to 14. Connecticut would emerge as the most likely candidate to fill Maryland's spot in the ACC.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8649670/maryland-terrapins-regents-vote-big-ten-move-monday

SmoothPancakes

11-19-2012, 12:33 AM

So since it looks like it could be serious with Kevin Plank involved, first, how does this screw up Big Ten alignment? And second, how bad will Big East get screwed if Rutgers leaves and the ACC goes after UConn? Any future conference changes will probably involve thefts from the Big East. I used to not give a damn about the Big East, but with Navy joining in 2015, I've become invested in the future of the Big East.

morsdraconis

11-19-2012, 04:55 AM

JBHuskers

11-19-2012, 09:55 AM

Maryland Regents voted unanimously to approve a move to the B1G.

gschwendt

11-19-2012, 10:42 AM

Maryland will join the Big Ten, effective 2014-15 season. BTN Expansion Special & UMD presser to air on BTN/BTN2Go at 2:30pm ET.
http://twitter.com/BigTenNetwork/status/270563079052488705

NatureBoy

11-19-2012, 10:54 AM

This one is a shocker. I sure as heck didn't see this coming. Maryland was one of the original members of the Southern Conference that broke away to form the ACC. If I was Fla St, Clemson, Ga Tech and VT, I would get the heck out of the ACC asap.

cdj

11-19-2012, 10:57 AM

Reports now that Rutgers will announce move to B1G tomorrow. (https://twitter.com/McMurphyESPN/status/270570127647453184)

AustinWolv

11-19-2012, 11:14 AM

More BTN.....great.....maybe they'll fucking spring for online streaming of games finally.....

OSUCowboyofMD

11-19-2012, 11:29 AM

B1G Here we coooommmeeeeeeeeee! Lol I think this an iffy move

AustinWolv

11-19-2012, 12:08 PM

All about the $$$$$, obviously.

I'm more ok with Maryland than Rutgers, but whatever.

cdj

11-19-2012, 12:44 PM

From "Sources" McMurphy: Maryland prez tells regents MD, RU in Leaders Division w/OSU, PSU, Wisconsin, Purdue & Indiana. Illinois moves to Legends

Also some rumor that UConn to ACC may happen tomorrow.

SmoothPancakes

11-19-2012, 01:14 PM

All about the $$$$$, obviously.

I'm more ok with Maryland than Rutgers, but whatever.

Yeah, it obviously was about the money from the get-go. Just think of how much more money Big Ten Network could obtain in 2017 with the new TV contract with the Baltimore, New Jersey, New York City, northern Virginia, and Washington, D.C. markets added to the network footprint.

morsdraconis

11-19-2012, 02:47 PM

Told ya. Big East is dead. No way they survive another team leaving. As it is, ACC will probably try to get Cincinnati or Louisville now, leaving the Big East sitting there with no prayer of continuing as a football conference.

gschwendt

11-19-2012, 04:35 PM

ACC in talks with UConn, Louisville, South Florida and Cincinnati about 14th team to replace Maryland, source told @CBSSports.
http://twitter.com/JFowlerCBS/status/270591936996470785

CLW

11-19-2012, 04:38 PM

This [censored] is getting so ridiculous now its to the point where I'm tempted to just turn off all of sports or watch local high schools. Of course, those kids are also probably already on HGH and/or have a sneaker deal on the down low. :smh:

JBHuskers

11-19-2012, 04:52 PM

CLW

11-19-2012, 04:58 PM

It's just "now" getting ridiculous?

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

No but for me its been a slowly simmering problem that has finally come to boil. Already read reports of:

:Connecticut: - :ACC:
:Louisville: - :ACC:
:Duke: & :North_Carolina: - package deal to the :SEC:

This [censored] is NOT going to stop until we have 4 "super" conferences that control all of major college athletics.

bdoughty

11-19-2012, 05:41 PM

If the ACC takes two, the Big East is dead.

That already seems to be starting without the ACC's help.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/dennis-dodd/21058110/expansion-fallout-houston-can-get-out-of-deal-with-big-east-without-penalty

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8653727/boise-state-broncos-sdsu-aztecs-byu-cougars-talk-mwc-return-sources-say

Run little doggies, run.

SmoothPancakes

11-19-2012, 06:37 PM

No but for me its been a slowly simmering problem that has finally come to boil. Already read reports of:

:Connecticut: - :ACC:
:Louisville: - :ACC:
:Duke: & :North_Carolina: - package deal to the :SEC:

This [censored] is NOT going to stop until we have 4 "super" conferences that control all of major college athletics.

Why the hell would the SEC want Duke and North Carolina? They bring absolutely nothing to the table in football, and outside of Kentucky (and I suppose Florida and Vanderbilt), the SEC is shit when it comes to basketball.

That already seems to be starting without the ACC's help.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/dennis-dodd/21058110/expansion-fallout-houston-can-get-out-of-deal-with-big-east-without-penalty

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8653727/boise-state-broncos-sdsu-aztecs-byu-cougars-talk-mwc-return-sources-say

Run little doggies, run.

Fuck. Right after Navy decides to finally join up with a conference, this shit happens. Fuck you Maryland. Fuck you Rutgers. Fuck you UConn. Fuck you ACC. Fuck you Big Ten. Fuck you Notre Dame (them joining the ACC is being called the catalyst for the Big Ten expanding again). Fuck you NCAA.

And this shit cracks me up. For as much as the Big East gets bashed on for being a "second-rate" conference and grouped with every other conference outside the Pac-12, Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Big 12, these "major conferences" sure fucking love raiding the Big East for teams to bring into their conferences. "Hey, your conference is a joke and not on our level, but we'll sure as fuck keep inviting teams from your conference to join ours." I'm fucking sick of this shit. The NCAA can go fuck itself up the ass.

souljahbill

11-19-2012, 06:42 PM

Why the hell would the SEC want Duke and North Carolina? They bring absolutely nothing to the table in football, and outside of Kentucky (and I suppose Florida and Vanderbilt), the SEC is shit when it comes to basketball.

Calm down. He wasn't "serious" about that (at least I don't believe so). He was just making the example that everyone is raping each other AGAIN and was just throwing his Dukies in the mix.

SmoothPancakes

11-19-2012, 06:53 PM

Calm down. He wasn't "serious" about that (at least I don't believe so). He was just making the example that everyone is raping each other AGAIN and was just throwing his Dukies in the mix.

He said he had already seen reports of those he listed, including the package deal to the SEC. I just don't see why the hell the SEC would want them and why they would want to go. The ACC is by far better than the SEC in basketball and Duke and North Carolina will never be known for their football, so may as well stay in the basketball haven that is the ACC and have a chance of .500 in football, rather than lose 8-10 games a year in the SEC.

If the SEC raids anyone from the ACC, football would be the driving factor and it'd be any of Clemson, Florida State, Miami (FL), or Virginia Tech, but sure as hell not Duke or North Carolina.

CLW

11-19-2012, 07:04 PM

He said he had already seen reports of those he listed, including the package deal to the SEC. I just don't see why the hell the SEC would want them and why they would want to go. The ACC is by far better than the SEC in basketball and Duke and North Carolina will never be known for their football, so may as well stay in the basketball haven that is the ACC and have a chance of .500 in football, rather than lose 8-10 games a year in the SEC.

If the SEC raids anyone from the ACC, football would be the driving factor and it'd be any of Clemson, Florida State, Miami (FL), or Virginia Tech, but sure as hell not Duke or North Carolina.

SEC trying to prepare for the NEXT conference re-alignment war when Football is BANNED in America due to concussions/head injuries and thus basketball becomes the cash cow of college sports.

baseballplyrmvp

11-20-2012, 09:56 AM

JBHuskers

11-20-2012, 11:05 AM

With some of the WAC teams joining, if those three come back, the MWC will be a fun conference to watch.

SmoothPancakes

11-20-2012, 06:14 PM

talks between byu, boise state, san diego state, and the mountain west (http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8653727/boise-state-broncos-sdsu-aztecs-byu-cougars-talk-mwc-return-sources-say)are being held about the possibility of those 3 teams returning to the mountain west.

If the MWC had already stabilized and was all set without risk of being raided down the road, I'd be tempted as them to say "fuck you" to those teams. The Mountain West wasn't good enough for them a year or two ago, but now suddenly "we love you, we want back in". And like some abused, redheaded stepchild, the MWC will take them back, believing them when they say they're sorry and won't do it again, only to watch them bolt again in a couple months or a year when the Pac-12 once again fails to get Texas and Oklahoma and decides that Boise State is acceptable enough to invite into the conference.

And what's up with BYU? What, going indy wasn't as great and glamorous as they thought it would be?

JeffHCross

11-20-2012, 11:39 PM

Yeah, it obviously was about the money from the get-go. Just think of how much more money Big Ten Network could obtain in 2017 with the new TV contract with the Baltimore, New Jersey, New York City, northern Virginia, and Washington, D.C. markets added to the network footprint.Utterly fail to understand this one. From my experience, BTN is already on most of the "basic" packages for Northern Virginia anyway. Would imagine it is for most of the DC area. Don't know about Baltimore. I think outsiders are assuming that no one in DMV cares about the Big Ten (which is insane considering the number of Penn State grads here) and that our cable packages don't include it, but that hasn't been my experience at all.

Will make Saturdays interesting though. Does ABC give the regional coverage game for DC/Maryland to the Big Ten or to the ACC? That would be a huge difference, more so than BTN.

SmoothPancakes

11-21-2012, 06:44 AM

Utterly fail to understand this one. From my experience, BTN is already on most of the "basic" packages for Northern Virginia anyway. Would imagine it is for most of the DC area. Don't know about Baltimore. I think outsiders are assuming that no one in DMV cares about the Big Ten (which is insane considering the number of Penn State grads here) and that our cable packages don't include it, but that hasn't been my experience at all.

Will make Saturdays interesting though. Does ABC give the regional coverage game for DC/Maryland to the Big Ten or to the ACC? That would be a huge difference, more so than BTN.

Well, I can honestly say I don't know how well BTN is represented over that way, but with these two addititions, it will definitely make BTN a massive presence and player in the NYC, New Jersey, Baltimore, DC and Northern Virigina areas, more so than they may already be.

SmoothPancakes

11-21-2012, 08:02 PM

Finally some good news for the Big East, Boise State and SDSU have reaffirmed their commitment to the Big East. So it's gonna depend on if UConn or Louisville leave for the ACC and who the Big East goes after to replace Louisville/UConn and Rutgers. Right now, my personal thoughts, the front runners for the Big East would probably be Air Force, East Carolina, maybe Louisiana Tech, maybe even go to the Sun Belt and grab Arkansas State? There are still some options for the Big East to pick teams up. Maybe not quite 100% on the same level as Rutgers or Louisville or something, but still good teams.

gschwendt

11-21-2012, 08:10 PM

We won't be grabbed by anyone.... Conferences think in TV markets, not realistic fan bases (hence FIU and UNT in CUSA) . They already get Memphis market and Arkansas dominates Little Rock market. Besides, I'd rather stay in a regional conference like the SBC.

NatureBoy

11-27-2012, 06:44 AM

Where do we stand on expansion?

Imagine John Swofford sitting behind his desk at ACC headquarters in Greensboro, NC. Swofford, stunned by Maryland’s sudden departure and concerned over rumors of growing unrest in the ACC, calls the presidents of every member institution to “sound them out” on signing a grant of rights.

His first call is to Eric Barron at FSU. The conversation initially lightens Swofford’s mood. He smiles broadly as Barron reaffirms FSU’s commitment to the ACC. He becomes practically giddy as FSU endorsees Swofford’s recommendation to add both UCONN & Louisville to the ACC. Swofford is feeling good again; that is until he asks about the grant of rights.

Barron says no to the grant of rights and he’s not alone. Stunningly UVA and Georgia Tech also say no.

Virginia Tech tells Swofford they will sign the grant of rights but only if FSU and UVA sign it.

Miami says no.

Clemson hems and haws and says they will think about it.

UNC says yes but they want to be the last that signs. They want their signature to be the one the cements the future of the ACC.

Some endorse the idea of a grant of rights immediately. They do not matter in this tale. It’s enough to say that Swofford will not propose a grant of rights.

What matters most in this tale of woe is what happens next.

In Charlottesville, VA Teresa Sullivan’s phone rings. 40 minutes later and 540 miles away Bud Peterson’s cell phone begins to chime.

Both brighten when they hear the news Jim Delany has for them.

That is all.

Now let’s play fact or fiction…

Fact or Fiction: The ACC’s TV contract pays a paltry $15 million per year for 15 years.

Fact. Barry Svrluga and Alex Prewitt reported in the Washington Post that “…In May, the ACC signed a new television deal with ESPN that will bring in roughly $15 million per school annually through 2027. “

When the ACC TV deal was originally announced FSU and others were very unhappy with the terms including the back loading of disbursements. What we didn’t know then that we do now is the annual revenue is set at $15 million per year per team for 15 years with one lump sum payment in 2027.”

Keep in mind that $15 million number includes T3 rights and endorsement rights to the ACC championship game and basketball tournament.

As the current TV contracts stands the gap between the ACC and the Big 12 is $6 per year without the $40 from the Sugar Bowl factored in or the money available to the Big 12 for a conference championship game.

The current gap between the ACC and the Big 10 is $9 million and that will skyrocket when the Big 10′s forthcoming new contract.

The gap between the ACC and the SEC could be anywhere from $15 to $20 million per year.

Fact or Fiction: Swoffod will try and push a grant of rights on the ACC.

Fiction. Swofford doesn’t have the support for a grant of rights and without all parties being a signatory to the agreement it’s worth nothing.

Fact or Fiction: Clemson has agreed to sign a grant of rights.

Fiction. Clemson has not agreed to sign a grant of rights. However Clemson does fear being left out if the Big 10 invites UNC instead of Georgia Tech and is waiting to see what happens before deciding on a course of action.

Fact or Fiction: The Big 10 prefers Georgia Tech to UNC.

Fact. The Big 10 prefers Georgia Tech over UNC for several reasons. The Atlanta DMA is #9 (2,292,640 TV homes) in the country whereas the Raleigh-Durham DMA is #24th (1,143,420 TV homes).

Academics play a role in the Big 10’s preference over UNC too. According to the National Science Foundation Higher Education Research & Development rankings, (widely considered to be a more accurate reflection of academic prowess than the popular U.S. News & World Report rankings) UNC and Georgia Tech are close enough in R&D expenditures (UNC: 755,284 – GT: 615,833) to be virtually tied.

With academic prestige deadlocked the tiebreaker is TV market and Georgia Tech wins the 16th spot in the Big 10.

Fact or Fiction: Virginia Tech is committed to the ACC.

Fact. Virginia Tech is committed to the ACC until UVA announces their intentions to join the Big 10. Then the lure of SEC money and the freedom of moving on without UVA sees them accept Mike Slive’s offer to become Nick Saban’s footstool.

Fact or Fiction: FSU is committed to the ACC.

Fiction FSU president Eric Barron loves the ACC. He really does. He loves the academic reputation of the conference and chance to pal around with UNC and Duke at wine and cheese parties. However his football coach and a good portion of his boosters want out. FSU will bide their time and wait to see if the SEC or Big 10 has an invitation for them and they know they have home in the Big 12 if all else fails.

Fact or Fiction: The Big 12 will be proactive with expansion.

Fact. Unity abounds in the Big 12, but they must wait on the Big 10 destabilize the ACC enough to get who they want. Discussion are ongoing and offers have been made – just not to UL yet.

Fact or Fiction: ESPN will save the ACC.

Fiction. The Big 10, SEC and Big 12 are all partners with ESPN. Interference from ESPN by paying more than market value for ACC expansion to 16 would be a conflict of interest. ESPN has communicated to all involved they will not have a role in expansion in any way. The ACC is on their own. To those who insist ESPN will throw the ACC a lifeline I ask: If ESPN valued the ACC so much why did they lowball the conference and make them the lowest paid of the major conferences?

http://www.eersauthority.com/expansion-update-fact-or-fiction/

SmoothPancakes

11-27-2012, 07:25 AM

So what do you think? When the ACC eventually get eaten by the pack of carnivores that are the Big 12, Big Ten and SEC, will the remnants of the Big East and ACC combine? Even after the Big Ten, SEC and Big 12 get done, there will still be some teams in the ACC left searching for a home.

The ACC would end up devouring the remaining teams from the Big East (whoever doesn't get snapped up from the Big 3), so may as well just look at combining the two instead of going through the back and forth crap of ACC taking a couple teams, and then Big East trying to replace them with teams from C-USA, Mountain West, Sun Belt or MAC.

This is also solidifying the need of the NCAA team to allow us to create or delete conferences in-game. The WAC is already dead and gone after this season. Yet we can't delete the WAC in-game. One of either the ACC or Big East will be dead and gone by the end of 2013. Yet we won't be able to delete them in-game. There might be issues with the agreements between the NCAA/individual conferences and EA in regards to the conference in-game and not being able to delete them, but EA needs to get proactive on this.

souljahbill

11-27-2012, 10:59 AM

Rumor: Tulane going to the Big East. Press conference at 1pm.

:fp:

Tulane has next to no mindshare in New Orleans. Only Tulane people care about Tulane and since its a private school with high academic standards, there aren't many Tulane people in a city full of lower income African Americans. This won't help the Big East TV market.

Also, the hits just keep coming. First, we go 0-12 and now fucking TULANE gets invited to play at the bigger kids table. Please let the world end in a month because I can only take so much.

JBHuskers

11-27-2012, 11:07 AM

I dunno if I'd call the Big East the bigger kids table :D not any more.

HWill

11-27-2012, 11:08 AM

Looks like it's official: Tulane for all sports, East Carolina for football only http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/pete_thamel/11/27/big-east-east-carolina/index.html

SmoothPancakes

11-27-2012, 11:13 AM

Fuck. East Carolina too. There goes any chances Tulsa had. :(

souljahbill

11-27-2012, 11:14 AM

So, with no ECU, UCF, Houston, or SMU, the conference should be decided between Tulsa and Southern Miss every year except......well.......0-12.
:bang:

Edit: Forgot about LA Tech. They'll own Southern Miss too.

I really can not believe how far we've fallen so fast. It's surreal!

souljahbill

11-27-2012, 11:15 AM

Fuck. East Carolina too. There goes any chances Tulsa had. :(

Maybe the Mountain West will look to expand.

HWill

11-27-2012, 11:16 AM

Fuck. East Carolina too. There goes any chances Tulsa had. :(

Yeah, I was wondering how Tulane got ahead of Tulsa.

cdj

11-27-2012, 11:29 AM

Idaho & NMSU may get invites to a conference after all (CUSA).

souljahbill

11-27-2012, 11:35 AM

Idaho & NMSU may get invites to a conference after all (CUSA).

Geez! Gotta say, the stock for the MAC and Sunbelt is up and CUSA's is definitely WAY down.

SmoothPancakes

11-27-2012, 12:02 PM

Maybe the Mountain West will look to expand.

Maybe. The Mountain West is certainly looking better opponent-wise than C-USA is right now. And Tulsa would fit in rather well logistically with the Mountain West.

Yeah, I was wondering how Tulane got ahead of Tulsa.

You and me both. I know that TV markets are pretty much the driving force behind all these moves, but I still held East Carolina, Louisiana Tech and Tulsa as the leaders for getting picked up out of C-USA by the Big East or whoever. I can't believe Tulsa got completely ignored.

Idaho & NMSU may get invites to a conference after all (CUSA).

May as well honestly. The Mountain West has already basically all but stated they don't want those two and have no intentions of ever picking them up. C-USA is going to need teams if the Big East keeps getting raided, and in turn raids C-USA for new members.

Geez! Gotta say, the stock for the MAC and Sunbelt is up and CUSA's is definitely WAY down.

Yep. With the WAC dead and gone (after this season), the way things are going, I'd probably put Sun Belt above C-USA right now in terms of conference ranking, and MAC isn't far behind, especially with East Carolina leaving.

JBHuskers

11-27-2012, 12:18 PM

Idaho & NMSU may get invites to a conference after all (CUSA).

At least they don't get stuck without a FBS home with the WAC evaporating.

gschwendt

11-27-2012, 03:16 PM

Cincinnati wants to join ACC
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8683593/cincinnati-bearcats-making-strong-push-join-acc-source

SmoothPancakes

11-27-2012, 04:07 PM

May as well. Ohio State will sure as hell never let them join the Big Ten.

JeffHCross

11-27-2012, 08:04 PM

You guys missed the most fun part of the "new" Big East.

Per ESPN, the (current) 13 team Big East will contain 9 former members of C-USA, 2 former members of the Mountain West, 1 former member of the MAC, and, of course, one recently former member of the FCS.

Also, the Big East of 2014(?) will contain only one school that was in the Big East in 2003. That would be Temple. Y'know, the one they kicked out and sent to the MAC.

The Big East is dead. Or at least should be. I don't think there's any carcass to pick clean there, Smooth. I don't think there's anyone, other than Louisville and UConn, that the other conferences would want. Otherwise the other conferences would already have them.

Of course, I don't think the B1G wants G-Tech or UVA either ... but we'll see on that.

Also, that article Natch pasted lost all credibility when they used "Big 10" instead of "Big Ten". :D

NatureBoy

11-28-2012, 07:43 AM

Louisville will join the Atlantic Coast Conference, becoming the sixth former Big East school to leave for the ACC, sources told ESPN.

The ACC's presidents and chancellors voted to add the Cardinals Wednesday morning to replace Maryland, which will leave for the Big Ten in 2014.

Louisville is expected to join the ACC in the same season, sources said. Big East rules require a $10 million exit fee and 27 months notice, but the Cardinals -- like several schools before them -- should be able to negotiate a higher buyout to leave before the 27-month period.

The ACC also considered UConn and Cincinnati for membership. However, sources told ESPN the league only wanted Louisville because there is a sense among league presidents that the ACC can add more schools at a later date if the ACC lost any other schools.

The addition of the Cardinals and loss of the Terrapins should provide the ACC an immediate upgrade in football and several areas.

In the past four seasons, Louisville is 27-22, compared to 17-32 by Maryland. Under Coach Charlie Strong, UL is 23-14 in the past three years, including 9-2 this season. The Cardinals can win the Big East title by defeating Rutgers Thursday.

The Cards' future looks strong as well. Of Louisville's 22 starters, only five are seniors compared to 10 sophomore or freshmen starters.

Louisville also has managed to maintain one of the nation's top athletic budgets, despite receiving only $3.2 million annually from the Big East's current media rights deal. The Cardinals' current budget ranks higher than any current ACC member.

In 2011-12, the latest date available from the Office of Postsecondary Education's Equity in Athletics, Louisville had a budget of $84.4 million. The ACC's highest budget was Florida State ($81.4 million), while Maryland's budget was only $57.5 million.

The Cardinals' basketball program will fit in with the ACC's elite basketball programs. Since the 2004-05 school year, Louisville has reached two Final Fours and two Elite Eights.

Louisville is among four current and future ACC schools that have won 20 or more games in each of the past 10 seasons. Only nine schools in Division I have accomplished that, including Duke, Syracuse and Pittsburgh.

Last year, Louisville averaged 21,503 fans, the nation's third-highest number behind only Syracuse and Kentucky. The city of Louisville also has had the nation's highest rated college basketball television market in each of the past 10 years.

Over the last six years, Louisville is the nation's only school that has reached both the men's and women's basketball Final Four, a BCS bowl game, the College World Series and the Men's Soccer College Cup.

The addition of Louisville will not affect the ACC's new media rights deal. When the ACC added Notre Dame in all sports but football in September, sources told ESPN the ACC's media rights deal was expected to increase to about $18 million annually.

When Louisville joins the ACC in 2014, the league would have a 14-team football league in 2014 with Notre Dame a full ACC member in every sport but football.

The ACC will mark Louisville's third football conference since 1996 when it joined Conference USA after being an independent for the past 21 years. UL was in C-USA from 1996-2004 before leaving for the Big East in 2005.

Louisville's departure marks the seventh school in the past year that has announced it is leaving the Big East along with West Virginia, TCU, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Notre Dame and Rutgers.

Because of all the defections, the Big East is scheduled to add nine schools between 2013 and 2015 -- Boise State, San Diego State, SMU, Houston, UCF, Memphis, Tulane, East Carolina and Navy.

Louisville's move to the ACC is the latest in the never-ending musical chairs known as conference realignment. In the past few years, the nation's top five conferences -- SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and ACC -- have announced the addition of 12 new members, causing a wave of disruption among virtually every Division I conference from coast-to-coast.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8685541/acc-votes-add-louisville-cardinals-source-says