NCAA Conference Musical Chairs

[cdj]

Here's a great article from the Omaha World-Herald with some great behind the scenes details on how Nebraska moving to the Big Ten came to be: http://www.omaha.com/article/20100830/BIGRED/708309872

[SmoothPancakes]

Ohio State and Michigan reportedly getting split up in the new Big Ten

The Big Ten will announce its much-anticipated, two six-team divisional setup for the 2011-12 season later Wednesday, with traditional football powers Ohio State and Michigan in opposing divisions and new member Nebraska aligned with the Wolverines.

Multiple sources told ESPN.com that the two divisions in the Big Ten will look like:

• Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern and Minnesota.

• And Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana and Illinois.

The Big Ten issued a press release saying it would announce its divisional alignment at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday. According to sources, the divisions were decided upon Monday.

The rest of the article can be read at: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5519832

[HWill]

Colorado to join Pac-10 in 2011, not 2012: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5601601

In sort-of-related news, University of Denver is seeking to join the WAC. http://denver.sbnation.com/2010/9/20...wac-conference

There are also rumors that at least eight other schools will make presentations to the WAC.

Let the speculation begin (again)....

[Rudy]

After Temple beat UConn, I wonder if the Big East will try to add them back.

[gschwendt]

Please WAC, please take Denver... they are the worst fit team for the Sun Belt and it would balance out our conference schedules.

[JeffHCross]

Denver in the WAC makes no sense ... at least not for the WAC. Bring a school that has no football and is primarily a hockey power into a football-driven conference with no hockey.

[HWill]

Pac-12 divisions were announced today during an official news conference:

North Division: Cal, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, Washington, Washington State

South Division: Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, UCLA, USC, Utah

Title game will be played at home site of team with best overall conference record.

[morsdraconis]

Wow, that's pretty interesting. Looks like some pretty big rivalries might go unplayed now or spread out quite a bit (Cal vs USC, Stanford vs UCLA, UCLA vs Cal, etc).

[HWill]

I believe they voted to keep the rivalries: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5711336

[Rudy]

I like the idea of a home game for the Title game because it means the fans will go crazy. The SEC might have it best since it always has a neutral site that all the fans will travel to but I hate that they play in a dome on fake grass. The ACC has shown how not to do a title game.

[JeffHCross]

It's an interesting choice. Most people perceive that CCGs are supposed to be "neutral site", but I guess we'll see what the reaction is.

What'll be interesting is if, for example, Cal plays at USC during the season, then they meet in the CCG and it's Cal @ USC. Rematches in the CCG are one thing ... rematches at the same site will be very interesting in terms of public perception.

But the conference did vote to keep the historic California rivalries. The Bay Area schools have played the Los Angeles schools every year since 1946 in rivalries that started long before that. Cal and Stanford will each play UCLA and USC every year in football.

The other cross-divisional games in the nine-game conference schedule will rotate, with the Oregon and Washington schools most likely playing in Los Angeles every other year as opposed to the current annual trips.

That has massive, massive recruiting implications. Very interesting.

[morsdraconis]

That has massive, massive recruiting implications. Very interesting.

Yup. The rich get richer in the Pac-12 conference.

So, now we know who holds all the cards in the Pac-12 (and it's certainly not the teams that have kept that shitty conference a float in the wake of the USC scandal).

[HWill]

The Big East is looking to expand: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/s...r_espn_5756898

I hear they are interested in the Buffalo Bills.

[cdj]

HWill -

Villanova and UCF are the two early names that seem likely. I'm not sure either help the conference, but they make some sense.

[Rudy]

Why would TCU join that conference and deal with all that travel? They should just push the Big 12 to boot Iowa St and try to join the Big 12/10-2.

Personally I think the biggest problem the Big East faces is a lack of great teams and how it leads to a weak strength of schedule. Same goes for the MWC. Both of those conferences shouldn't expand anymore unless you get a good team. Adding teams like Villanova or Temple will not improve the Big East at all. Those two conferences should actually keep the same members and just sign a pact to have crossover games every year between the top teams. Keep an open date and have the Top 4 teams play the Top 4 teams from each conference in September. ie. #1 vs. #1, #2 vs. #2, etc. That way if TCU wins the MWC they would play the Big East champion (Pitt) in an occ game, Boise could play Syracuse, and so on. That would help the conference champions overcome the weakened strength of schedule in the BCS without diluting the conference talent levels to where they become even more crappy.

[JeffHCross]

TCU would have to be pretty stupid to go to the Big East for football-only. The MWC has all the momentum right now to get an automatic spot in the BCS in the next few years. The MWC is, I believe, perceived as a better conference. And if you went to the Big East for football-only, you'd be asking for death for your basketball program.

Plus you add the uncertain future of the Big East (since it was perceived as the Big Ten's #1 target), and I wouldn't think the grass looks very green.

[jaymo76]

The Big East is in serious, serious trouble as a conference. Even if it expands, no major programme will go there. Moving up some FCS teams (as most rumours speculate) will do nothing to improve conference prestige/strength.

[morsdraconis]

TCU apparently is quite interested in coming to the Big East. Hopefully they can get Houston to come with them as I don't see them being able to do anything with only 10 teams. 12 is the minimum for a successful expansion (hopefully that includes UCF as well).

[Rudy]

The Big East is still poaching ground. If I'm TCU I try to stay put and get in an expanded Big 12 down the road. Right now I have no idea what the conferences will look like 5 years from now. How aggressive the Big 10 is in expanding further or the SEC, PAC 12 to go beyond 12 teams will have a huge impact.

[JeffHCross]

I think TCU's leaders would be smart enough to know that the Big 12 adding TCU would be unlikely at best. There's no incentive for the Big 12 to do so.