What happens if the Big Ten goes to 16 teams?
Indianapolis—Yes, we are attending the Super Bowl of college basketball and tonight the story lines abound: Duke will go for its fourth national championship and its first since 2001, under Coach K against Butler. Rated rival North Carolina has cut down the nets twice (2005, 2009) since their hated rival won a title. Coach Mike Krzyzewski is in his 11th Final Four, which ties Carolina’s Dean Smith. One more for K and he passes the Dean for No. 2 on the all-time list.
Butler is playing six miles from its campus. Their playing facility, Hinkle Fieldhouse, was where the championship game in “Hoosiers” was filmed. CBS must be tempted to bring in Gene Hackman and let him walk onto the floor and measure the baskets like he did in the movie that is beloved by all hoopsters.
Understand this about Butler. This isn’t tiny Milan taking on Muncie Central for the Indiana state high school championship in 1954. Butler is really good and is well coached by a guy who looks like he should be a study hall monitor instead of a coach with an 89-14 record. They can beat Duke if they are healthy and the Blue Devils are little cold from behind the arc. We’re expecting another crowd of over 70,000 at Lucas Oil Field.
But enough about hoops. That’s tonight. I’m here today to tell you what’s going on behind the scenes of tonight’s national championship game. I am not big into hyperbole, but you need to know that two things are being discussed that could, in the next six months, could radically change the college athletics landscape as we know it.
The first, of course, is the potential expansion of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament field from 65 to 96 teams. The NCAA floated that trial balloon on Thursday and for the first time gave details about how it could work. That effort was met with criticism that turned into downright derision from fans and media. Why take one of the best sporting events in the world and risk hurting it by trying to shoe-horn another round of games into the same three-week calendar?
You already know the answer. It’s about the money. It’s always been about the money. The NCAA has three more years on its current 11-year, $6 billion contract with CBS but has the option to opt out of those years and put the tournament back up for bid. Needless to say there are other suitors, like ESPN or NBC/Comcast who might want to step up to the plate. Given the realities of the economy, all schools need more money.
Here is my prediction and that’s all it is: The tournament goes to 96 team out of pure financial necessity. The 32 team NIT, which the NCAA also controls, will go always and those teams will be folded into the big tournament. CBS retains the rights to the tournament and finds a cable partner to share in the costs and the distribution. Don’t be surprised if it’s Turner Broadcasting. Then the NCAA will have to do a lot of selling to a skeptical public and press and convince them that the event that they love so much will not be watered down with first round games that include a 9 vs. 24 seed.
I spoke to several commissioners of smaller conferences who are convinced that the vast majority of this money is not going to trickle down to them because most of those 32 extra slots in the tournament will go to teams in the BCS conferences.
The NCAA insists this is not a done deal but my conversations this week tell me the train is at the station and getting ready to move out. Everybody just needs to jump on board.
The other big topic here has a chance to completely change college football as we know it. I’ve spoken to a number of athletics directors and commissioners who are convinced that the Big Ten is positioning itself to seriously consider becoming college football first super conference by expanding to as many as 16 teams.
The Big Ten is looking at three plans: Stand pat with 11 teams, add one team (hopefully Notre Dame) or make a blockbuster move and go to 16.
“If they go to 16 and one of them is Notre Dame then we’ve got an entirely new ball game,” a conference commissioner told me confidentially.
There is pretty serious speculation that The Big Ten would look to the Big East in its big master plan. Now I don’t know which teams are involved, but Just for fun, let’s say the Big Ten asks Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Connecticut and Rutgers to join. If they said yes, the Big East would be out of the football business. I think the Catholic schools (Georgetown, Villanova, St. John’s, Marquette, Seton Hall, DePaul, Providence) in the league move on and form their own basketball conference.
What would happen to the other football playing schools in the Big East: West Virginia, Louisville, Cincinnati, South Florida? Does the ACC take them in order to match the Big 16?
What would happened to Notre Dame? Would they be invited to join the Catholic conference for basketball? What about their other sports?
And what does the SEC do if the Big Ten throws down this gauntlet? The conference has its 15-year, $3 billion television contract in place. Does the SEC have to react to the new marketplace that has been created? The SEC and Big Ten have separated themselves financially from the rest of Division I. If the SEC stood pat would it risk watching the Big Ten with the additional dollars that would come in, pull away from the SEC?
Does the SEC get aggressive and pick up the phone call Texas? That’s the one school that would move the financial needle to improve the great deal the SEC already has. And if you take Texas, you have to take Texas A&M because of the politics. Does the SEC take another look at Florida State and Miami and see if those schools would be interested in leaving the ACC for a better financial deal?
I have been saying this for years: The dominoes of expansion will start tumbling when the Big Ten makes its move. If it only adds one team, even if it’s Notre Dame, then relatively little will change. But if commissioner Jim Delany wants to make a splash and go to 16, then absolutely anything is possible. If members of the Big East want to leave, they must remain in the conference for an additional 27 months after they declare. So if the Big Ten wants to take some Big East teams, they must make a decision soon in order for those teams to be in place for the 2012 football season.
Understand that there is a lot of smoke here. None of this could happen. Or all of it could. So stay tuned.
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264 comments Add your comment
UGA Alum
April 5th, 2010
3:45 pm
HawkeyeFB,
Iowa is #71 on the list of national universities. UGA is #58. Stick that in your microcosm you pompous a$$.
HawkeyeFB
April 5th, 2010
3:45 pm
AYK, if you have any figures to support your claim, I’m happy to review them.
HawkeyeFB
April 5th, 2010
3:46 pm
Iowa is at the bottom of the Big Ten, yet outranks half the SEC.
UF Alum
April 5th, 2010
3:48 pm
@ LOL – Tell me of another degree from an SEC school that has more prestigue than the University of Florida. That’s right, you can’t find one.
PENNstOWNSsec
April 5th, 2010
3:50 pm
The sec getting Texas is as funny as looking at a South Eastern Criminal OOC schedule or their graduation rates LOL
Cameron
April 5th, 2010
3:53 pm
I agree that 12 is the magic number and here is what you do:
Big 10 should stop catering to Notre Lame and get Iowa St to join
Big 12 then should get TCU to take ISU’s place
Pac-10 should then get Boise St and either Fresno St or Byu or Utah to join.
Every conference would then ahve a conference championship and no more worries about the “BCS” busters
HawkeyeFB
April 5th, 2010
3:55 pm
ZERO chance the Big Ten takes ISU.
Charlie Bama
April 5th, 2010
3:59 pm
Tony: Change the subject & cut this one off. By tonight they’ll be dreaming up 24-team conferences with affiliated starter conferences, and schedules will be harder to calculate than the square root of your granny’s zip code.
LOL at UF Alum!!
April 5th, 2010
4:08 pm
“prestigue”… beautiful.
Charlie Bama
April 5th, 2010
4:10 pm
To LOL at UF Alum: Funny. Like a Gator told me just last week “We are more smarter than peoples think”
BD
April 5th, 2010
4:16 pm
Having been to the FSU/GT game in Tallahassee many times, I can tell you SEC folks for certain that you do not want to make the trip to Tallahassee over Atlanta. Tallahassee is in the middle of nowhere and a lot of the hotel operators, by my experience, really jack up the rates for football weekends. Some even require a two night stay. Couple that with the fact that there isn’t anything to do down there and it makes for a pretty crappy trip.
One thing the Miami folks that I have met were so happy about when they came into the ACC was that they got to come to Atlanta for a game. Wives like to make that trip. Shopping, restaurants, entertainment – more to do in Atlanta than any other city on the list.
Shelley Meyer
April 5th, 2010
4:16 pm
WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND!! WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND!! (stomping on table)
16 NOT
April 5th, 2010
4:23 pm
Hawkeye, you must not know too many people. There is a pretty big movement not only by the fans but many of the coaches in the Big Ten to expand by at least one team in order to get a conference championship game. Right now the Big Ten gets very little to no media coverage after November while the SEC and Big XII continue to saturate college football news. I understand very few people like change, but adding a 12th team (which I truly believe will be Notre Dame) and getting that championship game would be the best thing the Big Ten has done since adding Penn State.
David
April 5th, 2010
4:24 pm
I don’t see Pitt, UConn, or Syracuse going into the picture – they simply don’t add enough $$$s to the mix to make it worthwhile to the Big 10. Notre Dame obviously does, as does Missouri, Rutgers, Nebraska, and Texas.
I think 14 is a more plausible number – the only way I see 16 teams is if they somehow got both ND and Texas to come on board.
ACC Fan
April 5th, 2010
4:28 pm
Is there any chance that Boston College would go back to the Big East and then West Virginia could come over to the ACC? West Virginia makes so much sense to have in our athletic conference.
Noles9399
April 5th, 2010
4:46 pm
I would switch West Virginia for Boston College.
New Atlantic – FSU, Clemson, GT, Miami, NC St, Wake
New Coastal – VT, UVA, WV, Maryland, UNC, Duke
Rumor: Big 10 Supermega 16 Team Conference | FratHouseSports
April 5th, 2010
4:49 pm
[...] heard of the first potential plan, which is to add one team (hopefully Notre Dame), but now according to a conference commissioner the Big10 just might make a blockbuster move and go to 16 teams! Stepping up to the Big East sized [...]
Jeff
April 5th, 2010
4:55 pm
The Big Ten will expand and it’s just a matter of which teams will join the conference. It’s all about money. The Big Ten offers the most money per team then any conference. What ever teams they add will have to allow the Big Ten to expand in its revenue or the schools that are currently getting 22-23 million a year for being in the Big Ten will not buy off on the expansion as they would lose money. So the schools they will look at will be the ones that can help them expand coverage into a new area. Also every school in the Big Ten are in the Association of American Universities (AAU). Notre Dame is not a part of the AAU but would think Big Ten would look the other way to get them to join since they did reach out to ND years ago. As for the other schools being mentioned in expansion, I would have to believe the Big Ten would stick to that the school must already be a part of the AAU or qualifies to join the AAU. So if you want to speak of teams that could join the Big Ten then you should look at Iowa State, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, and Vanderbilt. Out of those schools what brings the most to the Big Ten. Never rule out a school from another conference as the Big Ten can offer the most out of any conference. Iowa State, Kansas, Nebraska, and Vanderbilt would bring nothing to the media market. Maryland would bring in the DC market but suspect that is a far reach as distance does become a factor. Missouri brings the St. Louis and Kansas City Market. Rutgers and Syracuse bring the NY market. Pittsburgh really brings nothing in media market as the Pittsburgh area is already covered being between Penn State and Ohio State, but they do fit in the Big Ten area and would be a great addition in multiple sports.
I would have to suspect those that are locked to join the Big Ten will be Missouri and Rutgers. Then it becomes a matter of if Notre Dame will join and if the Big Ten goes for 16 teams. Let’s say the Big Ten takes Rutgers, Missouri, and Pittsburgh or Notre Dame. Then the Big Ten can keep the conference name as 10 states could be represented in the conference. Seriously I can see the Big Ten trying everything possible to keep the name of the conference the same as it is the oldest conference.
cutter
April 5th, 2010
5:01 pm
Keep in mind that any Big Ten expansion scenario has to account for the B10’s current geographic footprint, and by extension, how the conference and Fox Sports (who owns a 49% equity stake in the Big Ten Network with the remaining 51% owned by the conference) plan to grow the network.
For example, while Pittsburgh might make a more ideal partner in the Big Ten than Rutgers, that program is already within the conference’s footprint. If the B10/BTN mindtrust thinks Rutgers might bring in more cable subscription fees through the New York/New Jersey market, than RU becomes more valuable revenue-wise than Pitt.
As was pointed out earlier, each Big Ten programs gets about $22M from the BTN broadcast rights per year. That does not include additional revenues from ESPN, ABC, etc. Keep in mind that this is from a conference that has no football conference championship game.
The question at hand is what programs and how many will not only increase revenue per school, but will also position it for how collegiate athletics looks in 2012 and beyond. There will probably be a 96-team NCAA men’s basketball tournament. There’s also no way of telling how the BCS will look in the future–or whether or not it will even exist ten years down the road.
I think its apparent that the Big Ten wants to add either one of two program–Texas and Notre Dame. As Mr. Barnhart says, any invitation to UT will have to be accompanied by one to Texas A&M–and that means the conference will have at least 14 members. I suspect Texas will have little motivation to go unless the Big XII is really destabilized, i.e., Colorado goes to Pac 10, Missouri or Nebraska are also invited to B10, etc.
Because Notre Dame is allowed to put its non-football teams into the Big East, the only reasons why ND moves is (1) an enormous increase in revenues to join the B10 or (2) destabilization of the Big East. Sure, ND could opt to put the majority of its sports teams in the Atlantic Ten or some Catholic-oriented conference, but it would also leave a lot of money on the table by doing so.
That’s why I imagine any invitation by the Big Ten to Notre Dame will also include at least two more invites to Big East programs (and perhaps four, as Mr. Barnhart suggests). That would allow the Big Ten to bring the BTN firmly into the northeast–something the ACC tried to do with its invitations to Boston College and Syracuse some years back.
I do agree with the posters that we’ll know more by the summer given the timelines in place. The Big Ten has approached Notre Dame before (in 1999) and ND nearly joined the B10 in 2003 when there were internal problems with the Big East. The third time may be a charm . . .
RedKnights
April 5th, 2010
5:06 pm
The Big 10 needs “change”. Contrasting the “change” that’s going on in this country now whereby the increase in the size of the Federal government is having a catastrophic effect financially, an increase in the size of the Big 10 Conference would be benefit it greatly. As far as I’m concerned, the more teams added the better. That’s the kind of “change” I can believe in.
Goyo
April 5th, 2010
5:19 pm
If the dominos start to fall, you want to act fast and not slow to make sure you get the teams you want and not whats left. I agree that not much will happen if the B11 becomes the B12. However, if they become the B14 by adding two BE teams and a B12 school (to hell with ND) then the door is wide open for the ACC to pick up two more BE teams to also move to 14 teams. At that point, the SEC would be wise not to assume that they can just cherry pick who they want from the other conferences. If the ACC were setup as a 14 team league with the appropriate TV contracts, I just don’t see any of the teams jumping anywhere. Even if Colorado were to bolt to the PAC12 (along with Utah), the BTwelve still has some pretty good options to pickup three teams. Houston, TCU, BYU or Air Force would be nice additions. Liousville and USF would be the most likely candidates to the SEC in this scenario (where they wait around and watch what happens). The SEC could go after some other teams, but it won’t work if they are the last to act.
The Eternal Pessimist
April 5th, 2010
5:24 pm
Add Clemson and FSU to the east, Texas and A&M to the west. Expand to a nine-game conference schedule, with one permanent opponent and one rotating opponent from the other division. No one would be able to touch us. I, for one, have no desire to see Tech given the prestige of an SEC membership.
Kincade Licks Buck's Nuggets
April 5th, 2010
5:41 pm
If the Big Ten expands, I am sure the other major conferences will look into it. I would like to see teams such as Boise State, TCU, Utah, etc. have to play tougher competition during the regular season so we don’t have to have the argument about whether or not they belong in a BCS bowl game.
Carlos
April 5th, 2010
6:17 pm
If the Big Ten wants to add five more teams … and Notre Dame doesn’t want to play ball … they need to look in multiple directions.
1) Missouri
2) Kentucky
3) Pitt
4) Rutgers
5) Syracuse
This gives you a Big Ten West of Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Illinois, Purdue, and Indiana … along with a Big Ten East of MSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Kentucky, Pitt, Penn State, Rutgers, and Syracuse.
Now that is truly a super conference. The SEC can react by adding Texas, TAMU, Oklahoma, and OSU … along with a geographic charity case like East Carolina to replace the Wildcats … which keeps them right in step with the Big Ten.
The other Big 12 teams will end up adding some Mountain West schools and perfect a few Conference USA tag alongs. The ACC, if it wants to go to 16 as well, can add West Virginia, UConn, Temple, and maybe Buffalo … since Syracuse would be off the table … then break into true North and South divisions like it should have right now.
In Decatur
April 5th, 2010
6:21 pm
Should have checked the site earlier – Mr. Southern College Football actually discussed other parts of the country. As for UGA Alum – your school is 5 spaces BEHIND that “giant community college in Columbus, OH.” Is that pompous enough for you?
12? 14? 16? Just get us to a championship game.
WhatheBuck
April 5th, 2010
6:58 pm
adding teams to the Big10is not about sports necessarily. It is about adding to the research coffers and expanding the Big Ten Network viewing footprint. ND gets 9mil per year from NBC, Texas gets 12. Poor little Northwestern gets 22mil as it’s share. No less than 3 institutions will be added. add Missou and you get St.Louis and KC. ND will add a national following and along with Rutgers will add the coveted NYC market. If they go to 16 it may be Texas and A&M or two more eastern teams.$$$$$$$$$ talks
IrishInArizona
April 5th, 2010
7:19 pm
14 is more likley. Split into two 7-team divisions with each team playing all teams it its division plus 1 permanent team in the other division and 1 rotating team in the other division plus 3 non-conf games. Dividing the new conf between north and south and adding Pitt, Syr and Notre Dame leaves in tact existing rivalries within the Big Ten and some of the Big East (e.g. ND-MICH, ND-PITT, PITT-SYR), brings back PSU-PITT and enables ND to hang onto USC and Navy as OOC games.
Marlin Cone
April 5th, 2010
7:24 pm
What if the Big 12 merged with the Pac 10 and added Colorado, Colorado State, Boise State, Utah, BYU to the “Western Division” and added TCU, LSU, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Mississippi & Tennessee to the “Eastern Division”, making two 15 team divisions and opening the door for an addition of 1 more for each division during the next 5 years. Given what the new census will be showing for population, don’t you think that new league would be right in the thick of the grwoth of our country?
BAMA STAN!
April 5th, 2010
7:31 pm
71 NATIONAL TITLES – 126 SEC TITLES!!!
Mr. Coleman, I’m not sure where that freak came from or what his motives are. Thanks go out to you and monitor Otto, though, for keeping the AJC comment section at the elite level we’ve all come to expect.
Oh, and you read correctly; that’s 2 more National Titles since lunch!!!
Ala-FREAKIN-bama, Ala-FREAKIN-bama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
knute rockne
April 5th, 2010
8:07 pm
you know what’s crazy? ND in the ACC is a better fit. Academically, they’re better suited to “compete” against Wake Forrest, Duke, BC, and UVA. AND they just booked a “home game” at FedEx Field in Novemeber 2011 with Maryland. but as I said, they aren’t hooking up with anyone anytime soon. let’s face it, they are not a factor in the BCS mix and have not been since the pre-Weis era, and they seem content to be independent. let’s be real; the only shot they have – as an independent – of making it to the BCS championship game is 12-0, and they can’t beat Navy. Boise State or Utah has a better argument. their best shot at the BCS is joining the ACC.
Knoxville Nick
April 5th, 2010
8:31 pm
If the Big 10 goes big, the SEC needs to match to keep up their power / money base with the networks. The SEC should go after Ga Tech, Clemson, FSU and Miami—these teams would quickly leave the mediocre ACC to be in the best conference in the U.S.!!!!
HoyaGoon
April 5th, 2010
8:47 pm
The key(s) to all this, as it always is, is what Notre Dame decides to do. I think ND can remain independent, for now, but risks long-term damage if it does. Assuming that the Big Ten and Pac-10 both expand to 12 teams each, the college football landscape could be drastically altered. The Big XII is a prime target of expansion by both the Big Ten and Pac-10, and it’s members (other than Texas) are more than happy to entertain offers. Colorado is as good as gone to the Pac-10 if they come calling, and Mizzou has all but said it will jump at the chance to join the money pot that is the Big Ten. [An aside to Are You Kidding? above: the ESPN-SEC contract that was just signed is more lucrative than the Big Ten's ESPN contract, but all estimates show that total revenue brought in, because of the Big Ten Network, the Big Ten teams are getting somewhere between $3 and $5 MORE per year than the SEC. Thus, the total tv revenue available to the Big Ten is significantly higher, and will probably increase in any new contract since the SEC is now locked-in for the next 15 years to ESPN].
If two Big XII teams bolt, than that confernce will immediately look to expand, probably to the West (TCU and someone else), but could also look to it’s quasi-past in Arkansas, which is much more a fit with the Texas-dominated Big XII than it is with the SEC. If that were to happen, the SEC would look, probably to the ACC for a replacement, setting off a chain-reaction. Add to that fact that once it’s current contract with ND is up, NBC will NOT be giving the Irish anywhere near the amount they have been (the contract has been a $$ loser for NBC), and all of a sudden, ND is outside looking in. The only way ND maintains it’s independence is if it is generally equal to the other “national” football programs in terms of revenue. to date, that has generally been true, but those days are quickly coming to a close. If Notre Dame were to look at it’s long-term interests, it would see that joining the Big Ten is a no-brainer (from both sides’ perspective) and get out ahead of this thing while it still has some negotiating leverage.
And, if ND were to join the Big Ten, that would be it as far as the league’s expansion goes. Not that I really think a 16-team super conference is really in play (just too big and unwieldy).
PatNole
April 5th, 2010
8:59 pm
mmmmmm beer swilling
RockytopATL
April 5th, 2010
9:01 pm
Tony, you buried you lead. To heck with all the waste of time hoops talk. A 16 team Big Ten is big news
Rob
April 5th, 2010
9:26 pm
The Big 10 and PAC-10 will go to 12 teams to add a title game. If anyone goes to 14 or 16, then chaos could follow and the politics could get ugly.
I wouldn’t be suprised if the SEC made a pre-emptive move to add FSU, Miami, Clemson, and GT.
At that point, I think the Big-10 would try to match with ND, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Rutgers, and Boston College. (Academic rankings matter to the Big 10 presidents, so these are the most likely candidates.)
The next move would belong to Texas. They could lead a mass jump of four to six Big XII teams to the PAC-10 or they could stay put. If they stay put, the Big XII and PAC-10 probably absorb two to four Mountain West teams each.
At that point, the seven remaining ACC teams (Duke, NC State, UNC, Wake, UVA, VT, and Maryland) have little choice but to invite the five remaining Big East teams (Louisville, UConn, West Virginia, South Florida, and Cincinnatti) in an attempt to keep an BCS automatic bid.
NJLion1992
April 5th, 2010
9:29 pm
I’ve read quite a bit of interesting analysis here, both in the article and in the comments. Here are my thoughts:
1) I hate to say it as a Big Ten fans, but there probably is a great deal of jealousy on behalf of Big Ten fans towards the SEC whether we admit it to ourselves or not. So I have to agree that part of the motivation to expand would be to counter the SEC.
2) I’ve longed to renew our rivalry with Pitt (I’m a Penn Stater if you haven’t guessed), but I know Pitt joining by itself would be a hard sell. So I’d be happy to go to 14 or 16 teams as long as Pitt is one of them.
3) The hell with Notre Lame. Why should ANY conference help them after the way they’ve back-stabbed everyone else in college football? I’d rather pick up schools like Pitt, Syracuse, Missouri or Rutgers. We’ve had great rivalries with both Syracuse and Rutgers, and Missouri would give the conference access to another television market.
4) 14 teams would probably be the ideal number. 12 is too few to really shake up the conference, and 16 is too much.
Brian
April 5th, 2010
9:30 pm
I doubt the Big 10 considers going to 16 without at the very least having ND or Texas, and probably both. Consider this: Big 10 adds Texas, Texas A&M, ND, Syracuse and Rutgers. The Big 10 would have over 100 million people in its ‘footprint’, not to mention all the random hot spots ND would bring in. To respond, the SEC and PAC-10 would have to go to at least 14. This would effectively end the Big 12 and the Big East.
Brian
April 5th, 2010
9:36 pm
Also, remember try to think like a commissioner or college president, not a fan. There is only one reason why the Big 10 would expand: more money FOR EACH SCHOOL. This is why Pitt, despite being a great choice from the FANS point of view, will almost certainly not be joining the Big 10. They occupy the same market as PSU, hence severely decreasing their value. This is also why Cinci and Iowa St. are out as potential expansion candidates (not to mention quality academics, or lack there of, at both schools). The list of potentials is probably Syracuse, Rutgers, Texas, Texas A&M (in order to get Texas), Mizzou, Nebraska and maybe UConn.
Sugar Hill Dawg
April 5th, 2010
9:52 pm
A quick geography lesson for those of you NOT from Georgia….Saying “Georgia Tech will bring to the SEC the Atlanta TV market” is absurd. As a Gwinnett County resident (NE metro ATL for the unknowing), I can guarantee the AJC readers Atlanta is a UGA market, not a Tech market. I assume the confusion lies in Tech’s Midtown (not Downtown as most commentators claim during Tech home games) address. Yes, Tech is located in the corporate limits of Atlanta. No, Tech is not the dominate team in the market. Given the fact not many Tech students and alumni hail from Atlanta (or, Georgia, for that matter), there’s not much of a connection between the school and the ATL. Given UGA’s proximity to metro Atlanta (the campus is less than an hour from my house, for example, closer (or, at least shorter, due to the famous ATL traffic nightmare) than The Flats, the high percentage of UGA students who graduated from metro high schools, the impact the University has had in terms of politics and the economy of metro ATl – UGA IS THE ATLANTA TEAM!!!! Tech turned it’s yellow backside in the ’60s – they can stay in the ACC and enjoy irrelevancy. I happen to believe the SEC is fine as is. What are often regarded as “expendable” schools (Vandy, Kentucky, Arkansas, and South Carolina) have long and colorful histories with SEC teams. (Okay – Arkansas doesn’t, but the Waltons can promise to lower gas at Wal-Marts in order to bribe the rest of us to let the Hogs stay.) As a UGA alum, I can guarantee the USC-UGA series is just as heated and storied as any in the SEC. (Okay – UGA – UF, UF – UT, UGA – Au, UT – UA, MSU – Ole Miss, LSU v Everybody are probably bigger.) Keep well enough alone. If someone has to go, bye-bye Arkansas, welcome Clemson!
Big 10 to expand and become Big 16? | goutlonghorns.com
April 5th, 2010
10:05 pm
[...] Barnhart is hearing whispers from conference commissioners indicating that the Big 10 is at least considering expanding to a superconference of 16 teams. The [...]
Big L
April 5th, 2010
10:06 pm
Read someone say that adding Tech would seal up the Atlanta market. How? Noone in Atlanta watches the Yellow Jacket games. They can’t fill 50,000 seats. Besides , Johnson’s gimmick high school offense would not hold up aginst an SEC schedule. By the way, adding half the Big Least to the Big 11 would just make a really large, mediocre conference. Just add Notre Dame and a championship game and the Big Ten will be great. Besides, you should have to be in a conference to even be considered for a championship shot. Notre Lame fits the Big Ten mold, play soft schedule and build up average wins and wait a month while the rest of the big boy football conferences( not including Yak 10) determine a chamionship with an extra game.
Big L
April 5th, 2010
10:16 pm
You people are nuckin futz. Texas ain’t goin to the Big Ten. It would be a step backward astheticaly. The Big Ten already looks bad with it’s teams not playing high quality , out of conference schedules. Not to mention they all dissapear for a month. Pac Ten or SEC are the only real choices for Texas and Pac Ten would have to create a championship to lure them. Just imagine. Texas vs UGA in Atlanta. Sounds like 10 million bucks to me.
HugoStiglitz
April 5th, 2010
10:39 pm
lol. Wow. UGA fans sure are getting upset about even the possibility of Ga Tech adding something positive to the SEC. Insecure much? Dont worry, I doubt many people from the Ga Tech side want to move to the SEC. You guys are safe.
Brandon
April 5th, 2010
10:57 pm
This is an awful piece of writing. Barnhart and the AJC should be ashamed.
cantondawg
April 5th, 2010
11:23 pm
Big 10 would be wise to pickup ND only and then have a conference championship game. SEC and Big 12 get all of the publicity and momentum because of theirs. It would be dumb of them to add up to 16 members. They would just be adding 4 more mediocre teams to dilute the money pool.
As far as the SEC, i think we should stay pat at 12. If we were to offer, i think Texas would be the biggest draw but i don’t see them leaving the Big 12. Next, i would pick Clemson over FSU and Miami.
Va Dawg
April 5th, 2010
11:41 pm
PAC-10 adds Colorado, Colorado State, Utah and BYU because they like the in-state rivalries and becomes the PAC-14. Missouri goes to the Big 10 and Big 12 moves Oklahoma and Oklahoma State to the North division and adds TCU and either Houston or SMU to the South, This reunites Nebraska and Oklahoma to play every year. Big 10 now has 12 teams and can add 2 or 4 more teams from the Big East depending on where they want to expand their TV market. I say they add Pitt to appease JoPa and either Rutgers or Syracuse for the NY TV market. The Big East raids Conference USA and takes Marshall, Memphis, Central Florida and ECU to go to at least 10 teams and has a championship game.Conference USA raids the Sun Belt to get back to 12 or 14 teams. If SEC feels compelled to expand which I don’t think they are they could add Clemson and GT or FSU to the East and move Vandy and Kentucky to the West. ACC adds UConn and Rutgers or Syracuse depending on who the Big 10 chooses.Major changes but not earth shattering..
joeeaster
April 6th, 2010
12:06 am
I’ve been saying for years that the major conferences should restructure into eight 16-team super conferences. This would add eight teams to the 120 FBS teams existing, allow for conference champions to play an eight team playoff for the NCAA championship, and still maintain the integrity of the bowls. And before anyone screams semester overlap and student-athlete overload, the season for the playoff would not exceed the current 14 game season. As for Notre Dame, join or there is always NBC.
savannadawg
April 6th, 2010
12:15 am
Whatever does or does not happen. I would like to see at least the Big11 and the Pac10 get their mess together and have a conference championship game as we do in the SEC. At least if one of those teams in those other conf. gets to play for a NC it would calm some of the retoric down about who is legit. Pac10 should offer Boise St and Fresno St. Notre Dame needs to get off their High Horse and go into the Big11. The Big east needs to expand by adding Youngstown St. Buffalo if they continue to improve, and two other top tear MAC schools. IMO.
savannadawg
April 6th, 2010
12:21 am
Va Dawg I like your idea a little better than mine. But I still would like to see what BS would do in a bigger conference. Hopefully they would realize who they really are at that point. Can they still win? sure but at a much higher cost!
Heel
April 6th, 2010
12:24 am
whoever said GT would be the doormat of the SEC is just stupid and suffering from the delusion that only teams from the SEC are allowed to be good.