JonDMiller
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What happens if the Big Ten goes to 16 teams? | Mr. College Football
What happens if the Big Ten goes to 16 teams? | Mr. College Football
16 Team Big Ten Superconference
- Thread starter JonDMiller
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eyekwah
Well-Known Member
There has been a lot of speculation about conference expansion. I hasten back to the theory that conference expansion involves more than athletics. Much of it has to do with building a bigger political footprint to get research dollars from the federal government. Currently the B10 covers eight states. If the B10, under Barnhardt's speculation, expands to 16, it would add four more states. The prospect of 24 senators of 100 is a very powerful argument.
Looking long term, 20 years out, I see more people getting higher education via on-line Universities than by physically attending a college. The Universities will become attendance centers for those seeking advanced degrees where research requires being present on campus. The U of I is already on that path to get undergraduate students to use on-line courses and use community colleges facilities to take courses prepared by U of I staff.
While at present the talk of conference expansion is athletic, long term it may mean the end of scholarship athletics as they are currently constructed. College football and basketball will morph into semi-professional sports where athletes are paid and the athletic programs are an extension of the Universities.
Looking long term, 20 years out, I see more people getting higher education via on-line Universities than by physically attending a college. The Universities will become attendance centers for those seeking advanced degrees where research requires being present on campus. The U of I is already on that path to get undergraduate students to use on-line courses and use community colleges facilities to take courses prepared by U of I staff.
While at present the talk of conference expansion is athletic, long term it may mean the end of scholarship athletics as they are currently constructed. College football and basketball will morph into semi-professional sports where athletes are paid and the athletic programs are an extension of the Universities.
Sirhouseman
Well-Known Member
Man, I would hate 16 teams. I can see adding a 12th, but a super-conference? Come on.
I guess I'm a traditionalist. I hate what that would do to the landscape of the Big 10. You might not play some teams for 3-4 years. I think the rotating schedule we have now is bad enough.
I guess I'm a traditionalist. I hate what that would do to the landscape of the Big 10. You might not play some teams for 3-4 years. I think the rotating schedule we have now is bad enough.
Bucketochicken
Well-Known Member
busabus114
Well-Known Member
This will never happen
okeefe4prez
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't say "never" because if Congress tries to mandate a playoff or the government does something drastic to the BCS, the Big Ten could poach a few Big 12 and maybe Big East teams and the SEC could poach a few ACC teams and we would basically have two super conferences plus the Pac 10. Big Ten champ could play SEC champ and Big Ten runner up goes to the Rose Bowl or something. I'm not saying it's likely, but let's face the truth here, the SEC and Big Ten are the monetary drivers of college football, yet big government types like Orrin Hatch want to reallocate the profits of our conference to other smaller conferences. Fan bases like ours prop up the college football economy and if the government tries to strong arm Delaney into giving our money to the Boise States of the world, it will not end well for the small schools. The chance for the small schools to play in a $15 million BCS bowl will evaporate because the Big Ten (with some strategic poaching) and the SEC can take the ball and go home, leaving Boise and TCU to fight it out in the Micron Bowl for $2 million or whatever.
busabus114
Well-Known Member
I guess never is a strong word but i really dont ever see a scenario where long standing leagues like the Big 12 and Big East dissolve. This is a just another example of a media writer speculating on an unlikely scenario. I know he is well respected but there is no factual basis to his story. Its just something he dreamed up or heard someone else speculating about.
I could see the Big Ten adding more than one team (maybe 3) but it wont lead to conferences dissolving. If we poach a team or two out of the Big East or Big 12 they will just go down to a lower level conference and snatch one of their schools.
I have been in favor of such a move for a long time. In fact, I would like FBS to go to four 18 team super conferences.
1) North Big: Ten/Big East would also need to lose one
2) South/East: SEC/ACC
3) Mid-America: Big Twelve + others from GN (1) and SE (6) would need to lose one.
4) West: Pac Ten + MWC/WAC
There are currently 66 teams in the major conferences (including ND).
You would have to find 6 additional teams.
Boise, BYU, TCU, Utah, Fresno, UNLV, Colorado State, Reno would all be possible options.
Break each conference up into two 9 team divisions and have a final game in which the teams in order of division record would play a team from the other division, (So, if Iowa finished second in the Western Division of the North Conference, they would play the team that finished second in the Eastern Division of the North Conference, and so on) Home Field would alternate each year between divisions.
However, those games would not necessarily determine entrance into the playoffs. Each division champion would get into the playoffs.
It would help mostly in seeding the playoff system.
That would give you 8 playoff teams.
You would also have 48 non-major conference teams.
Put these into two super-conferences of 24 teams each split up into 2 divisions of 12. The division champs would play each other, which would give you 2 at large non-major conference automatic playoff teams.
Now you have ten playoff teams.
The choice of 6 playoff teams after that would be up to a seeding committee. They could take into consideration the winner of the game between the two second place teams in each conference, etc. Each conference would have a representative on the seeding committee and no conference could have more than three teams, unless all the major conferences had three teams.
That would give you a 16 team playoff. Each division team could play the 8 other teams in their division and one team from the other division. That would give them 9 conference games and leave space for three OOC games. Preferably with non major conference teams.
The non-major conference teams would have a legitimate chance to get into the playoffs. However, they would be up against 23 teams, instead of 9. Nonetheless, these would be smaller schools as the larger non-major teams would have already joined major conferences.
1) North Big: Ten/Big East would also need to lose one
2) South/East: SEC/ACC
3) Mid-America: Big Twelve + others from GN (1) and SE (6) would need to lose one.
4) West: Pac Ten + MWC/WAC
There are currently 66 teams in the major conferences (including ND).
You would have to find 6 additional teams.
Boise, BYU, TCU, Utah, Fresno, UNLV, Colorado State, Reno would all be possible options.
Break each conference up into two 9 team divisions and have a final game in which the teams in order of division record would play a team from the other division, (So, if Iowa finished second in the Western Division of the North Conference, they would play the team that finished second in the Eastern Division of the North Conference, and so on) Home Field would alternate each year between divisions.
However, those games would not necessarily determine entrance into the playoffs. Each division champion would get into the playoffs.
It would help mostly in seeding the playoff system.
That would give you 8 playoff teams.
You would also have 48 non-major conference teams.
Put these into two super-conferences of 24 teams each split up into 2 divisions of 12. The division champs would play each other, which would give you 2 at large non-major conference automatic playoff teams.
Now you have ten playoff teams.
The choice of 6 playoff teams after that would be up to a seeding committee. They could take into consideration the winner of the game between the two second place teams in each conference, etc. Each conference would have a representative on the seeding committee and no conference could have more than three teams, unless all the major conferences had three teams.
That would give you a 16 team playoff. Each division team could play the 8 other teams in their division and one team from the other division. That would give them 9 conference games and leave space for three OOC games. Preferably with non major conference teams.
The non-major conference teams would have a legitimate chance to get into the playoffs. However, they would be up against 23 teams, instead of 9. Nonetheless, these would be smaller schools as the larger non-major teams would have already joined major conferences.
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Good stuff, CAARHawk. Never thought about superconferences leading into a real playoff.
Just wondering what the regular season schedule would look like with 16 or 18 teams in your conference? Iowa would play Michigan once every 10 years or so? (I haven't done the math.)
Just wondering what the regular season schedule would look like with 16 or 18 teams in your conference? Iowa would play Michigan once every 10 years or so? (I haven't done the math.)
nationalchamps
Well-Known Member
They should just go to 4 Super Regional conference - Midwest, East, South and West. 16 teams in each (8 in each division) and the winners of each division play in the playoffs.
imported_ankle23
Well-Known Member
I agree. I immediately thought subtract one team.
This would require two teams dropping out of the major conferences. That is why I put the divisions at 9 teams. I think it would be easier to add than delete teams.
tm3308
Well-Known Member
It would depend on who got poached from the Big 12. If the Pac-10 snatches Colorado, and we were to snatch up say Nebraska and Mizzou, all of the sudden you have 3 teams left in the North. That creates a pretty big problem, as there aren't too many choices for the Big 12 to fill those spots. Sure, they could pick up TCU. But that doesn't add much revenue, as the league already has 4 Texas schools. Utah and BYU were also possible Pac-10 expansion candidates, so they may not be available. Iowa State, if forced to spend more on travel expenses, may have to drop to a non-BCS conference (as they will no longer be running on state money). That would be the final straw, and the remainder of the Big 12 would merge with the Pac-10 and SEC.
Keep in mind that the Big 12 really hasn't been around all that long. The Big 8 had quite a lot of tradition, and then it added 4 teams. But that's only been what, 15 years? And the conference split up Nebraska/OU, so the love for tradition is pretty hollow.
If the scenario painted by Caarhawk happens, just go the extra inch and make it a lower level NFL league. Pay the players to wear your school colors as live action advertisement plates for your school, and have a draft to bring in the players.
And kill the golden goose for good.
I am ok with limited expansion....preferably just ND, but if it is ND,Mizoo and Rutgers,fine...but the day they go to an NFL framework, college football dies for good.
And kill the golden goose for good.
I am ok with limited expansion....preferably just ND, but if it is ND,Mizoo and Rutgers,fine...but the day they go to an NFL framework, college football dies for good.
busabus114
Well-Known Member
When i said the Big 12 i was implying the tradition of the Big 8 was included as well. I dont think travel expenses would force ISU to drop to a lower level conference. With the scenario you laid out the Big 12 would be in trouble but i dont think it will happen. No one really knows at this point i guess. After all the speculation i wont be surprised if the Big Ten adds just one team (ND, Rutgers or Mizzou).
tm3308
Well-Known Member
If ISU had to travel further south for games within their division, they could be forced to drop. As it looks right now, the North is the one that would get gutted, and there aren't very many replacement candidates that are actually in that region. Which would likely mean that the Big 12 would have to add teams from the south, and put them in North division, thereby making division road trips much longer. Keep in mind that Pollard may be wanting to buyout McDermott, which won't happen the way things are right now because they don't have the money to do it.
busabus114
Well-Known Member
I doubt the cost of travel would be more than the lost revenue from dropping out of a power conference. I bet it isnt even close.
