Big Ten expansion update

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SteveDeace

Well-Known Member
Bruce Feldman of ESPN on KOMC has said that Missouri to the B10 is pretty much done.

Tom Dienhart of Rivals.com Tweeted the following:

"Big Ten expansion buzz has league adding Mizzou, Nebraska, Pitt, Rutgers and Syracuse and splitting into four, four-team divisions. "

Then tweeted the break down:

1 Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Penn State
2 Michigan, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Minnesota
3 Ohio State, Purdue, Indiana, Illinois/Northwestern
4 Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois/Northwestern
 
SteveDeace said:
Bruce Feldman of ESPN on KOMC has said that Missouri to the B10 is pretty much done.

Tom Dienhart of Rivals.com Tweeted the following:

"Big Ten expansion buzz has league adding Mizzou, Nebraska, Pitt, Rutgers and Syracuse and splitting into four, four-team divisions. "

Then tweeted the break down:

1 Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Penn State
2 Michigan, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Minnesota
3 Ohio State, Purdue, Indiana, Illinois/Northwestern
4 Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois/Northwestern
Click to expand...


Not sure how they work out the divisions...I guess you would play every team in your division each year, home and home. there is three games. Then you have 12 other teams to play five, or six a year? Probably five, because if its six, then you have unbalanced home and away number each year..that probably won't hunt.
 
JonDMiller said:
Not sure how they work out the divisions...I guess you would play every team in your division each year, home and home. there is three games. Then you have 12 other teams to play five, or six a year? Probably five, because if its six, then you have unbalanced home and away number each year..that probably won't hunt.
Click to expand...

Play everybody in your division, have one annual out of division rivalry game and then rotate playing one of the other divisions each year. And play one random opponent every third year when your rival team is in the other division you play. That would be my best guess.
 
Is a move to 16 teams over-reaching? I'm only asking because the business world is replete with instances of firms getting too greedy and over-reaching to buy out a competitor or expand too much too soon. I'd hate to have a "brand" as great and as presitigous as the Big Ten be ruined or severely damaged because it got too greedy.

I'm still not sure one way or the other, but would be interested in hearing other thoughts.
 
JonDMiller said:
Not sure how they work out the divisions...I guess you would play every team in your division each year, home and home. there is three games. Then you have 12 other teams to play five, or six a year? Probably five, because if its six, then you have unbalanced home and away number each year..that probably won't hunt.
Click to expand...
Pac 10 plays 9 conference games with 4 home, 5 away or 5 home or 4 away. I would agree it won't be even, but it has happened.
 
SteveDeace said:
Bruce Feldman of ESPN on KOMC has said that Missouri to the B10 is pretty much done.

Tom Dienhart of Rivals.com Tweeted the following:

"Big Ten expansion buzz has league adding Mizzou, Nebraska, Pitt, Rutgers and Syracuse and splitting into four, four-team divisions. "

Then tweeted the break down:

1 Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Penn State
2 Michigan, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Minnesota
3 Ohio State, Purdue, Indiana, Illinois/Northwestern
4 Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois/Northwestern
Click to expand...


that division with Ohio State looks really weak...
 
Hate it.

Might as well just be a minor league NFL the way it's structured.

Also, a team would have to win two play-off games which makes it less likely it gets into a title game.
 
Rawkhawk73 said:
Is a move to 16 teams over-reaching? I'm only asking because the business world is replete with instances of firms getting too greedy and over-reaching to buy out a competitor or expand too much too soon. I'd hate to have a "brand" as great and as presitigous as the Big Ten be ruined or severely damaged because it got too greedy.

I'm still not sure one way or the other, but would be interested in hearing other thoughts.
Click to expand...

I don't like the thought of a 16 team conference, but it makes sense...it brings in a great university as well as football program, Nebraska...it gets the BTN into the states of Missouri and New York, forcing ESPN to kiss our butts...and it brings in good programs in Rutgers and Pitt, especially in football and Cuse basketball...but like you, I feel it's going to ruin the tradition of the conference...

Then again...it's hard to evolve without killing what existed before.
 
Those divisions are guesses. The triangle of Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota will not be broken up. Missouri's natural rival is Illinois. I would also think that Nebraska might want to be lumped with Missouri because they have a long term relationship. I would be more inclined to think Northwestern gets lumped with the IA, WI, MN group.
 
Man, I hate the sound of this. Too many too fast. Not good for the Big Ten or Iowa IMO.

I wish we could convince ND to join and call it good.
 
SteveGarvey said:
Hate it.

Might as well just be a minor league NFL the way it's structured.

Also, a team would have to win two play-off games which makes it less likely it gets into a title game.
Click to expand...

It could also help a team make a late jump. Let's say a one loss Iowa or Penn St team knocks off a top ten Nebraska and Ohio St in the last two weeks. Thats a lot of momentum going into the bowl season.
 
The more I hear about a 16 team big 10, the more I dislike the idea. All the rivalry of the big 10 is going to be gone.

If you can get ND great, go to a 12 team league. If not I would rather they left it alone.
 
HawkeyeMike23 said:
It could also help a team make a late jump. Let's say a one loss Iowa or Penn St team knocks off a top ten Nebraska and Ohio St in the last two weeks. Thats a lot of momentum going into the bowl season.
Click to expand...

Good point but that probably still doesn't get a team into the title game.
 
Jordell said:
The more I hear about a 16 team big 10, the more I dislike the idea. All the rivalry of the big 10 is going to be gone.

If you can get ND great, go to a 12 team league. If not I would rather they left it alone.
Click to expand...

Leaving it alone is not going to happen --- too much $$$$ at stake.
 
Here is how I think the scheduling gets done.
Each set of two seasons, two divisions get paired together (A-B and C-D for two years, then A-C, B-D for two years, then A-D, B-C for two years). Each team in the conference has a primary rival from each of the other divisions. Every team plays nine conference games, three against the teams from its division, four against the teams from the division it was paired with that particular year, and two against the other two primary rivals. Though there would be an unbalanced home/away schedule, this would maintain rivalries and provide a way for there to be only one conference title game rather than a mini-tournament. To take away the unbalanced scheduled giving a team an advantage over other teams in their pair of divisions, perhaps there is a way to make it so all eight teams in one set of divisions have five home games in one year and switch the next year. I'll try to figure out if that is possible.
 
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