Expansion

shaver363

Well-Known Member
Does anyone else think that the Big 10 and PAC 12 are just watching this drama on the sidelines? I've got to think that Delaney and Scott have something big brewing if Armageddon hits. Have to believe this is making some potential targets really uncomfortable.
 
Does anyone else think that the Big 10 and PAC 12 are just watching this drama on the sidelines? I've got to think that Delaney and Scott have something big brewing if Armageddon hits. Have to believe this is making some potential targets really uncomfortable.

I dont think they are watching from the sidelines. There is no reason for them to make a move unless they need to. Right now the Pac12, B1G and SEC all stand at 12 teams. When the SEC decides to bring in 2 or 4 more teams that will trigger armaggedon. Delaney and Scott arent going to be known as the ones who pushed the bright red button, but they do have plans in the instance someone does.

There is no reason to get an itchy trigger finger on this. Let the SEC determine what they are going to do and then react once the Big East, Big 12 and ACC all start to crumble. The SEC likely isnt going to go after anyone that would fit in the B1G anyway (possibly Missery). The SEC will try to raid some southern ACC teams and maybe OU out of the B12. Depending on how many teams the SEC decides to add will determine the reaction Delaney will need. Hopefully, he is able to drop a nuke and force ND to join and then all will be solved in one swing.
 
There is no need to expand for expansion sake. What would be the point of expansion?

You may be right. There may not be any other teams out there for the B1G that would increase the profits enough to make it worth while. I suppose that is what Delaney and company have already figured out. Obviously, the addition of ND would be beneficial but you would have to add another team with them. I guess conventional wisdom is that we are going to see super conferences form and you dont want to be left behind when they do.
 
I got the impression from hearing Scott speak in ESPN radio a couple weeks ago, that he would love to push the "red button" on expansion and get to 16 teams. Delaney, not so much.
 
You may be right. There may not be any other teams out there for the B1G that would increase the profits enough to make it worth while. I suppose that is what Delaney and company have already figured out. Obviously, the addition of ND would be beneficial but you would have to add another team with them. I guess conventional wisdom is that we are going to see super conferences form and you dont want to be left behind when they do.

Why? I genuinely don't understand why a 16-team SEC and/or PAC-16 would be any threat to the Big Ten as it currently stands.
 
Why? I genuinely don't understand why a 16-team SEC and/or PAC-16 would be any threat to the Big Ten as it currently stands.
At some point, all of the quality programs get sucked up, and what you would likely be left with is a bunch of Big East leftovers. Especially if the 4- 16 team superconferences is on the horizon.
 
The only logic behind 16 team conferences is circular. Why are 16 team conferences going to happen? Because 16 team conferences are coming. Why should a conference go to 16? So that they don't lose out on the good teams when other conferences go to 16.

There is little incentive to go to 16. PAC is willing to sell their soul to get Texas and 16, but there is otherwise little reason for 16. SEC _might_ go to 14, and even then they have no incentive for 16.
 
At some point, all of the quality programs get sucked up, and what you would likely be left with is a bunch of Big East leftovers. Especially if the 4- 16 team superconferences is on the horizon.

I still don't get it. Why wouldn't the Big Ten just stand pat with 12? The SEC could have 20 teams for all I care-- why does that mean the Big Ten needs to add teams? Is the NCAA going to mandate 16-team leagues or something? What is this "era of superconferences" that everyone keeps talking about, and where's the evidence that it is a) good for the sport, b) would increase revenue, and c) has any chance in hell of actually happening?
 
The only logic behind 16 team conferences is circular. Why are 16 team conferences going to happen? Because 16 team conferences are coming. Why should a conference go to 16? So that they don't lose out on the good teams when other conferences go to 16.

There is little incentive to go to 16. PAC is willing to sell their soul to get Texas and 16, but there is otherwise little reason for 16. SEC _might_ go to 14, and even then they have no incentive for 16.

Well said, ICHawk24. I still haven't seen any sort of argument for this that goes beyond circular reasoning.
 
The Big Ten is at 12 now...they have their title game printing press...they added a school that has an illustrious college football tradition.

I dont think they are in any hurry to get back into the expansion mix. I think if Notre Dame called them and said 'we want in' that would change....but in lieu of that, the Big Ten does not need to change.

They still have the most TV sets of any conference in America..and if the Pac 12 went to 16, and the SEC went to 16, the Big Ten could stay at 12 and be just fine. They already have the BTN...and it's four years old...they have already gone through all of those hoops.

They get to sit back and wait for the right phone calls.
 
The only logic behind 16 team conferences is circular. Why are 16 team conferences going to happen? Because 16 team conferences are coming. Why should a conference go to 16? So that they don't lose out on the good teams when other conferences go to 16.

There is little incentive to go to 16. PAC is willing to sell their soul to get Texas and 16, but there is otherwise little reason for 16. SEC _might_ go to 14, and even then they have no incentive for 16.

Agreed. I don't understand the magic about 16 teams. If we're going to radically alter/f**k up college football, it makes more sense to have 8 eight-team conferences with all teams playing head-to-head and the champ of each conference going into a playoff. We're already mad that Iowa isn't playing Wisconsin or Illinois every year with 12 teams. How is 16 teams suddenly going to be totally awesome?
 
The Big Ten is at 12 now...they have their title game printing press...they added a school that has an illustrious college football tradition.

I dont think they are in any hurry to get back into the expansion mix. I think if Notre Dame called them and said 'we want in' that would change....but in lieu of that, the Big Ten does not need to change.

They still have the most TV sets of any conference in America..and if the Pac 12 went to 16, and the SEC went to 16, the Big Ten could stay at 12 and be just fine. They already have the BTN...and it's four years old...they have already gone through all of those hoops.

They get to sit back and wait for the right phone calls.

Exactly. Twelve is enough. I can see expansion to 14 if Notre Dame would seek admission, but there is no genuine need to expand for expansion sake.
 
The reason for 16 is solely for play-off reasons. The winner of four 16-team conferences could play a four-team play-off for the national championship. It may or may not help the Big 10, but it would lead to a play-off which most of us want. There would be little argument about legitimacy, because if a team can survive the division and league championship game, it would be deserving. Of course, any team not in one of the four 16-team conferences would be left out. Maybe there would be periodic realignment.
 
The reason for 16 is solely for play-off reasons. The winner of four 16-team conferences could play a four-team play-off for the national championship. It may or may not help the Big 10, but it would lead to a play-off which most of us want. There would be little argument about legitimacy, because if a team can survive the division and league championship game, it would be deserving. Of course, any team not in one of the four 16-team conferences would be left out. Maybe there would be periodic realignment.

The fact that 4x16=64 doesn't make this scenario any likelier than any other playoff format. Why not 4 12-team leagues? Why not 4 20-team leagues? Why not 8 10-team leagues? Why not a playoff with the current conference champions playing each other? If there is a desire among the people that run college football (ADs, television network execs, bowl officials, and university presidents) to make a playoff, they will do it. They aren't going to let the number of teams in each conference dictate their plans.
 
The reason for 16 is solely for play-off reasons. The winner of four 16-team conferences could play a four-team play-off for the national championship. It may or may not help the Big 10, but it would lead to a play-off which most of us want. There would be little argument about legitimacy, because if a team can survive the division and league championship game, it would be deserving. Of course, any team not in one of the four 16-team conferences would be left out. Maybe there would be periodic realignment.

Playoffs will suck either way, but if four teams in a playoff is good, won't eight teams be better? Besides, people who want playoffs don't want four teams anyway.
 

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