Per ESPN: A&M to SEC

[CAARHawk]

I can see ND, but I really hope Maryland, Cuse and Pitt don't come our way. They seem like another Purdue or NW type.. They aren't a Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, OSU type national exposure on the FB side. I'm basing that comment purely off the FB side, with no consideration on the academics/other interests/markets they bring so I'm being biased a bit.. Just an opinion though

Unless the B1G moves right now, Pitt and Cuse will go ACC. I expect the B1G will wait and pick off Maryland and Virginia from the ACC. Those schools are NOT Purdue and NW.

Best deal would be ND, Maryland, Virginia and ?. But the B1G is not going to knock on ND's door again.

 

[BroderickHawk]

Can someone explain to me how ISU athletics dropping to a non BCS conference means the end of the university?

For example, there are bigger schools than ISU in CUSA and they seem to be doing fine as academic institutions. Also, I'm pretty sure teams from CUSA, the MAC, etc.., still go to bowl games as well.

Academically ISU has a fine reputation and will continue to, no matter what conference their athletics programs are aligned with.

 

[bhawkn30]

Unless the B1G moves right now, Pitt and Cuse will go ACC. I expect the B1G will wait and pick off Maryland and Virginia from the ACC. Those schools are NOT Purdue and NW.

Best deal would be ND, Maryland, Virginia and ?. But the B1G is not going to knock on ND's door again.

I'll agree with Virginia, but not so much on Maryland.. In my own eyes, all Maryland brings is a Market... Again though, just my opinion...

 

[BergHawk7]

if UNC, Duke, Maryland, and ND come to the B1G, that wouldn't do anything for football. They would be on the bottom of the B1G each year in football so what's the point. It would only affect basketball, which I think all of this expansion is about football anyways. If a Texas and or Ok, comes to the B1G, its bad news for Iowa in all sports. But hey we can beat them in wrestling.

 

[BSpringsteen]

The best part about this is that it will likely mean that Wisconsin gets dumped back into our division and our rivalry can continue.

However I would caution against wanting to grow to 16 teams and spreading that far east. The larger the conference the fewer games you'd play out of division and while the balance of power might be even, the balance of television sets are not. Adding Maryland, Cuse, Virginia would mean that to those schools, Iowa would barely be a blip on the radar.

Personally, if we have to expand, I say go with Notre Dame and PItt.

 

[bhawkn30]

Can someone explain to me how ISU athletics dropping to a non BCS conference means the end of the university?

For example, there are bigger schools than ISU in CUSA and they seem to be doing fine as academic institutions. Also, I'm pretty sure teams from CUSA, the MAC, etc.., still go to bowl games as well.

Academically ISU has a fine reputation and will continue to, no matter what conference their athletics programs are aligned with.

I think you're taking those comments out of context. Currently we think of ISU as a Big12 school, if they were to drop from the big12 and go to the mac or mtnW or an equivelant, they've in essence being down graded on an athletic level (not academically). You're exactly right they can still go to a bowl, but what few recruits they get now would be even less with that sort of move. And lets be honest, they have a decent following w/in the state of Iowa, but if they move from the big12 their relevance drops and program interest will waver

 

[bhawkn30]

The best part about this is that it will likely mean that Wisconsin gets dumped back into our division and our rivalry can continue.

However I would caution against wanting to grow to 16 teams and spreading that far east. The larger the conference the fewer games you'd play out of division and while the balance of power might be even, the balance of television sets are not. Adding Maryland, Cuse, Virginia would mean that to those schools, Iowa would barely be a blip on the radar.

Personally, if we have to expand, I say go with Notre Dame and PItt.

NOt a bad pt.

 

[BergHawk7]

Theres no point for the B1G to expand if they are just ganna go after horrible football programs like Virginia, Cuse, duke, unc, Maryland, or Pitt. Like I said only basketball would be affected. The original big ten with nebraska will always be on top of the new 2-4 teams if those teams I mentioned join.

 

[BryceC]

The root of expansion stemmed from state governments continued cuts to funding of public institutions.
Universities had two ways to make that money up...
1) raise tuition. They have raised it to the point that any additional hikes will likely cause lowered enrollments.
2) athletics.

So blame your congressmen.

You are absolutely, positively on crack if you think expanded revenues will be going into schools general budgets.

Edit: I would add, I would be absoultely in support of removing college athletic revenues from tax exemption if we go to 16 team conferences. These are business decisions, and as such, they should be taxed like businesses.

 

[JHHawk]

B1G fans remind me of the industry in the B1G footprint. Seriously, people change isn't always bad.

Change is not always good either. Do you think the change in traditional rust belt industry has been good for the country? The virtual elimination of the middle class and the ever expanding gap between the haves and have-nots in this country. I suppose you will argue that the Big Ten needs to expand,grab the top properties in the country,to maintain their position among the haves,but I would argue back that a complete free-market approach to college sports could kill the golden goose also. In the end,just make it nothing but a pro minor league type of sport,with players paid,no class required,and render university sports as nothing more than the euro-style intramural variety with club sports unaffiliated with any school being the percursor for young people before they turn pro at 16.

I admit there is some hypocrisy to my position,in that college sports is big business as it stands right now,but there is a tipping point,where the mission of the school gets completely lost,and the student athlete concept is corrupted to such a point that it absolutely no longer makes any sense. When Iowa no longer even plays Wisconsin or Illinois at all,and their new rival is designated to be Maryland, the old root,root,root for the alma mater will lose something. Call me sentimental,or just not a cutthroat business sharpie,but I value Iowa sports for more than the TV sets in their conference.

 

[bws258]

West to P12 with their regional style tv set up makes sense. OU, Texas, Okie State and BYU?

This is the sort of thing that will force Notre Dame to pick up the phone and call Delany.

ND, Rutgers, Pitt an Cuse? Maryland also big research school.

ND and Maryland make the most sense, followed by Virginia (especially if the SEC takes VA Tech)

NO interest in Pitt or Syracuse

 

[DuffMan]

pitt isn't a terrible football program at all, and they would only get stronger in the B10.

 

[MultipleDundieAwardWinner]

pitt isn't a terrible football program at all, and they would only get stronger in the B10.

If the SEC gets programs like TAMU, FSU, and Clemson, and the Big 10 answers back with Pitt, Syracuse, and Maryland, there is a clear winner and a clear loser there. You will never have to worry about arguments on the Best FB conference again.

If the Big 10 is going to be a serious football conference in the future, then go after ND, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma, and maybe Mizzou or one of the Big East scrubs.

 

[ArizonaHawkeye88]

I just don't see Pitt making our conference stronger. I don't think Penn State would vote for them. Ohio State would have increase recruiting pressure in Eastern Ohio. So might be against it. I like going to NJ, Maryland, Virginia, and ND.

 

[CAARHawk]

From your response, I would say we are more aligned than you might think. I also don't think you need to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

The mindset of Midwest business doesn't have to be only a labor vs. capital argument. It can also be about innovation vs. status quo.

You can still innovate without creating massive wage gaps. You can also set forth policies to help both small and big business thrive. If college football is smart, they could set up a system where superconference and small conference teams could each benefit appropriate to their respective budgets.

Because, while big profits are in play, a large number of teams operate at a significant loss.

 

[IowaBanker]

If the SEC gets programs like TAMU, FSU, and Clemson, and the Big 10 answers back with Pitt, Syracuse, and Maryland, there is a clear winner and a clear loser there. You will never have to worry about arguments on the Best FB conference again.

If the Big 10 is going to be a serious football conference in the future, then go after ND, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma, and maybe Mizzou or one of the Big East scrubs.

Oklahoma has NO CHANCE to join the Big 10. Academically they are a bottom-feeder. It won't happen, period.

 

[JHHawk]

From your response, I would say we are more aligned than you might think. I also don't think you need to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

The mindset of Midwest business doesn't have to be only a labor vs. capital argument. It can also be about innovation vs. status quo.

You can still innovate without creating massive wage gaps. You can also set forth policies to help both small and big business thrive. If college football is smart, they could set up a system where superconference and small conference teams could each benefit appropriate to their respective budgets.

Because, while big profits are in play, a large number of teams operate at a significant loss.

I agree we are probably not diametrically opposed, and I am a bit of a stick in the mud, but I stubbornly cling to the notion that while big time college sports is big business,it is not ONLY big business,unlike the NFL.

As far as the smaller schools are concerned, they could just play sports as pure amatuers in my opinion,and be fine. Not sure how they fit in the BCS picture at all. I am just a bit saddened by all the talk of discarding the Big Ten as I knew it when I was growing up and attending Iowa.
Nebraska made sense,but UNC or Duke? Nah.

 

[MoseSchrute]

I think you're taking those comments out of context. Currently we think of ISU as a Big12 school, if they were to drop from the big12 and go to the mac or mtnW or an equivelant, they've in essence being down graded on an athletic level (not academically). You're exactly right they can still go to a bowl, but what few recruits they get now would be even less with that sort of move. And lets be honest, they have a decent following w/in the state of Iowa, but if they move from the big12 their relevance drops and program interest will waver

Who knows, maybe they could become a powerhouse in a lower level league and not lose too much fan support. As far as expansion, if the B10 goes any further, it will only be with ND, and another well thought out, geographically contiguous school to keep the number even. I doubt they would go to 16. They know they have a good thing going, and don't want to dilute it too much. So as long as ND says no, we are sticking with 12.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

Who knows, maybe they could become a powerhouse in a lower level league and not lose too much fan support. As far as expansion, if the B10 goes any further, it will only be with ND, and another well thought out, geographically contiguous school to keep the number even. I doubt they would go to 16. They know they have a good thing going, and don't want to dilute it too much. So as long as ND says no, we are sticking with 12.

I think you are going to be in for a major surprise. 16 team conferences are coming soon, within the next five years for sure.

 

[IAHawkFan]

I truly hope that the B1G does not expand again. 12 teams is the right size are far as I am concerned. Even if we did pull ND, I cannot think of 3 other teams (that would legitimately come with them) that would actually make the conference stronger.

Adding Tx A&M to the SEC makes sense for both sides (SEC gets a big school in Texas, A&M makes much more money and gets out from under Texas shadow). In the case with the SEC, they have several potential schools that they can add to make the conference better.

For the B1G, though, are any of you really excited by the possibility of adding Mizzu? or Maryland? Rutgers? Pitt? Those are good schools and all, but...