Pittsburgh to join the Big Ten.

LoewDog said:
I'd take Mizzzu over Pitt,,,and I don't like Mizzu much at all.
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Why would you want Mizzou? They have 2 national championships in all sports, 1954 baseball and 1965 indoor track and field. What do they bring?

Pitt has 9 national championships in football alone, at least they are bringing history with them.
 
I can understand the "the B10 wouldn't rush into anything like this" line of thinking... but how do we know this hasn't been in the works for some time now? Maybe nothing's being rushed into at all.
 
I actually like Pitt as an addition to the Big 10. Lots of history and academic prestige fits in...go read the thread on their scout forum that shows all of their buildings on campus...WOW! It looks like something from an old European school, especially the "cathedral of Learning".

But I doubt it happens, at least no this week...NO way would something this big be able to be kept under wraps by 11 different institutions. There are 0 credible reports.
 
I would like the addition of Pitt based on football and basketball alone. I think they are getting their program back in football, and they are a very good basketball team. The money side is where it gets difficult as they don't bring a whole lot there.

That being said, I don't buy this. The most conservative conference does not drag their feet on a 12th team and conference championship for so long, just to make a hasty decision.
 
I don't believe it...much too soon.

Also...Pitt is a HORRIBLE choice. The Big 10 should not be getting any more teams from the East. They need someone in the midwest.
 
I've always thought the best choices were:

1. ND
2. Mizzou
3. Pitt

in that order. With that said, maybe the Big Ten is more worried on this issues than they let on, and they gave priority to a school that was willing to jump into the league as early as possible (Fall '10)?

Seems a bit short sighted.. they don't need to add a team immediately, do they (Esp. after a solid Bowl Season and 2 challengers for the NC)?
 
I still want Texas. I feel the Big Ten is going to go big or they won't do anything at all, adding Pitt just doesn’t seem like a big addition to the Big 10.

I would like to see 5 teams added to create 2 Big Ten divisions of 8. I believe the 5 teams below would be a great fit for the Big Ten, although I've debated with myself on the feasibility of the 5th team being accepted due to academics.

1. Texas
2. Nebraska
3. Kansas
4. Missouri
5a. Oklahoma (Con: not an American Association of Universities member. Pro: *Nationally recognized football team *Maintain Oklahoma/Texas rivalry *the entire conference would be connected by state boundaries)
5b. Texas A&M (Con: *A&M isn't Oklahoma *Texas would not border another Big Ten state Pro: *member of the AAU *great football tradition)

Reasons why I believe these 5 would make the Big Ten better:
A) TV Sets added - $$$ - Over 1/3 of the nations population would be in a Big Ten state, the addition of these 5 states would increase the Big Ten population by 50%, mostly due to Texas. This is ultimately how the Big Ten will decide who joins the conference.
B) Other than Oklahoma all teams are AAU schools, so that would allow them to join the Big Ten's Committee on Institutional Cooperation creating a premier academic conference. (I still want Oklahoma in the conference if possible)
C) The Big Ten would become the elite football conference in the eyes of the media: Texas, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, & Michigan.
D) Big Ten basketball recognition would rival ACC/Big East especially with the addition of Kansas


Divisions
EAST
Illinois
Northwestern
Purdue
Indiana
Michigan St
Michigan
Ohio State
Penn State

WEST
Nebraska
Kansas
Oklahoma
Texas
Missouri
Minnesota
Iowa
Wisconsin

East/West divisions keep rivalries intact and the divisions would be competitive with each other (unlike Big 12 North/South). With 12 games total, each team would play 7 division games, 2 non-division games, & 3 OOC games.

I don't believe distance between schools would be an issue as the longest distance Texas would have to travel in their division would be ~1,200 miles to Wisconsin/Minnesota. There are numerous schools that have to travel as far or further (Miami to B.C ~1,250, UTEP to E. Carolina ~1,900, Boise St to LA Tech ~1,500, Washington to Arizona ~1,200, Hawaii to ??? - A Lot)
 
Hawkeye80 said:
I still want Texas. I feel the Big Ten is going to go big or they won't do anything at all, adding Pitt just doesn’t seem like a big addition to the Big 10.

I would like to see 5 teams added to create 2 Big Ten divisions of 8. I believe the 5 teams below would be a great fit for the Big Ten, although I've debated with myself on the feasibility of the 5th team being accepted due to academics.

1. Texas
2. Nebraska
3. Kansas
4. Missouri
5a. Oklahoma (Con: not an American Association of Universities member. Pro: *Nationally recognized football team *Maintain Oklahoma/Texas rivalry *the entire conference would be connected by state boundaries)
5b. Texas A&M (Con: *A&M isn't Oklahoma *Texas would not border another Big Ten state Pro: *member of the AAU *great football tradition)

Reasons why I believe these 5 would make the Big Ten better:
A) TV Sets added - $$$ - Over 1/3 of the nations population would be in a Big Ten state, the addition of these 5 states would increase the Big Ten population by 50%, mostly due to Texas. This is ultimately how the Big Ten will decide who joins the conference.
B) Other than Oklahoma all teams are AAU schools, so that would allow them to join the Big Ten's Committee on Institutional Cooperation creating a premier academic conference. (I still want Oklahoma in the conference if possible)
C) The Big Ten would become the elite football conference in the eyes of the media: Texas, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, & Michigan.
D) Big Ten basketball recognition would rival ACC/Big East especially with the addition of Kansas


Divisions
EAST
Illinois
Northwestern
Purdue
Indiana
Michigan St
Michigan
Ohio State
Penn State

WEST
Nebraska
Kansas
Oklahoma
Texas
Missouri
Minnesota
Iowa
Wisconsin

East/West divisions keep rivalries intact and the divisions would be competitive with each other (unlike Big 12 North/South). With 12 games total, each team would play 7 division games, 2 non-division games, & 3 OOC games.

I don't believe distance between schools would be an issue as the longest distance Texas would have to travel in their division would be ~1,200 miles to Wisconsin/Minnesota. There are numerous schools that have to travel as far or further (Miami to B.C ~1,250, UTEP to E. Carolina ~1,900, Boise St to LA Tech ~1,500, Washington to Arizona ~1,200, Hawaii to ??? - A Lot)
Click to expand...

easily the dumbest post I've ever read...you really took a bunch of time to think and type this out? a super conference huh? do you really want Iowa to NEVER have a chance to win? reading your post, is one minute of my life I will never get back....
 
Pitt coming over would kill the Little LEast in football. If that happened, the Little LEast should seriously think about working an arrangement to become an East/West super-conference with the MWC. Otherwise, they would lose their BCS slot to the MWC within a couple of years.

Now, for everyone that says that Pitt wouldn't increase television sets, I am not sure. The Big Ten's next move is to get the BTN on basic expanded cable as opposed to premium in more areas.

However, if the Big Ten did this, I wouldn't be surprised if they decided to try to be the first super-conference and lock down at least two more teams. Heck, I would even go up to 16 by adding Syracuse, Rutgers, Missouri, and someone else, perhaps Nebby. That would screw the other networks and make the BTN have to be basic expanded cable in a large section of the US.

I would also lock ND out of the Big Ten scheduling. Without UM, Purdue, MSU, and Pitt on their yearly schedule, they would have to scramble to find some other high profile teams to play, and force them to travel outside their region a lot more. Also, you know the SEC wouldn't take the offer to play in South Bend. I bet the Big Twelve wouldn't be too anxious to travel up there as well.

If something like this did happen, there would be a run on the more profitable teams in the MWC. The Big Twelve would probably try to pull in Utah and BYU, but the Pac Ten might decide to jump in.
 
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ND will NEVER EVER join the B10. I don't know why people have a hard time understanding this.
 
Pitt is a member of the Association of American Universities. The Big10 is the only conference that has ALL of its current members as part of this organization.
Based on this here are the available programs:

Arizona - not going to happen from a geographic sense.
Florida - not going to happen for many obvious reasons.
Iowa State - doubtful at best simply because the state doesn't bring much to the table
Kansas - highly doubt they would leave the Big12
Maryland - don't see this happening ACC
Missouri - Big12
Nebraska - Big12
Rutgers - brings nothing to the table athletically
North Carolina - ACC
Oregon - Pac10
Pitt - highly likely
Texas - Big12
Texas A*M - I would love this as I have family who graduated from their.
Virginia - ACC
Washington - geography
Duke - too much history ACC
Stanford - geography
Syracuse -
USC - geography and Pac10 leader
Vanderbilt - would love to have them

So of the above choices I think we can narrow them down to the following, in order:

Pitt
Syracuse
Vanderbilt
Texas A&M
Missouri
Iowa State

I don't think that Vandy, A&M, Missouri or ISU would really gain anything by joining the Big10 as they are already in a power conference. A&M would probably get rolled in recruiting by TX, Tech, OK, OK St and maybe even Baylor as that area of the country lives and breathes the Big12. Vandy doesn't have a football program to speak of so they probably aren't at the top of the conferences wish list but I would absolutely love it as I live in Nashville. Iowa State doesn't bring enough to the table. The Iowa market isn't exactly that big to the rest of the world.

That leaves Pitt and Syracuse. Syracuse was one of the original Big East teams and they would be only the 2nd private school in the Big10. New York certainly would be a nice market to tap into on a regular basis but I would have a hard time seeing one of the charter schools jump ship.

That leaves Pitt. Instate rivalry, bigger TV audience, great academics, geographically a push and since PSU is on an island so to speak I think that could create a much bigger presence in the northeast than the Big10 currently holds.

I see it happening or that the very least, forcing ND to either poop or get off the pot. We all know that we want ND in our conference for many reason$$$$$$. Add in the fact that they are sitting in the heart of the Big10 geographically and it's the best fit (other than not being a member of the Assoc. of Am. Universities).
 
Pitt is a good choice. Here's why...

Forget about what you want. Think about what current Big Ten athletic programs and university presidents want.

1. Give us a 12th team so we can have a championship game.
2. Give us a respectable academic institution.
3. Give us a good, but not great (or even potentially great), athletic program to add to the other 11.

Why #3? Because we want a little competition, but not too much. Do you want to lose to Texas every year in football and basketball? No thank you. Do you really want to add to Notre Dame's aura of greatness by adding them to the greatest conference? No thank you.

Rutgers and Syracuse instead? Possibly, but I wonder how many more tv viewers that Big Ten network would get from NY/NJ that it doesn't already get?

As stated previously, Pittsburgh gives a nice rival to Penn State, which doesn't have a natural rival in the current Big Ten.

Pittsburgh doesn't add much to the Big Ten, and that's probably just fine with the people that will make this decision.
 
This Pitt thing is not going to happen and will people stop talking about Texas joining the BigTen - this is just stupid. Distance aside Texas is a southern school and we are a northern conference - it is cold here - they're not used to the cold and would lose more games in the BigTen than in the Big 12 for that reason alone.
 
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