Where does expansion go from here?

Hawkfromnorwalk

Hawkfromnorwalk

Well-Known Member
With the B1G firing the most recent shot in the realignment game that puts two conferences at 14 teams and another at 13 (I'm sure the ACC will move immediately to fill Maryland's spot). The Big East is on life support now and any programs they have left with any sort of value are soon to get snatched up if conferences start moving to 16 teams.

The Pac-12 hasn't said anything yet but it's fairly well known that Scott is a commissioner that is really behind expansion and if they decide to move to 14 or 16 teams they really only have one legitimate option, to look across the Rockies and the deserts into Big 12 territory.

Recent events are leading many to think in the end there will be four conferences left standing when everything is said and done. The SEC, B1G, and Pac 12 are currently standing on good ground. So where does the 4th conference come from? The ACC tried to get a leg up on the competition by moving to 14 teams when they added Pitt and 'Cuse and now they will be looking to add again. The Big 12 however stayed on their hand, and proclaimed that a 10 team league was their best option. If conferences start grabbing up teams again which conference will survive? The ACC or the Big 12? Or maybe it will be a combination of both?
 
The ACC is the next conference to go, the B12 makes a proactive strike to get FSU, Clemson, Miami and some other schools as the Pac-12 tries to reopen discussions with Texas and Oklahoma.
 
I really think if this goes down and conferences move to 16 you are probably going to see some sort of merger between the ACC and the Big 12. Both of those conferences look like they will be raided in that situation. Like I said, the Pac 12 only has one real option and that is too look at the Big 12 and see what they can get. There are no schools on the west coast in the MWC or WAC that are very enticing to make the jump up. That is another reason why I think the Pac 12 added Utah and Colorado so they could bridge the gap to add more Big 12 schools then the time is right.
 
UConn is going to the ACC. That should be announced tomorrow, so they have already replaced Maryland. The ACC could lose two more to the Big 10 and still be fine. But if the Big 10 goes to 16, others conferences will try to get there also. The SEC will get whatever two teams they desire from the ACC, and I think the Pac 12 comes knocking on the Big 12's door, but I doubt they will succeed. As long as Texas wants the Big 12, the Big 12 lives. So the Big 12 most likely will be able to raid the ACC also, and then the ACC and Big East will have to combine to survive. I guess what I'm saying is the SEC and Big 10 might be the only two conferences that will be able to get to 16 unless Texas gets the urge to shake things up again.
 
SEC goes after Texas/Oklahoma and Miami/FSU. First pair to jump gets into the big boy conference. Wouldn't surprise me to see all 4 join and make the first true "Super Conference" with 4 five team divisions, semi-finals and championship game.

ACC/Big East merge

PAC12 goes after Texas/Oklahoma if they don't go to the SEC.
 
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16 will mean somebody has to take something they don't want. And this will come down primarily to the P12.

The P12 desperately needs to get into the CTZ so their teams get seen by the rest of the country. That means some form of B12 move. Scott and Bowlsby are really close. In fact, Scott worked hard to get Bowlsby that position. So, it would make sense they are working together in each other's best interest.
 
Xerxes said:
SEC goes after Texas/Oklahoma and Florida/FSU. First pair to jump gets into the big boy conference. Wouldn't surprise me to see all 4 join and make the first true "Super Conference" with 4 five team divisions, semi-finals and championship game.

ACC/Big East merge

PAC12 goes after Texas/Oklahoma if they don't go to the SEC.
Click to expand...

I don't think Texas wants anything to do with the SEC, especially after TAMU bailed for the SEC.
 
Xerxes said:
SEC goes after Texas/Oklahoma and Florida/FSU. First pair to jump gets into the big boy conference. Wouldn't surprise me to see all 4 join and make the first true "Super Conference" with 4 five team divisions, semi-finals and championship game.

ACC/Big East merge

PAC12 goes after Texas/Oklahoma if they don't go to the SEC.
Click to expand...

I think the SEC won't have much of a problem at all in getting Florida to join. Could be done today already.
 
CAARHawk said:
16 will mean somebody has to take something they don't want.
Click to expand...

Luckily, teh BoneG was proactive on this. By taking two teams nobody wants, they open up other conferences to go after schools with decent football programs.

/I got my tix for Iowa-Maryland lacrosse already #yeahujelly
 
GhostofBTT said:
Luckily, teh BoneG was proactive on this. By taking two teams nobody wants, they open up other conferences to go after schools with decent football programs.

/I got my tix for Iowa-Maryland lacrosse already #yeahujelly
Click to expand...

I can only think this move was the connector move to get the schools the conference really wants. Whomever, that might be.

Last year everyone was saying UVA and UNC. That would make a group of institutions that would be impossible to match on the grounds of research and athletics combined.
 
CAARHawk said:
I can only think this move was the connector move to get the schools the conference really wants. Whomever, that might be.

Last year everyone was saying UVA and UNC. That would make a group of institutions that would be impossible to match on the grounds of research and athletics combined.
Click to expand...

Having lived in Virginia for nearly a decade I can tell you that the UVA athletic following is small even within the state. They garner mild interest in the odd year when they field a decent football or BB team. When I say the men's lacrosse team has AT LEAST as large a following as the football team, I'm not joking. From an academic standpoint they're terrific.

I'd prefer to jump over VA and take a crack a Duke/UNC combination. None of these three bring much in the way of football tradition although at least the latter two bring basketball. And any of them would be welcome additions to the research collective.
 
this could get interesting especially since acc is considering Louisville who was always one of the teams big 12 wanted. If this causes the big 12 to jump and grap them before the ACC then they'd need another and all hell could break loose
 
My Prediction

  1. B1G nabs Rutgers = 14
  2. SEC picks up VA Tech, NC St = 16
  3. BigXII picks up FSU, Clemson, GA Tech, & Miami = 14
  4. ACC gives up and decides to merge with the eastern schools in the Big East
  5. ND says WTF!?
  6. B1G gets UVA, UNC, & Duke ready to jump, then plays chicken with ND
    • if ND blinks its Heels + Dukies = 16
    • otherwise Irish + Hoos = 16
  7. BigXII takes whats left ... either UNC & Duke or Virginia & Louisville
  8. Pac12 picks up what they can ... Boise St, BYU = 14
    • ... then maybe pick 2 from: (San Diego St, New Mexico, Hawaii, Fresno St, UNLV, Nevada)
  9. anyone want the B1G to go to 20? (Pitt, Syracuse, & BC do)
  10. NCAA gives up and recognizes Delany as supreme commander of the college sports universe
 
The thing that makes this round of expansion soooo much better than the talks in summer is that now ND is ranked #1.
 
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