WSJ: Iowa State could be odd man out in conference realignment

tweeterhawk

tweeterhawk

Well-Known Member
NCAA Football: Schools That Could End Up Nowhere | Wall Street Journal

So which schools' fans should be the most nervous? According to six former coaches, athletic directors and TV media and marketing experts contacted by the Journal, the six most vulnerable programs are Baylor, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Louisville, South Florida and TCU. These schools, said former Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer, "are in a really tough spot right now." ...

Experts say each of these schools faces some combination of the five factors that can limit a program's ability to jump conferences. One problem with South Florida and TCU, they say, is that they lack tradition. USF didn't join major college football until 2001. And while TCU has played football for more than a century, it hasn't played as a BCS conference member.

Not only do Baylor and Iowa State play in small media markets, experts say, they also lack the prestige of other Big 12 teams such as Oklahoma and Texas. The Bears and Cyclones also have another strike: they're not the most popular programs in their own states.

Ouch.
 
If isu football were to be relegated to the MWC or CUSA, Iowa would be the ONLY team left in the state, which increases Iowa's worth. As Paula once said a few years ago, anything bad for isu is good for Iowa.

"Iowa State and Baylor did not respond to requests for comment Monday." Jamie was probably crying and didn't want to sob into the telephone.
 
Last edited:
I would imagine Pollard is having tea with Delaney everyday discussing the timeframe about when the clowns will be invited to the Big 10. This is all very hush, hush...Of course, in reality Pollard is sitting in a room by himself, sipping tea, and trying to call Delaney everyday...unfortunately, the line is always busy.
 
One of the most amusing angles to this story is the 2011 season. Many clowns are convinced that somehow one good season will wipe out a long history of futility and mediocre support. And they'll suddenly be attractive to major conferences.

It won't... and they won't.

Iowa State could go 10-2 this year, and they're still....Iowa State. Only a sucker would buy.
 
After reading the article this comment to me made the most sense:

Former Miami athletic director Sam Jankovich said some of these schools—like Iowa State—should be looking for others who might be left out to "see if you could put together a real good conference."



"The only thing that's left for some of these schools is to hope there's enough Big 12 and Big East schools left to form their own football conference," said a former football official familiar with the matter. "Until then, everybody will be nervous."


Since it is unclear right now who will remain in the Big 12 and Big East it is difficult to organize a new conference. The exit of five teams from the Big 12 still leaves five teams. Those five could use the Big 12 assets and add the remaining Big East members to avoid the financial problems and avoid legal battles.
 
You guys are forgetting ISU's ace-in-the-hole: "The Cyclone Network" (Channel 99 on Mediacom...Ames & Des Moines, only).
 
If the remnants of the Big East and the B12 can come to some kind of merger agreement then ISU will be just fine. They will not get a TV contract like all the other conferences are getting but they might retain their BCS status. If both conferences dissolve then ISU might be looking at Conference USA or Mountain West.
 
There are already guys from the bigger non-BCS conferences talking about an alliance of all the leftovers.

The four team superconferences will be broken up into 4 divisions for each conference. The winners of the four divisions will play a semi-final playoff and then there will be a championship. Those three games are going to make a boatload of money for the conferences.

After that, there will be a two game playoff system between the four conference champions.

The other schools will be left out of this system and are looking to create a similar system, which will save travel and administrative costs.
 
I hope ISU finds itself into a conference, because I fear if they don't, the Board of Regents is going to try to do something nuts like require ISU to be linked to Iowa. That would be a disaster. Therefore, I hope ISU finds a soft place to land if the Big 12 blows up.
 
NewMexHawk said:
If isu football were to be relegated to the MWC or CUSA, Iowa would be the ONLY team left in the state, which increases Iowa's worth. As Paula once said a few years ago, anything bad for isu is good for Iowa.
Click to expand...

I saved Paul Clark's comments from 2008. Here they are:

http://www.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=829668


Here was the clip and save from that entire item:

What's bad for Iowa football is good for Iowa State football, and vice versa. Choose to not believe that if you'd like, but it's true.

Give the entire item a read to get a sense of Paul's disdain ;)
 
Jon, should Iowa State become an orphan if/when the Big 12 dissolves, is it realistic to think the Board of Regents would attempt to force a BIG membership or attempt to leverage Iowa's participation?
 
ssckelley said:
If the remnants of the Big East and the B12 can come to some kind of merger agreement then ISU will be just fine. They will not get a TV contract like all the other conferences are getting but they might retain their BCS status. If both conferences dissolve then ISU might be looking at Conference USA or Mountain West.
Click to expand...

the problem is that ISU is broke without the big XII contract or something similar. they just borrowed like $40,000,000 based on those revenue projections.
 
tweeterhawk said:
Jon, should Iowa State become an orphan if/when the Big 12 dissolves, is it realistic to think the Board of Regents would attempt to force a BIG membership or attempt to leverage Iowa's participation?
Click to expand...


Yes, that makes perfect sense! The BOR will tell the B10 to take ISU, or they'll pull Iowa out of the B10! I'm sure that will do the trick. Delaney, OSU, and Michigane will be quaking in their boots.
 
tweeterhawk said:
Jon, should Iowa State become an orphan if/when the Big 12 dissolves, is it realistic to think the Board of Regents would attempt to force a BIG membership or attempt to leverage Iowa's participation?
Click to expand...

The BOR doesn't have that power and even if it did, one of Iowa's largest donors sits on the board. I don't see it happening.
 
9YRPLAN said:
the problem is that ISU is broke without the big XII contract or something similar. they just borrowed like $40,000,000 based on those revenue projections.
Click to expand...

I realize that and thats their own fault/problem.

It would be funny as heck to see Iowa State on one of those repo shows. I would love to see them cart that big ole scoreboard off.
 
If you don't care about ISU now, do you think I or Iowa State Fans will care that much about Iowa if we get left out?

Look, the collegiate thing to do is to "leave no man behind." If they don't, and it is exposed that this is just an exercise to maximize profits - money coming into the conferences and their member institutions - then this has nothing to do with amateur athletics any more. At that point, it by definition is a professional sports business and the non-profit exemption for BCS conferences really needs to go away.

If these conferences can't find room in their money-grubbing conferences for 6 schools, then I say blow it up with the nuclear option.

It's beyond interesting, funny and intriguing now. It's time to let the Dodds, Borens, Delaneys and Scotts know there will be consequences. What else do we have to lose? There are a lot more people who don't care about college sports than do care, and at this point there is money on the table.
 
NobodyBeatsCy said:
If you don't care about ISU now, do you think I or Iowa State Fans will care that much about Iowa if we get left out?

Look, the collegiate thing to do is to "leave no man behind." If they don't, and it is exposed that this is just an exercise to maximize profits - money coming into the conferences and their member institutions - then this has nothing to do with amateur athletics any more. At that point, it by definition is a professional sports business and the non-profit exemption for BCS conferences really needs to go away.

If these conferences can't find room in their money-grubbing conferences for 6 schools, then I say blow it up with the nuclear option.

It's beyond interesting, funny and intriguing now. It's time to let the Dodds, Borens, Delaneys and Scotts know there will be consequences. What else do we have to lose? There are a lot more people who don't care about college sports than do care, and at this point there is money on the table.
Click to expand...

FIGHT THE POWER!!!!

:rolleyes:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Share this page

Top