Breaking from the Athletic: Big 10 to invite Washington and Oregon

For the division fanatics, there are not going to be divisions.
The chatter on the BTN is that there will be 10 FB conference games and the BIG ADs are going to be asking their FB and BB coaches what are your plans to deal with the markedly increased level of competition.
This is particularly true for the FB coaches in the Weak West who were able to win the West as some poor-level achievement.
 

So the PAC-12 is down to Stanford, Cal, Oregon State, Washington State, Utah, and Arizona State.

Would that make them a six-PAC?
ASU and Utah to big twelvish by tomorrow.
 

For the division fanatics, there are not going to be divisions.
The chatter on the BTN is that there will be 10 FB conference games and the BIG ADs are going to be asking their FB and BB coaches what are your plans to deal with the markedly increased level of competition.
This is particularly true for the FB coaches in the Weak West who were able to win the West as some poor-level achievement.
I don't know what any school can do, short of buying players.

Gophers can hang with any of the new guys (in football anyway) but I don't expect recruiting to move up or down due to Oregon or Washington
 

If it's true that Oregon and Washington agreed to a smaller revenue split then that sets a scary precedent for schools like us in the future.

There is reason for concern for all of the mid-tier programs in the conference. A buddy of mine caught the end of a B1G expansion discussion on XM earlier today that mentioned Iowa as an example of a school that could get pushed out or made to accept a smaller piece of the pie to stay.
 




I assume this means the end of the Apple Cup and the Civil War, much like OU’s move to the SEC is ending Bedlam. As a lover of college football traditions and rivalries, I hate this trend. But none of these schools checked with me, so I have to accept it.
Unless leagues go 100% conference games, I would expect both to continue as non-conference games.
 

Based upon how we are treated with bowl games, they would probably send MN out that way. They would use our NHL and NBA ties out West as justification. Feels like if they were going to kick anyone in the nuts it would be us.

One of the biggest complaints against expansion is that it dilutes historical Big Ten rivalries. There's zero chance that the Big Ten brass would send Minnesota west in favor of Nebraska. They'll keep as many rivalries together as possible.
 

If it's true that Oregon and Washington agreed to a smaller revenue split then that sets a scary precedent for schools like us in the future.
It's perfectly normal. Most new members don't get a full revenue share until enough hears have past. In this case, Oregon and Washington will get their full share when the next contract is negotiated.

There is nothing to fear.
 



For the division fanatics, there are not going to be divisions.
The chatter on the BTN is that there will be 10 FB conference games and the BIG ADs are going to be asking their FB and BB coaches what are your plans to deal with the markedly increased level of competition.
This is particularly true for the FB coaches in the Weak West who were able to win the West as some poor-level achievement.
There will be when they reach 20 teams.
 

For the division fanatics, there are not going to be divisions.
The chatter on the BTN is that there will be 10 FB conference games and the BIG ADs are going to be asking their FB and BB coaches what are your plans to deal with the markedly increased level of competition.
This is particularly true for the FB coaches in the Weak West who were able to win the West as some poor-level achievement.
10 conference games would change the scheduling flexibility immensely. Would be expensive as many schools would have to buy their way out of contracts for games that are only 13 months away.

Oregon and washington IMO don’t really change the dynamic of difficulty very much. It was already difficult. It remains difficult.
 


There is reason for concern for all of the mid-tier programs in the conference. A buddy of mine caught the end of a B1G expansion discussion on XM earlier today that mentioned Iowa as an example of a school that could get pushed out or made to accept a smaller piece of the pie to stay.
No chance a founding member gets pushed out. That would be unprecedented and would (I assume) require every other school in the conference to vote to remove them.

Conference also needs a unanimous vote to approve any future media rights deals, so there's also no way a media rights deal reducing a founding member's slice of the pie gets approved either.
 



I assume this means the end of the Apple Cup and the Civil War, much like OU’s move to the SEC is ending Bedlam. As a lover of college football traditions and rivalries, I hate this trend. But none of these schools checked with me, so I have to accept it.
Not necessarily. Unlike the SEC, there is a precedent within the B1G of a permanent, annual instate non-conference rivalry game being played with the annual Iowa-Iowa State game. Washington and Oregon could chose to go this route with their instate rivals.

EDIT: I was wrong about there not being precedent of permanent, in-state non-conference rivalries being played.
 
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Not necessarily. Unlike the SEC, there is a precedent within the B1G of a permanent, annual instate non-conference rivalry game being played with the annual Iowa-Iowa State game. Washington and Oregon could chose to go this route with their instate rivals.
In the SEC there is that as well:

South Carolina - Clemson
Florida - Florida state
Georgia - Georgia tech
Kentucky - Louisville
 

Unless leagues go 100% conference games, I would expect both to continue as non-conference games.
If the Big Ten goes to 10 conference games (which seems inevitable now), non-conference games will likely be exclusively of the cupcake type. Gundy has already said Bedlam is becoming a thing of the past. Maybe Big Ten teams will follow the SEC model and schedule one of their cupcake games late in the year to give their players a semi-off week prior to the big rivalry games.
 

In the SEC there is that as well:

South Carolina - Clemson
Florida - Florida state
Georgia - Georgia tech
Kentucky - Louisville
Didn't know that, my bad.

So I guess it really boils down to how much UW and Oregon care about their respective in-state rivalries.
 

In the SEC there is that as well:

South Carolina - Clemson
Florida - Florida state
Georgia - Georgia tech
Kentucky - Louisville
True, but the SEC has only been playing eight conference games.
 

For the division fanatics, there are not going to be divisions.
The chatter on the BTN is that there will be 10 FB conference games and the BIG ADs are going to be asking their FB and BB coaches what are your plans to deal with the markedly increased level of competition.
This is particularly true for the FB coaches in the Weak West who were able to win the West as some poor-level achievement.
A rising tide raises all boats.
 

There is reason for concern for all of the mid-tier programs in the conference. A buddy of mine caught the end of a B1G expansion discussion on XM earlier today that mentioned Iowa as an example of a school that could get pushed out or made to accept a smaller piece of the pie to stay.
Umm, no.
 


Didn't know that, my bad.

So I guess it really boils down to how much UW and Oregon care about their respective in-state rivalries.
I think it really comes down to the negotiation.
I am sure Oregon state and wazzu will still want to play the games if they are home and home

If Oregon or Washington try to make it a 2 for 1 or a 2-1-neutral Oregon state and wazzu may tell them they can’t have their cake and eat it too. If Oregon state and wazzu want to someday get invited to the big 12 or a conference equal or better than the new big 12…they probably have to play major conference opponents and win often.
 

If the B10 expands to 20 teams and we take Cal over ND because ND rejects joining, there should be an informal agreement among all B10 schools to not schedule ND football as a non-conference game. End their games vs. USC, Stanford, Michigan, etc - don't continue to allow them to cash in on their own programing by playing B10 programs.
 

If the B10 expands to 20 teams and we take Cal over ND because ND rejects joining, there should be an informal agreement among all B10 schools to not schedule ND football as a non-conference game. End their games vs. USC, Stanford, Michigan, etc - don't continue to allow them to cash in on their own programing by playing B10 programs.
I saw some minor speculation today that rather than stooping to the Big 12 or heaven forbid, MWC, Cal and Stanford might play independent football. That might offer a couple of replacement games for the Irish if Big 18 games are off the table.
 

I think it really comes down to the negotiation.
I am sure Oregon state and wazzu will still want to play the games if they are home and home

If Oregon or Washington try to make it a 2 for 1 or a 2-1-neutral Oregon state and wazzu may tell them they can’t have their cake and eat it too. If Oregon state and wazzu want to someday get invited to the big 12 or a conference equal or better than the new big 12…they probably have to play major conference opponents and win often.
Oregon's press release announcing Big 10 acceptance said it would prioritize its rivalries with OSU.
 

If it's true that Oregon and Washington agreed to a smaller revenue split then that sets a scary precedent for schools like us in the future.

Florida State is reportedly entertaining deals with private equity firms, trading future media rights for money to disentangle themselves from the shortsighted 20 year contract they and the other ACC schools agree to.

If, and this is strictly hypothetical (but not out of the realm of possibility), the heavy hitters of the PE world or other global wealth consortiums start coming around offering, say, X amount of money to facilitate the biggest schools of each conference to exit their contracts to form a super conference would that be a bridge too far. No revenue sharing with the middle tier and little sisters.


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Florida State is reportedly entertaining deals with private equity firms, trading future media rights for money to disentangle themselves from the shortsighted 20 year contract they and the other ACC schools agree to.

If, and this is strictly hypothetical (but not out of the realm of possibility), the heavy hitters of the PE world or other global wealth consortiums start coming around offering, say, X amount of money to facilitate the biggest schools of each conference to exit their contracts to form a super conference would that be a bridge too far. No revenue sharing with the middle tier and little sisters.


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So you mean what they tried to do with soccer.
 

Oregon's press release announcing Big 10 acceptance said it would prioritize its rivalries with OSU.
Correct. But it takes two to tango.
And if Oregon wants to keep the rivalry but not at 1:1 Oregon state might not
 






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