Pitt to the Big Ten?

[Gopher07]

Could be closer than you think:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/336734-and-pittsburgh-makes-12-the-big-ten-to-add-the-panthers

According to several reports, including personal statements by student athletes on Twitter, Pittsburgh athletic department officials held closed door meetings with all of the University's student athletes last week about the potential move.

Pitt message boards lit up with the news and the validity of the rumor, though not verified by the University or either conference, was somewhat reinforced when those Pitt athletes who posted about the meeting on their Twitter accounts were forced to remove the posts.

This weekend, many outlets are reporting that Pittsburgh has indeed decided to accept the Big Ten's invitation and will formally announce the move to the Big Ten on Thursday, Feb. 4, a coincidental (or not) day after National Signing Day.

 

[GoGophers2005]

I know there was another thread about this but I feel Pitt isn't up to Big Ten standards based on their football stadium situation. The Gophers were Big Ten members from inception so our stadium situation in the Metrodome can be ignored. However adding a new member to the Big Ten I believe sharing an NFL stadium is a big mistake as far as image goes. I also take exception to Syracuse's stadium situation. These stadiums are not in the best interests of the Big Ten image wise.

 

[gophmeister]

If it had to be a Big East school, I say Pitt is our best option with Syracuse a close second. We get good basketball too and that doesn't hurt either.

 

[MDGopherFan]

I know there was another thread about this but I feel Pitt isn't up to Big Ten standards based on their football stadium situation. The Gophers were Big Ten members from inception so our stadium situation in the Metrodome can be ignored. However adding a new member to the Big Ten I believe sharing an NFL stadium is a big mistake as far as image goes. I also take exception to Syracuse's stadium situation. These stadiums are not in the best interests of the Big Ten image wise.

Yup...and Northwestern's stadium is stellar and up to "Big Ten Standards"? That seems a trivial point to me.

 

[Ski-U-Mah24]

Not that the Metrodome was anything to brag about, but imo Heinz Field and the Carrier Dome trump Ryan Field GoGophers 2005...however, I guess I would take an outdoor stadium over indoor any day for football

 

[at the bar]

I also take exception to Syracuse's stadium situation. These stadiums are not in the best interests of the Big Ten image wise.

What's wrong with Syracuse's stadium situation? They have their own stadium right in the middle of campus. It may not be outdoor football but the Cuse usually ranks #1 or #2 in basketball attendence every year. And they sell beer at all games!!

 

[harley_gopher]

Pitt is just not Big Ten worthy

I guess that I don't know too much about Pitt. When you think of the Big Ten, you vision deep history and tradition. Each of the current Big Ten schools have plenty of that. What kind of picture do you get when you think of Pitt? Is Pitt a state-run universtity or is it private? It fits geographically...but academically?

 

[RodentRampage]

From the Pitt website, it was founded in 1787 as a private university, it became public in 1966.

 

[WAGopher]

Pitt was founded as a private school in 1787. It became a state-related (whatever that means) university in 1966.

Apologies for the double post.

 

[at the bar]

If the expansion is about $, Pitt doesn't do much. They don't add B11 network viewers because they are in the Penn St. footprint. The only reason to take Pitt is it brings the B11 to 12 teams for a football championship game.

If Pitt is the only school joining, that should mean that Notre Dame, Texas, Missouri, and Nebraska all said no.

 

[highwayman]

Well if it's Pitt, here we go:

Great Lakes Division
Michigan
Michigan State
Northwestern
Ohio State
Penn State
Pittsburgh

Great Plains Division
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Minnesota
Purdue
Wisconsin

You have to split up either NW-Illinois or Indiana-Purdue. I think the latter rivalry is bigger than the prior. This is my take.

 

[homerdance]

Not that the Metrodome was anything to brag about, but imo Heinz Field and the Carrier Dome trump Ryan Field GoGophers 2005...however, I guess I would take an outdoor stadium over indoor any day for football

That looks like Dyke staduim, but there are to many people there for it to be a Northwestern game, was this photoshopped?

 

[gophmeister]

Well if it's Pitt, here we go:

Great Lakes Division
Michigan
Michigan State
Northwestern
Ohio State
Penn State
Pittsburgh

Great Plains Division
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Minnesota
Purdue
Wisconsin

You have to split up either NW-Illinois or Indiana-Purdue. I think the latter rivalry is bigger than the prior. This is my take.

I don't think this configuration is gonna fly. The East is too stacked with powerhouses. I think they'll go with a North - South arrangement.

'South' Division
Illinois
Indiana
Ohio State
Penn State
Pittsburgh
Purdue

'North' Division

Iowa
Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
Northwestern
Wisconsin

 

[NateDawgUM]

I guess that I don't know too much about Pitt. When you think of the Big Ten, you vision deep history and tradition. Each of the current Big Ten schools have plenty of that. What kind of picture do you get when you think of Pitt? Is Pitt a state-run universtity or is it private? It fits geographically...but academically?

You obviously don't now ANYTHING about college football if you don't think Pitt is deep in history and tradition.

 

[gophmeister]

If Pitt is the only school joining, that should mean that Notre Dame, Texas, Missouri, and Nebraska all said no.

I have a feeling they only asked one of those schools. Pitt is a lot like Minnesota in some sense. Urban campus, lots of success far out (not as far as us) memory of the fans, and doing their best to recapture their old glory so to speak. What is funny to me is, the Pitt fans are already talking about building a new football stadium back on campus.

 

[gophmeister]

Oh I have a Pitt glory years football connection. My brother used to work with Marshall Goldberg who was a back there in the 30s, I think.

 

[RodentRampage]

I still think the Michigan and OSU are a roadblock to a championship game. Keep them in the same division, and they will be upset that they can't pklay each other for the conference championship. Put them in different divisions, and you have another dilemma: Do they play each year? If so, then in many years, you could just have a rematch in the championship game. Then again, rematches in conference championship games are going to happen all the time.

As for aligning divisions, I would the divisions to be over the long term competitive with each other. There's a large number of ways you could divide the conference geographically, depending on how you draw the line. The Great Lakes/Great Plains idea sounds ok, but Minnesota and Wisconsin would probably balk at not being in the Great Lakes division. Granted, the Twin Cities is a long ways from Lake Superior, but the University of Minnesota represents the whole state.

 

[Schnauzer]

I really don't know the answer to this so I am not asking this to get some answer I am already looking for... I just wonder if all the talk from Penn State and Paterno led to this. Were there back room conversations about Penn State being upset they don't have a local rival in their conference?

With the addition of Penn State and now potentially Pitt, Minnesota really starts to look like it is out on the frontier within the Big 10. Pitt is just 3 hours from OSU. There are a lot of great opportunities for the fans to go on easy road trips. Not so much, for us.

 

[mnboiler]

Honestly who cares if the Gophers are in the Great Lakes or Great Plains. It's just like being in the Atlanic or Coastal division in the ACC it means jack squat. Hell if its going to be that big of deal we can call them Division A and Division 1, for all I care. I ran the B10 I would break the division down:

Great Lakes(Division A)
MSU
OSU
Michigan
Pitt
Penn State
Ill

Great Plains(Division 1)
Iowa
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Purdue
IU
ILL

 

[mnboiler]

I really don't know the answer to this so I am not asking this to get some answer I am already looking for... I just wonder if all the talk from Penn State and Paterno led to this. Were there back room conversations about Penn State being upset they don't have a local rival in their conference?

With the addition of Penn State and now potentially Pitt, Minnesota really starts to look like it is out on the frontier within the Big 10. Pitt is just 3 hours from OSU. There are a lot of great opportunities for the fans to go on easy road trips. Not so much, for us.

I realize what you are saying Schnauzer but if are saying that you wouldn't road trip it to Pitt at the first possible chance. Because if you say you aren't I'm call BS. I know if Pitt ends up going to the B10, I'm road tripping the first possible chance.

 

[Gopherprof]

I guess that I don't know too much about Pitt. When you think of the Big Ten, you vision deep history and tradition. Each of the current Big Ten schools have plenty of that. What kind of picture do you get when you think of Pitt? Is Pitt a state-run universtity or is it private? It fits geographically...but academically?

Are you serious?

Dan Marino, Tony Dorsett, the 1976 national championship. Granted, this was 30 years ago, but there is football tradition at Pitt. Not to mention the great Larry Fitzgerald.

And as far as the academics go, Pittsburgh is at least a tier two academic school for research. About on par with Iowa and Michigan State (these things vary wildly by field). Rutgers and Pitt were always my top two because they were the strongest academic schools.

 

[alltimetwinsfan]

I don't know anything other than my personal thoughts, but if Pittsburgh is going to be the 12th school in the Big Ten, I'm not convinced they're the only team that's going to be asked to join.

 

[WilliamsArenaGuy]

I still think the Michigan and OSU are a roadblock to a championship game. Keep them in the same division, and they will be upset that they can't pklay each other for the conference championship.

Is this really an issue? Can Auburn and Alabama play for SEC championship? Florida-Georgia? Oklahoma-Texas in the Big 12?

Who cares? The traditional rivals should all be the same division and play every year.

 

[Schnauzer]

I was just reading through one of their (Pitt) boards (which of course is being dominated by the Big 10 rumors). They seem to think the Big 10 is on par with the MIAC in basketball. Of course, someone from a Big 10 board posts from time to time listing final four numbers, head to head numbers, etc. etc. but the big reply to that is the Big East schedule is so hard all the teams are worn out by tournament time. Also, lots of talk about how "boring" Big 10 sports are. I was surprised at the overall negative tone a large percentate of their fans have for the Big 10.

In the middle of all the posts listing US News and World Report rankings, endowment totals, etc. etc., it was interesting to see that Pitt would replace Iowa as the Big 10's second smallest school in terms of enrollment.

 

[Gopherprof]

They could just as easily split Michigan-Ohio State (or anyone, for that matter) and have one permanent opponent from the other division. That way, the power balance between the conferences will be split, you'll still face your main rival every year, and there is the chance of meeting again in the title game. I suppose you lose some luster when there is a rematch for the title game, but I think that's the best solution.

I certainly don't want a Big 12 situation where the balance of power is so painfully offset.

 

[RodentRampage]

Is this really an issue? Can Auburn and Alabama play for SEC championship? Florida-Georgia? Oklahoma-Texas in the Big 12?

Who cares? The traditional rivals should all be the same division and play every year.

It doesn't matter what should be. It's only a question of whether we could get all the schools to agree to it. OSU and Michigan do have some holdover mentality from the days of the "Big 2, Little 8" days.

 

[RodentRampage]

I was just reading through one of their (Pitt) boards (which of course is being dominated by the Big 10 rumors). They seem to think the Big 10 is on par with the MIAC in basketball. Of course, someone from a Big 10 board posts from time to time listing final four numbers, head to head numbers, etc. etc. but the big reply to that is the Big East schedule is so hard all the teams are worn out by tournament time. Also, lots of talk about how "boring" Big 10 sports are. I was surprised at the overall negative tone a large percentate of their fans have for the Big 10.

In the middle of all the posts listing US News and World Report rankings, endowment totals, etc. etc., it was interesting to see that Pitt would replace Iowa as the Big 10's second smallest school in terms of enrollment.

You won't be able to persude them with facts, because it's just smack. They don't really have an opinion about the Big Ten, just smack. If they join the Big Ten, their attitude will change fast. Then they will smack the Big East.

 

[NateDawgUM]

With the addition of Penn State and now potentially Pitt, Minnesota really starts to look like it is out on the frontier within the Big 10. Pitt is just 3 hours from OSU. There are a lot of great opportunities for the fans to go on easy road trips. Not so much, for us.

Major airport to major airport. Flights are probably fairly reasonable between MSP and PIT.

 

[harley_gopher]

You obviously don't now ANYTHING about college football if you don't think Pitt is deep in history and tradition.

I pretty much said in my post that I didn't know much about Pitt. Sure have they have won alot in football. What about the other sports? This message board is for information right? Then don't jump all over someone's post because they ask a valid question. GFY AH

 

[at the bar]

You won't be able to persude them with facts, because it's just smack. They don't really have an opinion about the Big Ten, just smack. If they join the Big Ten, their attitude will change fast. Then they will smack the Big East.

Have you watched Big East basketball? That's like saying high school boys basketball and high school girls basketball are equally exciting. I'm sorry but Big East basketball is much better than B11 basketball both for talent and for fan viewing. Purdue, MI St and Ohio St are the only teams that could be .500 in the Big East.