Speculation on who is joining which conference

Schnauzer

Pretty Sure You are Wrong
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UCLA and USC to the B1G appears to be a done deal. I highly doubt that is the end of this.

What are your predictions of the end game?

Mine? B1G grows to 20 or more teams (SEC too). 6 or 7 team pods with pod playoffs at season’s end. The whole thing will resemble the NFL.

For example, USC and UCLA are just the tip of the iceberg and a new B1G west coast pod will form around these two along with Washington, Oregon, Stanford, and Cal.
 


a college football writer for The Athletic said she talked to someone who believes that all of the movement will result in two mega-conferences - the B1G and the SEC - with 20 or more members each.

also saw a report claiming that USC was the driving force behind the move to the B1G and UCLA basically came along for the ride.
 

The PAC 12 Conference has been pretty stale in recent years with many of its marquee players leaving CA for other top-tier programs.
 

I think Washington and Oregon follow close behind to get to 18. to get to 20 I think its Stanford and either ND or Cal. Personally I would take ND over Cal, but maybe Stanford makes it a package deal.

SEC probably makes a play for Clemson and honestly ND, so I think if the Big Ten wants ND they need to start the convincing now, however that would leave Cal out of the conversation unless you go above 20. Past that I'm not sure who you would take to get to 20.

If they go past 20 I think it becomes a game of finding teams that give you some more flexibility scheduling geographically and maybe please member schools by reviving rivalries lost in earlier shuffles.
 









I can guarantee you that the conference doesn’t feel the same way you do about Notre Dame.
When I was at the U, Irish were referred to as the eleventh Big Ten team...
 


I can guarantee you that the conference doesn’t feel the same way you do about Notre Dame.
Well, we will see. I don't think ND wants to give up their independence anyway.
 




Well, we will see. I don't think ND wants to give up their independence anyway.
You might be right and we will see, but on ESPNU radio this afternoon, they quoted a ND athletic official as saying that staying independent is probably not going to make sense going forward.

This is going to speed up changes to the playoff system and ND is going to have to fish or cut bait. To stay in the playoff picture, they are going to have to join the Big10 or ACC. I can’t image the ACC is looking more attractive than the Big10 at the moment.
 

You might be right and we will see, but on ESPNU radio this afternoon, they quoted a ND athletic official as saying that staying independent is probably not going to make sense going forward.

This is going to speed up changes to the playoff system and ND is going to have to fish or cut bait. To stay in the playoff picture, they are going to have to join the Big10 or ACC. I can’t image the ACC is looking more attractive than the Big10 at the moment.
I don't know if this is true, but I've heard that the contract that ND signed with the ACC is that if ND decides to join a conference in FB it has to be with the ACC. Of course, if the ACC blows up, I don't know what that means.
 

I don't know if this is true, but I've heard that the contract that ND signed with the ACC is that if ND decides to join a conference in FB it has to be with the ACC. Of course, if the ACC blows up, I don't know what that means.
All sports would come to the B1G. They can afford to pay the exit fee.
 


I think the most likely jumps from the PAC, besides Washington and Oregon, are Stanford, Cal, Colorado and Arizona. Maybe even Utah.
 



It won't be exactly like this but I could see something similar.....Big Ten will try and expand with emphasis on tv markets and academic prestige. SEC will attempt to expand by brand.

1. Big Ten will offer membership to all Pac12 schools except Arizona State, Oregon State and Washington State.
2. Notre Dame will see writing on the wall and join Big Ten.
3. Big Ten will be looking to expand in SEC's footprint.
3a. To counter this, SEC will scoop up all brand names in their region: Clemson, Florida State and Miami will be offered spots.
3b. Big Ten will then acquire Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia Tech and Duke.
4. Finally, since they are AAU schools and to create geographic balance, Pitt and Kansas will be offered membership.
5. SEC will add West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Texas Tech, K-State, NC State, Louisville, Okie State...that gets them to 26. Maybe some combo of Arizona State, Wake Forest, TCU, Baylor and Cincinatti to get them to 28 or 30.

Big Ten will have 6 divisions of 5 teams each.
Pacific: USC, UCLA, Oregon, Washington, Cal
Mountain/Plains: Colorado, Utah, Kansas, Arizona, Stanford
Atlantic: Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Duke, Maryland
Heartland: Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois
Great Lakes: Purdue, Indiana, Northwestern, Michigan, Ohio State
Northeast: Penn State, Rutgers, Pitt, Notre Dame, Michigan State

Big Ten will do some quirky scheduling to protect some cross-over games:
Cal/Stanford
Michigan/Michigan State
Notre Dame/Purdue
Illinois/Northwestern
 

Fans can see it. The "two super conferences end game". They've been able to see it, for some time.

But that's not how the world works.

You don't do massive step changes. It's baby steps. Small move, see what happens, react. Another small move. React. etc

The two teams each (Texas, OU and USC, UCLA) haven't even officially joined the SEC and Big Ten yet. That's not even until 2024-25 school/athletic year.

That's two years from now. And you all are already plotting earthquake level moves.


Let's let it get to two 16 (plus whatever moves the PAC, Big XII, ACC and downstream from there make), see what happens for a while, and then go.
 


It's going to be tough for ACC schools to exit anytime soon.

"For ACC schools to leave, they'd have to break both a contract with the ACC and a binding grant of rights. That's something that could cost in the neighborhood of $100 million for an exit fee and plenty of legal wrangling to escape the grant of rights. "


 


I think Washington and Oregon follow close behind to get to 18. to get to 20 I think its Stanford and either ND or Cal. Personally I would take ND over Cal, but maybe Stanford makes it a package deal.

SEC probably makes a play for Clemson and honestly ND, so I think if the Big Ten wants ND they need to start the convincing now, however that would leave Cal out of the conversation unless you go above 20. Past that I'm not sure who you would take to get to 20.

If they go past 20 I think it becomes a game of finding teams that give you some more flexibility scheduling geographically and maybe please member schools by reviving rivalries lost in earlier shuffles.
If it goes past 18 it isn’t a conference anymore, it is multiple conferences who are all negotiating under one contract to maximize leverage.

I’ve gone from hoping the big ten never expands from 2012-2022 to hoping the big ten has 24-36 teams in about 2 days


36 teams. No non conference.
6 6 team divisions. No non conference games.

8 team playoff with 6 division winners and 2 wild cards

F the SEC
 

It's going to be tough for ACC schools to exit anytime soon.

"For ACC schools to leave, they'd have to break both a contract with the ACC and a binding grant of rights. That's something that could cost in the neighborhood of $100 million for an exit fee and plenty of legal wrangling to escape the grant of rights. "


If you invite 8 ACC schools they can vote to disband the conference

Hard to poach 1-2 though
 

If you invite 8 ACC schools they can vote to disband the conference

Hard to poach 1-2 though
From a football standpoint, Clemson is about the only one the Big Ten should take, maybe FSU being the only other. Miami has a good football tradition but a small following due to being a private school I guess.
 

I actually think now the most likely thing we hear next is ND and Stanford joining. At that point I think you look ahead to the 24+ teams you want and lock up the two you want the most that are left and available. I think these two will come from Oregon, Washington, and Cal. I think Washington is safe given the Seattle market, but I wouldn't take for granted that Oregon gets the nod over Cal, Especially when you take the academic/research side into account.

I think we get to 20 before the SEC and y the time the SEC can get to 20, the ACC will be falling apart and we take another 4+ teams from them. Much to my surprise, the Big 12 may just survive, catching the scraps of the Pac-12 and ACC to form their own 20+ team conference that'll either be little brother to the Big Ten and SEC with regards to the post season (if they allow them in the post season at that point) or a best of the rest with the G5.
 




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