Starting in 2024 - conference realignment

Donate To GopherHole
Ope3 said:
Correct on why the Missota disbanded. Prior Lake jumped in 2009 to the new South Suburban which started the demise. They had outgrown the Missota and then the dominos started to fall. Farmington & Shakopee followed into the South Suburban a few years later. Interesting, every school in that conference was in the Missota at one time except Eagan, & Eastview, Lakeville South who were the result of their school district dividing.

Without them, Chaska & Chanhassen did not want to travel to Hutchinson, Northfield & Red Wing. It could have been pieced together for maybe a few years, but the writing was on the wall.

Who knows, if Northfield gets big enough, maybe they will someday rejoin their former Missota brethren, though for now they seem happy in the Big 9. It's too bad that only Faribault is close by, but they are fortunate that the only really long road trip is to Winona.
Click to expand...
Thanks on that history.

The tremendous growth of upper middle class "house farms" in those three communities, in particular, makes them every bit as equivalent as the Lakeville's of the world. Those moves were correct.


Maybe I'm just wrong, but it seems crazy to me that someone working in the Twin Cities would be willing to drive all the way to Northfield, every day. I guess it's about like going up to Cambrdige or North Branch, or out to Clearwater/Otsego/Elk River? I can't see it, speaking for myself.

Would think Northfield would rather play Rochester than Lakeville. But that is a wild guess.
 

MplsGopher said:
Thanks on that history.

The tremendous growth of upper middle class "house farms" in those three communities, in particular, makes them every bit as equivalent as the Lakeville's of the world. Those moves were correct.


Maybe I'm just wrong, but it seems crazy to me that someone working in the Twin Cities would be willing to drive all the way to Northfield, every day. I guess it's about like going up to Cambrdige or North Branch, or out to Clearwater/Otsego/Elk River? I can't see it, speaking for myself.

Would think Northfield would rather play Rochester than Lakeville. But that is a wild guess.
Click to expand...
Right now your guess is correct, they would much rather play the Rochesters than the Lakevilles, especially in football.

By someday, I was thinking well beyond 5 years (maybe 2030 earliest) but post pandemic who knows how things will shake out. Commuting is probably going to be less of a detriment with working from home and hybrid work models. As with many areas, property values are skyrocketing.

It's always been a unique circumstance, with the colleges in town, farmers on the outskirts, some commuters (popular with those that only had to go to 494) and several blue collar factories.
 

With the drop in football numbers the private schools will not be able to compete at the top levels. Look at CDH, once a powerhouse, now moving down, TG had its last competitive group. They will need to continue to move down to compete.
 

Ope3 said:
Right now your guess is correct, they would much rather play the Rochesters than the Lakevilles, especially in football.

By someday, I was thinking well beyond 5 years (maybe 2030 earliest) but post pandemic who knows how things will shake out. Commuting is probably going to be less of a detriment with working from home and hybrid work models. As with many areas, property values are skyrocketing.

It's always been a unique circumstance, with the colleges in town, farmers on the outskirts, some commuters (popular with those that only had to go to 494) and several blue collar factories.
Click to expand...
Fair points about less commuting and property values skyrocketing.

I'm sure Northfield, Faribault, Winona are fine communities and places to raise kids, etc. And yes Northfield is interesting for having the two MIAC schools right in town.
 

MplsGopher said:
Maybe I'm just wrong, but it seems crazy to me that someone working in the Twin Cities would be willing to drive all the way to Northfield, every day. I guess it's about like going up to Cambrdige or North Branch, or out to Clearwater/Otsego/Elk River? I can't see it, speaking for myself.
Click to expand...
The Northfield commuters might be working in Eagan, not Minneapolis.
 


AO54 said:
The Northfield commuters might be working in Eagan, not Minneapolis.
Click to expand...
I sort of mentioned that in post #32, but correct, popular community for those that only have to go to Eden Prairie, Bloomington, Farmington, airport etc or even the other direction to Rochester.
 

Tommyboy said:
With the drop in football numbers the private schools will not be able to compete at the top levels. Look at CDH, once a powerhouse, now moving down, TG had its last competitive group. They will need to continue to move down to compete.
Click to expand...
Totino literally opted up about 2 months ago
 





AO54 said:
The Northfield commuters might be working in Eagan, not Minneapolis.
Click to expand...
And the Elk River/Cambridge people might be working in Brooklyn Park, Arden Hills, Shorevire, or Blaine.
 

Word said:
And the Elk River/Cambridge people might be working in Brooklyn Park, Arden Hills, Shorevire, or Blaine.
Click to expand...
Yeah. People working “in the cities” don’t have to work in downtown Minneapolis or downtown St. Paul.
Teachers and custodians at shakopee high school might live in Waconia
 

The time is now to introduce Big Ten Pro/Rel. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

MplsGopher said:
This would be my ideal conference:

Minnesota
Wisconsin
Iowa
Iowa State
Northwestern
Illinois
Purdue
Indiana
Missouri
Kansas
K-State
Nebraska (yeah ....... I know .....)
Click to expand...

Looks like the Big 10 West plus the old Big 8 North = The "Great Plains Conference" ???

Would be devastating financially and harmful to the brand for numerous charter members of the Big 10.
For the gophers ---> lose a lot of luster and a significant step back vs. current positioning within the existing Big 10.
Your proposed conference might have made sense 100 years ago.

Might struggle to maintain Power 5 status/caliber, especially if the NCAA goes to 4 Super Conferences. Conference TV contracts would tank.

Jim Delaney would be horrified.

Big 10 East and Big XII South would prolly thrive in their new alignment(s), respectively.
 



dinkything said:
Looks like the Big 10 West plus the old Big 8 North = The "Great Plains Conference" ???

Would be devastating financially and harmful to the brand for numerous charter members of the Big 10.
For the gophers ---> lose a lot of luster and a significant step back vs. current positioning within the existing Big 10.
Your proposed conference might have made sense 100 years ago.

Might struggle to maintain Power 5 status/caliber, especially if the NCAA goes to 4 Super Conferences. Conference TV contracts would tank.

Jim Delaney would be horrified.

Big 10 East and Big XII South would prolly thrive in their new alignment(s), respectively.
Click to expand...
This would only make sense in a world where the elite programs broke off to form their own 24 or 32 team super division, and in which none of the schools I listed were invited. But say Michigan, Ohio St, and Penn St were invited.

Doubt anything like that is happening any time soon or ever.
 

We'd want to protect trophy games against long-time rivals Wisconsin, Iowa, and Michigan first and foremost.

The Big Ten should have picked Missouri over Nebraska to join the Big Ten West.

There is a lot of change and uncertainty in the college football horizons. Does tradition and history matter anymore in the crazy monetized world of sports?
 

MplsGopher said:
This would only make sense in a world where the elite programs broke off to form their own 24 or 32 team super division, and in which none of the schools I listed were invited. But say Michigan, Ohio St, and Penn St were invited.

Doubt anything like that is happening any time soon or ever.
Click to expand...
I agree with you on both of your points here.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom