USC and UCLA Planning to join BIG TEN.

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fmlizard said:
A lot of people, including myself, are concerned about the dilution of the Big Ten's history as it goes nationwide. One possible outcome could be a bigger conference allowing for tighter historical groupings of schools under a larger umbrella.

A few possibilities for the U:

  • A 4 team division with The Quadrangle
  • A 5 team division with Quadrangle + Illinois or Northwestern, or a newcomer like Kansas or Colorado.
  • The Original Six could be re-formed (Minnesota, Purdue, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Michigan, Illinois...a very competitively balanced division)
  • The pre-1993 Big Ten could re-form as a side of a 20 team league
  • ...and so on
There are many outcomes in which our rivalries become tighter and more traditional than today. In the small pod divisions there's also a reasonable path to a postseason playoff, at least at the Big Ten level.

In this world the Big Ten brand becomes more of a pseudo-NCAA and we still have a league within it consisting of a lot of our old frenemies. But this time, we're definitely going to play in the Rose Bowl at some point.
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This is what makes me optimistic. There have been a few other posts about this. The more I think about it, the more likely it seems to me that there will be increased regional focus within this mega conference. Just like the NFL and NHL. I would be for any scenario like the ones fmlizard describes. If we're with Wisconsin, Iowa, Northwestern, Purdue and Illinois. Or maybe replace one of those teams with Nebraska... I am ok with that. I really do think this will eventually look more like the professional leagues, where there are so many team in one conference that it will be hard to remember. It's simply a TV/Scheduling/Playoff thing. The important thing will be your division.
 

Not really a fan of this. Maybe I’ll end up liking the arrangement one day, but I strongly prefer geographically/culturally cohesive conferences. Maryland and Rutgers were bad enough (I’ve always been good with Nebraska, personally), but they were at least contiguous to PA. Similarly, I hated Texas, OU, and A&M to the SEC, but you can at least argue that they’re southern schools that fit with the SEC in a lot of ways.

But this…this just removes all pretext of any geographic or cultural fit.

Other than money, it does at least improve the academic standing of the B1G. Truly head and shoulders above the remaining power 5 except perhaps the ACC now. We’re also getting a lot of athletic history in both football and bball (unlike Maryland/Rutgers). At this point we may as well jump straight into super conference territory and absorb more of the PAC12. I’d be good with Stanford, Cal, Oregon, and Washington.
 

This was included in Pat Forde’s recap of the moves in Si.I don’t think there’s an ounce of accuracy to this prediction since the Twin Cities is a major media market (14th largest in the US) and at this point the Big Ten’s strategy seems to be about chasing viewers to maximize media dollars. I frankly think that puts Minnesota in a stronger position, not a weaker one.
  • As we trend toward survival of the richest and fittest, how secure should the less marketable and successful schools feel within the Big Ten and SEC? If everything is negotiable and every agreement is breakable, is the Big Ten really committed to keeping Purdue and Minnesota for the long term? What about Vanderbilt and the Mississippi schools in the SEC? Watch your backs, Boilermakers and Gophers and Commodores and Rebels and Bulldogs.
www.si.com

College Football’s Rich Keep Getting Richer, at a Steep Cost to Everyone Else

The Big Ten followed the SEC’s lead in striking to add USC and UCLA, widening the chasm between the superpowers and the rest of the NCAA.
www.si.com www.si.com
 

Gophers_4life said:
Those are lesser games. A minority of folks agree with you. Sorry
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And usc Rutgers or ucla Indiana are lesser games too. USC vs Stanford or UCLA vs Cal are better games. UCLA vs OSU is not a great game, it’ll be neat like the first time, that’s about it. USC vs Michigan sure, should be two good teams, absolutely zero rivalry though. At least before it was still fun to watch the crappy games because of rivalries and history and bragging rights for fanbases that actually interact with each other.
 


SomeGopherFan said:
Here are the largest TV markets Big 10 doesn't already have a footprint in:

5. Dallas/Fort Worth
6. San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose
7. Atlanta
8. Houston
10. Boston
11. Phoenix
12. Seattle
13. Tampa/St. Petersburg
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"Largest" can be viewed in ways other than geography. Adding a military school, either Army or Navy, gives the B1G another huge slice of the U.S. population.
 

Gophers_4life said:
Kansas is the only remaining Big XII school that makes sense, and that would be for bball.


A lot of the ACC schools you list, of course make sense. But can they get out of the ACC contract? We will see ...
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Yeah. I think that is all up in 2028 or something. Sounds like this happened quick with USC and UCLA so that might be slower

If 9 of the 16 in the ACC moved to big 12 or SEC they could vote to disband before contract was up.


I think there is TV value in OK state and adding a Texas team but I’m not sure the big ten likes them as institutions


Kansas maybe. Another benefit of Kansas is they suck. So you add these good programs but you also add more wins for people.

People rip on Rutgers but that’s an extra 6-9 wins in conference for people per year.
Meanwhile the SEC is going to have one of their big names under .500 every year in conference.
 

Also, if a new TV deal isn’t announced with specifics in the next month…I would assume that means more movement is in the works before the contract
 

Some guy said:
Also, if a new TV deal isn’t announced with specifics in the next month…I would assume that means more movement is in the works before the contract
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Great assumption.

They'd clearly be working the details on a bigger agreement. Notre Dame's deal is up in 2025, but it's for a paltry $15 million a year for Notre Dame.

It might be too soon to get Notre Dame and another school, but if Notre Dame wants a full share, joining before a new tv contract is in place would be ideal for them.
 



WindyCityGopher said:
This was included in Pat Forde’s recap of the moves in Si.I don’t think there’s an ounce of accuracy to this prediction since the Twin Cities is a major media market (14th largest in the US) and at this point the Big Ten’s strategy seems to be about chasing viewers to maximize media dollars. I frankly think that puts Minnesota in a stronger position, not a weaker one.
  • As we trend toward survival of the richest and fittest, how secure should the less marketable and successful schools feel within the Big Ten and SEC? If everything is negotiable and every agreement is breakable, is the Big Ten really committed to keeping Purdue and Minnesota for the long term? What about Vanderbilt and the Mississippi schools in the SEC? Watch your backs, Boilermakers and Gophers and Commodores and Rebels and Bulldogs.
www.si.com

College Football’s Rich Keep Getting Richer, at a Steep Cost to Everyone Else

The Big Ten followed the SEC’s lead in striking to add USC and UCLA, widening the chasm between the superpowers and the rest of the NCAA.
www.si.com www.si.com
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Minnesota is one of the Top 25 revenue generators in the country and sits in a Top 15 television market. They're not going to get booted from any conference. They bring in more money than UCLA for example. I wouldn't be worried about that.
 

Gophers_4life said:
Kansas is the only remaining Big XII school that makes sense, and that would be for bball.


A lot of the ACC schools you list, of course make sense. But can they get out of the ACC contract? We will see ...
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People always bring up Kansas, and I kind of get why but the reality is they don’t bring much to the table. Kansas needs the B1G a lot more than the B1G needs Kansas. They don’t grow the pie enough to justify getting a seat at the table.

The B1G would be better off staying at 16 than adding Kansas. A more likely scenario (than adding Kansas) is waiting to see what happens with that ACC GOR agreement, because there is no way it actually lasts until 2036. Notre Dame, North Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia Tech would fill out the rest of the B1G very nicely while also all bringing something to the table.
 

Strictly for travel reasons/time zones a 3 or 4 division BIG TEN (🙄) absorbing more of the PAC-12 - and potentially ACC (including ND) with a final number of teams much higher than predicted in this thread would enable more opportunities for interesting division races, conference post-season, and less jet lag for the quasi-students. The sad sack bowls could be due for a shake up, again. The small divisions would preserve regional rivalries and decrease travel burden.

The times are changing (rapidly during this period). It seems like even more massive change is inevitable and the daily carnage and celebration, panic of fan bases will be “entertainment” if nothing else. It fits with the theme of the last two years, transfer portal, NIL, pandemic, geopolitical economic chaos.
 

I'm surprised that this didn't leak sooner. With 14 B1G schools, AD staff and College President staff, that's a lot of people being in the mix not excluding USC and UCLA.


talking-whisper.gif
 



bizzle22 said:
People always bring up Kansas, and I kind of get why but the reality is they don’t bring much to the table. Kansas needs the B1G a lot more than the B1G needs Kansas. They don’t grow the pie enough to justify getting a seat at the table.

The B1G would be better off staying at 16 than adding Kansas. A more likely scenario (than adding Kansas) is waiting to see what happens with that ACC GOR agreement, because there is no way it actually lasts until 2036. Notre Dame, North Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia Tech would fill out the rest of the B1G very nicely while also all bringing something to the table.
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This is correct. You identified the 4 teams the Big Ten would want that are still out there.

No one else in the PAC-12 or Big 12 does anything for the Big Ten.
 

Has Fleck made any public comments about the expansion?
 


I think nationally the Big 10 will no longer be second fiddle to the SEC. I think even espn will have to recognize Big 10 as the conference to beat going forward.
 

TAW said:
The names I've seen suggested that I like best are The BIG Ass Conference and (future) BIG TwENty.
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It needs to ALWAYS be called the BIG10 no matter how many schools! I like the addition and keep Williams Arena forever.
 




bizzle22 said:
People always bring up Kansas, and I kind of get why but the reality is they don’t bring much to the table. Kansas needs the B1G a lot more than the B1G needs Kansas. They don’t grow the pie enough to justify getting a seat at the table.

The B1G would be better off staying at 16 than adding Kansas. A more likely scenario (than adding Kansas) is waiting to see what happens with that ACC GOR agreement, because there is no way it actually lasts until 2036. Notre Dame, North Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia Tech would fill out the rest of the B1G very nicely while also all bringing something to the table.
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I don't think UVa goes anywhere without VT unfortunately.
 



highwayman said:
UVa fans and Admin absolutely hate VT and think they are a scam school that cheats. Which they likely are.
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All true, but there would be tremendous political pressure for them to bring cheating little bro along.
 

Lunacy. SC and UCLA are West Coast teams and should remain in their fan regions. Greed, as usual, is creating super conferences for TV money. There will be travel problems with time differences, probably break-up of the Big Ten West, which was a regionally tight conference - anything for money. Won't do the U football team much good, with NIL and the crazy transfer permissiveness favoring the prestige schools
 


saw this tweet from Greg Flugaur:

(the tweet is in quotation marks- so he is quoting someone - don't know who)

"But now, Big Ten is giving Notre Dame space. Notre Dame was not caught off guard and their decision making will be wrapped up in hours or days, not weeks."

also, from CBS college FB writer Dennis Dodd

"Sources: Oregon and Washington have been told by B1G that it is standing pat for now. Waiting on a decision by Notre Dame."

I will just say this. A Notre Dame at MN football ticket would attract scalper prices that would beat anything ever seen for a Vikings game.
 


Great Plains Gopher said:
Lunacy. SC and UCLA are West Coast teams and should remain in their fan regions. Greed, as usual, is creating super conferences for TV money. There will be travel problems with time differences, probably break-up of the Big Ten West, which was a regionally tight conference - anything for money. Won't do the U football team much good, with NIL and the crazy transfer permissiveness favoring the prestige schools
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This is a done deal. Complaining now is moot.

I only care about Minnesota.

USC and UCLA will have travel problems every game. The other 14 teams, including Minnesota, once or nonce a year. Overrated.

So UCLA and USC have a road game on TV and biorhythmically at 9:00 AM. Not a problem for the other 14 teams.

A noon game in LA for the other regions is on at 2:00 or 3:00. Again, not a problem. You have half the posters on this board bitching about early games, whether at home or away. This makes them happier. Player biorhythms, not a problem.

Night games might be an issue for the CST and EST fans, but that Fresno State game was a hoot, wasn't it? Again, once or nonce a year.

And selfishly, I can do the LA road trip in a six hour drive or a 57 minute flight. I will be at every game. When they bring in ASU (Phx is #11 market ahead of Seattle; Portland is only #21), I'll be even happier.
 

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