College Football Realignment

[WMR]

Originally Posted by Hoosier Red

It's more hot air than anything, but the B1G Ten has tried to build it's brand around similar universities. Everyone(except Northwestern) is a large research university and the various institutions do collaborate on some things. I remember the libraries had a joint borrowing program when I was there.

As far as I have heard, the "cultural fit" seems to matter most in the B1G Ten, next in the Pac-10, then the ACC and Big East at least pay lip service to it, and the SEC and Big 12 don't seem to care a whole lot.

Rutgers??

The SEC is a very homogenous league outside Vanderbilt, which is one of the preeminent schools in the country with a campus that still feels very SEC despite the fact that it's in the middle of a big city. SEC has shown an eye towards maximizing new markets, like everyone else, but they certainly haven't neglected to make sure their expansion has made sense and fits culturally into the rest of the league. I would say SEC has done the best of that hands down to this point. The SEC's ability to be incredibly selective to whom they extend a membership offer is their trump card.

Texas A&M and Missouri fit better culturally into the SEC than Rutgers does in the Big Ten, by far.

[Slyder]

Originally Posted by WMR

Texas A&M and Missouri fit better culturally into the SEC than Rutgers does in the Big Ten, by far.

Missouri goes against about everything the SEC normally goes for IMO. Missouri was about nothing more but potential TV sets. I said it then and I'll say it again WVU would have been more of a fit within the SEC but Slive decided it was better to chase the TV dollars than the ability to compete athletically.

[Hoosier Red]

Originally Posted by WMR

Rutgers??

The SEC is a very homogenous league outside Vanderbilt, which is one of the preeminent schools in the country with a campus that still feels very SEC despite the fact that it's in the middle of a big city.

Texas A&M and Missouri fit better culturally into the SEC than Rutgers does in the Big Ten, by far.

Perhaps you're right. It's simply what I've heard of the priorities of those making the choices.

It's hard to define culture, but by just about any measure, Rutgers is a good fit culturally. It's athletically that they'll face challenged to measure up.

Essentially the B1G Ten has been consistent in bringing large state universities that are well thought of academically. The term I've heard a lot is the Land Grant Universities.

Rutgers is THE State University of New Jersey, it has an enrollment of over 50K and is the top public university in the state.

[IslandRed]

Originally Posted by joshnky

Twitter just blew up with reports that Louisville is one vote short of an ACC bid. I'm not sure how close uconn is but it will likely get done for Louisville if this is true.

Word now is an ACC expansion vote in the morning. You never know, but I'd guess both Louisville and UConn get in. They usually don't call roll unless the straw poll already has told them how it's going to go.

[KronoRed]

Originally Posted by Slyder

Missouri goes against about everything the SEC normally goes for IMO. Missouri was about nothing more but potential TV sets. I said it then and I'll say it again WVU would have been more of a fit within the SEC but Slive decided it was better to chase the TV dollars than the ability to compete athletically.

I agree, Mizzo is also on board because they were available and easy to get, nobody wanted to go with 13 members for even one season and West Virginia had the big east 27 month malarkey hanging over their head, that and some throwing a fit over their academics, hysterical when you consider the poor academics that are a tradition in Mississippi.

[Slyder]

Originally Posted by KronoRed

I agree, Mizzo is also on board because they were available and easy to get, nobody wanted to go with 13 members for even one season and West Virginia had the big east 27 month malarkey hanging over their head, that and some throwing a fit over their academics, hysterical when you consider the poor academics that are a tradition in Mississippi.

Not to mention the fact that WVU HAS to accept ANYONE from the state of West Virginia it is in their by laws (I believe). WVU has produced any number of high performing individuals (especially from the medical field) but because they have to accept pretty much everyone they get crapped on by the almight university polls...

[cumberlandreds]

Originally Posted by IslandRed

Word now is an ACC expansion vote in the morning. You never know, but I'd guess both Louisville and UConn get in. They usually don't call roll unless the straw poll already has told them how it's going to go.

They are only voting on Louisville. In fact the vote has probably already happened. It was a 7 AM vote time. It was expected the ACC would vote them in.

[joshnky]

Originally Posted by cumberlandreds

They are only voting on Louisville. In fact the vote has probably already happened. It was a 7 AM vote time. It was expected the ACC would vote them in.

It's official. Louisville's in.

[Caveat Emperor]

Originally Posted by joshnky

It's official. Louisville's in.

University of Cincinnati athletics died this morning.

Oh well, at least I can go watch a real baseball team play without driving 90 minutes each way.

[wolfboy]

Originally Posted by Caveat Emperor

University of Cincinnati athletics died this morning.

Oh well, at least I can go watch a real baseball team play without driving 90 minutes each way.

I'm sorry, but the Eeyore stuff is just ridiculous.

Cincinnati basketball won two national championships, one runner up, six final fours, eight elite eights, twenty three tourney appearances, and won twenty six conference championships WITHOUT the Big East or the ACC. They're far from dead.

Cincinnati football will take a hit if it stays in CUSA 2.0, but that's not a guarantee either. Either way, it's far from "dead." Conference realignment is far from over.

[joshnky]

Originally Posted by wolfboy

I'm sorry, but the Eeyore stuff is just ridiculous.

Cincinnati basketball won two national championships, one runner up, six final fours, eight elite eights, twenty three tourney appearances, and won twenty six conference championships WITHOUT the Big East or the ACC. They're far from dead.

Cincinnati football will take a hit if it stays in CUSA 2.0, but that's not a guarantee either. Either way, it's far from "dead." Conference realignment is far from over.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the non-football schools split and keep the big east name. As a Louisville fan I was starting to consider the MAC a better landing place than the big east. Decent football and basketball and a good geographic fit. Would cincy ever make that switch?

[wolfboy]

Originally Posted by joshnky

I wouldn't be surprised to see the non-football schools split and keep the big east name. As a Louisville fan I was starting to consider the MAC a better landing place than the big east. Decent football and basketball and a good geographic fit. Would cincy ever make that switch?

UC has more to gain in basketball by playing Toledo, Bowling Green, and Akron than Memphis, Temple, UConn, USF, Houston, and SDSU? Even if the Catholic schools break off that makes zero sense.

In football it makes more sense to play Kent State every year than Boise, East Carolina, Houston, and SMU?

I'm happy you guys got the invite to the ACC, but it really seems like your hatred of the Big East has risen to the level of delusion. The Big East isn't much as a conference anymore, but it's clearly the best of the rest outside of the "big 5." If (and I mean If), UC has any chance of moving up to another conference, it will come as a member of the Big East. Zero chance it happens as a member of the MAC.

[Boston Red]

Assuming Boise joins, that's right. If Boise stays in the MWC, the MWC probably becomes the best of the rest.

In any event, I fully expect the ACC to be further raided by the Big Ten, SEC and Big XII, so I think UC probably ends up at some point in an ACC that looks a LOT like the old Big East.

[wolfboy]

Originally Posted by Boston Red

Assuming Boise joins, that's right. If Boise stays in the MWC, the MWC probably becomes the best of the rest.

In any event, I fully expect the ACC to be further raided by the Big Ten, SEC and Big XII, so I think UC probably ends up at some point in an ACC that looks a LOT like the old Big East.

It won't happen. Have you seen what the MWC has for a television contract? Boise might get less than they bargained for in the new Big East t.v. deal, but it's a fortune compared to what the MWC has.

[wolfboy]

Originally Posted by Boston Red

Assuming Boise joins, that's right. If Boise stays in the MWC, the MWC probably becomes the best of the rest.

In any event, I fully expect the ACC to be further raided by the Big Ten, SEC and Big XII, so I think UC probably ends up at some point in an ACC that looks a LOT like the old Big East.

Yep. If I'm UL, I'm celebrating with cautious optimism today. The ACC is already facing the same perception battle the Big East has had for years. If FSU and/or Clemson bolt, there isn't a whole lot left in football. Bad time for programs like Ga. Tech. and the U to be on a down swing. As conferences continue to consolidate, there's little doubt the ACC is facing some rough waters ahead. They just learned that even a 50M exit fee isn't enough to keep programs around. Without a GOR, they should be concerned.