College Football Realignment

[Slyder]

Gradulate the Gator - YouTube

Hahahahahahaha.

[wolfboy]

Originally Posted by bucksfan2

I guess???????

It would get great/awesome/fantastic etc for UC. With Oklahoma St, Texas, and Oklahoma they would have a decent shot at getting two BCS bowl games in a given year. I don't think that ever was a realistic option for the Big East.

I really don't know what to think about the whole recruiting angle. It seems as if big time programs are now more willing to grab another home game and pay for it, than to get a recruiting game in Cincinnati. Just a year or so ago OSU played a Toledo "home game" in Cleveland. At the same time they bought out UC and moved the game to Columbus, Va Tech bought UC and move the game to the DC area, and Tennessee signed a one year deal with UC for them to head down to Knoxville. It seems to me that a team like Tennessee could benefit greatly from a UC home game, yet they chose not to.

I can see some recruiting value, especially to teams that aren't OU, Texas, but I don't know if the recruiting gain would offset the monetary support that they would provide.

FWIW, this ESPN article discusses potential B12 expansion back to 12 and Cincinnati gets no mention.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/st...us-source-says

For me, the issue is commitment to football. While a program like West Virginia has inherent issues, you can't question their commitment to the football program. Cincinnati has some positives, but they can't overcome UC's failure to bring its football program to an acceptable BCS level. Would you want to share a slice of the pie with a program that doesn't seem to care?

[nmculbreth]

Originally Posted by Caveat Emperor

I'm approaching the issue from the idea that the Big 12 is going to be forced to add 3 teams to get back to 12 (to have the 6 team divisions and a championship game). If they have to add to 12 (and I assume they will - just to keep pace with the other "major" conferences), and you assume that no one is going to bolt a stable conference (Pac12, ACC, BigWhatever) to join a conference that's in flux, you're going to be drawing from mid-majors or Big East schools (the only group LESS stable than the Big 12).

You're not going to get an economic powerhouse school to add, it's going to be someone that's going to take more money out of the conference than they put back in for now. If that's the case, you may as well get a foothold in a new part of the country (Ohio) that's a fertile recruiting ground and a major metropolitan area.

I wouldn't be shocked if the Big XII decided to be a bit more proactive and try to expand beyond 12, mostly as an attempt to prevent this kind of instability during the next round of expansion. Obviously losing Texas or Oklahoma would still be catastrophic but by expanding beyond 12 they'd be better able to absorb the loss of a school like Missouri and still be able to have a conference championship game.

Whether or not UC would be included in that sort of expansion remains to be seen. The way things stand, UC probably isn't a particularly attractive option but as you point out there probably aren't a ton of programs that would seriously consider joining the Big XII that would make an immediate financial impact. As such I think the Big XII is likely going to have to show a little more foresight and look to add programs that have the potential to be more valuable down the road. I think UC is the kind of program that would meet that sort of criteria, being located in a decent size TV market in an area beyond the conference's current footprint.

From a UC fan's perspective, being able to join a Big XII conference which still has Texas and Oklahoma would be a huge win. I'm still skeptical that it's even a possibility, but I'd be extremely excited if that were to transpire.

[paintmered]

Originally Posted by wolfboy

FWIW, this ESPN article discusses potential B12 expansion back to 12 and Cincinnati gets no mention.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/st...us-source-says

For me, the issue is commitment to football. While a program like West Virginia has inherent issues, you can't question their commitment to the football program. Cincinnati has some positives, but they can't overcome UC's failure to bring its football program to an acceptable BCS level. Would you want to share a slice of the pie with a program that doesn't seem to care?

I wouldn't trust anything published by ESPN on this issue. They have an agenda since they have more money at stake with realignment than any individual school.

[wolfboy]

Originally Posted by paintmered

I wouldn't trust anything published by ESPN on this issue. They have an agenda since they have more money at stake with realignment than any individual school.

Fair point about ESPN. Still, I haven't seen UC's name floated as a prime candidate for B12 expansion. As much as I don't want it to happen, I still think UC gets left out in all of this.

[paintmered]

Originally Posted by wolfboy

Fair point about ESPN. Still, I haven't seen UC's name floated as a prime candidate for B12 expansion. As much as I don't want it to happen, I still think UC gets left out in all of this.

I agree that this is a very real possibility. Although UC has been very quiet on the issue, and those who claim to have "sources" (for whatever that's worth) continue to assert that UC is much better positioned than the conventional wisdom. Maybe they're selling false hope, I don't know. I do know that UC is selling their academics, and especially their research, which sits ahead of both U of L and WVU. Does anyone know how much the Big XIII cares about academics?

UC needs one of the two scenarios to unfold:

The first and best option for UC is to have the Big XII return to 12 and bank on BYU wanting to remain independent (they've turned down the Big XII before). Texas will prevent TCU from entering the conference, and UC sits 3rd in the remaining Big East pecking order behind U of L and WVU but ahead of USF.

The second option is for the Big XII to return to ten schools with BYU being the 10th school (Texas does not want a championship game). Everyone else in the Big East stays put (highly unlikely with UConn and Rutgers with nearly both feet out the door). But at the least the Big East remains in tact as a conference, even if far less viable than the other BCS conferences.

One thing that will help is getting butts in the seats tomorrow night. Promo code: BLACKOUT for $20 tickets to see what will be an entertaining match-up.

[WVRed]

Originally Posted by hebroncougar

Which means they'd want WVU why?

This has been debated ad-nauseum in this thread. But just to recap:

Pro's:

• Very loyal fan base that will sell out games
  
• Extends into the Pittsburgh market, which is pretty good sized. ACC or Hybrid-Conference would also add Charleston and Huntington (SEC is already there)
  
• In addition to Pittsburgh, most WVU graduates disperse following graduation. There is a following along the east coast, mainly in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina.

Cons:

• While loyal, WVU fans have a reputation of stupid fan incidents.
  
• West Virginia offers nothing in terms of recruiting value.
  
• The TV market will pick up for the state alone and some outside, but other teams have better credentials.
  
• Academically, might as well call it South Pitt Technical College. Academics is why Pitt and Syracuse made it to the ACC.
  
• Traveling isn't the greatest.

[wolfboy]

Originally Posted by paintmered

One thing that will help is getting butts in the seats tomorrow night. Promo code: BLACKOUT for $20 tickets to see what will be an entertaining match-up.

Couldn't agree more. I'll be there.

[paintmered]

Apparently, Don Beebe is out as Big XII commish. Being a stooge for Texas, could this mean that the Big XII is set to expand to at least twelve?

I like UC's chances, if so.

[marcshoe]

In spite of Yahoo giving it a link name that implies the opposite of what the article says, This Article from Rivals about the results of the Big East meeting seems to describe a league in the process of collapsing. A glimmer of hope for those who'd like to see WVU in the SEC, perhaps, though.

[jojo]

Originally Posted by tixe

In spite of Yahoo giving it a link name that implies the opposite of what the article says, This Article from Rivals about the results of the Big East meeting seems to describe a league in the process of collapsing. A glimmer of hope for those who'd like to see WVU in the SEC, perhaps, though.

I think the SEC would take VA Tech in a second but the snag is that they probably wouldn't go anywhere without Virginia because their cousin.

Latest I've heard is that the SEC has definitely turned down WVU, has definitely extended and offer to Mizzou and would realign with Auburn switching to the east.

[Slyder]

Originally Posted by jojo

I think the SEC would take VA Tech in a second but the snag is that they probably wouldn't go anywhere without Virginia because their cousin.

Latest I've heard is that the SEC has definitely turned down WVU, has definitely extended and offer to Mizzou and would realign with Auburn switching to the east.

I've heard so many things that my head feels like its been through a spin cycle. Got people on a board I visit speaking in code, speaking in poem, pulling stuff out of their backsides, I dunno. But everyone seems to know what the SEC is going to do but there hasn't been a word out of Mike Slive or Oliver Luck's mouth. So everything is conjecture.

[KronoRed]

Originally Posted by jojo

I think the SEC would take VA Tech in a second but the snag is that they probably wouldn't go anywhere without Virginia because their cousin.

Latest I've heard is that the SEC has definitely turned down WVU, has definitely extended and offer to Mizzou and would realign with Auburn switching to the east.

No matter what happens Auburn is not switching to the east, that would end the Alabama/Tennessee game and that simply won't happen.

[Caveat Emperor]

Originally Posted by tixe

In spite of Yahoo giving it a link name that implies the opposite of what the article says, This Article from Rivals about the results of the Big East meeting seems to describe a league in the process of collapsing. A glimmer of hope for those who'd like to see WVU in the SEC, perhaps, though.

I think WVU is in no better position right now than Cincinnati, Louisville or South Florida. With the ACC and SEC already having sent them packing, they (like the other 3) are now forced to hope that the Big 12 goes looking for members and doesn't start with BYU or TCU.

[WVRed]

Originally Posted by Caveat Emperor

I think WVU is in no better position right now than Cincinnati, Louisville or South Florida. With the ACC and SEC already having sent them packing, they (like the other 3) are now forced to hope that the Big 12 goes looking for members and doesn't start with BYU or TCU.

And even then, do you take it?

1. The conference is basically going to be the AAA of college sports. The four superconferences are set, so any future raiding would be of the remaining Big 12, Big East, or other midmajors.

2. If you move to the Big 12, odds are it is going to be a traveling nightmare with WVU being the furthest school east. For revenue generating sports, such as football, this can be overlooked. For nonrevenue sports such as lacrosse, this becomes an issue.

If I were WVU, I would stay put in a newly formed Big East, even if it sinks so bad that Marshall gets an invite. Become the Boise of the Big East in all sports and when the SEC/ACC looks to expand again, take it and don't look back.