College Football--Big Ten Expansion
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Anonymous
(OP again): Agree. Can lock-in Notre Dame with hefty exit fees which extend for longer than the length of the current media rights deal. |
Anonymous
(OP here): Think creatively. Many years ago, the then President of the University of Alabama told me during a personal conversation that the best investment that the University of Alabama ever made was in hiring Head Football Coach Nick Saban. Maybe the Big Ten Conference should view Notre Dame as such a possible investment. Regarding any Michigan and Ohio State objections to an offer of "a larger share", think creativley. What if the larger share consisted of an additional home game each year for a certain number of years for Notre Dame ? |
Anonymous
They'll worry about the precedent and the optics given the stature of their programs. Look how things worked out sweetening the pot for OU and Texas. Michigan and OSU can basically play ND whenever they want to as it is. A few million dollars isn't worth the optics or the ego shot. The Alabama president has to be an idiot if he really believes that... |
Anonymous
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(OP again):
Last minute desperation attempts to prevent the University of Arizona from moving to the Big 12 Conference include rumors of an association between the Pac-12 and the ACC. This is absolutely ridiculous as the travel costs would surely sink the level of both conferences to G5 level from Power 5 level conferences. The University of Oregon really, really, really wants to join the Big Ten Conference--and for good reason. If U Oregon remains in the Pac-12, the U Oregon Ducks football team will lack the financial resources to remain competitive at a Top 20 level. So no longer does the Pac-12 survival depend upon retaining the University of Arizona, it depends upon keeping the University of Oregon--its most valuable asset. Phil Knight, Nike, and the University of Oregon are well aware of what a future in the Pac-12 will do to the Oregon Ducks football team. So, the Big Ten Conference's goals should be to add Notre Dame & the University of Oregon. The Big Ten can do it if the Conference is creative and willing to invest in its future in a manner that will assure premier status in college football and other athletics for many decades to come. So what is the hold up ? The hold up is that the Big Ten Conference does not want to be blamed for the collapse of the Pac-12. |
Anonymous
What a ridiculous remark. The former President of the University of Alabama has the results and the numbers to prove his assertion. |
Anonymous
| Does conference membership matter as much now? Recruits no longer care they can play mini-golf or relax in a nap pod at Clemson. They want NIL $$, which comes mostly from collectives not actually associated with the schools. Conference $$ isn't the huge help now that the facilities race does matter like it did. |
Anonymous
| The question now is who has the billionaire backers to compete. For example, is it surprising that Kansas is suddenly better now? David Booth can bankroll anything they need NIL wise and has done so for basketball and football (while leaving a little $ for Chicago's B-school). |
Anonymous
WSU and OSU's athletic departments have a massive amount of debt due to recent facilities upgrades. Cutting their TV payouts by 75% is going to mean large cuts somewhere |
Anonymous
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So, how does the Big Ten Conference get past its reluctance to be seen as being responsible for the possible collapse of the Pac-12 ?
It doesn't. Plain & simple as that. The Big Ten Conference does not need to expand. But, the Big 12 Conference does need to expand. The best options for the Big 12 Conference are the University of Utah followed by the University of Arizona. Either defection from the Pac-12 would lessen any feelings of guilt on behalf of the Big Ten Conference for expanding by an addition or two from the Pac-12. To be clear: The Big Ten Conference does not need to expand beyond the addition of USC & UCLA; it does not need Notre Dame; it does not need Oregon, Washington, Utah, Stanford, Cal or any other team. (Did I just write Utah ?) |
Anonymous
What is the Mountain West Conference payout and what is the current Pac-12 offer (about $20 million IF the Pac-12 stays intact as is) ? |
Anonymous
Football and athletic department success isn't usually top of mind for academics. Hiring a football coach requires a president's eventual approval but would hardly be something he could take much credit for, so it is a very strange comment in my book too. Most school leaders see sports almost as a necessary evil that helps with fundraising. Maryland has the only president with a kid who is a pro athlete I can think of and even he dislikes it. |
Anonymous
Presidents like athletics about as much as college rankings! They are great when things are going well but get you fired when they are not. |
Anonymous
I've read that the current Apple offer is $19 million, that they are getting a bit over $20 million now, and that Mountain West is around $6 million. |
Anonymous
| Oregon and Washington going to the big10 about to be official |
Anonymous
Source ? |