Could it still be Missouri, after all?

[Plains&Lakes]

Missouri, as almost everyone knows, is not bound by a GOR. Their previous interest in the Big Ten spanned decades.

1) They are in the AAU and are a public flagship.
2) They have a very credible (by Big Ten standards) football program and a sound basketball program.
3) They are a large public research university
4) They are the missing geographical base between Nebraska and Illinois and they have rivalries with both
5) Added to Nebraska, it would give a "Big 12" feel in the Western division that might encourage Kansas, Oklahoma, and/or even Texas.
6) They would clearly strengthen the Big Ten West.

I believe that the Big Ten pounced on a willing national brand Nebraska and they were "too cute by half" in not taking Missouri with willing Rutgers at that time. But with the right terms (they would have to be good), Missouri could be ripe for the taking. I do not discount a Missouri and UConn at all-before the new Big Ten TV contract.

 

[pj]

Missouri, as almost everyone knows, is not bound by a GOR. Their previous interest in the Big Ten spanned decades.

1) They are in the AAU and are a public flagship.
2) They have a very credible (by Big Ten standards) football program and a sound basketball program.
3) They are a large public research university
4) They are the missing geographical base between Nebraska and Illinois and they have rivalries with both
5) Added to Nebraska, it would give a "Big 12" feel in the Western division that might encourage Kansas, Oklahoma, and/or even Texas.
6) They would clearly strengthen the Big Ten West.

I believe that the Big Ten pounced on a willing national brand Nebraska and they were "too cute by half" in not taking Missouri with willing Rutgers at that time. But with the right terms (they would have to be good), Missouri could be ripe for the taking. I do not discount a Missouri and UConn at all-before the new Big Ten TV contract.

I agree. I think this would be a great move for the B1G. Missouri is a good size state, bigger than Maryland, and meets every metric (AAU, contiguous, decent athletics, decent fan base). Getting UConn would get them into New England and solidify the B1G's hold on NYC - there are no bigger population centers available in the nation, the 7 state region is 35 million people and it has no B1G representation currently. Missouri would carry its weight financially and provide another bridge to Kansas and Oklahoma, letting them recreate the former Big 12 experience -- they'd far rather be with Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin than with TCU, Baylor, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Iowa State, West Virginia.

And if the B1G goes to a pod structure, UConn/Rutgers/PSU/Md is a natural eastern pod that would quickly create major rivalries.

Maybe they are dreaming of more, of Kansas/Oklahoma/Texas/UConn or UConn/Virginia/UNC/Ga Tech, but those possibilities are at least a decade away and may never happen.

 

[billybud]

Mizzou won 13 games last year...they are buzzed.

 

[CTGoonie]

Why would Mizzou want to leave the SEC? They begged the B1G to get in and were spurned each time before getting a life raft from the SEC. It's kind of like if Uconn were to get into the B1G and then the ACC invited Uconn. No way they go now.

 

[billybud]

"Missouri had the 8th highest TV ratings among college football teams with 3.9 millon viewers per game. Meantime, the SEC was the No. 1 conference in terms of TV ratings with 3.8 million viewers per game. "


Looks like Mizzou is doing OK as long as they continue to win in the SEC.

 

[Seaa Blue]

 

[Dooley]

Well, if the SEC decides voting against academic standards, maybe Mizzou will want to jump to the B1G. I think the B1G would need to offer FULL payment from the get-go though. Not the 6 year new member pro-rated money that RU, MD (and hopefully UCONN!) will get.

 

[uchusky32]

Boy oh boy, we are left to hoping a team that just switch conferences is going to switch again, leaving the Sec, because of the academics.

pass the bong you been hitting it way to much!

 

[Dooley]

Pass me the 40 cuz my mamma ain't lookin'

 

[pj]

You guys are too negative. From an athletics perspective, there's no reason for Missouri to leave the SEC. But it's the university President types, academics in senior positions, who will make the decision. For them, who they want to associate with is a major factor. If they want to be part of the CIC and hang with B1G leaders more than SEC leaders, they'll consider a move.

 

[B1GOSU]

I don't think Missouri is in the B1G long-term strategy. If they were, they would already be in the B1G. Mizzou verbally prostituted itself to the B1G back in 2010 and still was not added. Mizzou was vetted no doubt and publicly stated its desire to join the B1G, but nothing came of it. I think the door has closed on Mizzou as far as both parties are now concerned.

One thing Mizzou does not bring is new fertile recruiting territory. I really think that future additions to the B1G will come with a new recruiting component, much like Rutgers and Maryland brought with them.

There is one big play the B1G could make that would satisfy nearly every criteria for expansion ---- adding the 4 California-based PAC 12 schools to the B1G --- Stanford, UCLA, USC, and Cal. That would create a super conference of 18 members. All 4 are AAU. Between the four of them, nearly every sport offered in the B1G would see a bump in competition, particularly football. The B1G would not only add the largest state in the country to the footprint, it would lock down the state by adding all four schools. Revenues would skyrocket. Recruiting would hugely benefit with all of the top recruits from the state. If the division format stayed, you could have pretty evenly balanced divisions. Simply shift Purdue and Northwestern to the East Division (Purdue is the only eastern time zone school in the West; Northwestern is a private school heavily influenced by the East Coast among its student body). The West would add some power with USC, Stanford and UCLA to help balance that with Nebraska and Wisconsin. (Comparable to Ohio State-Michigan-Penn State-Michigan State in the East). You could also develop pods. The four California schools could be their own pod. In basketball, you could play 20 conference games - 1 vs. the other 17 schools, and then a second game against 3 designated rivals (so the California schools would be their own designated rivals, while Ohio State could have Michigan, Penn State and Michigan State, for example). No one would ever question competitiveness among any B1G sport again. No one would ever question demographics in the B1G again. The California schools would have national exposure and not have to worry about no one being up when their conference games played out on TV for east/central markets, because they would now be playing conference games in those markets, thus becoming more national in scope themselves.

The B1G would go from a conference "living in two regions of the country" to a "National Conference".

Check and Mate.

 

[ArizonaKnight]

I don't think Missouri is in the B1G long-term strategy. If they were, they would already be in the B1G. Mizzou verbally prostituted itself to the B1G back in 2010 and still was not added. Mizzou was vetted no doubt and publicly stated its desire to join the B1G, but nothing came of it. I think the door has closed on Mizzou as far as both parties are now concerned.

One thing Mizzou does not bring is new fertile recruiting territory. I really think that future additions to the B1G will come with a new recruiting component, much like Rutgers and Maryland brought with them.

There is one big play the B1G could make that would satisfy nearly every criteria for expansion ---- adding the 4 California-based PAC 12 schools to the B1G --- Stanford, UCLA, USC, and Cal. That would create a super conference of 18 members. All 4 are AAU. Between the four of them, nearly every sport offered in the B1G would see a bump in competition, particularly football. The B1G would not only add the largest state in the country to the footprint, it would lock down the state by adding all four schools. Revenues would skyrocket. Recruiting would hugely benefit with all of the top recruits from the state. If the division format stayed, you could have pretty evenly balanced divisions. Simply shift Purdue and Northwestern to the East Division (Purdue is the only eastern time zone school in the West; Northwestern is a private school heavily influenced by the East Coast among its student body). The West would add some power with USC, Stanford and UCLA to help balance that with Nebraska and Wisconsin. (Comparable to Ohio State-Michigan-Penn State-Michigan State in the East). You could also develop pods. The four California schools could be their own pod. In basketball, you could play 20 conference games - 1 vs. the other 17 schools, and then a second game against 3 designated rivals (so the California schools would be their own designated rivals, while Ohio State could have Michigan, Penn State and Michigan State, for example). No one would ever question competitiveness among any B1G sport again. No one would ever question demographics in the B1G again. The California schools would have national exposure and not have to worry about no one being up when their conference games played out on TV for east/central markets, because they would now be playing conference games in those markets, thus becoming more national in scope themselves.

The B1G would go from a conference "living in two regions of the country" to a "National Conference".

Check and Mate.

Why on Earth would those four PAC12 teams leave?

 

[bobbyinaz]

Why on Earth would those four PAC12 teams leave?

I don't think they would leave but anytime you are leaving $20+MM on the table it always raises the question.

 

[Husky68]

Boy oh boy, we are left to hoping a team that just switch conferences is going to switch again, leaving the Sec, because of the academics.

pass the bong you been hitting it way to much!

Wait your turn, I'm next.

 

[pj]

There is one big play the B1G could make that would satisfy nearly every criteria for expansion ---- adding the 4 California-based PAC 12 schools to the B1G --- Stanford, UCLA, USC, and Cal. That would create a super conference of 18 members.

The B1G would go from a conference "living in two regions of the country" to a "National Conference".

Check and Mate.

That would really turn college sports upside down. The money gap between the B1G and the rest would be astronomical.

It really seems unlikely, but stranger things have happened.

If it did happen, why wouldn't you take Arizona, Washington, Colorado, and UConn (worth more than Oregon) to go to 22? In football, have a ten game conference schedule, two divisions of 11 that play a round robin schedule. UCLA-USC-Stanford-Cal-Arizona-Washington-Colorado-Nebraska-Iowa-Minnesota-Wisconsin in the West, Illinois-Northwestern-Purdue-Indiana-Mich-Mich St-Ohio St-Penn St-Maryland-Rutgers-UConn in the East. If you take Oregon instead of UConn, Wisconsin gets to go east.

You could call the western division the "Pac 11" and the eastern division the "Big 11". Conference championship held in the Rose Bowl.

 

[geordi]

While we're at it, let's get Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and OK State too. The we can add Alabama, LSU, Auburn and Tennessee for a southern division. Once that's solidified, UVA, UNC will be ripe for the taking. Hell, we can call the new conference the National Football League with an eastern and western conference and four to six four team divisions in each. Notre Dame already played in Dublin. Can't you just see UConn v Alabama at Wembley?

 

[whaler11]

UConn is worth more than Oregon. The things you learn on the Boneyard.

 

[TerryD]

While we're at it, let's get Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and OK State too. The we can add Alabama, LSU, Auburn and Tennessee for a southern division. Once that's solidified, UVA, UNC will be ripe for the taking. Hell, we can call the new conference the National Football League with an eastern and western conference and four to six four team divisions in each. Notre Dame already played in Dublin. Can't you just see UConn v Alabama at Wembley?

I may have asked you before about you ? Is that pub in your avatar in Portmagee over the bridge from Valentia Island in County Kerry, Ireland?

If so, I have stopped for pints there a couple of times. A nice pub.

 

[btstimpy]

I don't think Missouri is in the B1G long-term strategy. If they were, they would already be in the B1G. Mizzou verbally prostituted itself to the B1G back in 2010 and still was not added. Mizzou was vetted no doubt and publicly stated its desire to join the B1G, but nothing came of it. I think the door has closed on Mizzou as far as both parties are now concerned.

One thing Mizzou does not bring is new fertile recruiting territory. I really think that future additions to the B1G will come with a new recruiting component, much like Rutgers and Maryland brought with them.

There is one big play the B1G could make that would satisfy nearly every criteria for expansion ---- adding the 4 California-based PAC 12 schools to the B1G --- Stanford, UCLA, USC, and Cal. That would create a super conference of 18 members. All 4 are AAU. Between the four of them, nearly every sport offered in the B1G would see a bump in competition, particularly football. The B1G would not only add the largest state in the country to the footprint, it would lock down the state by adding all four schools. Revenues would skyrocket. Recruiting would hugely benefit with all of the top recruits from the state. If the division format stayed, you could have pretty evenly balanced divisions. Simply shift Purdue and Northwestern to the East Division (Purdue is the only eastern time zone school in the West; Northwestern is a private school heavily influenced by the East Coast among its student body). The West would add some power with USC, Stanford and UCLA to help balance that with Nebraska and Wisconsin. (Comparable to Ohio State-Michigan-Penn State-Michigan State in the East). You could also develop pods. The four California schools could be their own pod. In basketball, you could play 20 conference games - 1 vs. the other 17 schools, and then a second game against 3 designated rivals (so the California schools would be their own designated rivals, while Ohio State could have Michigan, Penn State and Michigan State, for example). No one would ever question competitiveness among any B1G sport again. No one would ever question demographics in the B1G again. The California schools would have national exposure and not have to worry about no one being up when their conference games played out on TV for east/central markets, because they would now be playing conference games in those markets, thus becoming more national in scope themselves.

The B1G would go from a conference "living in two regions of the country" to a "National Conference".

Check and Mate.

The B1G and the Pac 12 announced a scheduling alliance to basically implement this on some level. Never fully understand why it was called off after it had been officially announced. I'm not sure who pulled the plug, but this idea isn't totally new.

 

[bingethinker]

I'd love to have Missouri, but I doubt the Big Ten will ever extend an offer. They've been passed over too many times.

 

[pj]

UConn is worth more than Oregon. The things you learn on the Boneyard.

To the B1G, yes. Connecticut and Oregon have similar populations, but Connecticut's is much closer to the university, and UConn has reach to the rest of the New England and New York, Oregon has little reach out of state. They are attractive because of Phil Knight and Nike and their recent football success. But in terms of valuation for BTN and the B1G revenues generally, they bring less money than UConn would.

 

[whaler11]

To the B1G, yes. Connecticut and Oregon have similar populations, but Connecticut's is much closer to the university, and UConn has reach to the rest of the New England and New York, Oregon has little reach out of state. They are attractive because of Phil Knight and Nike and their recent football success. But in terms of valuation for BTN and the B1G revenues generally, they bring less money than UConn would.

I hope you have a designated driver tonight.

 

[pj]

I hope you have a designated driver tonight.

I don't think you've ever valued a business. Connecticut's market is larger than Oregon's. Market size is the number against which all others are multiplied to get valuation.

 

[whaler11]

I don't think you've ever valued a business. Connecticut's market is larger than Oregon's. Market size is the number against which all others are multiplied to get valuation.

Was there a Boneyard happy hour tonight I didn't get invited to tonight? The posts tonight are absurd even by the standards around here.

 

[ZooCougar]

The SEC is like the Hotel California. But in a good way. Plus if you spend ten minutes in Missouri then you would realize it's really an SEC kind of place, and I don't mean that in a nice a way.