ESPN not happy with LHN?

[B1GOSU]

ESPN would be a fool to lose the B1G contract. There will be a massive bidding war. I'm sure Delany already knows what Fox will offer, which is where the $40/$45 million per school figure is coming from. ESPN can always match or exceed the offer Fox makes.

Personally, I think the B1G contract will be split up among several entities. Much like how Fox owns the B1G Championship Game now in its own separate deal. I think we might see something like that.

At any rate, having 11 state flagship universities means big bucks for the B1G. Only having 1 private school is a huge advantage, and even that 1 private school is located in the Chicago market, which is advantageous.

Whoever lands the B1G contract will have the B1G rating$$$$$.

 

[freescooter]

The hyperbole coming from ACC folk is getting a little overboard. You have FSU and Clemson and that it, at least for football.

Please explain to me what Clemson has done since 1988 to be considered a "national power"? You have Florida State and that's it.

 

[upstater]

Please explain to me what Clemson has done since 1988 to be considered a "national power"? You have Florida State and that's it.

Yeah, I don't get it either. Clemson is a good football school, but they have had 3 decades of not winning big games.

 

[dayooper]

Please explain to me what Clemson has done since 1988 to be considered a "national power"? You have Florida State and that's it.

Yeah, I don't get it either. Clemson is a good football school, but they have had 3 decades of not winning big games.

Never said they were a national power, just a football school. There are three schools in the ACC that are known for football: FSU, Clemson, and VT. That's all. Louisville? If they keep it up may be, but they are traditionally a basketball school.

 

[upstater]

Never said they were a national power, just a football school. There are three schools in the ACC that are known for football: FSU, Clemson, and VT. That's all. Louisville? If they keep it up may be, but they are traditionally a basketball school.

Depends on what you mean by known for football. Clemson should be much better but they've been scuffling on the national stage for 3 decades. VT benefited greatly from a down period in the BE (prior to WV coming on like gangbusters) but their history is an abysmally poor record against ranked teams. Louisville was a 55% win team in the BE. I don't think these teams have a rep. that's any different than, say, an Oklahoma St. or an Arkansas or an Iowa. Good football schools but more toward the middling side than the top.

 

[freescooter]

Actually, I agree with upstater on this. Though I will say that Clemson is a media darling most years for reasons that continually escape me. If you look at some of their blowout losses in recent years, it should make it pretty clear they are a closer to a mid-level program than a power one. Florida State beat them 51-14 last year in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicated.

 

[Cleanface]

At any rate, having 11 state flagship universities means big bucks for the B1G. Only having 1 private school is a huge advantage, and even that 1 private school is located in the Chicago market, which is advantageous.

*cough* 13 State Flagship Us *cough*


C'Mon, Bucknut

 

[dayooper]

Depends on what you mean by known for football. Clemson should be much better but they've been scuffling on the national stage for 3 decades. VT benefited greatly from a down period in the BE (prior to WV coming on like gangbusters) but their history is an abysmally poor record against ranked teams. Louisville was a 55% win team in the BE. I don't think these teams have a rep. that's any different than, say, an Oklahoma St. or an Arkansas or an Iowa. Good football schools but more toward the middling side than the top.

Absolutely. When I think of FSU, Clemson, and VT, I think of their football teams. That was my point.

 

[dayooper]

*cough* 13 State Flagship Us *cough*


C'Mon, Bucknut

Nope, 11. MSU and Purdue aren't the flagship schools. They could be if their respective states didn't already have one, but, technically they are not.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Absolutely. When I think of FSU, Clemson, and VT, I think of their football teams. That was my point.

A little OT, but is that all it takes for someone to be considered a "football school"? Is Rutgers a "football school" because their basketball is even more pathetic?

If that's true, then we'll pretty much always carry the stigma of being a "basketball school", what with the championships and all.

 

[Cleanface]

Nope, 11. MSU and Purdue aren't the flagship schools. They could be if their respective states didn't already have one, but, technically they are not.

I've seen both listed as Flagships. Not many states have two schools with this distinction, but I thought IN and MI were two of them.

Hell, check their Wiki pages!...FLAGSHIPS. Wiki is always right.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

 

[CoastAtlantic]

Please explain to me what Clemson has done since 1988 to be considered a "national power"? You have Florida State and that's it.

Worse is that some of the more yahoo fans of that program act like they're Alabama or something. That and their strange fascination with a piece of rock taken from a California desert. I only wish they value the total of their program, not just the football team.

 

[pj]

A little OT, but is that all it takes for someone to be considered a "football school"? Is Rutgers a "football school" because their basketball is even more pathetic?

Rutgers is a fencing school.

 

[RatholeMA]

Which two events have a higher probability of occurring:
1) A Big Ten school leaving the B1G to go to the ACC.
2) An ACC school leaving the ACC to go to the B1G.

The answer to this question will tell if the ACC is catching up. BTW, There are no possible scenarios where the SEC or Pac 12 try to poach from the B1G.

There were rumors of Northwestern to the ACC.

 

[dayooper]

There were rumors of Northwestern to the ACC.

The rumors were that The ACC went after NW and PSU. Whether they were interested or if it really happened is something I have no clue on, but those were the rumors.

 

[Calamitous]

The rumors were that The ACC went after NW and PSU. Whether they were interested or if it really happened is something I have no clue on, but those were the rumors.

Many think this was the catalyst that made Delany go for the ACC's jugular. That and sneaking into South Bend to grab that "valuable" non-football property. I think Wake's prez was reaching out to NW and Pitt's prez to PSU. At least that was the rumor I heard.

 

[upstater]

Many think this was the catalyst that made Delany go for the ACC's jugular. That and sneaking into South Bend to grab that "valuable" non-football property. I think Wake's prez was reaching out to NW and Pitt's prez to PSU. At least that was the rumor I heard.

Huh??!!! I should think that Delany would do backflips at the prospect of Northwestern to the ACC.

 

[btstimpy]

The rumors were that The ACC went after NW and PSU. Whether they were interested or if it really happened is something I have no clue on, but those were the rumors.

I'm not sure I believe that the ACC did this. First of all there wasn't anyone at Penn State to discuss this with. They fired their President Spanier and AD Curley, and they're trying to put both in jail. Only now has the school backfilled those jobs 2 years later. Any change in conference would not be done with interim people. Could Pitt and Wake have floated the idea out there with those schools? Possibly. But it would have been informal and just to see if there might be any interest. Northwestern isn't much of a fit IMO geographically. That would pull the league further into the midwest where it doesn't belong.

 

[RatholeMA]

Huh??!!! I should think that Delany would do backflips at the prospect of Northwestern to the ACC.

Indeed, the replacement of Northwestern with UConn would seem to be a huge plus for the B1G.

 

[CoastAtlantic]

Huh??!!! I should think that Delany would do backflips at the prospect of Northwestern to the ACC.

Not really. The B1G, more than the others, have this strange loyalty to the ideal of combining big time athletics with research elitism. Plus, NW is located in the heart of the conference. So, from that perspective, while it wouldn't be a big loss in terms of athletic prowess, from the standpoint of the midwest elitist circles it would a huge blow to their egos. This is the kind of thing that gets a reaction from the COP/C and Delany. You underestimate the potential impact.

 

[CoastAtlantic]

Indeed, the replacement of Northwestern with UConn would seem to be a huge plus for the B1G.

UConn is NOT AAU! You have no idea how much value those people put on that designation. If you think they look down on Ruddy that is not half of what they think of Connecticut. Another thing people overlook is that conferences use at least one private school to go around the FOIA rules that public institutions are required to follow. Should they lose NW then most likely they will look for a comparable replacement. Cornell, anyone?

 

[ArizonaKnight]

Not really. The B1G, more than the others, have this strange loyalty to the ideal of combining big time athletics with research elitism.

Forging a big time athletics conference made up of like-minded institutions is strange? Rutgers is a land grant, flagship state school and research powerhouse joining an athletic conference made up of peer institutions and its academic counterpart, the C.I.C. The B1G is more than an athletic conference. As an example...

http://www.bigtencrc.org/#prettyPhoto/0/

Strange is a conference where UVA and Duke are palling around with the "University" of Louisville. Just my opinion.

 

[B1GOSU]

If the Maryland/ACC lawsuit goes to trial, we will find out exactly what happened with the Northwestern/Penn State to the ACC rumors. Whether it's a rumor or fact, there is a snowballs chance in hell that either program would leave the B1G. The goal of conference realignment is promotion to a better conference, not demotion to a lesser one. In the B1G, Penn State is Pitt's superior. In the ACC, Penn State is Pitt's equal.

 

[RatholeMA]

UConn is NOT AAU! You have no idea how much value those people put on that designation. If you think they look down on Ruddy that is not half of what they think of Connecticut. Another thing people overlook is that conferences use at least one private school to go around the FOIA rules that public institutions are required to follow. Should they lose NW then most likely they will look for a comparable replacement. Cornell, anyone?

So I suppose they'll be booting out Nebraska any day now.

 

[dayooper]

UConn is NOT AAU! You have no idea how much value those people put on that designation. If you think they look down on Ruddy that is not half of what they think of Connecticut. Another thing people overlook is that conferences use at least one private school to go around the FOIA rules that public institutions are required to follow. Should they lose NW then most likely they will look for a comparable replacement. Cornell, anyone?

Neither is Nebraska. I know they were when they were admitted, but the process was already in motion when the invite was made. Michigan and Wisconsin led the charge to get them removed. They wanted to take a vote a year earlier, but knew they didn't have the votes to do so.