When the Big 10 expands, will ETSU be positioned to take advantage of the possible domino effect that could present us an opportunity to join a different conference.
Obviously having Football will give us better conference options.

No, any CAA team, or FCS playing program with aspirations of moving up will take advantage. It has the potential to cause a MASSIVE ripple effect though.
Option One: Missouri/Iowa State. Iowa needs a travel partner and making Iowa State a conference game for them opens up another OOC game. Missouri would bring in solid basketball. Either one opens up a spot in the current Big XII, which opens the door for two other programs, TCU/Arkansas. One of my colleagues is a Hog fan (And I dogged his ASS about the ETSU win) and their base is ready to go home to the Big XII. If the powers that be can get past the hurt feelings from the old SWC days, they may leave the SEC. The Big XII North DESPERATELY needs a decent football program, which would also open the door for TCU. I think what kills them is their fan base just isn't big enough. If the scenario of an SEC opening coming about due to Arkansas, that opens the door for two candidates, Clemson and Memphis. Memphis football is horrible as are their facilities outside of basketball, but Clemson's aren't. It could bump Vandy into the SEC West with the other Central time zone schools, and set up a great yearly conference rivalry with Georgia for the Pickens County Pride. From there it opens up the ACC again, and they could go any possible direction.
The other option is Pittsburgh to the Big Ten. Yearly games with Penn State would be great for them, opening up ANOTHER spot in the red headed step child of the Big East.
I think the ultimate ripple effect in the mid-level conferences comes if App, Montana, Richmond, or Villanova ever decide to move up. I can't believe 'Nova hasn't or atleast hasn't been asked by the Big East just to add another football playing member.
There's also talk that due to economics C-USA is about to be broken up. It's getting tough for teams like Marshall to make trips to Texas in every sport.

Has something hit the media about Big 10 expansion...or is this just talk?

If the Notre dame Broadcasting Company ever drops their school of choice, they would go running to the Big 10 or the Big East.
The Big 10 needs another crummy football team.

Yeah, the little 11 is looking to expand since they're irrelevant after mid-November. I say they take Rutgers, makes the most sense to me

Reports are that the B10 wants to add the NYC media market, meaning either Syracuse or Rutgers. Personally I think Pitt makes the most sense from an athletic and locational standpoint.

Notre Dame is the best overall fit but thanks to the NCAA they have no incentive to join a conference.

Obviously, I'd like to see Pitt in the Big 10 for the simple fact it renews the Penn State rivalry and also makes their home schedule more attractive.

The problem is that the Big 10 feels they already have the Pittsburgh media market with Penn State. The advantage is that Pitt offers great facilities and the most competitive teams right now, and are also set to build new facilities for baseball and soccer AFTER (take note, ETSU) they have built new facilities for basketball and football.

The other problem is if you look at divisions, how do you break them up? Right now, a Big 10 East would have Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State, Indiana, and Purdue. To put Pitt in that mix means one of the latter four have to go Big 10 West. Would you like to tell Michigan and Michigan State, or Purdue and Indiana, that they have to play in different divisions?

Then again, such a division would give the Big 10 East their three primary football schools and, assuming Indiana is in the division, primary basketball schools in one division. Michigan-Ohio State is a great rivarly because historically it seems to decide the Big 10 champion so often. With the division cut that way, a Big 10 championship game doesn't seem as compelling as, say, an SEC Title Game, where the football schools are divided equally.

Rutgers adds the New York TV market. That's huge because the Big 10 then becomes a true Midwest-Northeast conference. The problem is they add little from a competitive standpoint.

Missouri offers the best fit geographically and adds two TV markets, Kansas City and St. Louis. That would honestly be my guess as it is the perfect compromise and if you don't mind making the Big 10 East the dominant division, then it makes perfect sense.

Forget Notre Dame. They aren't sacrificing their TV contract. They aren't sacrificing their traditional rivalries with non-Big 10 schools.

If Notre Dame ever did want to join a conference for football, a conference would find a place for them no matter how many schools they already have. If it meant the Big 10 would have 13 schools, they'd have 13 schools.

(12-16-2009 12:21 AM)PittsburghBucs Wrote:  Obviously, I'd like to see Pitt in the Big 10 for the simple fact it renews the Penn State rivalry and also makes their home schedule more attractive.

The problem is that the Big 10 feels they already have the Pittsburgh media market with Penn State. The advantage is that Pitt offers great facilities and the most competitive teams right now, and are also set to build new facilities for baseball and soccer AFTER (take note, ETSU) they have built new facilities for basketball and football.

The other problem is if you look at divisions, how do you break them up? Right now, a Big 10 East would have Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State, Indiana, and Purdue. To put Pitt in that mix means one of the latter four have to go Big 10 West. Would you like to tell Michigan and Michigan State, or Purdue and Indiana, that they have to play in different divisions?

Then again, such a division would give the Big 10 East their three primary football schools and, assuming Indiana is in the division, primary basketball schools in one division. Michigan-Ohio State is a great rivarly because historically it seems to decide the Big 10 champion so often. With the division cut that way, a Big 10 championship game doesn't seem as compelling as, say, an SEC Title Game, where the football schools are divided equally.

Rutgers adds the New York TV market. That's huge because the Big 10 then becomes a true Midwest-Northeast conference. The problem is they add little from a competitive standpoint.

Missouri offers the best fit geographically and adds two TV markets, Kansas City and St. Louis. That would honestly be my guess as it is the perfect compromise and if you don't mind making the Big 10 East the dominant division, then it makes perfect sense.

Forget Notre Dame. They aren't sacrificing their TV contract. They aren't sacrificing their traditional rivalries with non-Big 10 schools.

If Notre Dame ever did want to join a conference for football, a conference would find a place for them no matter how many schools they already have. If it meant the Big 10 would have 13 schools, they'd have 13 schools.

I echo the statement of Bo Schembechler "TO HELL WITH NOTRE DAME!"

As far as divisions with the B10, Michigan and OSU will be put into the same division no matter what. Neither fan base wants to see a potential rematch and the conference would be stupid to put them on opposite sides. I see the potential for the B10 to become as the B12 is now, where one side of the conference is completely stacked and the other side is a "division of death" ala the B12 North.

Pitt makes the most sense from an athletic standpoint, Rutgers or Syracuse makes the most sense from a financial standpoint. If there's one thing I know about the B10 conference it is this, more than anything else they love $$$$$$$.

I don't think Syracuse would be a likely candidate. Neither do I think Iowa State. Neither brings in a desirable TV market (even with Pitt, it could be argued that Penn State doesn't really bring in Pittsburgh for basketball since none of the papers devotes a beat writer to the Nittany Lions basketball program, for instance) or facilties or ups the league from a competitive standpoint.

Syracuse doesn't even have a baseball team. Forget about them.

Missouri adds the academics the Big Ten is apparently looking for though. I just don't see Rutgers fitting the Big Ten at all. Pitt would be a great athletic fit for the conference, while Missouri and Iowa State make geographic sense.
Oh and btw, there's talk that the Pac-10 is going to expand as well, basically leaving the Big East as the only conference without a championship football game.

(12-18-2009 12:08 PM)Buccaneerlover Wrote:  Missouri adds the academics the Big Ten is apparently looking for though. I just don't see Rutgers fitting the Big Ten at all. Pitt would be a great athletic fit for the conference, while Missouri and Iowa State make geographic sense.
Oh and btw, there's talk that the Pac-10 is going to expand as well, basically leaving the Big East as the only conference without a championship football game.

Its all about the money, Missouri doesn't add much from a money standpoint.

Oh, I don't know. The Kansas City and St. Louis markets?

Lover- Iowa State isn't going to come into the Big 10.

How would ISU make the Big 10 better from a competitive standpoint?

Why would you rather have the Ames market than New York, St. Louis and Kansas City, or Pittsburgh for the full season?

Yes, it might be nice for the Iowa and ISU rivalry. But, and I say this with all objectivity, it would be nicer to have Pitt and Penn State.

(12-18-2009 01:08 PM)PittsburghBucs Wrote:  Oh, I don't know. The Kansas City and St. Louis markets?

Lover- Iowa State isn't going to come into the Big 10.

How would ISU make the Big 10 better from a competitive standpoint?

Why would you rather have the Ames market than New York, St. Louis and Kansas City, or Pittsburgh for the full season?

Yes, it might be nice for the Iowa and ISU rivalry. But, and I say this with all objectivity, it would be nicer to have Pitt and Penn State.

I`m not sure what market the Big 10 would rather tap into first, I would assume the NY/NJ market first would be first(even though they would add the least athletically), followed by KC/St. Louis, then Pittsburgh(who would add the most athletically).

Pitt makes the most sense athletically but not financially as the Big 10 has already setup camp in the state of Pennsylvania. In this case the Big 10 literally wants to expand which is why Pitt may end up not being picked even though they make the most sense to enter the conference.

The Big 10 doesn't make decisions based on what makes sense but want yields the most money. Which is why the Big 10 network exists even though it hurts the conference from an exposure standpoint.

I will say this- the Big 10's talked about expansion before. And they've decided against it, or been turned down (several years ago they extended an offer to Notre Dame, who turned it down), every time since Penn State joined 20 years ago.

There's talk of Missouri not wanting to move over. The Big 12 for the Big 10 isn't necessarily a leap up. It's a rather even swap and they lose a lot of tradition.

Jamie Dixon, Pitt's head basketball coach, has gone on record saying he doesn't want to leave the Big East because he has his recruiting base in the Northeast and joining the Big 10 would mean he'd lose it. For him, Big East for Big 10 would be a step down.

But it would be a step up for football. And I have to think that some other sports would feel it would be a step up as well.

dont be surprised if the big 10 does not add another school. to make it worth while that school is going to have to bring $15-18 million dollars in additional revenue annually to have it make sense financially. also, if big 10 does expand - it will not open up opportunites for etsu via a domino effect.

(12-18-2009 08:34 PM)PittsburghBucs Wrote:  I will say this- the Big 10's talked about expansion before. And they've decided against it, or been turned down (several years ago they extended an offer to Notre Dame, who turned it down), every time since Penn State joined 20 years ago.

There's talk of Missouri not wanting to move over. The Big 12 for the Big 10 isn't necessarily a leap up. It's a rather even swap and they lose a lot of tradition.

Jamie Dixon, Pitt's head basketball coach, has gone on record saying he doesn't want to leave the Big East because he has his recruiting base in the Northeast and joining the Big 10 would mean he'd lose it. For him, Big East for Big 10 would be a step down.

But it would be a step up for football. And I have to think that some other sports would feel it would be a step up as well.

I realize that, but even the idea of the Sun Belt losing New Orleans raises a potential trickle down.

Potential.

perhaps - but i doubt it. unless i have my numbers wrong - losing UNO is probably a plus for the Sun Belt as it gives them 12 in bb. they are also trying like crazy to find another home for Denver. if they add - would likely be schools with FBS football. they have fielded calls from App St., Georgia So., Liberty, Jacksonville St.

(12-18-2009 09:53 PM)PittsburghBucs Wrote:  I realize that, but even the idea of the Sun Belt losing New Orleans raises a potential trickle down.

Potential.

I think they ought to keep Denver because of the TV market, but I understand the reasonings for letting them go.

Of course, who needs the Sun Belt when you have the Frozen Four?

little eleven could become the big 14?

http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumor...ref=fromSI