(06-02-2012 02:14 AM)joe4psu Wrote: (05-10-2012 01:04 PM)He1nousOne Wrote: Ouch Bearcat, a bit harsh on the delivery but valid points.
I really do not think Notre Dame will be joining anyone anytime soon. They are playing everyone as fools currently. They are in no threat of losing credibility as an Indie.
Rutgers is alright I guess but for me I really like Maryland. They won't throw the hierarchy into chaos as far as sports go but they will fit in great with the B1G especially in the research departments. They go along with Penn State perfectly.
If we really ever want Notre Dame, we would have to remove some of the enticements of the ACC and bring them to the B1G. By that I mean Boston College and Syracuse. I no longer believe in Notre Dame being our play but for someone who does, that is where I would look.
That way if we ever move to 16 with new NCAA rules we could then partner Notre Dame with Maryland for those last two spots. That MIGHT work but even then, a lot of Irish folks who really do not like the Big Ten.
Late to respond I know...
Unless the B12 actually peels off a couple of schools I don't think the ACC is vulnerable. UMD will stay for better or worse IMO. Even if FSU and Clemson would leave I don't know if any other schools would blink. And I don't think ND is close to joining a conference. Even if, improbably, the 4x16 conference scenario came to be it would end up being 4x16+1 because no one has the nuts to stand up to ND.
To entice ND and get into NYC as much as possible I'd go with Rutgers. They are a large state university that does a lot of research and is an AAU member. Syracuse has apparently changed their mission because they let there membership in AAU slide. If they want to go back in that direction, or if the B1G wants to add another small private school then I'd go for SU. Having them and RU is definitely the best way to attract any audience in NYC other than adding ND. I would only add BC if ND was joining and that was a requirement. They are a small private school that has a so so history and has never had a big fanbase. They do nothing for the B1G except act as a lure for ND. Another thing about adding ND is that they will throw the balance of the conference off unless another king is added. Who could be added as a counterbalance to ND? Texas? I don't think they're interested in playing up north or being an equal and that is a cultural thing that will not change for a very long time if ever. I'd add RU and SU when the next contract is negotiated. Even if SU only gets the BTN on upstate NY that is what 7 million people? And NJ is huge too. The BTN fees alone should pay for those two and when the next contract is signed the money will be so big that they could probably be added and everyone would make more money without the BTN.
SU focuses on the soft sciences (i.e. social sciences, like political science), whereas the AAU focuses on hard sciences (i.e. biology). Much of the reason why SU left is because SU doesn't have a med school.
However, moving to the ACC might change things at Syracuse. The academics should improve, and the athletics should improve.
In a couple of years, SU will likely be in the 40's academically*, top 20 in football (SU is improving like crazy, and has a history of being good**), top 10 in basketball, and top 1-2 in lax. Combine that with a strong following in NYC***, and a fanatical following in upstate, NY (esp. western NY), and I think that it would be hard to turn down (esp. given its history with PSU). Then again, I went to SU, so I am biased.
*It's currently 62, but last year was an outlier. It had spent the last decade in the mid 50's. I think that SU will cut back on diversity this year, so it will look better on paper (i.e. higher high school gpa's and sat's), and joining the ACC should give it a boost. Combine that with an economy that is starting to favor private schools, and SU should see a 15 point jump over the next couple of years.
**SU is currently ranked #15 in all time wins, and #7 in players in the hall of fame.
***Watch last year's SU v. St. John's game at MSG if you don't believe me
{I'm on a B1G forum, because I went to SU for undergrad, and PSU for grad}