13 hours ago by Patrick Schmidt

The Big Ten poached the ACC prior to Thanksgiving when the Midwestern conference reached the east coast by adding Maryland and bringing in Rutgers from the Big East, but the conference may not be completely done raiding the ACC just yet.

One of the worst kept secrets in college athletics is that Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney wants the conference to move from a 14-team league as it exists currently and to move to 16 teams. While other power conferences are taking a wait-and-see approach to conference expansion and realignment, Delaney has been proactive and doesn’t want to be left without a chair in this game of musical chairs.

According to a report by Chip Brown of OrangeBloods.com, Delaney has reached out to North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia Tech to gauge their interest in a potential move to the conference. The three schools from the ACC would meet the requirement of being a member of the Association of American Universities.

All members of the Big Ten are members of The AAU except for Nebraska–which was kicked out in 2011–Virginia has been in that group since 1904, North Carolina has been a member since 1922 and Georgia Tech was added in 2010.

Virginia would give the conference another school along the eastern seaboard and an inlet into the fertile recruiting ground in that state, and could help ensure that Penn State sticks with the conference for the long-term.

Georgia Tech would give a massive boost to recruiting in the south where the Big Ten has struggled in recent years to poach elite prep talent from SEC schools and would open up the conference to the Atlanta television market.

North Carolina would appear to be the least likely of the three to move since they are a charter member of the ACC and North Carolina Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham told fans in November when rumors began to circulate that the school reached out to the Big Ten that the school plans on calling the ACC its home for the foreseeable future.

Where there is smoke, there is fire and further expansion announcements for the Big Ten could be heating up and Delaney is hoping that he can lure two of these three schools to join what would be a national conference.

No one is more powerful then Delaney when it comes to College FB. He is probably the biggest hurdle to a 16 team playoff.
AS he says," He reports to Big 10 FB Presidents, not the general college fan."

(01-30-2013 04:54 PM)sterling1man Wrote:  No one is more powerful then Delaney when it comes to College FB. He is probably the biggest hurdle to a 16 team playoff.
AS he says," He reports to Big 10 FB Presidents, not the general college fan."

Big Ten is smart. Their product has been taking a hit lately from a national competitive standpoint but it will inevitably bouce back. They are focused on building the right infrastructure to maximize revenue in today's landscape. If they land those programs the Big Ten will be an absolute juggernaut (more so than now) with premier athletics and academics. No other conference will be able to match that.

I wish the MAC could hire Delaney.

(01-30-2013 05:01 PM)sterling1man Wrote:  I wish the MAC could hire Delaney.

Wasn't Rick Chryst (our last Commish) his puppet?

Dear lord....all the old time Michigan & Ohio State fans have to be furious, their big ten while being proactive is just losing all the cozy feelings it used to have....they have to cringe knowing Maryland and Rutgers, now possibly Virginia would be coming to their precious Big Ten

(01-30-2013 05:23 PM)NIU8484 Wrote:  Dear lord....all the old time Michigan & Ohio State fans have to be furious, their big ten while being proactive is just losing all the cozy feelings it used to have....they have to cringe knowing Maryland and Rutgers, now possibly Virginia would be coming to their precious Big Ten

They don't mind if they still play each other every year AND they play less 1 OOC game and 1 MORE conference game.

(01-30-2013 05:06 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(01-30-2013 05:01 PM)sterling1man Wrote:  I wish the MAC could hire Delaney.

Wasn't Rick Chryst (our last Commish) his puppet?

I think so, him and many others. Maybe if we collectively move MAC BB to Div 1aa and spend the extra money on FB we could afford him.

(01-30-2013 05:01 PM)sterling1man Wrote:  I wish the MAC could hire Delaney.

It would be nice but I think Steinbracher is doing well considering the hand he was dealt: a Michigan / Ohio bus league with a long term low paying TV contract and no basketball presence. He seems to be trying to move the bar forward but I feel at times some of the Presidents have held the MAC back. We seem to have a couple programs that are on the cusp of realing thriving from an athletic standpoint and then those that are content staying the course / status quo. I really sense a divide among the members but not really sure it will mean anything unless the top MAC teams somehow broke away as a group for greener pastures.

One example, and maybe I am missing something but the fact that no program can pay more than 10% of the current highest paid football coach seems like a strange rule. Then you have a team like Arkansas State paying $1.5MM to its HC and staff for football. Seems a little odd. Why should the league care about how much a program pays its coach unless certain members are worried certain teams will seperate themselves from the pac putting their program at a perceived disadvantge. That is all fine but eventually something will give.

(01-30-2013 05:28 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(01-30-2013 05:01 PM)sterling1man Wrote:  I wish the MAC could hire Delaney.

It would be nice but I think Steinbracher is doing well considering the hand he was dealt: a Michigan / Ohio bus league with a long term low paying TV contract and no basketball presence. He seems to be trying to move the bar forward but I feel at times some of the Presidents have held the MAC back. We seem to have a couple programs that are on the cusp of realing thriving from an athletic standpoint and then those that are content staying the course / status quo. I really sense a divide among the members but not really sure it will mean anything unless the top MAC teams somehow broke away as a group for greener pastures.

Maybe NIU/Toledo/BGSU/Ohio/CMU and WMU should join the Mountain WEst conference. The rest of the MAC can combine with conference USA or the WAC.

(01-30-2013 05:01 PM)sterling1man Wrote:  I wish the MAC could hire Delaney.

Why?

Then the MAC would get an automatic invite to the BCS bowl.

(01-30-2013 05:27 PM)sterling1man Wrote:  

(01-30-2013 05:06 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(01-30-2013 05:01 PM)sterling1man Wrote:  I wish the MAC could hire Delaney.

Wasn't Rick Chryst (our last Commish) his puppet?

I think so, him and many others. Maybe if we collectively move MAC BB to Div 1aa and spend the extra money on FB we could afford him.

I doubt it.

I also doubt half of the MAC schools would want to kill their BB programs.

(01-30-2013 05:39 PM)sterling1man Wrote:  Then the MAC would get an automatic invite to the BCS bowl.

oh.

(01-30-2013 04:58 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(01-30-2013 04:54 PM)sterling1man Wrote:  No one is more powerful then Delaney when it comes to College FB. He is probably the biggest hurdle to a 16 team playoff.
AS he says," He reports to Big 10 FB Presidents, not the general college fan."

Big Ten is smart. Their product has been taking a hit lately from a national competitive standpoint but it will inevitably bouce back. They are focused on building the right infrastructure to maximize revenue in today's landscape. If they land those programs the Big Ten will be an absolute juggernaut (more so than now) with premier athletics and academics. No other conference will be able to match that.

Inevitably bounce back? Why must it inevitably bounce back, Notre Dame was a college football joke for the last 20 years until last year. Not that there aren't good football programs in the league but there sure is alot deadweight. Minny & Indy haven't won or tied for a B10 title since 1967, Purdue has tied or won 1 title since 1967. Michigan is rebounding and Minny seems to be but Illinois is a bad team, MSU is mediocre at best and Iowa is nosediving. With the Hawkeyes replacing a starting QB, there is almost no chance of them bowling again in 13.

When Northwestern who has the highest academic standards in the league and the worst facilities in the league wins 10 games and finishes 2nd in the AP polls among conference programs and 1st in the UPI rankings; that speaks volumes as to where the Big 10 is.

(01-30-2013 06:40 PM)Poliicious Wrote:  

(01-30-2013 04:58 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(01-30-2013 04:54 PM)sterling1man Wrote:  No one is more powerful then Delaney when it comes to College FB. He is probably the biggest hurdle to a 16 team playoff.
AS he says," He reports to Big 10 FB Presidents, not the general college fan."

Big Ten is smart. Their product has been taking a hit lately from a national competitive standpoint but it will inevitably bouce back. They are focused on building the right infrastructure to maximize revenue in today's landscape. If they land those programs the Big Ten will be an absolute juggernaut (more so than now) with premier athletics and academics. No other conference will be able to match that.

Inevitably bounce back? Why must it inevitably bounce back, Notre Dame was a college football joke for the last 20 years until last year. Not that there aren't good football programs in the league but there sure is alot deadweight. Minny & Indy haven't won or tied for a B10 title since 1967, Purdue has tied or won 1 title since 1967. Michigan is rebounding and Minny seems to be but Illinois is a bad team, MSU is mediocre at best and Iowa is nosediving. With the Hawkeyes replacing a starting QB, there is almost no chance of them bowling again in 13.

When Northwestern who has the highest academic standards in the league and the worst facilities in the league wins 10 games and finishes 2nd in the AP polls among conference programs and 1st in the UPI rankings; that speaks volumes as to where the Big 10 is.

Ok so maybe the Big 10 won't overtake the SEC anytime soon but I think if is possible. Once they cement themselves at the top of the revenue chain they will rebound. Urban Meyer at Ohio State will be the first to bring the league back. The bottom will always be just that a bottom but no reason why the Big Ten couldn't get back to multiple Top 10 teams.

(01-30-2013 07:35 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(01-30-2013 06:40 PM)Poliicious Wrote:  

(01-30-2013 04:58 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(01-30-2013 04:54 PM)sterling1man Wrote:  No one is more powerful then Delaney when it comes to College FB. He is probably the biggest hurdle to a 16 team playoff.
AS he says," He reports to Big 10 FB Presidents, not the general college fan."

Big Ten is smart. Their product has been taking a hit lately from a national competitive standpoint but it will inevitably bouce back. They are focused on building the right infrastructure to maximize revenue in today's landscape. If they land those programs the Big Ten will be an absolute juggernaut (more so than now) with premier athletics and academics. No other conference will be able to match that.

Inevitably bounce back? Why must it inevitably bounce back, Notre Dame was a college football joke for the last 20 years until last year. Not that there aren't good football programs in the league but there sure is alot deadweight. Minny & Indy haven't won or tied for a B10 title since 1967, Purdue has tied or won 1 title since 1967. Michigan is rebounding and Minny seems to be but Illinois is a bad team, MSU is mediocre at best and Iowa is nosediving. With the Hawkeyes replacing a starting QB, there is almost no chance of them bowling again in 13.

When Northwestern who has the highest academic standards in the league and the worst facilities in the league wins 10 games and finishes 2nd in the AP polls among conference programs and 1st in the UPI rankings; that speaks volumes as to where the Big 10 is.

Ok so maybe the Big 10 won't overtake the SEC anytime soon but I think if is possible. Once they cement themselves at the top of the revenue chain they will rebound. Urban Meyer at Ohio State will be the first to bring the league back. The bottom will always be just that a bottom but no reason why the Big Ten couldn't get back to multiple Top 10 teams.

It is all about recruiting. SEC has such a deep pool of football talent with Florida, Texas, Georgia and Alabama. They play football 12 months a year down here. I don't see the BIG10 changing anything to catch up to the talent level with style of play and ability to draw the same talent to the north.

The BIG10 is just doing what it can to keep teams with great records...bringing in more mediocre football schools for OSU and MICH to beat up on. Once these schools face a talented southern school, it is blowout city. I think the BIG10 is fine with that as long as the top programs have good records, people are tuning into the BIG10 network.

I am not a big fan of the expansion arms race, but schools need to do what they can to bring in the most revenue possible. I am sure FSU will at least be involved in some movement if the ACC gets raided as they are the real prize for expansion.

(01-30-2013 08:43 PM)PiKappNoleATL Wrote:  It is all about recruiting. SEC has such a deep pool of football talent with Florida, Texas, Georgia and Alabama. They play football 12 months a year down here. I don't see the BIG10 changing anything to catch up to the talent level with style of play and ability to draw the same talent to the north.

The BIG10 is just doing what it can to keep teams with great records...bringing in more mediocre football schools for OSU and MICH to beat up on. Once these schools face a talented southern school, it is blowout city. I think the BIG10 is fine with that as long as the top programs have good records, people are tuning into the BIG10 network.

I am not a big fan of the expansion arms race, but schools need to do what they can to bring in the most revenue possible. I am sure FSU will at least be involved in some movement if the ACC gets raided as they are the real prize for expansion.

Correct, Delaney doesn't really care whether or not his teams are as good as the southern schools. Obviously he'd rather they win than lose, but that's not what drives his decision making and I don't think he loses much sleep over it. All he really cares about is the long-term viability of his conference and that he leverages the TV sets and alumni bases his conference has to put it in the best position possible moving forward. He can't do anything about the changing demographics and population shift.

(01-30-2013 09:07 PM)UIHuskie Wrote:  

(01-30-2013 08:43 PM)PiKappNoleATL Wrote:  It is all about recruiting. SEC has such a deep pool of football talent with Florida, Texas, Georgia and Alabama. They play football 12 months a year down here. I don't see the BIG10 changing anything to catch up to the talent level with style of play and ability to draw the same talent to the north.

The BIG10 is just doing what it can to keep teams with great records...bringing in more mediocre football schools for OSU and MICH to beat up on. Once these schools face a talented southern school, it is blowout city. I think the BIG10 is fine with that as long as the top programs have good records, people are tuning into the BIG10 network.

I am not a big fan of the expansion arms race, but schools need to do what they can to bring in the most revenue possible. I am sure FSU will at least be involved in some movement if the ACC gets raided as they are the real prize for expansion.

Correct, Delaney doesn't really care whether or not his teams are as good as the southern schools. Obviously he'd rather they win than lose, but that's not what drives his decision making and I don't think he loses much sleep over it. All he really cares about is the long-term viability of his conference and that he leverages the TV sets and alumni bases his conference has to put it in the best position possible moving forward. He can't do anything about the changing demographics and population shift.

I agree. Delaney cares about money.
Ohio State with Meyer will provide a challenge in the Rose Bowl.
Penn State is very likely to bounce back.
Michigan sadly after failing to attract Les Miles from LSU seems destined towards mediocrity.
The gap between Ohio State and the rest of the B10 is likely to increase.
Hope more teams in the Big 10 do not mean less games against them.

(01-30-2013 05:43 PM)DoubleHuskie84 Wrote:  

(01-30-2013 05:39 PM)sterling1man Wrote:  Then the MAC would get an automatic invite to the BCS bowl.

oh.

Not to mention a far richer TV contract.