Where to begin....

We'll start with this Benedict dude. He's saying that if the B1G and SEC start picking off the ACC, then the ACC, B12 and PAC could lump their schools to form an athletic conference to protect themselves. It'll be made up of mostly AAU's with other schools of value; and some will get left behind. Note: C&P'ed from the UConn Boneyard board.

Quote:Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 6h6 hours ago
First thing I want to say is that I don't want to scare anyone. These are scary times economically.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 6h6 hours ago
It's entirely possible some major programs will be left out.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 6h6 hours ago
When I lay out Plan A then I think you will see what I mean.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 6h6 hours ago
But even if some major programs are left out, that doesn't mean they won't be a part of what will become a power conference.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 6h6 hours ago
It just means they won't be in the upper echelon and that isn't too different from where they are right now.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 6h6 hours ago
This is all about where college sports are moving in the next generation.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 6h6 hours ago
Some of the things we've come to take for granted will change. The way you think about realignment will have to change.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 6h6 hours ago
So bare with me as I lay out the groundwork.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 6h6 hours ago
I said last night that schools from the Pac 12, the Big 12, and the ACC are planning on aligning themselves.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 6h6 hours ago
Who? What? When? Where? Why?

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 6h6 hours ago
Now that I've teased this to death, I need to tell you.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 6h6 hours ago
This isn't just about athletics. This is about academics just as much if not more.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 6h6 hours ago
This is about research money and prestige as well as television appeal for a new athletic league.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 6h6 hours ago
The thought at this time is that this league will be composed of 20 schools from regions all over the country.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 6h6 hours ago
AAU schools will get preference, but non-AAU schools won't necessarily be excluded.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 6h6 hours ago
One of the primary goals here is to create a research based cooperative that will rival and in the future surpass the CIC.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 6h6 hours ago
This won't just be about partnerships but shared endowments as well.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 6h6 hours ago
Don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying the schools involved will give up the endowments they currently possess.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 6h6 hours ago
There will be new investment in new endowments that the members of this conference will share in.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 6h6 hours ago
Now that we've nibbled at the crust, let's get down to the meat.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 6h6 hours ago
All of the AAU schools from the Pac 12 will be involved: UW, UO, Stanford, Cal-Berkley, USC, UCLA, UA, and CU

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 6h6 hours ago
Only 4 schools from the current Big 12 are making the cut: Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Iowa State

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 6h6 hours ago
When it comes to the ACC contribution, things get a little murkier. I don't have good contacts from that conference.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 6h6 hours ago
The AAU schools are in. GT, UNC, Duke, UVA, Pittsburgh...there's no debate about these schools.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 6h6 hours ago
The debate centers on a few factors: academics, market exposure, and athletic prowess

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
None of the rest of the ACC schools really move the needle in all 3 areas.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
The only other ACC school that really moves the needle in all 3 areas is the big fish no one has ever caught...Notre Dame.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
Now, I'm not saying Notre Dame is definitely going to join this league assuming the league ever comes to fruition.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
Allow me to indulge on this theory.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
What does Notre Dame value more than anything?

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
You probably said "independence." But that's really a means to an end.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
What Notre Dame values more than anything is national exposure, a national schedule, and national recruiting.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
Notre Dame is THE Catholic university in the country. They don't want their brand limited by affiliation with a regional conference

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
What if Notre Dame could play a national schedule and reap all the monetary benefits of full membership in a conference?

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
How valuable would a conference network be all over the country with a couple of Notre Dame football games on every season?

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
Think about it like this...ND gets to play their West Coast rivals, regular games with OU and UT...

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
They get all the exposure of playing in growing Southern markets plus they have room to play non-conference rivals like Navy and Michigan.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
Just as important, they get to affiliate with premier academic institutions from all over the country.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
Would Notre Dame take the plunge given all those benefits? Some people think so.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
If Notre Dame is in then you can bet on Boston College and Miami being the final 2 schools. The total would be 20.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
As I mentioned earlier, Syracuse has a real shot at getting in. My money is on them getting in if for no more reason than the NY market

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
Some think this leagues desperate needs a NY presence and they are probably right.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
Syracuse is already affiliated with the ACC so that helps their case immensely over a school like UConn.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
I'm certainly not knocking UConn and I can't say with certainly they won't find their way in...

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
I'm just saying I haven't heard UConn mentioned.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
One more nugget before I go today...

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
Part of the impetus for this meeting of the minds is that certain schools from the ACC and Big 12 have been talking with the Big Ten and SEC

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
There's a chance that the likes of Florida State and Clemson will move to the SEC sooner than later.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
There's a chance the likes of Virginia Tech could move to the Big Ten.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
If things start to happen on that front then the rest of the ACC will have to be ready to do something a little out of the box.

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
Ok, ladies and gentlemen. I need to go for today, but I will be back soon if I have more relevant information.

Storrs South ‏@gampel_2_msg 6h6 hours ago
@Expansion_Guru I see no New York market in there, would that be an opportunity for UConn?

Benedict Schuster‏@Expansion_Guru
@gampel_2_msg That's where things get hairy. Syracuse has a real shot at being included.

Storrs South ‏@gampel_2_msg 6h6 hours ago
@Expansion_Guru would academics potentially be demarcation line? We're closer to AAU. I've read us achieving that status in next decade

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
@gampel_2_msg I would tell you if I heard something. I just haven't heard UConn being mentioned.

Storrs South ‏@gampel_2_msg 5h5 hours ago
@Expansion_Guru I hear ya. Man what is going to take to get this school P5 status? (That's rhetorical but feel free to answer haha)

Benedict Schuster ‏@Expansion_Guru 5h5 hours ago
@gampel_2_msg My guess would be that UConn will get Power status. I just doubt it will be as a member of this new league.

The twitteratti from the Great Lakes State, the Michigan Man himself, bluevod says expansion is coming in days....yep. He is officially presenting the rope to hang himself if he's wrong or legitimatize his legacy as an insider. The B1G's wish list would take them up to 20.....and he has doubters from both Flugaur and MHver3. These are also taken from the Boneyard:

Quote:Bluevod‏@Bluevodreal
Expansion is RED hot it is beyond talk act will take place in days. A lot of headfakes be thrown out to keep people of guard. Change Coming.

Bluevod ‏@Bluevodreal · 3h3 hours ago
@HawkeyeHunz if you are in Texas, Flordia, DC and Atlanta market your in play. I would also not be shocked to see a Cali poach.

Steve Deace ‏@SteveDeaceShow · 4h4 hours ago  West Des Moines, IA
This guy is an insider at all things Michigan.

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire · 41m41 minutes ago
Been ask to comment...
We have heard none of this..it doesn't mean what this gentlemen says is not true...or true.

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire · 40m40 minutes ago
We are reminded constantly about how limited we are...for BTM sits on a perch high enough to gather "perceptions"..

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire · 40m40 minutes ago
...however even when get the correct "perception"..we often know very little in the big truth of the story.
Yes..B1G "wants" those markets..

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire · 38m38 minutes ago
There are However 2 items I would point out.
1) What the BigTen wants is often not what Big Ten gets...

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire · 37m37 minutes ago
2) The scenario in which BigTen forms 2 Ten School divisions with 9 conference games with no crossover until CCG is not going to happen.

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire · 35m35 minutes ago
There might be some scenario where Big Ten does 10 school 2 divisions with rotating of permanent groups of 5 between the divisions...

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire · 34m34 minutes ago
But to schedule out a Big Ten FB schedule where Illinois will never play Ohio State in regular season (example) will never happen.

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire · 33m33 minutes ago
But as for the B1G being interested in Atlanta markets (GT)...interested in state of VA..interest in UT/OK?
Of course.

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire · 32m32 minutes ago
But again...this gentlemen from Michigan might have the story.
But we don't....no steam in our direction.
But we could be ignorant.

Paul Vander Veer ‏@PaulVanderVeer · 38m38 minutes ago
@flugempire @blueevodreal is this rumor 20 teams in big10? big12?

Greg Flugaur‏@flugempire 28m28 minutes ago
@PaulVanderVeer Gentlemen from Michigan is describing B10 scenario to 20 schools...which is imminent.

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire · 28m28 minutes ago
@DooleyMcStitch
The 20 school scenario in next generation is plausible...but no crossover scheduling is not plausible.

Now here is MHver3's critique to the Bluevod group:

Quote:Bluevod‏@Bluevodreal
Expansion is RED hot it is beyond talk act will take place in days. A lot of headfakes be thrown out to keep people of guard. Change Coming.

Movietime Blues ‏@Movietime_Blues 8h8 hours ago
Movietime Blues Retweeted Bluevod
@MHver3 Have you read anything today?

MHver3 ‏@MHver3 7h
@Movietime_Blues @Bluevodreal this echoes what I've been saying except for the California thing.

@Movietime_Blues @Bluevodreal as tempting as that market may be for the northern conf it's not gonna happen.

@Movietime_Blues @Bluevodreal PAC GOR is rock solid so unless they take a SDSU or a Fresno-and they won't-it's not happening

@Movietime_Blues @Bluevodreal the others are very much in play.

@Movietime_Blues @Bluevodreal I just noticed he mentioned Texas markets as well. Negative on that one. Unless they go after A&M

@Movietime_Blues @Bluevodreal and I've not heard anything like that

Just decided to read Benedict's tweets again but this time with the http://res.dallasnews.com/graphics/2011_09/realignment/

He starts by pointing out this transcontinental conference is based on AAU's to surpass the B1G's CIC. Then rounds out to 20 with Notre Dame's "friends" to form a profitable national conference. The problem is Southern Cal was left off that list which is stupid because they are AAU. Anyway the list is:
Transcontinental Conference
Washington, Oregon, Stanford, Cal, UCLA, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa State, Georgia Tech, UNC, Duke, UVA, Pitt, Notre Dame, BC, Miami, ????open but thinks Syracuse gets the 20th spot.

He does go on to say that before this all happens, the SEC lands Clemson and FSU and the B1G lands VT. Now if the B1G were to land a Cali school as bluevod predicts, USC is sitting right there for the taking to form the 16th member.

To me, this just sounds like an AAU match maker instead of a power conference that wants to be national with Notre Dame in tow and profitable with a conference network.

(03-25-2016 11:50 PM)murrdcu Wrote:  Just decided to read Benedict's tweets again but this time with the http://res.dallasnews.com/graphics/2011_09/realignment/

He starts by pointing out this transcontinental conference is based on AAU's to surpass the B1G's CIC. Then rounds out to 20 with Notre Dame's "friends" to form a profitable national conference. The problem is Southern Cal was left off that list which is stupid because they are AAU. Anyway the list is:
Transcontinental Conference
Washington, Oregon, Stanford, Cal, UCLA, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa State, Georgia Tech, UNC, Duke, UVA, Pitt, Notre Dame, BC, Miami, ????open but thinks Syracuse gets the 20th spot.

He does go on to say that before this all happens, the SEC lands Clemson and FSU and the B1G lands VT. Now if the B1G were to land a Cali school as bluevod predicts, USC is sitting right there for the taking to form the 16th member.

To me, this just sounds like an AAU match maker instead of a power conference that wants to be national with Notre Dame in tow and profitable with a conference network.

Except:
1. The CIC doesn't add to anyone's grant money. It does however secure projects to be worked on by multiple members.

2. Any research university can partner with universities around the nation, or the world if they desire to do so.

3. College athletics have nothing to do with research. The idea of associations of schools within athletic conferences somehow having a link to research is more of an urban myth than reality. The Big 10 is more of a research conference with sports relationships which is what makes it unique. But their research cooperative doesn't exclude projects now with other research schools.

4. This point is totally ancillary, but if our universities are such juggernauts of research and learning why then are their graduates dumber and dumber with each successive generation? Literacy: down Math Skills: down Knowledge of History: down Knowledge of Current Events: down

5. Only the bureaucrats fuss over structure instead of product.

I think all of this is hooey. The only germ of truth that could motivate such moves isn't even mentioned directly. There is a schism developing between the universities willing to pay athletes and those who would like to return to a more amateur like model of college athletics. The West and East coast have more of the latter and the Southeast, Southwest and Northern Midwest have more of the former. I could see a divide that separated out the schools who saw athletics as part of student live from those who see athletics as a popular revenue stream and attractant of business.

(03-25-2016 11:50 PM)murrdcu Wrote:  Just decided to read Benedict's tweets again but this time with the http://res.dallasnews.com/graphics/2011_09/realignment/

He starts by pointing out this transcontinental conference is based on AAU's to surpass the B1G's CIC. Then rounds out to 20 with Notre Dame's "friends" to form a profitable national conference. The problem is Southern Cal was left off that list which is stupid because they are AAU. Anyway the list is:
Transcontinental Conference
Washington, Oregon, Stanford, Cal, UCLA, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa State, Georgia Tech, UNC, Duke, UVA, Pitt, Notre Dame, BC, Miami, ????open but thinks Syracuse gets the 20th spot.

He does go on to say that before this all happens, the SEC lands Clemson and FSU and the B1G lands VT. Now if the B1G were to land a Cali school as bluevod predicts, USC is sitting right there for the taking to form the 16th member.

To me, this just sounds like an AAU match maker instead of a power conference that wants to be national with Notre Dame in tow and profitable with a conference network.

Not that I believe any of this, but he actually did list USC in the original tweet.

I think I'm going to call that guy BS for short. Those are his initials after all.

The Michigan guy sounds like a kook too.

(03-26-2016 10:02 AM)AllTideUp Wrote:  

(03-25-2016 11:50 PM)murrdcu Wrote:  Just decided to read Benedict's tweets again but this time with the http://res.dallasnews.com/graphics/2011_09/realignment/

He starts by pointing out this transcontinental conference is based on AAU's to surpass the B1G's CIC. Then rounds out to 20 with Notre Dame's "friends" to form a profitable national conference. The problem is Southern Cal was left off that list which is stupid because they are AAU. Anyway the list is:
Transcontinental Conference
Washington, Oregon, Stanford, Cal, UCLA, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa State, Georgia Tech, UNC, Duke, UVA, Pitt, Notre Dame, BC, Miami, ????open but thinks Syracuse gets the 20th spot.

He does go on to say that before this all happens, the SEC lands Clemson and FSU and the B1G lands VT. Now if the B1G were to land a Cali school as bluevod predicts, USC is sitting right there for the taking to form the 16th member.

To me, this just sounds like an AAU match maker instead of a power conference that wants to be national with Notre Dame in tow and profitable with a conference network.

Not that I believe any of this, but he actually did list USC in the original tweet.

I think I'm going to call that guy BS for short. Those are his initials after all.

The Michigan guy sounds like a kook too.

The Michigan guy sounds like he is just blowing sunshine up everybody's back sides either for attention or just to say it. Not sure what his mission is.

All of those tweeters have proven to NOT be insiders. They spew garbage on the regular and claim it as fact. Would not put any stock into ANYTHING they say.