(05-22-2018 07:37 AM)BadgerMJ Wrote: (05-22-2018 06:16 AM)Big Ron Buckeye Wrote: I think that if the Pac 12 schools were located in the Central Time Zone... They'd be in trouble. The reason I don't think they are in any danger whatever of losing members except maybe Colorado is pure geography. Who in the heck would want to fly their softball squad to Pullman, Washington or Beaverton, Oregon. If you could just pull in tje Football teams that would change the game, the Cali schools, Washington, Oregon, ASU, & Colorado would then be of interest. However would it actually feel like a Conference?
The Pac 12s best chance imo was when they wanted to merge with the Big 12 a few years back. They proposed adding 6 schools 3 from Texas, 2 Oklahoma and Colorado. It would have been wiser imo to add more Northern Schools plus the 3 Texas schools or at least attempt to add them. However as it stands now. The Big 12 schools that were "left out" are presently in a better fiscal predicament than the precarious position of the then prowling Pac 12.
I think you might be on to something.
The only way I could see any major PAC teams leaving the conference would be if a deal was struck to limit sports to football and maybe basketball. You're right, I can't see Rutgers (for example) flying their baseball team to Beaverton for a 3 game set (and vice-versa) and being happy about it. There just isn't enough money involved to make it worth their while. Now, if you could get 4-6 teams to jump ship for the majors and then go "independent" for all other sports, it might work.
Well if you take the PAC/B12 merger concept and if the move now was Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas, and either KState or Iowa State to take them to 18. Three divisions of 6 solves a lot of problems for everyone.
The PAC could essentially keep its current divisions and simply add a six team division to the East.
If the SEC and Big 10 could agree on this then both of our conferences would be better served by going after ACC product in 2035, or sooner if the ACCN isn't paying enough by 2025.
Virginia, North Carolina, Syracuse, and Notre Dame would give you guys the markets you want in the East and N.D. would have to join because they would have no where else to go for a sweetheart deal. Having the Irish earns the Big 10 top rate for advertising in all of the Northern cities where the Irish have been a back door in for advertisers and other networks.
The SEC could take Virginia Tech, N.C. State, Clemson and Florida State and make the same move to 18. For us that's two new markets and the two most SEC like football schools. That gives us leverage from South Carolina through Florida and over to Louisiana and Arkansas.
So the Big 10 might look like this:
Maryland, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Syracuse, Virginia
Illinois, Indiana, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue
Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin
You play 5 division games and two from each of the other two divisions with 1 permanent rival for a 10 game schedule. Which would be required in the 18 school PAC and the 18 school SEC.
T.C.U., Baylor, Kansas State/Iowa State, West Virginia, Boston College, Pittsburgh, Duke, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Miami, and Louisville add Cincinnati, Houston, Connecticut, Central Florida, South Florida, Memphis and Tulane/or another to go to 18.
Boston College, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Pittsburgh, West Virginia
Central Florida, Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, South Florida, Wake Forest
Baylor, Houston, Kansas State/Iowa State, Memphis, T.C.U., Tulane/or another.
So you take care of the left behinds by creating the 4th P Conference which can be called the ACC or Big 12. But the PAC/SEC/Big 10 get what they are looking for.