Last I checked UC and USF were competing for the same athletes as OSU and UF.

Sure but they still aren't bringing in the recruiting classes that OSU & UF are bringing in.

(02-10-2010 11:01 AM)MU88 Wrote:  

(02-10-2010 10:47 AM)Maize Wrote:  As for ND forming their own conference, who would join them in the other BCS AQ Leagues. It not like they have the leverage that they had back in 1990.

Who would join them? How about:

Syracuse, Pitt, WVU, UConn, Rutgers, BC, and let's say Maryland (although Virginia or Miami would have to be enticing)? You don't think BC would bend over backwards to be in a conference with ND? Plus, ND's name alone would bring in a huge tv contract. Further, with only 8 members, ND can schedule its traditional rivals: USC, Navy, and a couple of Big 10 schools. ND could even add GT, Villanova or others to round out the conference in other sports.

Pretty good all-sports league, entirely dictated by ND. Didn't BYU basically do the same thing when the Mountain West was formed?

If ND were so inclined, they could establish a stable 12-team football conference using the Big East and former Big East teams rather easily. And yes, said league would likely have at the very least G'Town, Nova, and Marquette as members 13, 14, and 15.

It would also be in ND's best interest (again assuming they were willing to go this route) to have a 12-team football conference because not only does that maximize conference revenue, but they could take advantage of the rule that says a team only needs to play all 5 teams within their own division. They would most likely agree to an additional cross-divisional rivalry game that would then free up 6 slots to schedule as they so choose.

Of course this would mean ND would have to take a leadership position and play well with others, something they haven't yet demonstrated they have the ability to do.

So, it ain't happening.

Cheers,
Neil

(02-10-2010 02:52 PM)MichaelSavage Wrote:  Sure but they still aren't bringing in the recruiting classes that OSU & UF are bringing in.

Those are state flagships. They will always get more resources. The con with most flagship land grant schools is that they are in remote locations. The conference I set up is the city alternative to the land grants.

Pitt-PSU
Cincy-OSU
Louisville- UK
Memphis- UT
USF-UF
UCF-FSU
Houston- Texas
TCU- A&M

I think that would be a decent league. A championship game should definitely follow the C-USA model though.

Oh definitely. The Pitt-Cincy "championship" game was out of sight this year.

Quote:Scott said the conference will undergo a rigorous evaluation of whether to launch a network in the upcoming months. Weiberg, who helped launch the Big Ten network, will play a big role in that process.

Weiberg said assuring wide distribution of a network is paramount to its success. The Big Ten Network had trouble getting on cable systems in the Midwest when it launched in August 2007 and was initially only available in about 17 million homes.

Within a year, it was available in about 75 million homes.

“Clearly for a network to be successful, you want it to be distributed as broadly as possible not only in the region but hopefully to have distribution that is national in scope,” Weiberg said. “One has to think carefully about how to achieve that. It’s fundamental to the economic success of such a network.”

http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ap...&type=lgns

(02-10-2010 12:55 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  I need to remind people again that the Pac-10 requires a UNANIMOUS vote to add any new member.

Isn't unanimous to expand, but 2/3 vote on the candidates?

Yes. and thats why it will never happen. AS much as i like the thought of it...No school will agree to be in the non-usc/ucla division. trading colorado and utah for usc/ucla wont fly. Or just pick a game there are many great games that would no longer be annual. I have pointed out Missouri hasn't played in austin but once in the last 5 years. No way every school will be happy with the format to vote unanimously. Only Texas could get that vote. I know we wouldnt for sure.

TCU to the BE if the Pac10 takes Utah and/or BYU. Once Utah and BYU go, this will nearly cripple the MWC. TCU will be looking for a home. Pick up TCU as the ninth member. For those that insist that the BE absolutely must go to 12, I will play along. Add TCU, call up 'Nova, add ECU, and either UCF or Memphis. There you go. (Disclaimer, I am not in favor of this plan, I want to stop at 9).

(02-10-2010 01:53 PM)swagsurfer11 Wrote:  This new league would have BCS teams in recruiting hotbeds of Ohio, Western PA, Texas, and Florida. Name another BCS conference that has a better recruiting footprint. It covers ALL the hot areas in America EXCEPT Georgia, and California.

Swag, just to clarify all of PA is a recruiting hotbed not just Western PA. Although a slightly higher percentage of the PA recruits come from there compared to he rest of the state. Also, don't look now but NJ is actually one of those recruiting hotbeds. Just look at the number of NJ kids on D-1A rosters particularly BCS members or even teams like Boise (one of their star players is from Jersey.) Also look at how many NFL players are from Jersey originally. Its a top 8 talent producing state as I recall, in fact one of the best regional groupings for recruiting is the OH/PA/NJ/Downstate NY/MD/DE region.

(02-11-2010 12:33 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote:  TCU to the BE if the Pac10 takes Utah and/or BYU.............. TCU will be looking for a home. Pick up TCU as the ninth member.

Interesting that some of you are so enamored with a school which is 500 miles on the other side of the Mississippi, has no basketball program and cannot fill a 46,000 seat stadium when ranked in the Top 10. There are reasons why even Baylor was chosen over TCU for Big 12 membership.

(02-11-2010 01:15 PM)Gray Avenger Wrote:  

(02-11-2010 12:33 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote:  TCU to the BE if the Pac10 takes Utah and/or BYU.............. TCU will be looking for a home. Pick up TCU as the ninth member.

Interesting that some of you are so enamored with a school which is 500 miles on the other side of the Mississippi, has no basketball program and cannot fill a 46,000 seat stadium when ranked in the Top 10. There are reasons why even Baylor was chosen over TCU for Big 12 membership.

Baylor was chosen over TCU because it had the political clout in Austin at that time and TCU didn't. It had zero to do with Baylor's tradition and fan base, both of which are weak.

TCU is the biggest, highest profile name out there among potential BE additions. That is why I am in favor of adding them, as opposed to some of the names thrown around by certain posters. Who cares that they are so far from the conferences core. So is USF...big deal.

TCU is not without worts Gray, but they are light years ahead of Memphis where it counts most at this point, on the gridiron. I don't think the BE is in dire straights for a good basketball program.

(02-10-2010 11:01 AM)MU88 Wrote:  

(02-10-2010 10:47 AM)Maize Wrote:  As for ND forming their own conference, who would join them in the other BCS AQ Leagues. It not like they have the leverage that they had back in 1990.

Who would join them? How about:

Syracuse, Pitt, WVU, UConn, Rutgers, BC, and let's say Maryland (although Virginia or Miami would have to be enticing)? You don't think BC would bend over backwards to be in a conference with ND? Plus, ND's name alone would bring in a huge tv contract. Further, with only 8 members, ND can schedule its traditional rivals: USC, Navy, and a couple of Big 10 schools. ND could even add GT, Villanova or others to round out the conference in other sports.

Pretty good all-sports league, entirely dictated by ND. Didn't BYU basically do the same thing when the Mountain West was formed?

Big East has plenty of leverage. And Notre Dame isn't going to create their own conference, that is a pipe dream. If they wanted to be in a conference they would just join one. And if they have so much control, like you claim, why would they just come into the Big East and control taht conference? So, no, Notre Dame doesn't have the leverage.

(02-11-2010 01:15 PM)Gray Avenger Wrote:  

(02-11-2010 12:33 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote:  TCU to the BE if the Pac10 takes Utah and/or BYU.............. TCU will be looking for a home. Pick up TCU as the ninth member.

Interesting that some of you are so enamored with a school which is 500 miles on the other side of the Mississippi, has no basketball program and cannot fill a 46,000 seat stadium when ranked in the Top 10. There are reasons why even Baylor was chosen over TCU for Big 12 membership.

We don't need their basketball program, and Cincinnati and South Florida showed that you can improve your attendance. Baylor going to the Big 12 had nothing to do with that. That was all politics, TCU or Houston actually should have been in the conference ahead of them.

(02-11-2010 12:52 PM)brista21 Wrote:  

(02-10-2010 01:53 PM)swagsurfer11 Wrote:  This new league would have BCS teams in recruiting hotbeds of Ohio, Western PA, Texas, and Florida. Name another BCS conference that has a better recruiting footprint. It covers ALL the hot areas in America EXCEPT Georgia, and California.

Swag, just to clarify all of PA is a recruiting hotbed not just Western PA. Although a slightly higher percentage of the PA recruits come from there compared to he rest of the state. Also, don't look now but NJ is actually one of those recruiting hotbeds. Just look at the number of NJ kids on D-1A rosters particularly BCS members or even teams like Boise (one of their star players is from Jersey.) Also look at how many NFL players are from Jersey originally. Its a top 8 talent producing state as I recall, in fact one of the best regional groupings for recruiting is the OH/PA/NJ/Downstate NY/MD/DE region.

You're right. There is just a mythical aura of the Western PA recruit, son of a coal miner, that we get wrapped up in. NJ has tons of recruits too. Every year they seem to have a top 10 overall, 5 star kid coming out of there.

(02-11-2010 12:33 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote:  TCU to the BE if the Pac10 takes Utah and/or BYU. Once Utah and BYU go, this will nearly cripple the MWC. TCU will be looking for a home. Pick up TCU as the ninth member. For those that insist that the BE absolutely must go to 12, I will play along. Add TCU, call up 'Nova, add ECU, and either UCF or Memphis. There you go. (Disclaimer, I am not in favor of this plan, I want to stop at 9).

I don't think TCU works without a travel partner in Houston. However, if you added TCU, Houston, Memphis and UCF you would have airport hubs for some major carriers.

Rutgers -Continental, Fed EX
Cincy- Delta
Louisville -UPS
Memphis- Delta/Northwest, Fed Ex
Tampa -Continental, AirTran, Southwest
Pittsburgh-US Airways
Orlando-AirTran
Hartford- UPS
Dallas/FW- American Airlines, American Eagle, UPS
Houston-Continental

I write all this to show that travel expenses don't have to go up because of distance. All of these airports are easier to travel to than anything in the SEC (Fayetteville to Starkville? Gainesville to Baton Rouge?) or the Big 10 (Madison to State College? East Lansing to Iowa City?)

(02-11-2010 07:29 PM)swagsurfer11 Wrote:  

(02-11-2010 12:52 PM)brista21 Wrote:  

(02-10-2010 01:53 PM)swagsurfer11 Wrote:  This new league would have BCS teams in recruiting hotbeds of Ohio, Western PA, Texas, and Florida. Name another BCS conference that has a better recruiting footprint. It covers ALL the hot areas in America EXCEPT Georgia, and California.

Swag, just to clarify all of PA is a recruiting hotbed not just Western PA. Although a slightly higher percentage of the PA recruits come from there compared to he rest of the state. Also, don't look now but NJ is actually one of those recruiting hotbeds. Just look at the number of NJ kids on D-1A rosters particularly BCS members or even teams like Boise (one of their star players is from Jersey.) Also look at how many NFL players are from Jersey originally. Its a top 8 talent producing state as I recall, in fact one of the best regional groupings for recruiting is the OH/PA/NJ/Downstate NY/MD/DE region.

You're right. There is just a mythical aura of the Western PA recruit, son of a coal miner, that we get wrapped up in. NJ has tons of recruits too. Every year they seem to have a top 10 overall, 5 star kid coming out of there.

Three other often overlooked states are Michigan, North Carolina and Virginia in the latter two states its because a large portion of the talent ends up out of state dispersed through other East Coast and Southern schools.