So let’s imagine this: The B1G makes it move to unite with the AAU schools of the PAC and bring North and West to counterbalance Southeast

They follow their 2 rules to do so:

Must be AAU and from a Continuous state

So:

From Nebraska, they add Kansas, Iowa State and Colorado

From Colorado they add Arizona

From Arizona they add UCLA, USC, Cal & Stanford

From Stanford they add Oregon

From Oregon they add Washington

24 teams that divide into the following divisions

B1G West

Oregon
Washington
California
Stanford
USC
UCLA
Arizona
Colorado

B1G Central

Nebraska
Kansas
Iowa
Iowa State
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Northwestern
Illinois

B1G East

Indiana
Purdue
Ohio State
Michigan
Michigan State
Penn State
Rutgers
Maryland

The SEC responds by taking

Clemson
Florida State
Miami
UNC
Duke
West Virginia
Virginia
Virginia Tech

And divided into:

SEC West

Texas A&M
Texas
Oklahoma
Arkansas
LSU
Ole Miss
Mississippi State
Missouri

SEC South

Alabama
Auburn
Georgia
Florida
Florida State
Miami
Clemson
South Carolina

SEC North

Tennessee
Vanderbilt
Kentucky
Virginia
Virginia Tech
North Carolina
Duke
West Virginia

Can you imagine?

gross

(07-31-2021 02:37 PM)10thMountain Wrote:  So let’s imagine this: The B1G makes it move to unite with the AAU schools of the PAC and bring North and West to counterbalance Southeast

They follow their 2 rules to do so:

Must be AAU and from a Continuous state

So:

From Nebraska, they add Kansas, Iowa State and Colorado

From Colorado they add Arizona

From Arizona they add UCLA, USC, Cal & Stanford

From Stanford they add Oregon

From Oregon they add Washington

24 teams that divide into the following divisions

B1G West

Oregon
Washington
California
Stanford
USC
UCLA
Arizona
Colorado

B1G Central

Nebraska
Kansas
Iowa
Iowa State
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Northwestern
Illinois

B1G East

Indiana
Purdue
Ohio State
Michigan
Michigan State
Penn State
Rutgers
Maryland

The SEC responds by taking
......

If the B1G and PAC merged like that, I don't think the SEC responds by taking anyone.

Now, if a couple select ACC schools, like say North Carolina and Clemson, petitioned the SEC for membership, they probably say "yes".

Nope. The Big 10 should not make any expansion moves that don’t involve ND. They are the only big program that would add value.

(07-31-2021 02:37 PM)10thMountain Wrote:  Can you imagine [this happening]?

Yes. And even could start playing a couple of years from now if they move fast.

(07-31-2021 03:05 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Nope. The Big 10 should not make any expansion moves that don’t involve ND. They are the only big program that would add value.

Several 2-team expansions involving SC would add value (e.g. USC and Oregon, USC and UCLA, USC and Arizona) and are arguably less “pie-in-the-sky” than the B1G adding Notre Dame. Even something like Berkeley and UCLA could add value.

But none of these are happening.

Given that contractually, ND MUST join the ACC if they do join a conference. I like the OP idea. Does the Pac 12 leftovers go MWC?

(07-31-2021 02:37 PM)10thMountain Wrote:  So let’s imagine this: The B1G makes it move to unite with the AAU schools of the PAC and bring North and West to counterbalance Southeast

They follow their 2 rules to do so:

Must be AAU and from a Continuous state

So:

From Nebraska, they add Kansas, Iowa State and Colorado

From Colorado they add Arizona

From Arizona they add UCLA, USC, Cal & Stanford

From Stanford they add Oregon

From Oregon they add Washington

24 teams that divide into the following divisions

B1G West

Oregon
Washington
California
Stanford
USC
UCLA
Arizona
Colorado

B1G Central

Nebraska
Kansas
Iowa
Iowa State
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Northwestern
Illinois

B1G East

Indiana
Purdue
Ohio State
Michigan
Michigan State
Penn State
Rutgers
Maryland

The SEC responds by taking

Clemson
Florida State
Miami
UNC
Duke
West Virginia
Virginia
Virginia Tech

And divided into:

SEC West

Texas A&M
Texas
Oklahoma
Arkansas
LSU
Ole Miss
Mississippi State
Missouri

SEC South

Alabama
Auburn
Georgia
Florida
Florida State
Miami
Clemson
South Carolina

SEC North

Tennessee
Vanderbilt
Kentucky
Virginia
Virginia Tech
North Carolina
Duke
West Virginia

Can you imagine?

No I can't ---no MEMPHIS

(07-31-2021 03:39 PM)Erictelevision Wrote:  [Do] the Pac 12 leftovers go MWC?

The Big XII, if things happen soon enough. A few MWC teams included too, to form the Big-PAC???

(07-31-2021 02:37 PM)10thMountain Wrote:  Can you imagine?

I’m not doubting you. I just don’t want this out in the universe.

(07-31-2021 06:33 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  

(07-31-2021 02:37 PM)10thMountain Wrote:  Can you imagine?

I’m not doubting you. I just don’t want this out in the universe.

Oh, there's no doubt that conferences and consultants have already war-gamed ideas like this.

Won't ever happen with the Big Ten unless TV offers to pay money for it that exceeds the Big Ten's current per-school TV revenue, and won't ever happen with the SEC unless TV offers to pay money for it that exceeds the per-school TV revenue that the SEC-16 is going to get. The conferences that are already making the most money are not going to do anything like this just for funsies.

(07-31-2021 02:37 PM)10thMountain Wrote:  So let’s imagine this: The B1G makes it move to unite with the AAU schools of the PAC and bring North and West to counterbalance Southeast

They follow their 2 rules to do so: Must be AAU and from a Continuous state

Can you imagine?

I can imagine the concept (and have said that's my big picture "end game" concept multiple times the last 10 days!), But if it happened, they'd selectively ignore (or work around) those two rules. (YES, I know how important AAU is to them).

1. Virginia and North Carolina would be first, well ahead of Kansas and Iowa State, which serve only to "unite" according to the continuous rule. UNC/Virginia are bigger states, more TV sets and AAU members. Both were STRONGLY considered back when they added Rutgers and Maryland; and you'll note that they would actually FOLLOW the "Continuous states rule," because Maryland connects to Virginia to North Carolina (And why I listed them in that order) and why the Big Ten logo covers 16 teams even though they went to 14. UVA/UNC definitely ARE the Big Ten's 15th and 16th.

2. They have a strong relationship with the Pac-12. Inviting 8 of the 12 screws over four of them. One of those four is Utah, an AAU member that provides the Salt Lake market; and another brings the massive Phoenix market. You really want Iowa State (when you have Iowa) over the Phoenix market? Naaaaah. Only reason not to is AAU status.

So I think the Big Ten/Pac-12 simply link up via corporate merger (BTN takes over Pac-12 Network) rather than a raid. By doing THAT, they could circumvent their rule, stating they didn't invite a non-AAU member, they're "Grandfathered in" as Pac-12 members.

- This is one of two reasons they'd ignore the AAU rule.

3. Notre Dame is the second reason. The academics are AAU-quality, but ND isn't AAU. IIRC, the status is lacking due to a conflict between the AAU's medical research standards and what ND can meet while holding steadfast to the beliefs of the Catholic Church (aka, if the Pope okays stem-cell research, ND could achieve AAU status relatively easily).


But my brain is right there with you... I would find this concept FAR MORE FEASIBLE than the whole "4 x 16, 64 team super league" thing everyone has been expecting for 30 years.

(07-31-2021 08:43 PM)Wedge Wrote:  Oh, there's no doubt that conferences and consultants have already war-gamed ideas like this.

"War Games" is the perfect description. Instead of USA vs USSR playing Global Thermo-Nuclear War; you'd have Big Ten/SEC both on the side of capitalism, but AAU status bringing people to the Big Ten orbit.

SEC adds Clemson, Florida State (rumor of them and Michigan/Ohio State overtures)
Big Ten responds adding UVA/UNC (Mich/Ohio St stay)
SEC responds to THAT, with NC State and Virginia Tech.

Now it's chaos, with everyone else calling the SEC/B10 (or Pac-12) for spots. Duke, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Pitt, Iowa State, Syracuse; those "Blocked" by SEC members are calling Big Ten FIRST.


The Big Ten absorbs Pac-12 via corporate merger; adds to balance; SEC expands to match. I think we'd get to...

B10 East: Penn St, Rutgers, Maryland, Virginia, UNC, Georgia Tech, Duke and Notre Dame.
B10 West: Ohio St, Michigan, Michigan St, Indiana, Purdue, Illinois, Northwestern, Wisconsin
P16 East: Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Arizona State
P16 West: USC, UCLA, Cal, Stanford, Oregon, Oregon St, Washington, Wash St

As a nice, neat Big Ten model. SEC a messy mix of just "Who's the best at football/branding"

Big Ten runs out of candidates and calls the SEC for detente. They agree to match numbers, no more expansion unless mutually agreed to match (And it works kind of like AL/NL did from 1903 to 1999).

(07-31-2021 02:37 PM)10thMountain Wrote:  The SEC responds by taking

Clemson
Florida State
Miami
UNC
Duke
West Virginia
Virginia
Virginia Tech

And divided into:

SEC West

Texas A&M
Texas
Oklahoma
Arkansas
LSU
Ole Miss
Mississippi State
Missouri

SEC South

Alabama
Auburn
Georgia
Georgia Tech
Florida
Florida State
Miami
Clemson

SEC North

Tennessee
Vanderbilt
Kentucky
Virginia
Virginia Tech
North Carolina
Duke
South Carolina

I think you need GT in there over WVU. Even if it splits Clemson and USC into different divisions.