Back To The Womb

[donovan]

BYU, Boise State and San Diego are all talking to the MWC about returning. Most sane thing they could do. I predict it will happen....always best to admit you erred and correct as soon as possible.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8653727/boise-state-broncos-sdsu-aztecs-byu-cougars-talk-mwc-return-sources-say

[Spence]

Glad to see them come back to the west coast. The Big East move didn't make sense. It is too bad Boise State was pushed into the move because they couldn't get enough people to accept they were as good as anyone.

[Eric]

The move makes perfect sense! We were just talking about this a week or so ago. Glad to see some geographical sense coming back into the fold

At that point, the MWC would be better than the Big East. The Big East would also lose Rutgers and UConn (ACC), making Louisville, Cincinnati, and USF the only BCS-era holdovers. They'll add Houston, SMU, and UCF who all have decent programs, but the MWC has Air Force, Fresno State, Nevada, Boise State, an San Diego State. Add to that mix an improving Utah State and San Jose State and I think they'd be the best of the "Group of Five." But if Louisville remains a top 25 team and Cincinnati stays good (also adding Navy into that mix), you could make a case. I don't think they can hold on to Cincinnati and Louisville much longer. The Big 12 is going to come calling to give West Virginia some nearby metropolitan market teams.

[Brian Roastbeef]

Well when Boise St. started making a deal to join the Big East, they were looking at the conference of Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, UConn, Cincinnati, and Louisville, and even Notre Dame hoops. If they want what they signed up for now, they'd better start talking hard with the ACC. Right now they're only slated to go across country just to join what's effectively becoming another mid-major conference. Back home to the MWC isn't the worst move from there, though I expect pressure will be on for they and the Big 12 to sort out their differences.

[Cane from the Bend]

fsu had previously insinuated they would entertain the notion of a move into the Big XII, when the Syracuse/Pitt motivation, proved the ACC neglect of Football as secondary.

I believe that, in the event the Big 12 comes calling for the seminoles . . . should florida state go, I get the sense Miami won't be far behind.

Right now, the ACC seems to be considering Louisville as a replacement for Maryland.

But that sort of move would still give the appearance of a Basketball move. (which is precisely how the ACC Brass want it)

fsu's frustrations would resurface, and possibly go westward.

The question then, is, having the Florida schools going to the Big XII . . . would the Virginia schools follow?

Would Va Tech & Virginia go to the SEC?
Or would they join West Va in the Big 12?

If the Virginia & Florida Schools all exodus to the west . . . does Ga Tech go So Eastern . ? . and who joins them?

Seeing as how the SEC wants to remain symmetrical. They would need one more to go to 16. Unless, 14 is the real target number for these conferences.

But then, the ACC would need to pick up 3 if, even if they managed to acquire Louisville. (and Keep Georgia Tech)

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[Spence]

I really think the ACC will survive. Geographically they are needed. I do think Florida State will bolt when they get the right situation. I just get the feeling they have had enough of the North Caroline triad.

[Cane from the Bend]

That has been the major conflict . . . and I too believe the ACC survives.

However, they may get reduced to a Major Basketball/midmajor Football conference before all is said & done.

$$$ has alot to do with conference realignment; but the giant draw for Miami, was bringing in more cash to the ACC football interest, while being paired up with fsu.

If florida state goes for the woos of the Big XII, I don't see how the ACC keeps Miami. Clemson & Georgia Tech may also be ready to fly in this for instance. And if we are talking 16 team superconferences . . . Virginia Tech & Virginia are going to be looking elsewhere too.

Prior to the start of the season, there was talk about fsu to the Big XII . . . I caught some rumor that the Big XII was looking to contact Miami if they picked up the seminoles . . . the official word from Miami, was they were happy where they are, and were not looking to move . . . however, we have all seen what the on record spoken word is worth in collegiate sports these days.

If the Florida schools go west, and the SEC blowhards continue to block Clemson & Georgia Tech. We could be seeing three major 14 team conferences very soon.

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[Brian Roastbeef]

Clemson really has built themselves a respectable basketball program lately. It's a fair question of course of whether Brownell can maintain that trajectory, and they're still football centered even so, but there's a fair case to say they'd be among the more balanced schools in what's becoming this new ACC/Big East hybrid. Louisville could reasonably be considered valuable in both sports as well, depending on whether their football program continues to show any strength should they come to the ACC.

If/when Florida St. goes then there isn't really much reason left for the ACC not to double down on their basketball aims. Race the Big Ten for Connecticut and the Big 12 for Louisville... at that point if there's grumbling and exiting from Clemson, Miami, or Georgia Tech then they'd just pile on with the likes of Memphis, South Florida, Villanova, maybe even Marquette if they can pacify Coach K about the travel distance. Even then they'd be everything the Big East had with basketball + Duke and UNC too and on the football side the 2004-2012 Big East was BCS-worthy, though the least of the BCS conferences. Obviously I still think they'd rather have it all, but even that plan B isn't terrible.

[Derek]

Well when Boise St. started making a deal to join the Big East, they were looking at the conference of Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, UConn, Cincinnati, and Louisville, and even Notre Dame hoops. If they want what they signed up for now, they'd better start talking hard with the ACC. Right now they're only slated to go across country just to join what's effectively becoming another mid-major conference. Back home to the MWC isn't the worst move from there, though I expect pressure will be on for they and the Big 12 to sort out their differences.

That's exactly what I think of the Big East right now. Mid-Major. With WVU gone it's a ghost town for football at least.

[Cane from the Bend]

The real loser there, is Louisville . . .

They were brought into the Big East, to replace the heavy football losses. Louisville left CUSA to do so. Right now, the new Big East is looking eerily similar to the Old CUSA.

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[billybud]

We are in the age of corporate colloege football with huge dollars being paid by the media...

The Big Ten is running away from the field with mountains of cash coming in from the Big Ten Network....Maryland was making $13 million a year in the ACC and is talking about $30-45 million in the Big Ten.

The Big Ten got antsy after Notre Dame signed their deal with the ACC...saw their "footprint" being hemmed and their 2017 contract negotiations looming.

The Big Ten bought some footprint and extended east for higher media carriage rates...it wasn't about football. The Big Ten didn't want the mediocre Maryland and Rutgers football programs...they wanted the markets.

And that is the new way. It is about money, and markets.

The Big 12 must expand and gain populous markets...it has Texas and that huge market...then the vast emptiness of the "flyover" states...Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa...and the small state of West Virginia.

The SEC, now pushed by the BIg Ten, will start up the SEC network...they want to expand their footprint...North Carolina is the tenth most populous state and Virginia the 12th. And both are contiguous to the current SEC footprint. And the SEC doth covet it's neighbor's territory.

It is about money and the "bigs" pulling away from everybody else. I saw that when Auburn offered $1 million for FSU's defensive coordinator to become the Auburn DC. He now only makes $400,000. He didn't go, but only because his next move will be for the HC position he wants.

[donovan]

Spot on, Mr. Billybud. And that is why the Mountain West area need to be happy to live in a place no one else does and be content with that.

[Spence]

We are in the age of corporate colloege football with huge dollars being paid by the media...

The Big Ten is running away from the field with mountains of cash coming in from the Big Ten Network....Maryland was making $13 million a year in the ACC and is talking about $30-45 million in the Big Ten.

The Big Ten got antsy after Notre Dame signed their deal with the ACC...saw their "footprint" being hemmed and their 2017 contract negotiations looming.

The Big Ten bought some footprint and extended east for higher media carriage rates...it wasn't about football. The Big Ten didn't want the mediocre Maryland and Rutgers football programs...they wanted the markets.

And that is the new way. It is about money, and markets.

The Big 12 must expand and gain populous markets...it has Texas and that huge market...then the vast emptiness of the "flyover" states...Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa...and the small state of West Virginia.

The SEC, now pushed by the BIg Ten, will start up the SEC network...they want to expand their footprint...North Carolina is the tenth most populous state and Virginia the 12th. And both are contiguous to the current SEC footprint. And the SEC doth covet it's neighbor's territory.

It is about money and the "bigs" pulling away from everybody else. I saw that when Auburn offered $1 million for FSU's defensive coordinator to become the Auburn DC. He now only makes $400,000. He didn't go, but only because his next move will be for the HC position he wants.

I agree mostly, except the B-10 didn't start this. I do think that Delaney is hell bent on finishing it though. There are rumors here that he is planning to expand to 20 by the time it is over.

[Brian Roastbeef]

Well said, Billybud, and to expand on that a little - when put in that light it is very visible how much the Big 12's recent losses were a real kick in the gut. For a conference situated in flyover country losing St. Louis and Boulder/Denver is brutal. Even the seemingly minor Omaha market going is damaging. Obviously they still dominate Texas, but A&M gives the SEC just enough of a foothold in there to be comfortable while managing to find a team that at least to start, looks like it fits that difficult SEC west like a glove. That's been the SEC's M.O. too. They don't need to dominate territory as the Big 12 does with TX, they just want a good foothold everywhere. A piece of Florida, a piece of Georgia, a piece of South Carolina, split all of them with the ACC. Agreed that a piece of North Carolina and Virginia are almost certainly next on the checklist.

Now an opportunity at Tallahassee, if/when it should come would go a long way toward restoring some of that lost TV time. Miami even more so. But a "flyover" centered conference shouldn't avoid Boise or Provo/SLC in their search for new markets either, particularly with the fairly decent national following both teams have.

[Derek]

It is about money and the "bigs" pulling away from everybody else. I saw that when Auburn offered $1 million for FSU's defensive coordinator to become the Auburn DC. He now only makes $400,000. He didn't go, but only because his next move will be for the HC position he wants.

That's too much money to coach some teenagers to play defense. I'm a free market capitalist, but that's just too much.....and only plays into the fact that college is becoming the minor league's for the Pro's.