Chicago Sun Times: 15th and 16th Schools Coming for Big Ten

[aughnanure]

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/27271214 ... 2pUMvldV1Z

"This is where the college athetics world is going. To head off a players’ union, the schools are insisting athlete-students they are not employees. But concessions are already being made, and college sports will move on just as sure as baseball moved on when it lost the reserve clause.

Stay tuned. Delany’s next move will be adding the 15th and 16th schools to the Big Ten. This will be needed to pay for increased labor costs that will stem from players organizing in one form or another.

Four 16-team leagues. And good luck if you’re not among those 64.

Nobody is better suited to deal with all of this upheaval than Jim Delany."

[handdownmandown]

Tom Dienhart from BTN tweeted something similar, saying big changes afoot in the next two months.

[hoyahooligan]

Well that's not good. Who do we think they target? Do they pick off the top of the AAC? Or do they go back to the well of the ACC. They want more east coast schools I would assume. Will Uconn get picked up finally? Do they Grab BC? Or one of the other former BE teams? Pitt, Syracuse?

[yaboynyp]

Who are they rumored to be looking at?

[yaboynyp]

Well that's not good. Who do we think they target? Do they pick off the top of the AAC? Or do they go back to the well of the ACC. They want more east coast schools I would assume. Will Uconn get picked up finally? Do they Grab BC? Or one of the other former BE teams? Pitt, Syracuse?

Well none of our schools play Football so don’t think it matter tbh..

[NJRedman]

In response to the writers question about what are you supposed to do in DC after your team loses? "Visit the Smithsonian I guess" was his response. I have a question for him. What are you supposed to do in Indianapolis after your team loses? Go visit a screen door factory? He is missing out on a lot here. First off, this isn't about "Old School Big Ten fans" it's about the future and the old aren't part of the future. Also there is a HUGE amount of B1G alum on BOTH coasts! I would say just off the sheer amount of people I saw around NYC when I was living there on Saturday afternoons in the fall that a quarter of all B1G alum move to the major north east coast cities. The I-95 corridor from DC through Boston. I would say another 1/8 move to southern California. Thats just based on what I've seen and the people I know. It could be as much as half of all B1G alum. Though things could get skewed when Rutgers and Maryland join since most of them blend right into NYC/DC/Philly. Taking them out though I still say most of the alumni move to either Chicago or one of the coasts. It makes sense to have the tournament there every once in a while. Last I checked the DC tournament site is only for one year right? Whats the big whoop?

[NJRedman]

Well that's not good. Who do we think they target? Do they pick off the top of the AAC? Or do they go back to the well of the ACC. They want more east coast schools I would assume. Will Uconn get picked up finally? Do they Grab BC? Or one of the other former BE teams? Pitt, Syracuse?

Hows it not good? This is great for us! We're not a target. They most likely go after more ACC schools. The weaker they make the ACC the better it is for us.

My guess is a combination of UVA and either UNC or UConn. They definitely want to go east. Thats where all of their momentum is headed. I don't think they will look at a Kansas or Oklahoma. I think UVA is definitely in their sights. Then they can break into four pods for FB and make everyone happy.

Pod 1:
UVA
Rutgers
Maryland
UNC/UConn

Pod 2:
PSU
OSU
UM
MSU

Pod 3:
Illinois
NW
Indiana
Purdue

Pod 4:
Wisc
Iowa
Minn
Neb

[Professor_Bulldog]

That's some terrible football being played in pod 3

[hoyahooligan]

Um this part?: "Four 16-team leagues. And good luck if you’re not among those 64."

Yes it's not an issue in the short term. But long term if we do move to 4 16 team leagues there's nothing to stop those leagues from cutting everyone else out. I see no reason for them to not cut us out. I don't buy that people like the NCAA tournament the way it is so much that they wouldn't cut out the midmajors. Are people really going to not watch because all the teams are good? BS. Most people prefer to watch two ranked teams play. We could all be on the outside looking in in 10 years.

[Jet915]

If this is true, bye bye AAC, we hardly knew ya!