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

[GumbyDamnit!]

If we all agree that FB drives the bus, why would anyone think that UCONN or any other AAC team is a target for the B1G? From a geographic and institutional fit I would be very concerned with losing UNC down the road if I were the ACC. BC might make sense too and if the $ were right why not ND? If the B1G has the largest wallet anyone can be bought. If I were Delaney and wanted to move east to new markets I'd prob look at either UNC or NC St and BC. Keeps the conf still manageable and gives you the East coast eyeballs that you want.

[gosports1]

Im not convinced anyone from the acc that the B10 may be interested in, is interested in them. (UVA,UNC. BC isnt a match IMO, they fit much better with the ACC)

[DC Denizen]

If we all agree that FB drives the bus, why would anyone think that UCONN or any other AAC team is a target for the B1G? From a geographic and institutional fit I would be very concerned with losing UNC down the road if I were the ACC. BC might make sense too and if the $ were right why not ND? If the B1G has the largest wallet anyone can be bought. If I were Delaney and wanted to move east to new markets I'd prob look at either UNC or NC St and BC. Keeps the conf still manageable and gives you the East coast eyeballs that you want.

-UNC would be the last meaningful piece to leave the ACC. No way they are among the first. They are valuable enough that they can always find a seat at a good table. They love the ACC and aren't leaving unless something catastrophic happens.
-BC doesn't bring much of anything to the table. Sure its near Boston but doesn't really have much of a fanbase there outside of its smallish alumni population. No chance Big 10 would take them.
-I can't see Big 10 ever wanting NC State but its more likely than BC. If the Big 10 wants southern exposure, I think they'd take Georgia Tech over NC State. Much better institutional fit and a much bigger market.
-Big 10 has wanted Notre Dame for 30+ years. Something would have to shift in the NCAA Football playoff system that would hurt Notre Dame as an independent before it fully joins a conference. If and when that happens it will be a battle between Big 10 and ACC to get them.

I don't think another round of expansion happens for a while but if it does I think the possible scenarios are:
-Big XII gets carved up with pieces going to SEC, Pac 12, and Big 10. This isn't likely but the Oklahomas get antsy every once in a while over Texas's power in the conference.
-If the ACC's GOR gets invalidated somehow; Big 10 tries to get UVA to join and pair them with UConn or, if the football playoff system changes, ND.


I think the Big 10 would take UConn right now but there's no suitable partner for them. Until that happens I think the Big 10 stays put at 14.

[Chalmers0]

The guy I follow for some of these rumors I think said B1G was in talks with UConn and an undisclosed school but nothing was going to happen expansion wise until the Maryland/ACC lawsuit was entirely settled (I have no idea what the status of that lawsuit is). He admittedly throws a lot of stuff at the wall hoping it sticks, but he also was ahead of the game on Rutgers/Maryland jump last year.

[billyjack]

Not sure the Big Ten will expand soon, and the article was just an opinion piece.

But if they do expand, based on recent things Delany has said and done, I'd guess Virginia and UConn.
- Virginia because the Big Ten just announced nearby DC as the home of their 2017 tourney.
- UConn because they completely own their state of 3 million, have the Fairfield Gold Coast 30 minutes from NYC, and because their 4 mens hoops titles in 15 years are tough to ignore.
- also, through this whole re-alignment, I think Syracuse has been way overvalued (1), and UConn has been way undervalued, as far as capturing NYC. Syracuse communications majors have beat the SU drums for years, which helps them get overvalued. BC (3), SU and Pitt (2) as a group do not capture NYC.
- If the Big Ten grabs Virginia and UConn (4), it would really box the ACC outside of NYC... what else could the ACC do at that point to get NY...? Not Army... they'd have to get Notre Dame as a full member, which will never happen.
- also, college sports fans in the northeast blame the ACC for killing the old Big East, so the ACC has a worse chance of capturing the area.

(1) when Syracuse hosted Southern Cal at the Meadowlands a few years ago, the place was empty.
(2) has anyone watched a football game at Pitt... the place is barely half full... even vs Miami (Fla) and Notre Dame.
(3) not many people outside of a 5 mile radius of Chestnut Hill follow BC... when Flutie was there, they captured most of New England... now, no one follows them.
(4) UConn, if their fans stop acting like a-holes, have a decent chance of capturing New England, especially if they get into the Big Ten.

--> of course, I think the Big East will always capture New York... we're the only conference with a school literally in the city, and 2 schools within 10 minutes.

[ohiohsbball]

The BIG will expand, I just don't think it is as soon as the writer suggests. Following Ohio State as I do, the schools I have always heard were Virginia and Georgia Tech just specifically for the markets. Virginia never made much sense to me especially since Maryland is coming next year. I have also heard North Carolina was a target, but UNC would not leave without Duke and the BIG was not interested in Duke. Notre Dame makes the most sense, but everyone already knows their story.

Everything is hearsay and no one knows what is behind closed doors, but I do strongly feel you are looking at 4 conferences of 16 teams very soon. The questions is, does the ACC get raided by the BIG and SEC, or does the BIG 12 get raided by the BIG and PAC 12? Just my opinion, I think the conference in the most trouble is the Big 12; schools aren't too thrilled with the exposure with the Longhorn Network, and with the PAC 12 and BIG both having their own networks, look for some schools to bolt.

I honestly don't see the AAC being touched at all, unless UCONN goes to the ACC.

[HoosierPal]

On Tuesday (5/6), UConn announced a home and home football series with Indiana University in 2019 and 2020. Already on the Huskie's books is a home and home series with Illinois, also in 2019 & 2020 that was scheduled some time ago.

If a UConn move to the Big 10 is to be announced in the next month or two, I doubt if the IU series would have been inked this week.

[aughnanure]

If we all agree that FB drives the bus, why would anyone think that UCONN or any other AAC team is a target for the B1G? From a geographic and institutional fit I would be very concerned with losing UNC down the road if I were the ACC. BC might make sense too and if the $ were right why not ND? If the B1G has the largest wallet anyone can be bought. If I were Delaney and wanted to move east to new markets I'd prob look at either UNC or NC St and BC. Keeps the conf still manageable and gives you the East coast eyeballs that you want.

See Maryland. Also Rutgers. Also, TCU (who couldn't even fill their stadium).

[Edrick]

Notre Dame has no interest in the Big Ten and a midwestern conference, that is why its been plain for quite sometime that they'd become a full member of the ACC before the Big Ten. Now, if through other expansion to the east, the Big Ten became an "eastern" conference, well, you just might get the crown jewel.

Ironically, Rutgers, Maryland, UConn?.....could get you Notre Dame.

[Wizard of Westroads]

UConn will not get a Big Ten offer because it's not a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, and the BIG presidents fashion themselves as just a step below the Ivy League. Nebraska is the only non-AAU member in the BIG, but they were a member when invited and were pushed out of the AAU later.

Kansas, Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia Tech are all AAU members and would all be invited before UConn. Their presidents would all jump at the chance, although $ might dictate otherwise. Missouri, also AAU, wanted in the Big Ten but grabbed the SEC when it offered. Might seem like a good move footballwise, but their president wanted in the BIG desperately. Believe it or not, the BIG would even take Texas (AAU), but the Longhorns wouldn't go where they can't rule the roost.

UConn is very, very far down the list. Rutgers is a dumpster fire athletically, but it and Maryland are AAU members.

I don't think any Big East schools are in the AAU, but it's because they don't offer the full range of research programs that are required for membership, not because of quality of education.
http://www.aau.edu/about/default.aspx?id=4020