Not sure if anyone else saw Teddy Greenstein's column today in the Trib, but he mentioned this at the end of his Big 10 (11) Network column:
"Delany also told Register reporters the conference again would consider adding a 12th team to expand its television market and create a Big Ten title game. Adding a school like Rutgers would bring the New York/New Jersey region into play."
I still think that another major conference realignment is on the way. ND is not joining the Big 10 any time soon, and I find it interesting that in light of Rutgers recent surge in football that all of a sudden they may be viewed as a possible 12th team to the Big 10. Greenstein could just be throwing this out there to see what exists for all I know, but I understand his reasoning from a media market stand point. Rutgers game vs 'Ville last November 9th was the highest rated college game (football or basketball) for the NY market in ESPN's history.
They're have also been "rumblings" that the Pac 10 would like to add Utah and Texas, and even a rumbling that the SEC would like to rid itself of Vandy and add Texas.
hmm that's kinda interesting but I can't see the Big 10 taking Rutgers... it makes no sense at all geographically. the only Big East school that really makes any sense would be Louisville with their up and coming football team
Rutgers does make sense from a TV (ie, B10 Network) standpoint. NJ is adjacent to PA as well. $$ will talk in the end....?
Quote from: spartan3186 on July 28, 2007, 02:27:53 PM
hmm that's kinda interesting but I can't see the Big 10 taking Rutgers... it makes no sense at all geographically. the only Big East school that really makes any sense would be Louisville with their up and coming football team
RU would be a natural rival for PSU. Louisville is not an academic match for the Big 10
Does anybody in the NYC area really care about Rutgers?
I see Rutgers having about as much success driving Big 10 interest in NYC as DePaul has had building Big East interest in Chicago (i.e. virtually none).
Yeah, the Big Ten could argue that they have a team in the New York market, but it's a lot tougher to argue that team can deliver the market the way that Wisconsin delivers Milwaukee or Illinois delivers Chicago.
I think Pittsburgh makes more sense.
Am i the only one that thinks that Vandy would be a good fit for the big 10 all around
Quote from: herboturbo on July 30, 2007, 12:34:13 AM
Am i the only one that thinks that Vandy would be a good fit for the big 10 all around
Only you and Northwestern fans think its a good fit.
Pittsburgh would never make it into the Big Ten. Too much bad blood there between the Big Ten and Pitt from the first time the Big Ten expanded.
Plus, while it wouldn't be a huge factor, Penn State would fight that move tooth and nail. The schools hate each other. They won't even play each other in the non-conference schedule because of bad blood.
I think Rutgers makes sense for the Big Ten but not for Rutgers. Not sure who the 12th would be for the Big Ten
I'm old school I guess, but I find it hard to believe at times that we are even discussing adding a Rutgers - from New York/New Jersey to the Big "Ten". Adding Penn State was a tough pill to swallow - How many freakin' miles away IS Rutgers anyway. I'm arguing for what makes geographic sense - that's why I say I'm old school. Conference USA kind of started that. Now there are very few conferences that are clustered around a geographic center. Traveling to road games for students (and alums) becomes a nightmare. It's the almighty dollar, and I guess we can't stop it - and perhaps the more pertinent comment is why would we? I mean, MU is not exactly in the Big East "market."
Quote from: romey on July 30, 2007, 08:07:23 AM
I'm old school I guess, but I find it hard to believe at times that we are even discussing adding a Rutgers - from New York/New Jersey to the Big "Ten". Adding Penn State was a tough pill to swallow - How many freakin' miles away IS Rutgers anyway. I'm arguing for what makes geographic sense - that's why I say I'm old school. Conference USA kind of started that. Now there are very few conferences that are clustered around a geographic center. Traveling to road games for students (and alums) becomes a nightmare. It's the almighty dollar, and I guess we can't stop it - and perhaps the more pertinent comment is why would we? I mean, MU is not exactly in the Big East "market."
I agree with you.. I mean I like it when conferences are geographically based... makes for the best rivalries.
As far as the big east thing goes... I guess now I just consider the Big East everything east of the mississippi :) that way we can include Milwaukee, Chicago, Louisville, etc.
Quote from: herboturbo on July 30, 2007, 12:34:13 AM
Am i the only one that thinks that Vandy would be a good fit for the big 10 all around
Is the goal to improve the conference rating for Women's Athletics.
I think they should go after a Missouri or Nebraska
From Wikipedia on the Big 10: "The Big Ten is the only Division I conference to have all of its member institutions affiliated with the Association of American Universities, a prestigious collection of 60 research institutions, and leads all conferences in the total amount of research expenditures."
Rutgers, Missouri, Nebraska and Pitt are members of that club.
The reason for the expansion would be to accommodate the new Big 10 Network. Sports Illustrated: " 'The broader (the network) is distributed, the more value expansion has. We have eight states. With (expansion), you could have nine," Big Ten commissioner Jim Delaney says.'
That would eliminate Pitt, if an objective in expanding is to add a ninth state to the Big Ten. I'd think Rutgers would have the edge over Nebraska and Missouri, being a stone's throw from NYC.
IMO, adding Rutgers to the Big Ten would be absurd. They have had one good year in football after so many awful ones and for that, the Big 10 would add them? That's crazy. The only reason why Big 10 would even consider such a notion is if they're desperate to add a 12th team and I don't see any reason for the desperation.
IMO, the school that makes sense is Missouri. But that only makes sense if Missouri is able to finally able to achieve some level of sustainable success in both football and basketball. Until that occurs and it seems to be a long way off, I think the Big 10 will be patient to add a 12th hoping that the day arrives that ND will finally succumb.