Rumors floating around that Calipari

[GGGG]

Penn State would love it if Rutgers were added.  It would give them an Eastern school to pair with. 

My feeling is that if their football program ever got going, they would take Syracuse before Rutgers.

[Dish]

The Big Ten will never take Rutgers. 

The Big 11 would take Rutgers in a heartbeat. Not only would they take Rutgers, they would be fighting off the ACC and the Big East.

You can't think of this from a pure college athletics stand point. Think in terms of $$$. Look at a map of the US and see where Rutgers is located. If they can sustain any type of top 15-top 10 success in football, watch how quickly the Big 11 comes calling.

[Joe Thompson]

is interested in the Arizona job.   That's the one job I can see him leaving Memphis and cupcake city for. 

Must be a bad channel.

Katz reporting today that Calipari is thisclose to Kentucky.

[GGGG]

The Big 11 would take Rutgers in a heartbeat. Not only would they take Rutgers, they would be fighting off the ACC and the Big East.

You can't think of this from a pure college athletics stand point. Think in terms of $$$. Look at a map of the US and see where Rutgers is located. If they can sustain any type of top 15-top 10 success in football, watch how quickly the Big 11 comes calling.

I the Big Ten wanted Rutgers they would have had them years ago.  Rutgers openly lobbied the Big Ten soon after it took Penn State in the early 90s.  It has been talking with them since.  Rutgers just doesn't have the base of support that the rest of the Big Ten has.  While it is the "State University of New Jersey" it is much more like a private school in terms of financing and size. 

Furthermore, the last two years have been the best two in the recent history of Rutgers football.  It has gotten them to two minor bowls.  They have a small stadium whose expansion has been put on hold because they have not been able to raise the money they need to expand.  Their overall athletic budget is about $50 million - Wisconsin's is near $90 million.

Finally, the NYC area doesn't give a lick about college football.  If they did, they'd be watching going to Rutgers games now.  They aren't.  It is an NFL town.  If the Big Ten expands, it would be with a big university with a big stadium where the fans actually care.  Notre Dame is perfect.   A school like Nebraska isn't far behind.  Other than that, there isn't much to choose from.

[NYWarrior]

I the Big Ten wanted Rutgers they would have had them years ago.  Rutgers openly lobbied the Big Ten soon after it took Penn State in the early 90s.  It has been talking with them since.  Rutgers just doesn't have the base of support that the rest of the Big Ten has.  While it is the "State University of New Jersey" it is much more like a private school in terms of financing and size. 

Furthermore, the last two years have been the best two in the recent history of Rutgers football.  It has gotten them to two minor bowls.  They have a small stadium whose expansion has been put on hold because they have not been able to raise the money they need to expand.  Their overall athletic budget is about $50 million - Wisconsin's is near $90 million.

Finally, the NYC area doesn't give a lick about college football.  If they did, they'd be watching going to Rutgers games now.  They aren't.  It is an NFL town.  If the Big Ten expands, it would be with a big university with a big stadium where the fans actually care.  Notre Dame is perfect.   A school like Nebraska isn't far behind.  Other than that, there isn't much to choose from.

All fair points except RU's size.......they have 50K students enrolled, 38K undergrad.  It'll be interesting to see if the new AD can spike the spend on athletics, which has gone up dramatically in the last 5 yrs anyway.

[Dish]

I the Big Ten wanted Rutgers they would have had them years ago.  Rutgers openly lobbied the Big Ten soon after it took Penn State in the early 90s.  It has been talking with them since.  Rutgers just doesn't have the base of support that the rest of the Big Ten has.  While it is the "State University of New Jersey" it is much more like a private school in terms of financing and size. 

Furthermore, the last two years have been the best two in the recent history of Rutgers football.  It has gotten them to two minor bowls.  They have a small stadium whose expansion has been put on hold because they have not been able to raise the money they need to expand.  Their overall athletic budget is about $50 million - Wisconsin's is near $90 million.

Finally, the NYC area doesn't give a lick about college football.  If they did, they'd be watching going to Rutgers games now.  They aren't.  It is an NFL town.  If the Big Ten expands, it would be with a big university with a big stadium where the fans actually care.  Notre Dame is perfect.   A school like Nebraska isn't far behind.  Other than that, there isn't much to choose from.

All I'm telling you is what I heard from a well connected source. When Rutgers played Louisville back in '06, the game did an 8.0 rating locally in New York. That's unheard of, Yankees postseason baseball type rating locally. The Big 11 Network needs eyeballs. The NYC market with a local team on the network, gets you that.

Big 11 has until 2016 (currently) to look to add someone.

[BuzzSucksSucks]

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.  If the B10 Network wants to add another state to its reach, in terms of market, I think Rutgers would be attractive to them.

[RaleighWarrior]

Maybe the University of Chicago can start competing again.

[rocky_warrior]

If the B10 Network wants to add another state to its reach

If the B10 network wants better ratings, it will drop the B10 for basketball season, and be the exclusive channel for BE hoops