Maiden Voyage

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I would include Duke in that dream.

Sure I would love Duke, but I honestly don't see any way that happens. The ACC currently is in no danger of being disbanded and is a much stronger basketball conference than the Big East. I don't see any possible motivation for Duke to leave the ACC. The Big 12 on the other hand is in danger of being disbanded, meaning Kansas will need a new home if it were to happen.

But I guess we are talking crazy pipe dreams that will likely never happen, so why the hell not?

[Its DJOver]

Idk if their plan was to invite select others to join or if itd be a representative from each conference? just vaguely recall it being mentioned

I thought that potential scenario involved the trimming of the P5 to the P4, but getting 16 teams in each conference and going back to a 64 team tourney, where its just all P4 teams.  I think that's partially where the KU to Beast pipe dream came from, because the B12 would be the one getting gutted as it's the smallest, and most centrally located (WVU to ACC, ISU and KSU to Big 10, Texas, Oklahoma to SEC, other scraps to the PAC 12), and since football money runs everything, the worst football school, Kansas, could be left out.  A lot of B12 schools would have to go kicking and screaming (splitting up the Kansas K-State rivalry, same with OU, OSU), but the $$$ lost not switching would be too great.  I have no idea if this ever would or even could happen, I'm sure there would be astronomically large hurdles, it was just one of the football ruining everything conspiracy theories I heard after the last re-alignment.

[rocky_warrior]

I would include Duke in that dream.

It could be a 1-1 swap.  BE gets Blue Devils, ACC gets Blue Demons.  Seems fair!

[Mr. Sand-Knit]

Sure I would love Duke, but I honestly don't see any way that happens. The ACC currently is in no danger of being disbanded and is a much stronger basketball conference than the Big East. I don't see any possible motivation for Duke to leave the ACC. The Big 12 on the other hand is in danger of being disbanded, meaning Kansas will need a new home if it were to happen.

But I guess we are talking crazy pipe dreams that will likely never happen, so why the hell not?

I could see the Big Ten grabbing oklahoma and west virginia and going to 16. If i was BIG commish thats the direction i would look

[Its DJOver]

I could see the Big Ten grabbing oklahoma and west virginia and going to 16. If i was BIG commish thats the direction i would look

Since these will all be football decisions, I don't think there's a chance that you could separate Oklahoma and Texas.  Wherever this insane hypothetical goes, those two schools will be sticking together.

[The Sultan]

I could see the Big Ten grabbing oklahoma and west virginia and going to 16. If i was BIG commish thats the direction i would look

You think the academic snobs in the Big Ten are going to seriously consider West Virginia?

[Mr. Sand-Knit]

Since these will all be football decisions, I don't think there's a chance that you could separate Oklahoma and Texas.  Wherever this insane hypothetical goes, those two schools will be sticking together.

Possibly, big ten a big draw tho n nebraska although down a historic rival.

[Its DJOver]

Possibly, big ten a big draw tho n nebraska although down a historic rival.

Well we're talking about Kansas and Duke to the Beast so I guess anythings possible, I just don't see the SEC not sweeping up those two if the B12 does implode.  Texas and Okla would also rather be in the SEC vs the B10 in that scenario.

[HammerScreen]

Luckily that is why the new Big East was formed, 9 like minded schools who prioritize basketball and DePaul.

A+ description

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

The Kansas to Big East pipe dream came from the belief that high major conference realignment is on pause until the Big 12's Grant of Rights expires (sometime between 2022 and 2026, can't remember). The thought is that without the Grant of Rights to bind them together, the Big 12 would be cannibalized by the other P5 conferences. The speculation always seemed to be that 16 was the magic number that the superconferences wanted to get to. After it has all its best teams poached, the Big 12 would either dissolve or take the best teams from the AAC and CUSA and become the new "best of the rest" conference. The hope was that Kansas wouldn't get poached by the ACC/SEC/B12/B1G and that without P5 level money, the university would decide to dissolve the football program and join the Big East in basketball. Like I said, crazy pipe dream at this point, but one that is at least theoretically plausible.

FWIW, I always thought the B12 cannibalization would be:

Texas/OU to B1G (best programs to most money)
TCU/West Virginia to SEC (best remaining football to best football conference)
Baylor/Iowa State to ACC (best remaining mix of academics and football)
Texas Tech/Oklahoma State/Kansas State/Kansas to PAC 12 (the leftovers)

Only way Kansas gets left out is if PAC 12 either doesn't go to 16, or they elect to go with more local options like Boise State, San Diego State, etc.

[Cheeks]

Kansas would be a perfect fit for the BE since they don't have a football team.

Les Miles just hired....he should do better than Charlie did years ago

[Johnny B]

While were throwing hypotheticals around also UConn could drop football and join. But even garbage football teams like ku and uconn still bring in enough revenue etc to warrant keeping the program do they not.

[buckchuckler]

Les Miles just hired....he should do better than Charlie did years ago

Sir, I have to say, I am impressed that in the last 3 months or whatever, this version of your scoopness has surpassed the number of posts I have made in like 10 years.  That is really hitting the old keyboard. 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

While were throwing hypotheticals around also UConn could drop football and join. But even garbage football teams like ku and uconn still bring in enough revenue etc to warrant keeping the program do they not.

Kansas, yes. UConn no.

Kansas' football team allows them to be full members of the Big 12 which gives them access to the Big 12's lucrative tv deal. I don't remember exactly how much each school gets a year but I think its in the $25 million range.

UConn on the other hand only gets around $2 million a year being in the AAC (which is half of what Big East schools get despite not having football). IIRC, people have posted articles here that claim that UConn athletics is losing $7 million a year with football being responsible for a huge chunk of that.

[Dr. Blackheart]

With Oklahoma and Texas feuding when the BE and AAC were figuring what to do, Kansas, KSU and ISU to the Big East was very close to happening.

[The Sultan]

The addition of Tulane looks like a GREAT idea in retrospect hey?

[JakeBarnes]

With Oklahoma and Texas feuding when the BE and AAC were figuring what to do, Kansas, KSU and ISU to the Big East was very close to happening.

While I love the current conference, that would have been an interesting development for sure. Inheriting in-state rivals and another pretty nice program is always a nice development.

Plus, it would have ended the Big 12 reign of Kansas...if only because it was defunct.

[Dr. Blackheart]

While I love the current conference, that would have been an interesting development for sure. Inheriting in-state rivals and another pretty nice program is always a nice development.

Plus, it would have ended the Big 12 reign of Kansas...if only because it was defunct.

Instead the football schools got CUSA.  I think we are better off.

[MUMonster03]

UConn on the other hand only gets around $2 million a year being in the AAC (which is half of what Big East schools get despite not having football). IIRC, people have posted articles here that claim that UConn athletics is losing $7 million a year with football being responsible for a huge chunk of that.

But the AAC is a Power 6 Conference!