Paterno pushing Big Ten to add Cuse, Pitt or Rutgers for football

[ChicosBailBonds]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4118848

[Eye]

Off the top of my head without a lot of thought here, but isn't the more natural move on a national scale to move Memphis to the Big 12 and move someone like Missouri to the Miniscule 11?

[GGGG]

Off the top of my head without a lot of thought here, but isn't the more natural move on a national scale to move Memphis to the Big 12 and move someone like Missouri to the Miniscule 11?

Football drives all of this, and Memphis doesn't have the football program to compete in the Big 12.  They can't even compete in the CUSA.  The Big 10 is only going to do this if the addition of another team, and the subsequent Big 10 Championship Game, adds more to the per team revenue of each school.  Notre Dame would obviously do that.  So would a school like Nebraska.  I am not sure that Syracuse, Pitt, Missouri or Rutgers would, at least in the short-run.

But in the long-run, this would be good for the Big 10.  But we are talking about a conference that didn't allow its non-champion to go to bowl games until the 70s and didn't pick up a conference basketball tournament until the 90s.  To say that they move slowly where everyone else has gone before is an understatement.

[mugrad99]

Arkansas to Big 12, then Missouri to Big 10.....

[MR.HAYWARD]

Paterno is calling for those schools becuase he is a Northeastern guy.  I am sure he would love to have one of those schools being a northeastern guy and it would also provide a natural geographic rivalry.

However, he is a or northeastern guy and PSU is a northeastern school I doubt to many Big 11 university presidents, Ad's or fans have any real interest in any of those mentioned schools.  Missouri makes all the sense in the world.  Even nebraska or Notre dame make way way way more sense than rutgers or Syracuse.  Pitt possibly but not really a good fit.

[Kramerica]

As a resident of Missouri, the University of Missouri has no desire to move to the Big 10.  Plus they have too big of a rival in the Big 12 (Kansas) to have a move to the Big 10 make sense.  

I've lived in St. Louis for all my life besides the four years I spent at Marquette, and I've never heard a move to the Big 10 discussed once.

Plus doesn't Missouri play a too exciting brand of football and basketball to play in the Big 10?  I mean their basketball team scores 80+ points a game.  

[bma725]

As a resident of Missouri, the University of Missouri has no desire to move to the Big 10.  Plus they have too big of a rival in the Big 12 (Kansas) to have a move to the Big 10 make sense.  

I've lived in St. Louis for all my life besides the four years I spent at Marquette, and I've never heard a move to the Big 10 discussed once.

Plus doesn't Missouri play a too exciting brand of football and basketball to play in the Big 10?  I mean their basketball team scores 80+ points a game.  

If you haven't heard it, then you really haven't been paying attention.  Missouri to the Big Ten is a long standing and common discussion when conference realignment comes up, probably for decades.  Missouri has had discussions with the Big 10 as recently as three years ago and openly campaigned for it back in 1999.  Here's just a sampling of articles about it through the years.

http://www.collegeblitz.com/live/2006/smith/073107.html

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_8_223/ai_53980535/

[MR.HAYWARD]

I am not saying Missouri should or would go to the Big Ten.  In fact to watch there basketball teams play and there football teams sans OSU and Michigan play is really hard.  I think they are far behing the other BCS schools when it comes to basketball.  They do a good job of recruitng the mIdwest but really dont play a brand of bball to recruit kids on a antional level to compete at the national title level.  Seriosly apart form MSU and OSU when they had a Oden not big Ten teams can come close to waht the Uconns, Unc's Ucla's etc have as far as NBA talent and ability to compete for National titles.  The lower level BE teams are still filled with NBA prospects while the lower level Big Ten teams are no where near that they are more like Hickory High on steroids.

[GGGG]

I am not saying Missouri should or would go to the Big Ten.  In fact to watch there basketball teams play and there football teams sans OSU and Michigan play is really hard.  I think they are far behing the other BCS schools when it comes to basketball.  They do a good job of recruitng the mIdwest but really dont play a brand of bball to recruit kids on a antional level to compete at the national title level.  Seriosly apart form MSU and OSU when they had a Oden not big Ten teams can come close to waht the Uconns, Unc's Ucla's etc have as far as NBA talent and ability to compete for National titles.  The lower level BE teams are still filled with NBA prospects while the lower level Big Ten teams are no where near that they are more like Hickory High on steroids.

The Big Ten has had four of its teams play for the NCAA basketball championship in the past decade.  Outside of the ACC, no other conference can make that claim.  But more importantly for membership sake, the Big Ten is the second most lucrative conference in the country behind the SEC.

[NavinRJohnson]

Frankly, I have felt for years that Pitt is a natural for the Big 10.

[MilTown]

Here is an interesting article regarding the breakdown of NBA players.

http://www.rpiratings.com/NBA.html

At the start of the NBA season, the BE had 49 active NBA players vs. 38 for the Big Ten(11). The BE has 5 more teams, so the average for the Big 10 is actually higher. Another interesting stat is that UCONN accounts for 12 of the active 49 BE teams. We all know that UCONN is a NBA factory, but surprisingly, they have only won 2 championships in my lifetime. The player breakdown by school for the Big 10 is a bit more evenly spread out through the conference teams.

Everything is cyclical and perception isn't always reality. For some reason the Big 10 Football and Basketball has been the whipping boy for sports media pundits. This has seeped into the minds of the casual fans. In the end, there is no doubt that the Big 10 is a top conference with top players that have graduated to the pro level.  

[pillardean]

Everything is cyclical and perception isn't always reality. For some reason the Big 10 Football and Basketball has been the whipping boy for sports media pundits. This has seeped into the minds of the casual fans. In the end, there is no doubt that the Big 10 is a top conference with top players that have graduated to the pro level.  
[/quote]


I agree, the media does show a negative light.  Paterno makes a great point when he speaks of a Conference Championship Game for football.  There is the dead week for Big Ten (11) in football when all the other power conferences get national exposure on their elite teams.

Also, the Big Ten (11) conference tourney began in '98 I believe so they were behind the curve in that regards as well.  To say that the Big 10 (11) is dull to watch at times, true, to say that talent does not exist would be false.

[MUinCO]

They can have Rutgers...

...in exchange for two first round draft picks and Kyle Orton.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

As a resident of Missouri, the University of Missouri has no desire to move to the Big 10.  Plus they have too big of a rival in the Big 12 (Kansas) to have a move to the Big 10 make sense.  

I've lived in St. Louis for all my life besides the four years I spent at Marquette, and I've never heard a move to the Big 10 discussed once.

Plus doesn't Missouri play a too exciting brand of football and basketball to play in the Big 10?  I mean their basketball team scores 80+ points a game.  

You don't know what you're talking about. Missouri would kill to join the Big 10 and it's been discussed for many years. 

[Dish]

I've been saying it on this board for over a year now. Rutgers has been on the Big 11's radar. My guy at the Big 11 Network has confirmed as well. Lots of hoops to jump through, 2016/2017 is the earliest such a move can happen.

[Skatastrophy]

I've been saying it on this board for over a year now. Rutgers has been on the Big 11's radar. My guy at the Big 11 Network has confirmed as well. Lots of hoops to jump through, 2016/2017 is the earliest such a move can happen.

New Jersey is pretty far East for the B10... but I guess the Big East broke the mold for snapping up schools outside of their traditional geographic area.

[butchbadger]

For all of the jaded hate for all things Wisconsin and the Big 10 here, the Big 10 is still...well, the Big 10 whether you can admit it to yourself or not.  Rodriguez, Crean, Beilein all left good gigs to go the the Big 10. You don't see any exodus the other way.  The tradition is powerful.

The BE is still very new in it's current form and even it biggest backers are afraid of an eventual football led break up.

There isn't a single BE football school that wouldn't leave for the Big 10 in 2.2 seconds.  That's where the $$ is.

Missouri, Iowa St, and several of B12 schools would jump quickly as well.



And Hayward the bottom of B10 hoops was either in the tourney or winning the NIT.  The bottom of the BE was simply awful as much as the top was great.  NBA prospects from the lower teams?  Who cares? Winning counts.  And...proofread/spellcheck.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

For all of the jaded hate for all things Wisconsin and the Big 10 here, the Big 10 is still...well, the Big 10 whether you can admit it to yourself or not.  Rodriguez, Crean, Beilein all left good gigs to go the the Big 10. You don't see any exodus the other way.  The tradition is powerful.

The BE is still very new in it's current form and even it biggest backers are afraid of an eventual football led break up.

There isn't a single BE football school that wouldn't leave for the Big 10 in 2.2 seconds.  That's where the $$ is.

Missouri, Iowa St, and several of B12 schools would jump quickly as well.



And Hayward the bottom of B10 hoops was either in the tourney or winning the NIT.  The bottom of the BE was simply awful as much as the top was great.  NBA prospects from the lower teams?  Who cares? Winning counts.  And...proofread/spellcheck.

I actually agree with most of what you have said...

But, I can't imagine UCONN (a football school, right?) wanting to jump to the B10.

West Virginia? Maybe.
Louisville? Maybe.
UCONN? uhhh, I just don't see it.

[NavinRJohnson]

South Florida either.

Not completely convinced Syracuse would either.

[SaintPaulWarrior]

They can have Rutgers...

...in exchange for two first round draft picks and Kyle Orton.

You forgot about the third round pick.

[NavinRJohnson]

Rodriguez, Crean, Beilein all left good gigs to go the the Big 10.

And? What exactly is that supposed to imply?

And...proofread/spellcheck.

DB alert!

[mu03eng]

Frankly, I have felt for years that Pitt is a natural for the Big 10.

You would think so but there is no way Pitt joins the Big 11.  In fact I am shocked that Paterno mentioned Pitt as a possibility.  For full disclosure I am a rabid PSU fan, so take this for what its worth.  Back in '92, '93 when the negotiations of bringing Penn State into the Big Ten, they were going to be joined by either Pitt or Notre Dame to balance everything.  PSU was the center piece of the deal, with ND being the reach and Pitt being if we don't have any other choice.  Pitt has always had an inferiority complex when it comes to PSU(see May, Mark), and so the Pitt AD tried to work a backroom deal with the Big 10 to make the deal Pitt and ND and drop PSU, siting how "backwoods" and "far" State College was for the rest of the B10.  Unknown to the AD, Notre Dame had already said no, PSU caught wind of what they did and refused to join the B10 if Pitt did.  So the B10 took PSU alone.  Penn State won't even schedule a non-conference game with them now, let alone support their inclusion into the Big 10.  I think Rutgers is going to be the school if any that moves from BEast to B10.

[bma725]

Not scheduling Pitt goes back much further than the Big 10 issue.  Paterno is still pissed that Pitt chose to join the Big East in 1982 rather than stay with PSU and form a new league like he wanted.

[MR.HAYWARD]

For all of the jaded hate for all things Wisconsin and the Big 10 here, the Big 10 is still...well, the Big 10 whether you can admit it to yourself or not.  Rodriguez, Crean, Beilein all left good gigs to go the the Big 10. You don't see any exodus the other way.  The tradition is powerful.

The BE is still very new in it's current form and even it biggest backers are afraid of an eventual football led break up.

There isn't a single BE football school that wouldn't leave for the Big 10 in 2.2 seconds.  That's where the $$ is.

Missouri, Iowa St, and several of B12 schools would jump quickly as well.



And Hayward the bottom of B10 hoops was either in the tourney or winning the NIT.  The bottom of the BE was simply awful as much as the top was great.  NBA prospects from the lower teams?  Who cares? Winning counts.  And...proofread/spellcheck.

I did not realize PSU came in last in the B10 i actually thought they came in 4th ( which they did BTW)   my point remains B10 plays some really ugly basketball some of the scores from last year and years gone by are openly mocked by sports personalities on TV and Radio ...was it Packer that said Wisocnsin set basketball back 50 years during therefinal 4 game. etc. etc.  Now they produce some good teams and recruit the midwest weel.  But your very best teams recruit nationally and personally and i dont think i am the first one to express this, but myself and maybe others feel the slowdown Hickory high style of ball deters many of the top recruits from being interested in the B!0 unless they grew up in B10 country and grew up knowing nothing else.  

My point on the NBA talent is even the teams that finished in the bottom of the league their is NBA talent...Depaul in last place is a perfect example they have two draftable players in the draft right now.  Part of the problem is the BE is so tough at the top...rmeber we had 3 #1 seeds??  and those lower teams get pounded while they would fare far better in alesser conference like the B10 or the Sec this year.  Now in comparison rutgers had two Mcdonalds all americans, Deaaul 1 and another pro.  How many furute pros were on the bottom of the B11 in Indiana, NW and iowa...correct zero.  the talent void is huge.  You can argue it all you want just watch the B11/Acc challenge again this fall...the Bi11 is 0 for how many years??  and most years it is not even close,  it is ablow out as the ACC talent simply blows the B10 away,  Be is the same way tons and tons of talent.  
Not saying the B11 cant throw together a good team and make a run but from top to bottom the B11 lacks talent in a big way.   Please  Iowa..Nw...PSu most years...etc... + Hickory high with soem weight training

[GGGG]

Not completely convinced Syracuse would either.

Syracuse wanted to join the ACC.  They'd join the Big Ten in a half a second if asked.