New York Times: West Virginia "Accepted" into the Big XII

[Aughnanure]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/26/sports/ncaafootball/West-Virginia-Big-12-Big-East.html

West Virginia is headed to the Big 12, according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation, a move that leaves the Big East with five football programs and an uncertain future. The person said Tuesday that the Mountaineers had "applied and are accepted," leaving only legal entanglements from making the move official. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been formally announced.

[GGGG]

I think the BE would be well-served to let these three schools buy themselves out early so it can get on with its future. 

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

This whole greedy conference poaching thing is disgusting and completly way out of hand.

[GGGG]

Except when Marquette does it right?

[MUEng92]

My personal boycott of everything related to the evil conglomeration that is "college football" has been much easier than I anticipated.

I am sure the executives of all those channels televising college football are scrambling to figure out why my TV hasn't been tuned into a single game this year.  Ha!! That will teach them not to screw with the beautiful sport that is college basketball!!

[tower912]

I, too, have not watched a single play of college football this year.    A pox on them.    But as this pathetic money grab keeps going, I keep flashing back to the movie 'Major League'.     Jake Taylor..."Well, I guess there's only one thing left to do."  (background voice)  What's that?    "Win....the whole.....f'ing....thing."    That should be the team motto for the year.   

[StillAWarrior]

But, they said they were committed to the Big East...should've had them pinkie swear.

[Nukem2]

Really wonder if these TV networks and/or the advetisers really get much bang (losses?)for their bucks?  I hardly watch much college FB and don't know many who do, other than diehard Bucky fans.  And, do most people take a walk to the frig or the john during commercials or simply talk to someone?  In the end, I'm sure WVU's minor sports SA's will be happy trekking to Ames,IA, Lawrence,KS, Lubbock,TX, OK State, Baylor, etc......  

[Nukem2]

But, they said they were committed to the Big East...should've had them pinkie swear.

Of course, we are in the era of de-committments....

[Abode4life]

I think the BE would be well-served to let these three schools buy themselves out early so it can get on with its future. 

I completely agree.  I just hope we are having lots of discussions with trying to bring in other Basketball only schools.  The loss of all the football schools is a big blow to our bball product.  

If this does turn out to be true, it is pointless to try and continue to bring in other schools for football only.  If the Big 12 is not already, I guarantee they are trying to get Louisville and Cincy to bring their number back up to 12.  

[rocky_warrior]

For those boycotting...It at least looks like it's having an effect (I never watched the stuff, so hard to say I'm boycotting...)..

http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2011/10/more-ratings-notre-dame-hits-nbc-record-low/

Final ratings for Week 6 of the college football season, including a record low rating for Notre Dame football on NBC, mixed numbers for ABC's tripleheader (includes Oklahoma/Texas), and a double-digit drop for Florida/LSU on CBS.

[GGGG]

Really wonder if these TV networks and/or the advetisers really get much bang (losses?)for their bucks?  I hardly watch much college FB and don't know many who do, other than diehard Bucky fans.  And, do most people take a walk to the frig or the john during commercials or simply talk to someone?  In the end, I'm sure WVU's minor sports SA's will be happy trekking to Ames,IA, Lawrence,KS, Lubbock,TX, OK State, Baylor, etc......  

College football is second to only the NFL in sports ratings - and its core audience is considered to be weathier and more highly educated than the NFL's core audience.   That being said, after years of growth, it has definately flattened off this year.

[79Warrior]

Except when Marquette does it right?

Exactly. In fact, the demise of the current BE has been speculated upon since it expanded to add the CUSA teams. Now people are shocked when it happens.

[NotBrianWardle]

It is hard to blame any school for jumping ship at this point.  I personally accepted the Big East was done when the loss of a school in Fort Worth that never played a conference game was seen as a crushing blow.   

[Nukem2]

College football is second to only the NFL in sports ratings - and its core audience is considered to be weathier and more highly educated than the NFL's core audience.   That being said, after years of growth, it has definately flattened off this year.

Obviously, but still do the advertisers really get the bang for their bucks?  I doubt it.  Over the next 25 years, as well, demographics and soccer will seriously erode that...??

[GGGG]

Obviously the advertisers believe so because they keep giving money to the networks...who keep giving gobs of it to the conferences.

And who cares about 25 years from now?  They don't buy advertising that far in advance.  And I've been hearing about soccer for 40 years now.  Wake me when they actually catch baseball much less football.

[Nukem2]

Obviously the advertisers believe so because they keep giving money to the networks...who keep giving gobs of it to the conferences.

And who cares about 25 years from now?  They don't buy advertising that far in advance.  And I've been hearing about soccer for 40 years now.  Wake me when they actually catch baseball much less football.

Who said the advertisers were intelligent.  Yes, 25 years is a ways off; but, te demographics are certainly changing in favor of soccer.  Guess that will be a future source of conference alignment... 

[MUMac]

nm

[MUMac]

Exactly. In fact, the demise of the current BE has been speculated upon since it expanded to add the CUSA teams. Now people are shocked when it happens.

I have wondered the same since all this began happenning.  From the beginning, the expectation of many was to enjoy the league while it lasted, but it likely would eventually break up.  Now that is happenning and we seem to see the doom and gloom come out.

My only concern with all of the movement is if football runs everything and they eventually separate from the NCAA.  Other than that, MU will be fine.

[tower912]

Well said.   The end-game for this will be that the basketball-only schools from the BEast end up picking up the cream of the A-10, continue on with the BEast name and still have one of the top 5 basketball conferences in the country.    The only way MU truly ends up out in the cold is if the megaconferences secede from the NCAA.     And then we are in truly uncharted waters.

[GGGG]

Who said the advertisers were intelligent.  Yes, 25 years is a ways off; but, te demographics are certainly changing in favor of soccer. 

Again...been hearing that for 40 years.  I'll believe it when I see it.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

Again...been hearing that for 40 years.  I'll believe it when I see it.

I wonder if tennis or poker honestly draw fewer ESPN viewers than soccer. It could be the 6th or 7th most watched sport in America.

[Nukem2]

Again...been hearing that for 40 years.  I'll believe it when I see it.

It's going to happen even if it's 2 decades off.  The demographics and economics are rapidly changing.

[77ncaachamps]

The gravity of this conference nonsense leans towards flagship state schools and the rich private ones with successful sports programs.

Unfortunately, MU is neither.

It saddens me that the future of MU is being trampled upon simply because it's a small, Jesuit school without a football team and large endowments.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

It's going to happen even if it's 2 decades off.  The demographics and economics are rapidly changing.

What demographics? Is there evidence that American-born kids of Hispanic parents are more interested in soccer because their parents are from countries that prefered soccer? I'd guess that the percentage of kids in soccer versus any other youth leagues is much higher in lilly white suburbs than anywhere else.