The PAC 10 expansion groundswell

[myboynoah]

So they may not leave after all?

I like that Mizzou hasn't received that invite they were expecting. Talk about awkward should they have to come back to the Big 12 with their tails between their legs.

I suspect people in Nebraska are probably a fairly staid, process-driven bunch. Just look at Osborne. We'll meet, we'll discuss, we'll cover every item on the agenda, including reading the minutes of the last meeting and voting on their acceptance, and then, and only then, will we vote to go to the Big Ten.

This type of opportunity rarely comes along. I'm sure they recognize that.

[dabrockster]

Nebraska Board of Regents meeting today at 1:00 pm central to consider move to Big 10.

Neb. Regents To Hear Whether Big Ten Is Better Fit

Going to the Big Ten would only enhance their other sports.. Big Ten has one of the more expanded athletic programs than any other conference... If anything this will only enhance their decision..

[myboynoah]

Going to the Big Ten would only enhance their other sports.. Big Ten has one of the more expanded athletic programs than any other conference... If anything this will only enhance their decision..

Not to mention the school's academic standing and access to research $$$. This is a dream come true if you are the university president. But we're going to approve those minutes first.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Not to mention the school's academic standing and access to research $$$. This is a dream come true if you are the university president.

???

[myboynoah]

???

Big Ten scores off the field, too

Penn State University is proof positive that associating with the Big Ten would most likely enhance any university, professors and administrators there say.

In 1990, when Penn State joined the conference, the university's professor salaries were lower than those of their new counterparts. Penn State also brought in fewer top-notch students and fewer federal research dollars than many other Big Ten schools, said Nichols, the former faculty president.

Now the college is virtually indistinguishable from other Big Ten schools. It collected and spent some $400 million in federal research money in 2008 — the 15th highest total in the country — and was rated the 15th best public university in the country last year.

[SteelBlue]

Chip Brown's tweet this a.m.:

Don't look for Texas, TT, OU or Okla St to announce their intentions to join the Pac-10 until next week.

[Hallelujah]

Not to mention the school's academic standing and access to research $$$. This is a dream come true if you are the university president. But we're going to approve those minutes first.

Isn't that the bottom line on how congress might step in? The money received from the super conference affiliation directly impacts research and other academic endeavors. By including a select number of schools, it creates an 'unfair' playing field for some students based solely on which conference their football team plays in. I could see some lawsuits coming.

[Viking]

Nebraska going to the Big Ten is a victory for UT but a lost for the Big 12 conference. Oh well.

There are some other crazy-*ss rumors flying around that UT and ND could announce they are going to the Big Ten. OU and A&M, of course, then would go to the SEC and Bama and Aurburn would move to the East division. I can't see this really happening. Texas has it too well in the Big 12. Besides even though there are a lot of private jets flying in and out of Texas I can't see fans wanting to make a lot of trips up north. And who is going to help pay for Jerry's World if there is no red river game every year?

I am betting that the Big 12 will get things patched up by Texas agreeing they won't start the Longhorn TV network but instead start a Big 12 conference network and, therefore, sharing the TV money. The Big 12 will most likely invite BYU and Air Force (although I would like to see Utah invited instead of the AFA). If they kick out Missouri then maybe Utah will get invited as well.

I agree with all of this except that I don't see AFA but TCU instead.

[Uncle Ted]

Finally some common sense coming out of aggieland...

You don’t hear much about Texas going to the SEC because the Longhorns are smarter than that on two fronts. The academics aren’t strong enough in the SEC for UT. Besides, winning would be tougher, and the TV pecking order would be brutal. The SEC in football has won four straight national championships.

And those are reasons why the Aggies shouldn’t want any part of the SEC. Aggies didn’t think enough games were on TV last year. Can you imagine life in the SEC?

Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel said Florida State was smart enough to say no to the SEC about two decades ago and needs to do the same thing again if the SEC comes calling.

“In the SEC, FSU wouldn’t get nearly the number of prime TV games that it gets in the ACC,” Bianchi wrote. “Quite frankly, the Seminoles would be just another decent program in the SEC. Their stadium, their budget, their passion would be considered middle-of-the-pack. They’d be Auburn — a good program but not a great one. And like Auburn is to Alabama, FSU would always be compared to Florida — the bigger, richer, more traditional SEC school in its own state.”

The SEC certainly is attractive. And just like many Nebraskans who are hoping their school bolts for the Big Ten and sticks it to Texas, there’s Aggies who would love to join the SEC, win big, and flaunt it in UT’s face.
But cooler heads have to prevail. The Longhorns don't need the Aggies. But A&M needs Texas, whether it’s the Big 12 or the Pac-10. A&M would be on the upswing in the Big 12 or the Pac-10. That might not be the case in the SEC with or without Texas. Besides, the best way for the Aggies to show up the Longhorns is to beat them — in conference play on Thanksgiving night live on ESPN, which sure beats what would be scrolling across the bottom.

[woot]

Big Ten scores off the field, too

That's a great article. Highly recommended to all you who think academics has nothing to do with conference realignment. I bet it's at least as important as athletics in the decision-making process, and it certainly has the potential to impact research money more than athletic department money.

[dabrockster]

???

Your kidding right.. They have top programs across the board and rank well..

[woot]

Isn't that the bottom line on how congress might step in? The money received from the super conference affiliation directly impacts research and other academic endeavors. By including a select number of schools, it creates an 'unfair' playing field for some students based solely on which conference their football team plays in. I could see some lawsuits coming.

Um, no. It's not the money; it's the affiliation. Read that article. Football money is peanuts to most of these schools' research budgets.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Big Ten scores off the field, too

Well, I certainly wouldn't argue that there is zero impact. Perception can influence reality and it certainly couldn't hurt. But that article seems to overstate the impact of conference affiliation.

[byu71]

Um, no. It's not the money; it's the affiliation. Read that article. Football money is peanuts to most of these schools' research budgets.

I wish someone would actually do a study or analysis of how much football impacts the money donated to these schools aside from the athletic department.

Granted, the Ivy league schools get tons of money donated and have no athletics.

I wonder though if ND, Texas, Alabama, Ohio St., Mich., Utah and BYU had no athletic presence, what would happen to the level of donations to their non athletic cauffers.

There has to be a reason schools who lose money on their athletic programs, non the less keep them.

[dabrockster]

Well, I certainly wouldn't argue that there is zero impact. Perception can influence reality and it certainly couldn't hurt. But that article seems to overstate the impact of conference affiliation.

LOL. Yeah, overstates it with facts on how it would benefit UN academically..