Official Conference Expansion prediction thread.

[Indy Coug]

Just to throw a wet blanket on everyone.

Kansas, K-State, Colorado, and Iowa State are left in the Big 12

UCONN, Syracuse, Cincy, Louisville, South Florida (along with the BB only schools Georgetown, St John's, etc) are left out in the Big East.

What's to stop the Big 12 leftovers who are bigger in BB than FB already to join the Big East to maintain the conference as a BB powerhouse and a functional FB conference like they used to be.

Kansas is as close to the East Coast as to Salt Lake.

1,046 miles from Lawrence to Provo, 1,171 from Lawrence to Syracuse

[jay santos]

Just to throw a wet blanket on everyone.

Kansas, K-State, Colorado, and Iowa State are left in the Big 12

UCONN, Syracuse, Cincy, Louisville, South Florida (along with the BB only schools Georgetown, St John's, etc) are left out in the Big East.

What's to stop the Big 12 leftovers who are bigger in BB than FB already to join the Big East to maintain the conference as a BB powerhouse and a functional FB conference like they used to be.

Kansas is as close to the East Coast as to Salt Lake.

I'm thinking more about this. Unfortunately, this is my new prediction. Mizzou, Nebraska, Pitt, Rutgers to Big 10. Texas, TT, Baylor, T A&M, OU, OSU to Pac 10.

Big 12 leftovers join Big East.

Utah and BYU still in sucky MWC wondering whether or not to add Boise.

[Jacob]

I'm thinking more about this. Unfortunately, this is my new prediction. Mizzou, Nebraska, Pitt, Rutgers to Big 10. Texas, TT, Baylor, T A&M, OU, OSU to Pac 10.

Big 12 leftovers join Big East.

Utah and BYU still in sucky MWC wondering whether or not to add Boise.

You left out CU. They wouldn't join the Big East. Add CU, Boise and one other and you have an improved 12 team league, or dissolve and form a new, better 9 team league. I'd be pretty happy with that.

[jay santos]

You left out CU. They wouldn't join the Big East. Add CU, Boise and one other and you have an improved 12 team league, or dissolve and form a new, better 9 team league. I'd be pretty happy with that.

CU would be pissed. Their flirting with the Pac 10 over the years was the first inkling the Big XII was vulnerable. And in the end, they might get left in the worst situation. I'm not sure Big East would invite them. Do they even bring the Denver TV market? Would Denver care about Big East hoops?

[SeattleUte]

I think that the SEC is going to wake up and the current Big 12 South will become the SEC north, an 18 team super duper confernce.

[Jacob]

I think that the SEC is going to wake up and the current Big 12 South will become the SEC north, an 18 team super duper confernce.

SEC just signed their 15 year deal with ESPN. Wouldn't they then have to split the ESPN money or re-open negotiations on that deal. Would ESPN be willing to do that? Would they be able to pay more than that already $2+ billion? Would they want to air that many more games?

[shoganai]

Is Boise State going to be the team that gets REALLY screwed in all of this?

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/13491773/boise-state-on-hold-as-mountain-west-awaits-big-12-fallout?tag=coverlist_footer;coverlist_photo_content

[SeattleUte]

SEC just signed their 15 year deal with ESPN. Wouldn't they then have to split the ESPN money or re-open negotiations on that deal. Would ESPN be willing to do that? Would they be able to pay more than that already $2+ billion? Would they want to air that many more games?

Why wouldn't ESPN agree to re-open if it's a more lucrative deal with ESPN? If it's just a money problem there's a solution to that. ESPN would love to get more action and more money.

[jay santos]

Someone give me a compelling reason why Nebraska and Mizzou would turn down the Big 10? I just don't see it happening. The Big 12 is history.

[shoganai]

Someone give me a compelling reason why Nebraska and Mizzou would turn down the Big 10? I just don't see it happening. The Big 12 is history.

Nebraska has no reason to turn them down. They're sick of being in a conference dominated by Texas, and the nostalgic hold of tradition is waning with every passing hour of this mess.

Missouri, however, may not even get an invite to the Big 10 from what I'm hearing. The St. Louis market has "potential," but still isn't a big player.

Delaney is much more interested in doing what it takes to get Notre Dame by raiding the Big East.

[Top Ute]

Someone give me a compelling reason why Nebraska and Mizzou would turn down the Big 10? I just don't see it happening. The Big 12 is history.

They wouldn't turn it down (or at least Missouri wouldn't, but that's almost irrelevant here), but I don't think the Big 10 invites either, so long as it still/always has a piece of Notre Dame's ear.

Neither Nebraska nor Missouri can afford to play chicken like this. The Big 12 knows that too, hence, the ultimatum. And it's perfectly timed -- Nebraska's board of regents meets on Friday, and expansion has to be high, if not highest, on the list of topics to be discussed.

Notre Dame to the Big 10 seems like a no-brainer on many levels, but this is also a school that didn't play in bowls for 50 years and still adheres to a fairly strict no-redshirt policy. How long the Irish can continue to make decisions detrimental to its program's future is beyond me, but if there's ever a time for Notre Dame to join a conference, it's now. And if Nebraska and Missouri get that inkling, they'll head back to their Big 12 brethren, cup in hand and asking for forgiveness.

[shoganai]

Neither Nebraska nor Missouri can afford to play chicken like this.

I bet Nebraska thinks they can. Big Red will work out a nice landing spot no matter how this all works out. Missouri on the other hand...

[Top Ute]

I bet Nebraska thinks they can. Big Red will work out a nice landing spot no matter how this all works out. Missouri on the other hand...

Where? The Pac-16 is already accounted for, and Nebraska isn't going to travel down a road where it has to drive by Texas. So scratch that.

The Big 10? We've already concluded in this thread (for argument's sake) that Nebraska gets nothing there.

That leaves the SEC, I suppose. That just doesn't seem like a good fit. Unless you see Nebraska leading a beefed-up MWC that includes Kansas and Boise State.

Nebraska is gambling away too much without anything concrete from the Big 10, while putting the Big 12 on hold. I just don't see how it can afford to do that.

[jay santos]

They wouldn't turn it down (or at least Missouri wouldn't, but that's almost irrelevant here), but I don't think the Big 10 invites either, so long as it still/always has a piece of Notre Dame's ear.

Neither Nebraska nor Missouri can afford to play chicken like this. The Big 12 knows that too, hence, the ultimatum. And it's perfectly timed -- Nebraska's board of regents meets on Friday, and expansion has to be high, if not highest, on the list of topics to be discussed.

Notre Dame to the Big 10 seems like a no-brainer on many levels, but this is also a school that didn't play in bowls for 50 years and still adheres to a fairly strict no-redshirt policy. How long the Irish can continue to make decisions detrimental to its program's future is beyond me, but if there's ever a time for Notre Dame to join a conference, it's now. And if Nebraska and Missouri get that inkling, they'll head back to their Big 12 brethren, cup in hand and asking for forgiveness.

I've been assuming the alleged Big 10 invites to Nebraska and Mizzou were a known fact not rumor. What's the general consensus on that?

[shoganai]

Where?

Nebraska is gambling away too much without anything concrete from the Big 10, while putting the Big 12 on hold. I just don't see how it can afford to do that.

Maybe I'm giving NU too much credit. I just think if the Big 10 gave them the shaft (which I highly doubt would happen in the first place), they have enough weight to find a very cushy spot with the leftovers of their choice.

Leaving a program like Nebraska without a chair when the music stops simply would not fly in the college football world, IMO. If you think the big dogs are annoyed by Orrin Hatch, wait until Tom Osborne gets somebody's ear in Congress.

BTW, this article here seems to indicate that the Big 10 would be more than willing to expand in stages over a period of time...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...,1908510.story

I just don't see that its all that risky for the Huskers to give Texas the finger.