The Big 10 Expansion Groundswell

[USUC]

They are both AAU schools, the geography (hoping time zones), the Denver media market and Utah's increased national profile in football helps it make more sense than your blue tinted goggles will allow you to admit.

You may ultimately be right, but the reasoning you are using makes zero sense. I see this as no different than Utah fans wish-casting and trying to lessen the cognitive dissonance they are experiencing. The fan base's identity is so tied to the PAC-12 and BYU not being a part of it, there are minds exploding all over SLC.

[tooblue]

You may ultimately be right, but the reasoning you are using makes zero sense. I see this as no different than Utah fans wish-casting and trying to lessen the cognitive dissonance they are experiencing. The fan base's identity is so tied to the PAC-12 and BYU not being a part of it, there are minds exploding all over SLC.

It does make sense. As SeattleUte pointed out, even the NFL is careful about its teams traveling across too many time zones with any regularity. Inviting only teams from the west coast is asking not just the football team but all other olympic sports to fly 3 - 5 hours and change time zones. That is hard on anyone let alone "student athletes." Having a geographic island in Denver, between the west coast and the teams in the heartland could be an interesting solution.

[tooblue]

If Washington and/or Oregon don't make financial sense for the B10, then moreso for Utah and Colorado. And, if adding a school doesn't make financial sense for the B10, then it's not happening even with an "increased national profile".

Repeated from my other post ... Inviting only teams from the west coast is asking not just the football team but all other olympic sports to fly 3 - 5 hours and change time zones. That is hard on anyone let alone "student athletes." Having a geographic island in Denver, between the west coast and the teams in the heartland could be an interesting solution.

EDIT: in my original post I suggested the BIG could consider adding Colorado and SDSU. That gives them a geographic island in Denver, the Denver media market and another team on the coast along with the San Diego media market. But I am not sleeping on Utah potentially going to the BIG.

[Art Vandelay]

It does make sense. As SeattleUte pointed out, even the NFL is careful about its teams traveling across too many time zones with any regularity. Inviting only teams from the west coast is asking not just the football team but all other olympic sports to fly 3 - 5 hours and change time zones. That is hard on anyone let alone "student athletes." Having a geographic island in Denver, between the west coast and the teams in the heartland could be an interesting solution.

The difference between the NFL travel and the B10-LA one is there already established regions in the NFL. The NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE [Hank Stram voice] already controls every TV market in the nation. The billionaires are willing to give travel concessions to one another for competitive balance. By all published accounts SC and UCLA approached the B10. I'm sure they were told: "Yes we will give you truckloads of money, but there are conditions. The main one is your jet fuel bills are going to increase significantly." Now it is plausible they were also told, there are plans to add 2 more western schools in the near future. As someone who lives in the Northwest and often travels through SLC to get anywhere east or south of there. The additional flight time is minor inconvenience at worst. I honestly don't seeing being impactful on multi-billion dollar decisions.

[Moliere]

It does make sense. As SeattleUte pointed out, even the NFL is careful about its teams traveling across too many time zones with any regularity. Inviting only teams from the west coast is asking not just the football team but all other olympic sports to fly 3 - 5 hours and change time zones. That is hard on anyone let alone "student athletes." Having a geographic island in Denver, between the west coast and the teams in the heartland could be an interesting solution.

If they have 8 conference games, they’ll only travel far for three or four of them. The rest of their games will be at home or non conference games in the west. It’s not that big of a deal for football. BYU has done that all during independence.

It’s about money. If someone increases the payout they’ll get in. If they don’t, there’s no reason to add them.

[tooblue]

The difference between the NFL travel and the B10-LA one is there already established regions in the NFL. The NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE [Hank Stram voice] already controls every TV market in the nation. The billionaires are willing to give travel concessions to one another for competitive balance. By all published accounts SC and UCLA approached the B10. I'm sure they were told: "Yes we will give you truckloads of money, but there are conditions. The main one is your jet fuel bills are going to increase significantly." Now it is plausible they were also told, there are plans to add 2 more western schools in the near future. As someone who lives in the Northwest and often travels through SLC to get anywhere east or south of there. The additional flight time is minor inconvenience at worst. I honestly don't seeing being impactful on multi-billion dollar decisions.

I agree that the reports indicate USC and UCLA approached the BIG. It is a coup on their part to get the deal done. But it is not only USC and UCLA's jet fuel costs that are going to go up. Teams in the east will have to travel west.

As someone who lives in the eastern time zone (in the footprint of the BIG) I travel to Utah 2 - 4 times a year. I avoid additional flight time and connections at all costs because they aren't a mere extra 1 - 2 hours, but more like 3 - 4 on average. It's not easy, even flying from the largest airport in North America outside the continental US. There are very few direct flights even if I am willing to make the four hour drive to Detroit. The fact that Denver and Salt Lake City are hubs makes it easier, but it isn't a minor inconvenience.

And I get that the football teams and maybe the basketball teams will have chartered flights. But I am hard pressed to believe the Olympic sports flights will be charted.

[Moliere]

I agree that the reports indicate USC and UCLA approached the BIG. It is a coup on their part to get the deal done. But it is not only USC and UCLA's jet fuel costs that are going to go up. Teams in the east will have to travel west.

As someone who lives in the eastern time zone (in the footprint of the BIG) I travel to Utah 2 - 4 times a year. I avoid additional flight time and connections at all costs because they aren't a mere extra 1 - 2 hours, but more like 3 - 4 on average. It's not easy, even flying from the largest airport in North America outside the continental US. There are very few direct flights even if I am willing to make the four hour drive to Detroit. The fact that Denver and Salt Lake City are hubs makes it easier, but it isn't a minor inconvenience.

And I get that the football teams and maybe the basketball teams will have chartered flights. But I am hard pressed to believe the Olympic sports flights will be charted.

With the extra money form the deal, they can just buy a plane.

[tooblue]

Remember this feel good story ...

https://www.si.com/college/2020/12/0...tball-schedule

Is the equipment of the football teams in the BIG also being sent by charter?

[Omaha 680]

With the extra money form the deal, they can just buy a plane.

This is not far off. It's very likely a lot of the teams (including Olympic sports) will just charter. As someone who still flies SLC-JFK three to four times a month, I think 2 time zone air travel as an obstacle is way overblown. Yes when you have to go from LA to Champagne, IL it gets a little annoying but the charters eliminate that. And I'd argue chartering to go point to point and eliminating the security checks on the front and and bag checks/claim on the front and back end make charter travel significantly faster than even direct commercial flights across the country.

And Tooblue I'm not understanding your reference to the BYU football equipment story running to Coastal Carolina. That was a one-off case where the game was scheduled less than a week in advance. College sports schedules are known months and sometimes years in advance. With that advance notice and a Fedex intern running your logistics, trucking football equipment to any place in the lower 48 is not a big deal. It's literally how 95% of point to point small volume goods are delivered in the United States.

[tooblue]

With the extra money form the deal, they can just buy a plane.

Possibly. Of course, even with our Provincial Premiere copying Biden and eliminating the gas tax on Canada Day (July 1st) I still paid $1.94 a litre for gas. But maybe buying a plane makes the most sense. I am fascinated by the logistics of it all.

[BigFatMeanie]

This is America, Jack, we don't have litres. We have liters. And we really don't even have liters because the metric system is for euroweenies!

[tooblue]

This is not far off. It's very likely a lot of the teams (including Olympic sports) will just charter. As someone who still flies SLC-JFK three to four times a month, I think 2 time zone air travel as an obstacle is way overblown. Yes when you have to go from LA to Champagne, IL it gets a little annoying but the charters eliminate that. And I'd argue chartering to go point to point and eliminating the security checks on the front and and bag checks/claim on the front and back end make charter travel significantly faster than even direct commercial flights across the country.

And Tooblue I'm not understanding your reference to the BYU football equipment story running to Coastal Carolina. That was a one-off case where the game was scheduled less than a week in advance. College sports schedules are known months and sometimes years in advance. With that advance notice and a Fedex intern running your logistics, trucking football equipment to any place in the lower 48 is not a big deal. It's literally how 95% of point to point small volume goods are delivered in the United States.

Just popped into my head. Until I read those stories I figured the equipment was just put on the plane with the team. But, as you point out 95% of goods in the US are transported by truck and from those stories it appears BYU always sends their equipment ahead to away games via semi.

Again, though it is one thing for you or I with our small carryons and back packs to spirit away to some far flung destination, it is a different to beast to be sending along sports teams. We are talking about billions here, but not billions reserved exclusively for sports. The money is being spent elsewhere by the university. And with the price of gas (I am paying on average $2.04 a litre; 3.7 litres in a gallon), that can make billions not what they used to be.

[SeattleUte]

Anyone who suggests that the Big 10 would consider San Diego State, instant loss of all credibility.

[tooblue]

Anyone who suggests that the Big 10 would consider San Diego State, instant loss of all credibility.

Is that why most Ute fans are now clamouring to add SDSU as fast as possible to shore up the conference?

[SeattleUte]

Is that why most Ute fans are now clamouring to add SDSU as fast as possible to shore up the conference?

In general, fans are stupid.