Notre Dame to the B1G Conference?

[stlnd01]

Their ratings are also surprisingly not that bad despite terrible fan attendance. They are consistently a top 30 or top 40 school in terms of average viewership for games.

I would think Stanford's alumni base is spread wider than most. Including in Big Ten country. Agree that after Oregon/Washington, Stanford would be the most appealing west coast addition to the Big Ten. And I'd think USC and Notre Dame would be advocating for them here.

 

[stlnd01]

The latter. Football is not trending in a good direction on the left coast, so beyond USC and Stanford, investing further in that region seems like a bad idea.

IDK, putting Oregon and Washington in the Big 10 feels like a way to make Left Coast football relevant again. UNC and (especially) Duke are basketball schools.

 

[Sea Turtle]

What do you guys think k about this if it goes to 20?

Th 'Original Big Ten' in one division and the 'New Big Ten' in the other.

 

[AvesEvo]

If expanding the big 10 is all about the money, why keep a team like purdue around? I would think they take more than they give.

 

[BobbyMac]

UNC and Duke. It’s not even close

From a fan's perspective, yes.

From a strength of conference and recruiting perspective, Duke comes in 4th behind UNC, GT & UVa.

That said, I can't see UNC & Duke being separated for very long when they both would prefer to be in the B1G over the SEC.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

IDK, putting Oregon and Washington in the Big 10 feels like a way to make Left Coast football relevant again. UNC and (especially) Duke are basketball schools.

The problems with Left Coast football are primarily cultural and political. Pulling some of those programs into the B1G might help insofar as it'll allow them to recruit other parts of the country with better football culture, but I can't see that being a sustainable long-term strategy for schools like Oregon and Washington.

If the B1G needs more programs in the region to fill out a pod so that USC and Stanford don't get crushed by constant travel, then so be it. But if I'm looking at poaching from the PAC-12 or the ACC in a vacuum, I'm heading east every time.

 

[BobbyMac]

Stanford wins the Director's Cup all the time. They're the most prestigious university that still cares about sports. For a conference that cares about academic reputation and is looking to expand westward, Stanford is the most attractive option after USC.

Ooh ooh ooh! A rare time to disagree with the Master!

Washington is the prototype B1G institution. Big, public, research driven. Stanford is of course Stanford but there's only one Stanford program in the B1G right now until Lord Swarbrick opens his mouth at least.

BTW, I had no idea UDub was that high in research spending. In '17, only JH, MI, UCSF and Penn spent more.

And... UT has dethroned Stanford the past two years. The Queen is Dead

 

[irishfan]

If expanding the big 10 is all about the money, why keep a team like purdue around? I would think they take more than they give.

Who is going to vote them out? Schools like Minnesota or Illinois who would be next on the chopping block? I don’t see the B1G or SEC voting anyone out. I could see a future where the best of the B1G and SEC form their own premier league type conference, but I cannot see anyone getting voted out of an existing conference.

 

[stlnd01]

The problems with Left Coast football are primarily cultural and political. Pulling some of those programs into the B1G might help insofar as it'll allow them to recruit other parts of the country with better football culture, but I can't see that being a sustainable long-term strategy for schools like Oregon and Washington.

If the B1G needs more programs in the region to fill out a pod so that USC and Stanford don't get crushed by constant travel, then so be it. But if I'm looking at poaching from the PAC-12 or the ACC in a vacuum, I'm heading east every time.

By that logic then why expand westward at all? I’d worry more about “cultural and political” issues for football in California than I would in Washington State. UCLA? They don’t even have an on-campus stadium.

Like Mac said, Washington is actually perfect for the Big Ten. So’s UNC in many of the same ways but Washington would come cleaner. Oregon is their partner/natural rival and brings more to the table than Duke, unless we suddenly care about basketball. Maybe UNC and UVA.

 

[GATTACA!]

How would everyone rank teams based on how much you’d want to play them consistently?

Tier 1:
USC
Stanford
Michigan
MSU

Tier 2:
Purdue
OSU
Indiana
Wisconsin
PSU


Who cares:
Minnesota
Northwestern
Iowa
Illinois
Nebraska
UCLA
Maryland
Rutgers
GT
UNC

I don’t see why we’d want to be in a pod with UCLA and Northwestern. Neither of those move the needle at all.

 

[BobbyMac]

By that logic then why expand westward at all? I’d worry more about “cultural and political” issues for football in California than I would in Washington State. UCLA? They don’t even have an on-campus stadium.

Like Mac said, Washington is actually perfect for the Big Ten. So’s UNC in many of the same ways but Washington would come cleaner. Oregon is their partner/natural rival and brings more to the table than Duke, unless we suddenly care about basketball. Maybe UNC and UVA.

Yeah, Duke is the odd man out in 4 team east addition in my book. UNC's 3 blocks away so adding a second school there is simply another market you will not colonize. Grab UNC, UVa and Atlanta, oops I meant Georgia Tech. Maximizes tv's in 3 hot recruiting beds and plants the first (not last) B1G flag in the SEC footprint.

 

[Blazers46]

Realistically.

Yeah, Duke is the odd man out in 4 team east addition in my book. UNC's 3 blocks away so adding a second school there is simply another market you will not colonize. Grab UNC, UVa and Atlanta, oops I meant Georgia Tech. Maximizes tv's in 3 hot recruiting beds and plants the first (not last) B1G flag in the SEC footprint.

I would think Duke and UNC would have to be a package deal. For basketball that would be a very exciting conference.

 

[Dale]

I am still in the camp that assuming pod scheduling is premature and really just fun/easy to message board speculate more than the best scheduling model but alas.

If you follow the B1G’s plan to maximize the next TV deal it’d think they attack the ACC before circling back to Oregon and Washington. USC was a punch to land ND. ND will be a punch to disintegrate the ACC. Schools like Oregon and Washington can be Phase 2. Stanford & other ACC schools are much more intertwined to the golden goose ND. Get to 18 or 20 with whatever ND wants. If 24 is on the horizon with a Oregon or ND/ACC doesn’t work out then they’ll still be there as the consolation prize.

 

[stpeteirish]

The end game is probably 24 in the BiG and 24 in the SEC. The rest of the current FBS teams are pretty much screwed whereby they'll have to form secondary leagues with the off brand TV networks.

Four groups of six in each of the two big leagues with a four team playoff in each league and a "Super Bowl" between the two league champs.

Biggest question in my mind is if this will bring about employee status and how deep will it go. Can't see ND going into a "pro" football set up but can they turn down the $$$?

 

[GATTACA!]

The end game is probably 24 in the BiG and 24 in the SEC. The rest of the current FBS teams are pretty much screwed whereby they'll have to form secondary leagues with the off brand TV networks.

Four groups of six in each of the two big leagues with a four team playoff in each league and a "Super Bowl" between the two league champs.

Biggest question in my mind is if this will bring about employee status and how deep will it go. Can't see ND going into a "pro" football set up but can they turn down the $$$?

3 power conferences with 24 teams each (SEC, B1G, Big12). Group of 3 with 24 each (ACC, Pac12, MAC).

8 team playoff. 3 AQ spots for the P3 champions. 3 at large bids from the P3. 2 at large from the G3.

 

[ab2cmiller]

3 power conferences with 24 teams each (SEC, B1G, Big12). Group of 3 with 24 each (ACC, Pac12, MAC).

8 team playoff. 3 AQ spots for the P3 champions. 3 at large bids from the P3. 2 at large from the G3.

Assuming most of the better teams get swallowed up and join one of those three, I can’t see how there would even be two slots reserved for G3.

 

[Crimson streak]

The end game is probably 24 in the BiG and 24 in the SEC. The rest of the current FBS teams are pretty much screwed whereby they'll have to form secondary leagues with the off brand TV networks.

Four groups of six in each of the two big leagues with a four team playoff in each league and a "Super Bowl" between the two league champs.

Biggest question in my mind is if this will bring about employee status and how deep will it go. Can't see ND going into a "pro" football set up but can they turn down the $$$?

If ND wants to stay on top of the college football landscape they really have no choice. Whether we like it or not that’s where college football is headed


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[GoldenAura]

 

[jrjandy7]

Obviously with the holiday weekend things weren’t going to be announced the last couple of days but realistically what do you guys think we are looking at in terms of a time table for an announcement? I’ve read some things that lean more towards something this week and I’ve read some other things that say it could be a little while. I’d imagine Jack and the board would want to not rush into things but also not be caught off guard by some other huge move

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Washington is the prototype B1G institution. Big, public, research driven. Stanford is of course Stanford but there's only one Stanford program in the B1G right now until Lord Swarbrick opens his mouth at least.

By that logic then why expand westward at all? I’d worry more about “cultural and political” issues for football in California than I would in Washington State. UCLA? They don’t even have an on-campus stadium.

Like Mac said, Washington is actually perfect for the Big Ten. So’s UNC in many of the same ways but Washington would come cleaner. Oregon is their partner/natural rival and brings more to the table than Duke, unless we suddenly care about basketball. Maybe UNC and UVA.

I don't think Mac and I actually disagree. Yes, Washington would be a good fit for the B1G as a prototypical AAU school. But they have lots of members like UW already, while USC and Stanford offer unique benefits.

So the question becomes: does ND place more value on access to Washington or the mid-Atlantic region? And the answer to that is obvious. The Huskies and Ducks may very well get invites in the future, but they're lower priority as far as media markets and recruiting territory go than Florida, Virginia, etc.

 

[Huntr]

A week or so ago I filled out the questionnaire to Sampson's annual fan survey. One of the questions, as always, was related to fan preference for conference affiliation vs independence. I felt then as I have for a long time: independence 1s. If the the cost becomes too much to bear (no CFP pathway, unable to schedule the games we want, etc), then go ahead and join the ACC. If you had asked me my thoughts on joining the B1G, I would have told you they could get fucked.

Now, I'm sitting here going, "You know, joining the B1G would probably be the smartest thing to do right now and I think it's a good idea."

Crazy. Never would have imagined thinking that in all my years of fandom.

 

[bobbyok1]

A week or so ago I filled out the questionnaire to Sampson's annual fan survey. One of the questions, as always, was related to fan preference for conference affiliation vs independence. I felt then as I have for a long time: independence 1s. If the the cost becomes too much to bear (no CFP pathway, unable to schedule the games we want, etc), then go ahead and join the ACC. If you had asked me my thoughts on joining the B1G, I would have told you they could get fucked.

Now, I'm sitting here going, "You know, joining the B1G would probably be the smartest thing to do right now and I think it's a good idea."

Crazy. Never would have imagined thinking that in all my years of fandom.

You are not alone my friend. . . I think there are many of us who are longtime ND fans who find ourselves in the same strange place.

 

[stpeteirish]

You are not alone my friend. . . I think there are many of us who are longtime ND fans who find ourselves in the same strange place.

Even the places where the grumpy old men hang out have come to grips with things. They're not happy but can see the writing on the wall.

 

[stlnd01]

I don't think Mac and I actually disagree. Yes, Washington would be a good fit for the B1G as a prototypical AAU school. But they have lots of members like UW already, while USC and Stanford offer unique benefits.

So the question becomes: does ND place more value on access to Washington or the mid-Atlantic region? And the answer to that is obvious. The Huskies and Ducks may very well get invites in the future, but they're lower priority as far as media markets and recruiting territory go than Florida, Virginia, etc.

For Notre Dame, from our perspective, yeah I’d agree having UNC and Duke is preferable. From the perspective of the Big Ten and what’s more plausible in the short-term (vs. asking two core ACC members at the heart of the conference’s Tobacco Road identity to abandon it overnight), Washington and Oregon feel more realistic and would fit many of the Big 10 priorities.

Florida would be a different story. Of course you go for them. But there you’re trying to pull a school out of the SEC.

 

[Ndaccountant]

I think GT is a School to keep an eye on. Basically Purdue of the South, but is a key market and smack in the middle of great recruiting territory.

 

[ShamrockOnHelmet]

I think GT is a School to keep an eye on. Basically Purdue of the South, but is a key market and smack in the middle of great recruiting territory.

Exactly right. If you thought that Maryland gave you the Washington DC market, and Rutgers gave you the NYC market, then you MUST think that GT gives you the Atlanta market. After locking in LA, they have to be hitting the Atlanta, Florida and Texas markets next, you have to think.

 

[irishff1014]

I haven't said much about this topic so far. I know that we all moan about money this would help the university out. This is one of those area's its not all about money isn't true. The east to west coast is still very appealing. I think its the right deal at the right time.

 

[Irish#1]

I don't think we hear something for a couple of weeks. From what I read in The Athletic, Oregon and UW approached the B1G, but the B1G may be looking at other possibilities. In either case, the USC & UCLA thing has been going on for a while with a lot of work done behind the scenes by the B1G evaluation committee. One thing noted was the committee has the evaluation process and tools in place now, so they can qualify other schools quicker than they did USC and UCLA.

 

[Irish#1]

I see several have mentioned Florida, but what would be the inducement for Florida to leave the SEC? The difference in money won't be substantial IMO.

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

I see several have mentioned Florida, but what would be the inducement for Florida to leave the SEC? The difference in money won't be substantial IMO.

Maybe Florida sees it as an easier path to the playoffs?
Imo, most of the other sports are better in the BIG.