Superconferences & Realignment

[50milesSE ND]

THIS SUCKS SHADY A$$ POWER MONGER CONFERENCES. Agree with whiskeyjack

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

I'd rather join the Big Ten from an academic & athletic standpoint.

 

[pumpdog20]

I've been wanting the Big Ten for a while. This keeps the USC rivalry (Big Ten/Pac 12 deal), but also allows to rotate another big game then two lesser games which could always include Navy.

 

[NDPhilly]

Big 12 along with FSU, Clemson, and Louisville sounds good to me.

 

[Cali_domer]

Big 12 all day... Create own network and be in the one truly National conference. Recruiting in Texas and Florida would open up more. The Big Ten will make us a regional player, they add nothing.

We could remain sorta independent in the Big 12 because we will retain our Tier 3 rights.

Plus population movement is also something to take into account. The Big Ten footprint is losing people to the South.

 

[NDPhilly]

Let's say this new Big 12 happens. how would they divide the conference? East/West or North/South?

 

[Cali_domer]

I assume we would be With

FSu
WVU
Clemson
Baylor/TCU
Georgia Tech/Louisville/Pitt/ VT/Who ever the hell we want.

Most likely a cross division rivalry with Texas.

 

[stlnd01]

I still don't really see how joining the Big 12 - even if they add FSU, Clemson and VT - makes sense for us. We're still an outlier in geography, size, public/private affiliation and religion. It's not even a part of the country were we recruit well, or have many alums/fans. We bring far more than we get.
Of course, that's true of any conference, and we may not have the luxury of choosiness forever. But if we must, why them?
I'm not wild about the ACC, especially if - as now appears - more dominoes fall against it. But it'll be a conference that spans the eastern seaboard, and one that has a lot of peer institutions.
And I get how the Big 10 regionalizes us. But we have natural rivals and, all things being equal, I feel like we have a lot more in common with the Big 10 than with a bunch of schools in Texas and Florida. Travel would suck, but I'd even rather the Pac 10. At least we have fans out there, schools that care about academics, and some nice road trips.
But the Big 12? I don't get it.

 

[Cali_domer]

I still don't really see how joining the Big 12 - even if they add FSU, Clemson and VT - makes sense for us. We're still an outlier in geography, size, public/private affiliation and religion. It's not even a part of the country were we recruit well, or have many alums/fans. We bring far more than we get.
Of course, that's true of any conference, and we may not have the luxury of choosiness forever. But if we must, why them?
I'm not wild about the ACC, especially if - as now appears - more dominoes fall against it. But it'll be a conference that spans the eastern seaboard, and one that has a lot of peer institutions.
And I get how the Big 10 regionalizes us. But we have natural rivals and, all things being equal, I feel like we have a lot more in common with the Big 10 than with a bunch of schools in Texas and Florida. Travel would suck, but I'd even rather the Pac 10. At least we have fans out there, schools that care about academics, and some nice road trips.
But the Big 12? I don't get it.

1.Big 12
2.Pac12







3.Big 12 (Signals to me the death of ND football)

 

[Cali_domer]

I still don't really see how joining the Big 12 - even if they add FSU, Clemson and VT - makes sense for us. We're still an outlier in geography, size, public/private affiliation and religion. It's not even a part of the country were we recruit well, or have many alums/fans. We bring far more than we get.
Of course, that's true of any conference, and we may not have the luxury of choosiness forever. But if we must, why them?
I'm not wild about the ACC, especially if - as now appears - more dominoes fall against it. But it'll be a conference that spans the eastern seaboard, and one that has a lot of peer institutions.
And I get how the Big 10 regionalizes us. But we have natural rivals and, all things being equal, I feel like we have a lot more in common with the Big 10 than with a bunch of schools in Texas and Florida. Travel would suck, but I'd even rather the Pac 10. At least we have fans out there, schools that care about academics, and some nice road trips.
But the Big 12? I don't get it.

I get the whole rivalry thing. But the most important thing for ND is exposure and access to recruiting grounds.

Really who is our main rival from the Big 10? MSU is that answer.
Michigan series has only been played 38 times. Purdue I could give two craps about playing.

 

[Cali_domer]

Interesting games by conference.

Big 10
Penn ST
OSU
Michigan
MSU


Big 12
Texas
OU
FSU
WVU
OSU
Clemson(Fun place)
Virginia Tech

 

[stlnd01]

I get the whole rivalry thing. But the most important thing for ND is exposure and access to recruiting grounds.

Really who is our main rival from the Big 10? MSU is that answer.
Michigan series has only been played 38 times. Purdue I could give two craps about playing.

I get the recruiting argument, but Texas, Oklahoma and Florida are places in which we've always struggled to recruit well, and not because we never play there. Joining the Big 12 doesn't change the geographic factors. They're also not places with strong Catholic HS networks, which, frankly, is also a factor for us.

As for the Big Ten, we may have "only" played Michigan 38 times, but it's been nearly annual for 20 years and they're a far bigger rival of ours than anyone in the Big 12. Add in Penn State, Nebraska, Ohio State, Wisconsin and MSU and you've got lots of interesting games. Aside from Texas and maybe FSU or Oklahoma, the Big 12 doesn't bring much to the table. Are you really going to be fired up about games in Lubbock or Clemson or Ames?

Exposure's going to be there no matter what "superconference" we're in. Recruiting is a mixed bag, plusses and minuses everywhere.. I'd rather we stick with peer schools and traditional powers. It's better for our brand.

 

[stlnd01]

Interesting games by conference.

Big 10
Penn ST
OSU
Michigan
MSU


Big 12
Texas
OU
FSU
WVU
OSU
Clemson(Fun place)
Virginia Tech

Sorry, Nebraska > WVU. Wisconsin = or > VT or OSU. And how many ND fans even live in the state of South Carolina?

 

[Cali_domer]

I get the recruiting argument, but Texas, Oklahoma and Florida are places in which we've always struggled to recruit well, and not because we never play there. Joining the Big 12 doesn't change the geographic factors. They're also not places with strong Catholic HS networks, which, frankly, is also a factor for us.

As for the Big Ten, we may have "only" played Michigan 38 times, but it's been nearly annual for 20 years and they're a far bigger rival of ours than anyone in the Big 12. Add in Penn State, Nebraska, Ohio State, Wisconsin and MSU and you've got lots of interesting games. Aside from Texas and maybe FSU or Oklahoma, the Big 12 doesn't bring much to the table. Are you really going to be fired up about games in Lubbock or Clemson or Ames?

Exposure's going to be there no matter what "superconference" we're in. Recruiting is a mixed bag, plusses and minuses everywhere.. I'd rather we stick with peer schools and traditional powers. It's better for our brand.

So you think it smart to just give all our rights to the Big 10? Not smart in my mind.. Join the Big 12 control content at a much better clip, create your own network (Which you can not do in the Big Ten). Much ,much greater exposure in the Big 12.

 

[Cali_domer]

Sorry, Nebraska > WVU. Wisconsin = or > VT or OSU. And how many ND fans even live in the state of South Carolina?

I forgot about Wisky and Nebraska.

I did live in SC. Born there.

 

[Cali_domer]

"Notre Dame has a distinct identity that is the product of more than a century and a half of institutional independence," Father Malloy said in describing the decision. "As a Catholic university with a national constituency, we believe independence continues to be our best way forward, not just in athletics, but, first and foremost, in fulfillment of our academic aspirations.

"The process of sharing information with the Big Ten and CIC has been of great value to Notre Dame," Father Malloy said. "It encouraged us to consider a variety of issues integral to our pursuit of academic and athletic excellence, as well as to our distinct mission as a Catholic university. We have great respect for both the academic stature and the athletic integrity of the Big Ten universities."

The decision, Father Malloy explained, ultimately hinged on the institutional identity of Notre Dame. "Just as the Universities of Michigan or Wisconsin or Illinois have core identities as the flagship institutions of their states, so Notre Dame has a core identity, and at that core are these characteristics--Catholic, private, independent," he said.

As a Big Ten and CIC member, Father Malloy pointed out, "Notre Dame would be one of only two private universities . . . and the only university with a religious affiliation." Notre Dame also, he said, would be by far the smallest of the affiliated institutions.

The Catholic character of Notre Dame, Father Malloy said, " . . . gives a unique perspective to our educational mission and permeates our campus culture. Our most basic decisions concerning student life, our faculty, our core curriculum, even the fields of scholarship and research in which we aspire to make a significant contribution, all reflect the fact that we are a Catholic university.

"These differences in identity between Notre Dame and the member institutions of the Big Ten are essential, not incidental," Father Malloy said. "They are not qualities that are amenable to change, nor would we change them. Notre Dame always will be Catholic and always will be private. Even in terms of size, we will not become appreciably larger. Given these realities, we have had to ask ourselves the fundamental question, does this core identity of Notre Dame as Catholic, private, and independent seem a match for an association of universities--even a splendid association of great universities--that are uniformly secular, predominantly state institutions and with a long heritage of conference affiliation.

Notre Dame to Remain Independent - UND.COM - University of Notre Dame Official Athletic Site

 

[Cali_domer]

Now what I posted above it makes the ACC sound like the best fit. But that will be gone soon. So what fit makes most sense for the University.

The Big 12 has other religious schools.

The only thing I see as a benefit to the Big Ten is Geography.

 

[stlnd01]

Now what I posted above it makes the ACC sound like the best fit. But that will be gone soon. So what fit makes most sense for the University.

The Big 12 has other religious schools and more Private Schools.

It does? Baylor and who?

I was a student at Notre Dame the last time this was seriously considered, and followed the process closely. I was glad we remained independent and hope we still can, but it seriously influenced my thinking about conference affiliation, if we must.

I agree that, based on the idea of "Catholic, private and independent" size, culture and high-quality academics, the ACC would be the best fit today. But if the ACC's not viable long-term, I think the Big 12 and Big 10 are roughly equal in terms of "Catholic, private and independent" - in that they each have one school that is not a big state research university.

That said, the Big 10 overall has better academic institutions, more traditional football powers (though that changes), and a better geographic and cultural fit. The best argument for the Big 12 is that it broadens our recruiting base. The other is TV contracts. TV contracts are for the lawyers to figure out. And the recruits will come if we win, or they won't because we're a Catholic school in northern Indiana. Personally, in the long run, I think the company you keep is more important. I'd rather keep company with the Big Ten. That's all.

 

[Cali_domer]

TCU

The company you keep blackballed you. Yes it was a long time ago but there attitude IMO hasn't changed toward us.
Do you think they would promote and push ND brand over a Michigan or OSU, PSU? No we will be the third Indiana team in the Big Ten and would be under there thumb. It is about exposure and the brand.

Side note- Does the CIC sanction Embryonic Stem Cell research? I am pretty sure UM and Northwestern do.

 

[phork]

ACC first, if no collapse then the new Big12. Joining the BIG means you are stuck in a regional conference and it offers nothing as far as athletics go.

 

[arahop]

joining the ACC would be an even bigger mistake by Notre Dame then forcing out Lou Holtz. Academically ND will be superior than any other school, in almost any conference. This decision should be made with the football programs best interest in mind. Anyways, the ACC is getting a bomb dropped on them as soon as FSU abandons ship.

 

[irishtrain]

None of this stuff makes any sense to me. I dont care much for it and with Notre Dame now a second tier team it breaks my heart to see college football turning pro. I wonder if a stronger Notre Dame could have stopped all this movement. Maybe not as they might have been just trying to catch up to Notre Dame or lure the golden prize into their conference. The bigger question is can Notre Dame football survive and get back to some semblence of what it used to be.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Regular season scheduling alliances between B1G-P12-SEC-B12 would pose a greater threat to ND's independence than most playoff scenarios.</p>— Brian Fremeau (@bcfremeau) <a href="https://twitter.com/bcfremeau/status/204023838030303232" data-datetime="2012-05-20T01:40:48+00:00">May 20, 2012</a></blockquote>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Is college football moving toward four superconferences?

Remember the idea of the superconference? When conference realignment first started to take off two summers ago, there was talk of college football eventually cannabilizing itself to create four 16-team superconferences.

Well, following the news that the SEC and Big 12 have gotten together and agreed on a plan to have their conference champions face off in a bowl game should they not be involved in the new playoff, much like the Big Ten and Pac-12 do in the Rose Bowl, it seems the idea of superconferences has been rekindled.

In fact, one Big 12 source even told the Dallas Morning News' Chuck Carlton that he thinks that's exactly where the sport is headed.

"I really can't believe I'm saying this," the source told the paper. "We might be moving to four superconferences -- and the Big 12 would be one of those."

The other three, obviously, would be the SEC, Big Ten and Pac-12. Those four conferences distanced themselves from the ACC and Big East with this latest bowl announcement, and the fact that this announcement came after rumors that Florida State was interested in jumping from the ACC to the Big 12 doesn't help the situation.

At the moment the ACC and Big East, along with independents like Notre Dame face an uncertain future. Sure, the odds of both the Big 12 champion and SEC champion not being involved in whatever format playoff is decided upon aren't great, but the plan also includes conference runners-up.

Which means that if the playoffs aren't a part of the current bowl system, a bowl like the Fiesta Bowl or Sugar Bowl could become the defacto host of this new bowl game. Which would eliminate ACC and Big East teams from consideration.

None of this makes superconferences a certainty by any means, but anybody who is paying attention has to realize that the concept is a lot more likely now than it was even a week ago.

 

[ChiRish]

It'll be interesting to see if in fact the sport heads down this direction. I for one am opposed to the theory that the major conferences will dominate. Granted, there's been plenty of poor Big East teams that get BCS bowl berths, but isn't the whole point of reforming the BCS to make it truly a reflection of the best teams in the country?

I wonder what this will mean for Notre Dame. A winning ND program will always, in my mind, be relevant, but if this means that another of the BCS spots is foreclosed off if the article's theory about one of the BCS bowls turning into a de facto home to the Big 12-SEC game, then that is one less game that will take ND. Going to be interesting.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Re: bad Big East football representatives. I can't resist saying "West Virginia 70, Clemson 33". And also, last season's LSU game looks like it was a cakewalk for LSU just looking at the final score, but WVU outgained them easily and put up 533 yards on that defense. In the third quarter it was 27-21 and a real ball game, and WVU screwed the game by giving up a back-breaker kickoff return. The main reason that the score was what it was is due to WVU "doing a Notre Dame" and turning the ball over four times to LSUs zero. WVU was not a bad BCS representative and could have played with almost anybody by season's end. Unfortunately for the Big East, it won't have WVU to defend its legitimacy anymore.

 

[Wolverine1997]

Here is my dream super conference scenario.
B1G

Boston College- East
Illinois- East
Indiana- East
Iowa- East
Maryland- East
Michigan- West
state- West
Minnesota- West
Nebraska- West
Northwestern- West
Notre Dame- West
Ohio- East
Penn State- East
Purdue- West
Syracuse- East
Wisconsin- East

Big 12
Baylor- West
Clemson- East
Florida State- East
Georgia Tech- East
Iowa State- East
Kansas- West
Kansas State- West
Louisville- East
Miami- East
Oklahoma- West
Oklahoma State- West
Pittsburgh- East
TCU- West
Texas- West
Texas Tech- West
West Virginia- East

SEC
Alabama- West
Arkansas- West
Auburn- West
Florida- East
Georgia- East
Kentucky- East
LSU- West
Mississippi- West
Mississippi State- West
Missouri- West
North Carolina State- East
South Carolina- East
Tennessee- East
Texas A&M- West
Vanderbilt- East
Virginia Tech- East

PAC-12
Arizona- South
Arizona State- South
Boise State- North
BYU- South
California- North
Colorado- North
Fresno State- South
Oregon- North
Oregon State- North
San Diego State- South
Stanford- North
UCLA- South
USC- South
Utah- South
Washington- North
Washington State- North

 

[clashmore_mike]

I don't see any way Ohio replaces Ohio State in the B1G.

 

[Wolverine1997]

I don't see any way Ohio replaces Ohio State in the B1G.

ohio= the school in columbus.
Ohio University= the school in Athens.

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

I don't see any way Ohio replaces Ohio State in the B1G.

Good grief is that getting old.

ohio= the school in columbus.
Ohio University= the school in Athens.

What does your almighty leader tell you to call Michigan State?