Off Topic - Big XII is Dead - Long live the Big XII

[JSchroeder]

I get sick of Texas as much as the next guy but do you mean the "are you with us or against us" ultimatum?

If so, it's pretty hard to say the Big XII was at fault for telling its members to be clear about whether they're committed to the conference or not.  I'm not sure why you would expect the conference to just sit around and be patient while you guys flirted with the Big Ten.

 

[forcheyhawk]

Thought you guys would enjoy this.  <beer>

http://www.kctv5.com/sports/23860558/detail.html

The next few days or weeks could get pretty crazy regarding all the talk surrounding conference expansion/realignment.

 

[oakview]

Info gleaned from USA Today, Des Moines Register, etc., regarding ahtletic department funding sources:  40 D-1 school athletic departments are self sufficient.  60% of all D-1 schools charge student fees to help fund athletics which accounts for 20% of the average athletic department budget.  Tuition increases have supplied 10% of a.d. budgets.  Virginia prohibits state appropriations from state revenues, so 60% of their bugdet came from student fees.  The fee is not listed in billing or course catalogs.  They are hoping to lower the student fee amount to 50%.  Student fees rose from $685 million in 2005 to $825 million in 2008 in the Football Bowl Subdivision.  Of the 30 schools showing the highest increase in student fees for athletic department use, half were from the 'Power' conferences, long assumed to be self-sufficient.  Nebraska and LSU were the only programs receiving no subsidy income during the 4 year study period.  Many schools receive tuition waivers to allow them to meet Title IX requirments.  In Iowa in 2001, the U of I received 6% of their funding from the general fund, ISU 10%, and UNI 52%.  Latest figures that I found showed that UNI's level has now fallen to 42%.  ISU's had dropped somewhat, and the U of I's need for subsidies has been lessened by the $10 million the article says they annually receive from the Big Ten Network.  Another study showed that only 25 all D-1 schools make money, an average of $4 milllion per school.  The rest of them, this includes all D-1 schools, not just football schools, lose an average of $8 million/school/year. 

I can't blame Nebraska for jumping ship.  Anymore you have to go where the money is.  It has been difficult for them to go from the top banana to feeling like they're being bossed around by Texas.  I hope they can regain their position of prominence, but I have my doubts that Ohio State will agree to having the Big Ten Championship game played in Omaha.

 

[husker1]

Thought you guys would enjoy this.   <beer>

http://www.kctv5.com/sports/23860558/detail.html

The next few days or weeks could get pretty crazy regarding all the talk surrounding conference expansion/realignment.

Now that's a curve ball!

 

[husker1]

I get sick of Texas as much as the next guy but do you mean the "are you with us or against us" ultimatum?

If so, it's pretty hard to say the Big XII was at fault for telling its members to be clear about whether they're committed to the conference or not.  I'm not sure why you would expect the conference to just sit around and be patient while you guys flirted with the Big Ten.

Jeff,

From what I understand, the Big XII didn't offer that ultimatum...it can from the brass at UT!  I'd have no problem if it came from the Big XII bosses....

 

[buckeye]

why would you hold Big 10 championship game in Omaha anyhow?

 

[oakview]

Nebraska, along with most North Division schools, has not been happy with the location of the league championship game, preferring it to be played closer to home in Kansas City.  They have been unable to accomplish this long term and Nebraska has been the most vocal in their opposition.  I was making a light hearted reference to the fact that their joining the Big Ten would not help in fulfilling their desire to play the conference championship game close to home.  Omaha obviously does not have a stadium to host it anyway.  All in fun!

 

[buckeye]

what do you think this movement by the Pac 10 and Big 10 will do to the other conferences such as SEC, Big East, and ACC?

 

[oakview]

The SEC and the Big 12 have been the premier football conferences for the past several years according to the power rankings.  The Big Ten seems to be in a down cycle, other than Ohio State, and will be until Michigan gets back on track.  The last I heard, the Big Ten had the poorest record in bowl games over the past 6 years of any conference.  In my opinion, the additions to the Big Ten will not improve anything but TV income very much because they will only add viewing states.  Nebraska will bring some name recognition, but at present will most likely fit in with the 'second' group of Penn State, Iowa, and Wisconsin.  If Notre Dame joins, recent history says they will at best be below that group.  The other teams mentioned, Rutgers, Maryland, Syracuse, Missouri, will not add anything to the conference's football standing.  Most of them will fit in with Purdue, Indiana, Minnesota, Northwestern, and Illinois as also rans with an occasional strong showing.  The Pac 10's football quality will improve the most.  USC has been the only consistent player lately and with the likely sanctions facing them, that may not continue.  Adding Texas and Oklahoma to any conference would be an upgrade.  Oklahoma State seems to have an endless supply of revenue and will become an increasingly important player if that continues.  Texas Tech and Texas A&M have historically fielded competetive teams.  Obviously Colorado and Baylor would be several notches below and would fit nicely with the rest of the very average Pac 10 teams.  The SEC will be strong as long as they continue to do whatever it takes and can get away with it.  The rumored addition of Florida State and Miami would probably make it a clear 'best in the nation' conference if it isn't already.  The latest figures I found showed Tennessee with an $86 million athletic budget with most of the rest of them not far behind.  Ole Miss was last with $30 million, though Vanderbilt did not report.  The ACC and Big East are nearly inconsequential now and will fall even further if all this goes through.  After the shakeup, if it happens, I envision a possible playoff system with the top 2 teams each from the Big 10, Pac 10, and Sec, with the top two of the remaining teams to fill in the other spots of the 8 team field.  Quarterfinals will begin at $50 per game for pay per view, semi-finals @ $100, and finals @ $250.  I'm sure they can count the dollars already.

 

[Show Heifer]

Chambro - if you recall I did mention the generous donation that a new graduate newly drafted NEB player gave to the engineering(?) department.... so I mentioned academics!!

I am sorry if I was a wee bit offended when someone mentioned OH ST "whooped" everyone in the Big Ten.... if I recall IOWA took them down to the wire, and that the officials called the game? Anyway, didn't someone else beat OH ST?
I can't remember.... I just know they are not the almighty power house they are imagined to be.

Think of it this way... many of these "students" MUST be good enough to make it in professional ball (be it basketball or football) because many of them couldn't get a "real job". (Yes, there are exceptions).

 

[bcosu]

The big ten is not on a down slide except for ohio state, they had a winning record in bowl games last year, all wins coming against top 25 teams and the three losses were extremely close.
Here are some reasons why nebraska fit the big ten

1.The big ten now has 3 of the 5 all time winningest football programs in history (OSU, NEB, Mich.)
2. Nebraska had the 6th ranked most successful athletic program (ahead of Texas who was 14th), ohio state has the 2nd ranked athletic program.
3. Nebraskas academic progress rating was high, higher than michigan, iowa, and texas.
4. Let's face it, the Big Ten is known for football and Nebraska is a storied program.

Odds are, if there is a conference championship game, it will be played in indianapolis at lucas field. it's relatively centered geographically and it's a new stadium that's indoors. I highly doubt they will play it outside especially if it is highly sponsored by someone like dr. pepper for the big 12.

 

[farmboy]

Yeah we'll see who dominates the Big Ten when all this change goes down  O0

 

[JSchroeder]

From what I understand, the Big XII didn't offer that ultimatum...it can from the brass at UT!  I'd have no problem if it came from the Big XII bosses....

I see your point.  I was under the understanding that it came from Beebe but that would indicate significantly more spine than he's ever shown.

 

[ploughshare]

Here is a copy of an ad that was on craigslist here in Ames.  It has since been pulled.

 

[ploughshare]

Here is a copy of an ad that was on craigslist here in Ames.  It has since been pulled.

 

[shortdawg]

Which teams would be good fits for the SEC ? Seems a lot would fit good in the SEC West but the SEC East ? Seems like to me that two teams would be better for balance ?

 

[chambero]

There are a million possibilities how this thing shakes out.  As Jeff and maybe some others have said, I think Tex A&M culturally is a better fit with the SEC.  I bet it would help them recruiting wise here in Texas if they didn't follow UT.  Supposedly the SEC would like to get OU with A&M if they come, and Stoops does have ties back to the SEC and regularly schedules out of conference games with SEC schools.  I don't see them as a west coast school either.

Jeff and anone else interested:  there is an interesting article in the Dallas Morning News this morning from an interview with Frank Broyles on his perspective of leaving the old SWC for the SEC and his take on the Big 12.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/061110dnsposherrington.11dd999.html

 

[RSC]

Real good article on Huskers to Big Ten written by CBS Dennis Dodds.

LINK: http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/13501955/dear-big-ten-roll-out-the-red-carpet-for-the-big-red

 

[JSchroeder]

Actually, at the risk of alienating some pretty darn good folks, the fact that Nebraska is trying to ditch on the two years notice thing is pretty shady.

Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, and Texas ought to be pushing for neutral field games if Nebraska plans on not reciprocating the home/home schedule.

 

[aj]

I heard people talking today that the NCAA has basically lost their grip when these super leagues are formed. The discussion mentioned that players will be paid in the future cause technically the only thing preventing has been the NCAA. IF...IF TEXAS would stay in the big twelve it might hold the league together.