Big Ten Expansion - Hook 'em Horns?

[RollTide72]

I came across a blog called Frank the Tank's Slant. He is an Illini fan and has written several lengthy but very well thought out blogs on the Big Ten's possible/imminent expansion.

At the end of the day, he feels that Texas is the best and most obvious choice. After reading his posts it's hard not to agree.

Please keep in mind his #1 rule while reading his posts, DON'T THINK LIKE A FAN, THINK LIKE A COLLEGE A.D. AND PRESIDENT.

http://frankthetank.wordpress.com/2009/12/27/the-big-ten-expansion-index-a-different-shade-of-orange/

http://frankthetank.wordpress.com/2010/01/04/big-ten-expansion-index-follow-up-1-superconferences-conference-tv-revenue-and-more-reasons-why-texas-to-the-big-ten-makes-sense/

http://frankthetank.wordpress.com/2010/01/08/big-ten-expansion-index-follow-up-2-nationwide-and-longhorns-fan-responses-on-texas-to-the-big-ten/

http://frankthetank.wordpress.com/2010/01/20/big-ten-expansion-follow-up-post-3-more-on-the-financial-gap-between-the-big-ten-and-big-12-notre-dames-independence-in-question-east-coast-family-and-fallout-in-other-conferences/

 

[kegray1]

Texas isn't going anywhere.

They did screw over the SWC schools when they bailed as A&M,BU,and TT were lucky enough to go with them, but this will not be the case.

TV money and so on is nice,but what about giving the fan a chance to go see them play on the road.
Goodbye OU game, goodbye A&M game.
Too much tradition to overlook unlike a Mizzou.
Dumping UH,Rice,TCU is one thing. Dumping OU and A&M is another and Texas would dump OU if they had a Big10 schedule.

 

[DIRTY Diapers]

I came across a blog called Frank the Tank's Slant. He is an Illini fan and has written several lengthy but very well thought out blogs on the Big Ten's possible/imminent expansion.

At the end of the day, he feels that Texas is the best and most obvious choice. After reading his posts it's hard not to agree.

Please keep in mind his #1 rule while reading his posts, DON'T THINK LIKE A FAN, THINK LIKE A COLLEGE A.D. AND PRESIDENT.

http://frankthetank.wordpress.com/2009/12/27/the-big-ten-expansion-index-a-different-shade-of-orange/

http://frankthetank.wordpress.com/2010/01/04/big-ten-expansion-index-follow-up-1-superconferences-conference-tv-revenue-and-more-reasons-why-texas-to-the-big-ten-makes-sense/

http://frankthetank.wordpress.com/2010/01/08/big-ten-expansion-index-follow-up-2-nationwide-and-longhorns-fan-responses-on-texas-to-the-big-ten/

http://frankthetank.wordpress.com/2010/01/20/big-ten-expansion-follow-up-post-3-more-on-the-financial-gap-between-the-big-ten-and-big-12-notre-dames-independence-in-question-east-coast-family-and-fallout-in-other-conferences/

Texas is an obvious choice, however i doubt they move, because of the money they receive in research and graduate programs. Ultimately, I think Rutgers will make the move, because they bring in a ton of research money and is a pretty good school academically.

 

[Destructor D]

Don't count out Missouri. They have one major rival in Kansas and I'm sure they would find a way to still play at least once in football and hoops each year to keep the Border War alive.

Why doesn't the Big 10 drop someone so they're actually the Big 10.... seems logical LOL!

 

[bleedingpurple]

Don't count out Missouri. They have one major rival in Kansas and I'm sure they would find a way to still play at least once in football and hoops each year to keep the Border War alive.

Why doesn't the Big 10 drop someone so they're actually the Big 10.... seems logical LOL!

Who are they going to drop? :shrug:

 

[hedgehog]

no way Texas moves to the Big 10

should be called Franks tanked

Atm game and OU game, no way they get rid of them:shrug:

 

[AR182]

i also don't think texas will move to the big-10 & think it will weaken college football tremdously if they do move....

if the big-10 does expand they should pick a team from the northeast....ie....rutgers or syracuse would be good additions....

 

[DIRTY Diapers]

Who are they going to drop? :shrug:

:idea: Purdue

The ugliest campus in the US

 

[layinwood]

The big unknown is what it would do to UT's recruiting if they made a move like that.

 

[RollTide72]

From ESPN.com

I swear I didn't plan this.

It's pure coincidence that on the day I fill in for the Big 12 blog, a report is published about Texas engaging in preliminary discussions with the Big Ten about joining the conference. A source with Big Ten ties tells the Lawrence Journal-World that the Big Ten and Texas have had "preliminary exchanges."

"People will deny that, but it's accurate," the source said.
Until now, the Texas-to-the-Big-Ten talk had been purely speculation. Ever since the Big Ten announced in December that it will actively explore the possibility of expansion, a lot of junk has been thrown out, particularly the recent bogus rumors about Pitt. But this is the first legitimate news outlet to report discussions between the Big Ten and an institution.

There are numerous reasons why Texas would be a great addition to the Big Ten (or any league, for that matter). But this ultimately will come down to Texas' willingness to leave the Big 12, a league where it has flourished.

What happens to the Texas A&M and Oklahoma rivalries? Will the increased revenue from the Big Ten's TV deal offset increased travel costs Texas will face by being an outlier in the Big Ten? Would Texas only join as part of a package deal with A&M or Oklahoma?

The Big 12 certainly doesn't want to lose Texas, and I'd expect the league to put up a strong fight if these talks get more serious.

 

[RollTide72]

From SI.com

Ever since the Big Ten started kicking around the idea of expanding to twelve teams, Texas has figured prominently in the discussion of who that 12th member might be. Missouri, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse have figured more prominently, but each of those schools seemed somewhat less than ideal as expansion targets.

Texas itself has also seemed like a longshot. Many have dismissed the Longhorns out of hand, citing a (nonexistent) rule that the Big Ten will only expand to states which border on its current territory. Others believe the travel costs involved for non-revenue sports would essentially kill the deal.

Don't be so quick to dismiss the chances of Texas joining the Big Ten. The Lawrence (Kansas) Journal-World is reporting the parties have already made contact.

Then again, this could be one of those reports we all need to take with a grain of salt:

A source with ties to the Big Ten said that while most people's attention has been trained on the conference stealing Missouri, the Big Ten has engaged in "preliminary exchanges" with a much bigger fish from the Big 12.

"There have been preliminary exchanges between the Big Ten and Texas," the source told the Journal-World on Wednesday. "People will deny that, but it's accurate."

"A source with ties to the Big Ten" is a maddeningly vague phrase. It could be anybody from an actual conference official to a Big Ten school athletic director to an assistant coach who used to coach at a Big Ten school. Technically, it could even mean somebody who graduated from a Big Ten university, but that's obviously very unlikely.

The Journal-World knows who its source is, though, so I'm willing to give this story the benefit of the doubt. I'll assume it's somebody who is actually in a position to know if there's been contact between the conference and Texas.

The benefits of expanding the conference to the media-rich state of Texas should be obvious, and it's clear the Big Ten wants to maintain a significant presence in Texas no matter what. Texas may never actually join the conference, but it would be a great fit academically, athletically, and culturally. This is one report worth keeping an eye on.

 

[Sun Tzu]

A ton of smoke. Texas would prefer to be out of the Big 12. Pac 10 would be an option as well but I suspect the Pac 10 would prefer Colorado/BYU.

Would be complicated politically for Texas to move without AM. Would Big 10 be willing to go 14., adding AM, Texas, and ND/Rutgers/Mizzou? Not so sure.

 

[kegray1]

Some rumors floating about that if Texas were to join the Big10 and the conference added more like a Mizzou and ND/Rutgers to go over 12 that A&M would then be considered by the SEC.

Texas wants no part of A&M joining the SEC as SEC schools would hit the Texas area much harder in recruiting.

If Texas somehow goes to the Big10 then I am pretty sure it drags A&M with them.

 

[big papi]

the big 10 would never want A&M they are a horrendous academic school!

 

[kegray1]

If they really want Texas then they may not have a choice.
Texas will not leave the Big12 if they think for one second that A&M or OU would be SEC bound.

 

[CWood97]

I've been hearing Syracuse as the 12th for a while now. Not that this thing couldn't be pushed to 14......

 

[Sun Tzu]

I've been hearing Syracuse as the 12th for a while now. Not that this thing couldn't be pushed to 14......

Wood I was told about a month ago from a Cuse insider that Cuse had been "invited" and had until June or so to decide. But with the hoops ties to Big East I dont see them going.

 

[CWood97]

Same story I heard Sun. The B10 desperately wants the NYC market, which 'Cuse owns. I heard priority one is Syracuse and the fallback is Pitt.

Personally I can't see Texas donors ever getting behind a move to a northern conference. Now a move where the B10 goes to 14 team super conference (with 2-3 B12 teams coming in), that might be doable.