Ramius Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 (edited) I figured this was a necessary thread with all the rumors and allegations flying around about conference realignment. So if you hear anything, feel free to share it here. When anything official happens, it can get it's own thread. I'll start by saying there are rumors down here that IF OU and company head to the Pac-12, the ACC would make a run at Texas. Apparently there have been communications between the school and conference regarding this, and it seems the ACC would be willing to let Texas keep the longhorn netowrk. It doesn't affect recruiting since Texas stays primarily in state and while FSU will snag some players from the state of Texas, they aren't huge players over there. Both sides would benefit from the arrangement. IF this happened, the ACC would probably invite another Big XII school or 2 as well. Edited September 16, 2011 by Ramius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordio Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 I figured this was a necessary thread with all the rumors and allegations flying around about conference realignment. So if you hear anything, feel free to share it here. When anything official happens, it can get it's own thread. I'll start by saying there are rumors down here that IF OU and company head to the Pac-12, the ACC would make a run at Texas. Apparently there have been communications between the school and conference regarding this, and it seems the ACC would be willing to let Texas keep the longhorn netowrk. It doesn't affect recruiting since Texas stays primarily in state and while FSU will snag some players from the state of Texas, they aren't huge players over there. Both sides would benefit from the arrangement. IF this happened, the ACC would probably invite another Big XII school or 2 as well. I could actually see this. Texas is hell bent on keeping that Long Horn Network & the Pac 10 has come out & said that is not an option. Joining the ACC would be a good deal for Texas. Football would be fine(especially if FSU is back among the elite schools). They also have V Tech which I think over the years has earn the respect to be counted on to be in the top 10 National Championship discussion most years. The other sports have got to be interesting also. Baseball would be something with Texas/FSU/UNC/Miami in one conference. You could get super crazy & add Kansas/Kansas ST & Missouri to the fold. Could you imagine a basketball conference with Duke/UNC/Kansas/Texas/Missouri in it? There would be no league that could touch that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 I wish they would go ahead and scrap conferences altogether. If there is no geographical commonality or historical significance any longer, what's the point (besides money)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Senator Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 Some interesting thoughts on the whole conference realignment buried in this interview with the inimitable... Mike Leach (Slide over to the 10-minute mark if you want to skip the book pitch and status update on the court case - and at the very end, Leach gives his pick for the Sooners/FSU game) Interesting and prescient comments on the possible emerging 'super-conferences' by the always-insightful Coach Leach - particularly the ACC/BigEast combination, which gained some traction with today's article in the NY Times... Syracuse and Pitt in Talks With A.C.C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chilly Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 (edited) Rumor I'm hearing is the Pac-12 caved in negotiations and Texas & Friends are headed there, possibly extremely soon. Specifically: - Texas keeps the Longhorn Network - There will be some Pac-16 programming on the Longhorn Network - Texas keeps all proceeds from the LHN, unless 1/16 the other TV revenue is worth more than the LHN, then it all gets divided up evenly among the teams. - OU, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State will all join with Texas. Rumored structure is a pod system, with Texas, OU, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State in a "Heartland Pod". Structure would be you play everyone in your mod each year, and two teams from every other pod, with 4 pods to make up the 16 teams. Statesman is reporting the same thing: http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/longhorns/entries/2011/09/18/official_potent.html Edited September 18, 2011 by BlueFire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramius Posted September 18, 2011 Author Share Posted September 18, 2011 I like the pod system, and hopefully all the new "super" conference will move towards something like that. Another rumor today is that WVU is headed to the SEC as the 14th team. I'd be surprised if Mizzou didn't start making noise to go to the SEC as well. For the ACC, UConn has been tossed around as another potential ACC team. I'd guess the remnants of the Big XII would head to the B1G 10. Also, where does TCU fit in with all this mess? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chilly Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 ESPN reporting this now: http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/6989288/pac-12-working-deal-texas-oklahoma-oklahoma-state-texas-tech-according-source Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynical Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 I like the pod system, and hopefully all the new "super" conference will move towards something like that. Another rumor today is that WVU is headed to the SEC as the 14th team. I'd be surprised if Mizzou didn't start making noise to go to the SEC as well. For the ACC, UConn has been tossed around as another potential ACC team. I'd guess the remnants of the Big XII would head to the B1G 10. How about the Big East? The conference has already expressed interest in Kansas, K-State and Mizzou. It's now being reported Baylor and Iowa State have both reached out to the Big East. Even if they lose out on Mizzou, they could still pick up 4 schools. Also, where does TCU fit in with all this mess? Exactly where it was going - to the Big East. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UConn James Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 I like the pod system, and hopefully all the new "super" conference will move towards something like that. Another rumor today is that WVU is headed to the SEC as the 14th team. I'd be surprised if Mizzou didn't start making noise to go to the SEC as well. For the ACC, UConn has been tossed around as another potential ACC team. I'd guess the remnants of the Big XII would head to the B1G 10. Also, where does TCU fit in with all this mess? So, with 4 pod games and 6 other-pod conference games, there will be no room for interconference match-ups? I can't imagine, say, FSU - Florida, USC - Notre Dame, or any combination of the Virginia (and WVU) will be happy with that. They may have to accept it, but they wouldn't be happy. I think it'd be fair, once all of this stuff is done, to give teams 2 inter-superconference games per year to be worked out among ADs. (And, that's if FSU doesn't move to the SEC, which I've seen bandied about.) Also, the UConn to ACC rumors have apparently heated up. Link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramius Posted September 19, 2011 Author Share Posted September 19, 2011 So, with 4 pod games and 6 other-pod conference games, there will be no room for interconference match-ups? I can't imagine, say, FSU - Florida, USC - Notre Dame, or any combination of the Virginia (and WVU) will be happy with that. They may have to accept it, but they wouldn't be happy. I think it'd be fair, once all of this stuff is done, to give teams 2 inter-superconference games per year to be worked out among ADs. (And, that's if FSU doesn't move to the SEC, which I've seen bandied about.) Also, the UConn to ACC rumors have apparently heated up. Link Actually the pod system would have you play 9 conference games, (3+2+2+2), so you'd still play 3 OOC games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UConn James Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Actually the pod system would have you play 9 conference games, (3+2+2+2), so you'd still play 3 OOC games. Oh damn.... I wrote that early (and I wasn't a math major)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynical Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 ESPN reporting the Big East and the Big12 are in talks regarding a merger: Linky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UConn James Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 (edited) According to this article: 1) WV applied to and has been rejected by both the ACC and SEC. 2) Missouri has an offer in hand from the SEC. 3) Mountain-West and Conference USA are in football-only merger talks, with the intent to get a BCS berth. But one of the best points made in it is that the rumored Big 12-remnant and Big East merger would create a conference that is seriously spread out. It's one thing for football where there's 1 game every weekend. It's quite another when a women's field hockey team has to endure (and budget/pay for) travel of 2,000+ miles four times a year multiple times during the school week. It's much different from more traditional regional conference match-ups where travel is more limited. This is one of the more serious concerns I've had, where it would be more prudent for UConn to join the ACC in a pod-conference with BC, Syracuse and, say, Rutgers. Limited travel time and cost. Retains regional rivalries where games can be attended by both sides for a fuller arena (consolidating and maximizing attendance where they can is especially important these days). Edited September 20, 2011 by UConn James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UConn James Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Pac-12 says no further expansion A person familiar with the schools' discussions said Texas and Oklahoma officials are expected to meet in the next few days to negotiate an agreement to keep the universities in the league for at least the next five years. The person requested anonymity because the meeting had not been announced. So Texas, TT, OU and OSU will be staying Big-12(10). Looks like Missouri might be best served to stay there and for them to poach 2. Frankly, I think it would be best for TCU to pull out of the Big East and join that. And if Missouri stays, the SEC will have to look elsewhere to get to an even number... provided A&M still moves there. Geez this gets complicated! Maybe 16 is too big. Maybe 12 or 14 is an optimal number. Regardless, with what's happened, I still don't feel it's possible for UConn to stay in the Big East with whatever permutation is put together. We've got a little bit of time, as BE officials say they will be enforcing the 27-month wait, so PITT and Cuse will be staying thru 2014/2015. So, some of the pressure is off --- but then again that may not be a "good thing" b/c that can often lead to procrastination and getting stuck in a situation. Sometimes it's helpful to be dancing with bullets at your feet to realize what you need to do. Anyway, it looks like, again, it was just a couple of dominoes that fell and only a couple that are still teetering, rather than the whole board going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynical Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Pac-12 says no further expansion So Texas, TT, OU and OSU will be staying Big-12(10). Looks like Missouri might be best served to stay there and for them to poach 2. Frankly, I think it would be best for TCU to pull out of the Big East and join that. And if Missouri stays, the SEC will have to look elsewhere to get to an even number... provided A&M still moves there. Geez this gets complicated! aTm will move. They may not join the SEC until 2013, but they were pretty candid about not being in the Big12 come 2012. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramius Posted September 22, 2011 Author Share Posted September 22, 2011 I'd still wager that by the time the ACC expands to 14 teams (for the 2014 football season as far as i can tell), there will be at least 1 if not more 16 team super conferences settled on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynical Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 And in more news: Lots of tasty tidbits in this linky Neinas, who acts as a consultant for sports leagues and coaches, said Wednesday he has been working on a partnership with the Mountain West and Conference USA in which they would merge as football playing programs into east and west divisions, spanning four time zones. What's not on the table is the money from Texas' 20-year, $300 million deal with ESPN to create the Longhorn Network, which has been blamed in large part for Texas A&M's pending departure from the Big 12."That's never been in play, that's not in play," Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds said Shocker. Texas refusing to budge on the LHN. Now we know why the PAC-12 said no deal. Still, the Longhorn Network created uncertainty in the Big 12 and Texas A&M said it was a big reason why the Aggies will leave the Big 12 by July — a decision that stands, the school said Wednesday. Just more affirmation that aTm is getting out while the getting is good. "It's about quality, not quantity," Dodds said. "In my mind, 10 is the perfect conference. You have a clear path to the national championship game without stumbling in a (conference) championship game." Those pesky Conference championship games. Is the Bevo afraid to play in one, or are they just trying to create an excuse knowing the difficulty the conference will have in attracting other schools to it as long as Texas still can call some of the shots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramius Posted September 22, 2011 Author Share Posted September 22, 2011 n other rumors, apparently the ACC is making a hard run at Notre Dame. They'd then presumably add a 16th team (UConn most likely). When all this mess started last year, i'd never have guessed that the ACC might become the first super conference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SelmonSmith6378 Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 I, for one, would like to see Clemson join the SEC. I love ACC football, (Probably in the minority) but considering Clemson has HUGE rivalries with teams like South Carolina and Georgia, they should join. Also think that maybe Miami should join the SEC. It would be brutal,. but at least they could restore their rivalry with the Gators. Also, Miami would eventually have it's time in the sun. Almost every SEC program has. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UConn James Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 I, for one, would like to see Clemson join the SEC. I love ACC football, (Probably in the minority) but considering Clemson has HUGE rivalries with teams like South Carolina and Georgia, they should join. Also think that maybe Miami should join the SEC. It would be brutal,. but at least they could restore their rivalry with the Gators. Also, Miami would eventually have it's time in the sun. Almost every SEC program has. Word was, in the last few weeks, that FSU is considering --- or people surmise that they 'ought to' --- move to the SEC. That seems pretty difficult now with the $20M exit fee enacted by the ACC. And if it'd be difficult for FSU it'd be next to impossible for Clemson. And it would be truly impossible for UM, which is currently embroiled in scandal and their program faces a potential death sentence from the NCAA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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