B1G expansion to 18 teams rumor

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on

Take this for what it's worth. A rumor (for now). 

I'm aware that a very small percent of people here are subbed at Rivals. bluevod is a poster that is thought to be someone inside the athletic department. 

Some people even believe that he is Jim Hackett. Sounds crazy, right?

UPDATE: We're gonna need a bigger logo.....

 

@umichWD I heard that may go 18 nine in each division. That would only allow 1 cross over game.

— Bluevod (@Bluevodreal) January 6, 2016

Hearing B10 expansion rumors again.BTN TV deal up in 2016 with projection in first year 2017 of being roughly 44m per school. B12 in panic

— Bluevod (@Bluevodreal) January 6, 2016

@maizenblu I've heard Ok but not Kansas. Need big TV viewer market. Texas would be ideal plus a team in DC market and/ or Atlanta.

— Bluevod (@Bluevodreal) January 6, 2016

@maizenblu told it is not doing as well as they hoped. But Texas may see the writing on the wall and jump. B12 may be a house of cards.

— Bluevod (@Bluevodreal) January 6, 2016

 

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bacon

January 5th, 2016 at 9:21 PM ^

It's not only about footprint for tv, it also helps us with recruiting. We need a good southern school that is in the AAU. Not too many of those that are not already in the SEC or are U-Texas. They're not that good now, but we should consider Rice. Big name (#18 in US news), Houston is a huge TV market, in Texas to help with recruiting pipeline, and AAU member. I'm sure they'd raise their level of play to match the Big Ten mid tier teams within a year or two.

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stephenrjking

January 5th, 2016 at 10:27 PM ^

I was sort of in tune with the logic of the post you are responding to, but this is an important rebuttal.

I don't think it's a coincidence that Michigan is building a pipeline to New Jersey now that we play Maryland and Rutgers every year. Between games played close to home and getting all of the team's games on the local cable channel, I think it's a good bonus.

But Michigan will not be playing in or near Texas every season. It might be a bit easier to sell if the BTN is on air down there, but we're still basically an out-of-area school.

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Whole Milk

January 6th, 2016 at 1:51 PM ^

This! If expansion is going to happen, which I think it probably is, then I would much rather add two teams in the east division and bump Indiana to the west. Instead of adding Texas and Oklahoma, who we would not get much benefit from in recruiting seeing how we would never play them, why not add recruiting hot spots for teams that we would consistently play? Goergia Tech and Virginia would be my vote.

 

Also, in terms of a strictly competition stand point, I don't want to make the other division stronger. Seeing Oklahoma or Texas in the championship game every time we went would not be optimal in my opinion. 

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cp4three2

January 5th, 2016 at 10:11 PM ^

People care about Rice football, and they have a stadium that hosted a Super Bowl, but it's hard to see them having the ability to recruit to compete in the Big Ten. That being said, the money from the Big Ten could potentially change that, I suppose. They're basically Duke, but a little smaller (though I think they're trying to add enrollment). 

They're great at baseball and really would help the Big Ten academically (I think they'd be interested in that side). They got left out of the Big 12 because the governor at the time went to Baylor.

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uncleFred

January 5th, 2016 at 10:01 PM ^

Let us all understand that football is by far the biggest earner and the most visible sport at Michigan. Given the organization of college sports that is likely to remain true far into the future.

That said, I think that 14 teams is at least two if not four teams to many. I get the money argument, but I still long for the days when every team in the Big Ten played every other conference team. Call me old school but in those days winning an uncontested BIg Ten championship left no doubt.

it is the traditions of college football  that sets it apart from the pros and, in other sports, farm teams. This drive for maximum dollars and a playoff system, will ultimately kill those traditions, to the detriment of all involved. Sadly I suspect it is unstoppable.

 

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bacon1431

January 5th, 2016 at 9:26 PM ^

Here is my crazy plan. B1G can expand to 20 teams. In one division, we will have Michigan, OSU, MSU, Iowa, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana, Illinois, N'W and Minnesota. We will call this division the Big Ten. In the other division, we can have Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Oklahoma St, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Baylor, TCU, and Houston. We can call this the Southwest. Then we can split these divisions into separate conferences. The ACC, SEC and Pac 12 can also expand, then split as well. Everyone can play round robin schedules to decide conference champions. Then we'll have playoffs from there.



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gwkrlghl

January 5th, 2016 at 9:28 PM ^

I'd be pretty shocked it if it was true, but it basically sacrifices everything that makes a conference a conference so that everyone can make some more money. Everyone's going to look real f*cking stupid when the cable bubble bursts and we're stuck with Rutgers on one side and Oklahoma State on the other

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LKLIII

January 5th, 2016 at 9:49 PM ^

Agree. Especially when the bubble bursts the whole logic of increasing foot print for TV markets will seem pointless. Admittedly I don't understand the AAU thing. Could somebody please explain that part? Setting aside that issue, I'd be reluctant to expand more. But if we did, only to 16 teams & we'd have to get back to geographical & regional rivalries. Drop Maryland & Rutgers and **maybe** Penn State as well. Pick up both Kansas (for basketball & decent academics) and K State. Same with both Oklahoma schools then perhaps throw in Missouri if PSU is dropped. Basically gives the conference a very solid Midwest/Prairie geographical base.



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Noleverine

January 5th, 2016 at 10:31 PM ^

Subtraction by addition. One division is UM, Minny, MSU, OSU, Wiscy, Purdue, Indy, Illinois, and Iowa. Put in NW in place of some team if you like. I've been championing for this since the addition of Maryland and Rutgers. Just makes too much sense. Conferences get so big they effectively shrink.

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CorkyCole

January 5th, 2016 at 9:46 PM ^

I will be happy with 18 only if the plan is to kick out Rutgers and MSU once the 16 teams per conference deal is set in stone.

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Maizen

January 5th, 2016 at 9:41 PM ^

This is so fucking dumb. The league is already too big and should have never expanded to 14. Bluevod has a decent track record but he's also posted some recruiting things that never ended up happening. I'm skeptical as hell.

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DrewGOBLUE

January 5th, 2016 at 9:45 PM ^

Sure as hell hope not. 14 is already pushing it, and two divisions of 9 teams would essentially be separate conferences anyway. They'd just happen to share the same name.

Plus it'd be hard to add 4 more schools that could compete athletically while also having the academic chops to be in the Big Ten. That said, I'd be very much in favor of swapping Rutgers with Vanderbilt.

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MichAkronFan

January 5th, 2016 at 9:49 PM ^

I just wish the would move the Michigan vs Ohio State game back to the week before Thanksgiving. This way I don't have to fight with the wife every year to go:)

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BlueinLansing

January 5th, 2016 at 9:51 PM ^

expanding the Big Ten to an 18 team conference is dumb on top of dumb. 

 

TV's schmevies at some point you have to use a common sense brain cell or two and say this is idiotic.

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SimplyComplex

January 5th, 2016 at 9:54 PM ^

That's way too many unless the NCAA is trying to purpose 4 super power conferences. I say make it 16, and kick out Rutgers/Nebraska. Try to (finally) add Notre Dame and Oklahoma to the West. Then Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh to the East.

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bj dickey

January 5th, 2016 at 10:16 PM ^

Te ncaa has no role. This is a situation where the conferences dictate what is happening and the ncaa is along for the ride. We will get to four conferences at some point and the ncaa involvement in football for the power conferences will be negligible.

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