Let’s leave the Big Ten
Ok send me to Bolivia if this is too much of a low value post. But FFS.
We have spent decades shooting arrows at the shenanigans in the SEC. but the B1G has probably earned the championship corruption belt by now.
PSU
MSU
OSU
Maryland
Rutgers
probably others.
Obviously this is crazy and won’t happen but I’d love to see UM make a public display of pretending to at least consider leaving the conference with so many moral failures. Not that we haven’t had our own.
Even winning the games isn’t really satisfying in this way. Why even take the field against all these soulless clowns.
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:14 PM ^
The Big 12 would love to have us.
August 23rd, 2018 at 2:17 PM ^
That’s one team closer to actually being 12 teams
August 23rd, 2018 at 3:13 PM ^
Also one team closer to actually being 10 teams (BIG 10)
August 23rd, 2018 at 2:29 PM ^
The Big-12 has Baylor...
August 23rd, 2018 at 7:33 PM ^
The B1G has OSU,MSU and Urban Liar.
August 23rd, 2018 at 8:32 PM ^
And P State! Whatever the P stands for these days.
August 23rd, 2018 at 4:18 PM ^
That would be a fun conference to be in. Though the style of play would be very much an adjustment for Michigan...think, though, we could look to TCU for how to successfully manage it.
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:14 PM ^
the University of Chicago did just what you suggest in 1946
that being said, it ain't happening at UM any time soon
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:15 PM ^
And how is their football team performing? ;-)
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:30 PM ^
The past four years they were: 8-1, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Not too impressive, but not the worst.
Most people don't know they actually still DO play football at UC.
August 23rd, 2018 at 2:23 PM ^
They are in the DIII Geek League. So few teams in the league play football they only have a 4 game league schedule.
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:39 PM ^
They left because they got a new university president who wanted nothing to do with college sports, so they dropped their program in 1939, de-emphasized athletics and left the B1G altogether in 1946.
We left the B1G before and did just fine without it.
This league needs us a whole lot more than we need it. I'm not saying we should leave but that's the truth. The amount of revenue we generate for this conference and that useless bag of piss Delany not doing us any favors whatsoever irks me.
You don't make us go on the road to our secondary rival two years in a row. We aren't Indiana.
August 23rd, 2018 at 10:28 PM ^
You're right. The B1G would suffer without Michigan football. I think it would be cool as hell. Just think of some of the games that Michigan could pick up. Play like some home and homes with the trojans of southern cal and bulldogs of the peach state. Those games would be huge in ratings and would be a change of pace. I'm kind of sick of the same old Big Ten idiot schools and the crooked refs.
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:40 PM ^
It's a huge issue for all the research portions of the university with relationships and contracts and B1G tools that we would lose.
The conference is only about 60% athletics in full activities, in my opinion, but 90% of the good comes on the research side.
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:58 PM ^
Any plan would have to take that into account. Either work out a way to stay on the academic side or find new partners. A conference of the top ten academic institutions that play major college sports would probably be more lucrative. It would take long range planning to put it together.
August 23rd, 2018 at 2:39 PM ^
Not saying this makes any sense, but just going down a list of top academic institutions that IMHO have a reasonably high profile "major" sports programs.
- Stanford University
- Duke University
- Northwestern University
- Vanderbilt University
- University of Notre Dame
- University of California--Berkeley
- University of California--Los Angeles
- University of Southern California
- University of Virginia
If you could find a couple of more western schools, you could divide into west/east divisions to cut down on some travel.
August 23rd, 2018 at 3:35 PM ^
I mentioned yesterday there may come a day when the P5 splits in two - one semi-pro league with an endless arms race and few constraints, and a more amateur league with strictly enforced rules.
I hope we would join the latter.
In addition to the schools you named, you could add Georgia Tech, BC, Wake Forest, and some from our conference too - Wisconsin, maybe Iowa, Minnesota, and Illinois. Washington, maybe Utah, TCU, Syracuse, Pitt, perhaps even Texas. Maybe the service academies would join in, and perhaps Rice and Tulane. Heck, maybe the ivies might be interested in stepping up their game a bit if everyone played within a strictly enforced structure.
Might just make college sports truly fun again.
August 23rd, 2018 at 3:52 PM ^
Would strike USC from this list. It doesn't fit.
August 23rd, 2018 at 2:05 PM ^
You don't have to be an athletic partner to benefit from an academic collaboration with the Big Ten. University of Chicago is still a collaborator/partner. UIC was until around 2011.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, I agree with your point. The academic partnership should be the primary focus of continuing membership in the Big Ten, together with the benefits of conference membership for non-revenue sports.
August 23rd, 2018 at 3:25 PM ^
Chicago left the BigTen, but stayed in the CIC. UofM was just the 2nd school on earth to spend more than a billion dollars a year on research. Would the CIC be willing to lose us over football? I am not advocating us leaving the Big BigTen, but if Chicago can leave the conference and stay in the CIC why couldn't we?
August 24th, 2018 at 3:51 PM ^
Chicago left the B10 because they didnt want Black folk on their team(s).
Michigan football was heading for the shitter until they decided to let Black folk play. Bo go smart and told M Club to pay em more than the Spartans and to let the black players date the white girls.
August 23rd, 2018 at 3:08 PM ^
From the Star-Tribune:
Robert Maynard Hutchins saw no other way. Appalled by rampant commercialism and corruption in college football, the University of Chicago president abolished the sport at his school in 1939, declaring it an “infernal nuisance’’ unsuited to an elite academic institution.
I mean I don't want Michigan Football to go away forever but this guy was WOKE AF
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:14 PM ^
Maybe we can just ditch the B10 east. Wisconsin and Northwestern are schools I think I can get behind.
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:28 PM ^
I mean, maybe? Wisconsin just suspended a WR for only 2 games for taking pictures of a girl his teammate was allegedly raping. Allegedly, allegedly, allegedly, but if the allegations are true, a 2 game suspension (instead of an indefinite suspension) looks a bit scandalous.
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:41 PM ^
he also said they’ll revisit the suspension as more information comes to light. probably would’ve been better to say ‘indefinite suspension’ but unlike mork and urbs, i feel like chryst deserves the benefit if the doubt
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:15 PM ^
Agreed. Let's go independent!
August 23rd, 2018 at 2:19 PM ^
Get a TV deal with CBS or something. Just like notre dame with nbc
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:15 PM ^
How about instead of taking our ball and going him, we work inside the system to make sure that there are strong rules and that those rules are applied universally and equally across all members of the conference?
This post is the sports version of, "If X gets elected, I'm moving to Canada!" It's weak sauce...
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:18 PM ^
Yes, but if the conference remains the SEC But Worse in the face of that attempt I can get behind OP.
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:21 PM ^
Wow, are we really worse than the SEC now? I guess I hadn't thought of it in those terms, because the SEC just cheats constantly, in my opinion, but maybe that's true?
Thanks, now I'm depressed. Asshole...
August 23rd, 2018 at 2:08 PM ^
I'm sure they dominate the day-to-day cheating and general sketch but the B1G is leading the way in large-scale reprehensible shit lately.
Maybe it's just the last year talking, but I don't think there's much of a conference high horse based on academics when PSU/MSU/OSU/MD situations are happening in your schools at the same time.
It's a bummer! I'm sorry!
August 23rd, 2018 at 2:14 PM ^
Are we actually leading or are we just leading in getting caught?
August 23rd, 2018 at 2:43 PM ^
Best guess? There's just more of a willingness to report these issues here, but it's still apparent at some institutions that reporting is still fought tooth and nail (msu and OSU).
I mean, the sec had to institute a no poaching rule in 2015 in cases where a player/recruit was accused of a violent crime so when removed from the team (Georgia), (in Alabama's case after the second crime in 2015), another sec team could not snatch them up to play.
How bad is that where programs are like "whats the issue?"
August 23rd, 2018 at 4:53 PM ^
No, the B1G is worse. Not even close. The SEC allegedly cheats by paying players for services. The B1G is morally bankrupt. Coaches and staff abusing athletes is not the same as paying athelets.
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:54 PM ^
Good idea, let's join the CFL!
August 23rd, 2018 at 2:11 PM ^
There will be no rouges. We call those reds 'round these parts.
August 23rd, 2018 at 2:26 PM ^
I might be going to Canada on October 17
Marijuana will be legal in Canada starting October 17 - USA Today
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:15 PM ^
Not happening. Why even discuss it?
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:21 PM ^
Because it makes me feel morally superior, which is what life is all about--the need to know that I'm better than everyone else.
August 23rd, 2018 at 3:33 PM ^
because i'm depressed ok
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:19 PM ^
I honestly wish we would but am sure we won't.
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:20 PM ^
I think this is worthy discussion. B1G east minus us is just crap. I don't M to be the only clean program amongst hot garbage. ND is independent. We can be as well. Screw Delaney and corrupt institutions.
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:20 PM ^
What goes around comes around. Jesus people.
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:21 PM ^
SEC is nothing like this. I'll take bag men over rape, domestic abuse and death.
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:53 PM ^
Let us go to SEC... B1G can have Ole Miss. It will fit the culture perfectly.
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:22 PM ^
I feel like this is a very rational, calm, and measured response. Especially on a day like today. What an excellent post :)
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:22 PM ^
I don't know that I ultimately want to see it actually happen, but it should be on the table as an option. It's time the stupid logo league (B1G) stops shitting on the biggest program. Treat M fairly or enjoy BTN ratings falling off a cliff.
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:42 PM ^
Of only there were a conference just for national brands with constituents and students who are morally, financially, and academically superior to all others. Michigan would be the only school in the conference.
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:22 PM ^
A couple of years ago I would have laughed at this, but honestly now it seems at least worth a discussion. The problem is, go find 9 programs/schools to start a conference with that are clean!
August 23rd, 2018 at 1:43 PM ^
The rules of the conference is what would matter. Set it up so the conference has strict rules and a way to do get forced access to information during investigations and enforcement teeth. Likely the "clean" programs would be the only ones interested.