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SoCal_Pony wrote:

SMU Pom Mom wrote:

SoCal_Pony wrote:also wondering how Minnesota, Purdue & Northwestern are feeling right now.

For the record, we are officially "delighted" per Morty. I see some outsiders saying the B1G will boot us but that won't ever happen. To sum up what I have been reading, we will probably go to 20 or even 24. We are good with the SoCal schools. We would welcome ND and maybe UNC/Duke. We don't want the NorCal or PNW schools. The alliance got broken because USC/UCLA approached the conference, not the other way around.

SMU and TCU should kiss and make up and make a joint offer. Dallas is the second biggest market not in the B1G.

For your sake, I hope that is true. but your B10 commissioner doesn't exactly exude confidence when he enters an alliance with the PAC and ACC just 10 months ago to 'stabilize the future of college athletics'.

Pure speculation on my part, I know, but the B10 has more academic integrity than the SEC. At some point, the SEC opens the pandora box by disposing of Vandy, maybe MS St when adding ACC schools. B10 'reluctantly' follows suit and removes dead weight.

I do believe this is 100% money driven and for that fact alone, I can't imagine the B10 would keep 2 of (Indiana, Minnesota, Northwestern or Purdue) while excluding Oregon and Washington.

Oregon is most definitely a Top 20 football program. Washington checks boxes (travel partner for west coast schools + better FB program than the B10 schools I listed above).

Crazy times.

I hear rumors that the founding members are grandfathered in, but I can't find evidence of that. The bylaws require a 70% vote to expel a member, so it would behoove the at risk schools to remain loyal to each other. Plus, we are not THAT bad. I mean, since the CFP rankings started in 2014, NU has finished in the Top 25 four times. That ties for third in the B1G, after only OSU and Michigan. Hardly dead weight.

And finally, ESPN is crawling with the Purple Mafia. Don't underestimate their power.

Time for our pres and lil ricky to start burning up the phone lines and make sure we are not left behind again. Don't expect to get into ACC, SEC or B1G but we sure need to move into one of the remaining groups.

SoCal_Pony wrote:

SMU Pom Mom wrote:

SoCal_Pony wrote:also wondering how Minnesota, Purdue & Northwestern are feeling right now.

For the record, we are officially "delighted" per Morty. I see some outsiders saying the B1G will boot us but that won't ever happen. To sum up what I have been reading, we will probably go to 20 or even 24. We are good with the SoCal schools. We would welcome ND and maybe UNC/Duke. We don't want the NorCal or PNW schools. The alliance got broken because USC/UCLA approached the conference, not the other way around.

SMU and TCU should kiss and make up and make a joint offer. Dallas is the second biggest market not in the B1G.

For your sake, I hope that is true. but your B10 commissioner doesn't exactly exude confidence when he enters an alliance with the PAC and ACC just 10 months ago to 'stabilize the future of college athletics'.

Pure speculation on my part, I know, but the B10 has more academic integrity than the SEC. At some point, the SEC opens the pandora box by disposing of Vandy, maybe MS St when adding ACC schools. B10 'reluctantly' follows suit and removes dead weight.

I do believe this is 100% money driven and for that fact alone, I can't imagine the B10 would keep 2 of (Indiana, Minnesota, Northwestern or Purdue) while excluding Oregon and Washington.

Oregon is most definitely a Top 20 football program. Washington checks boxes (travel partner for west coast schools + better FB program than the B10 schools I listed above).

Crazy times.

Of course it's money-driven - everything in sports is money-driven.

I hadn't considered the idea that the Big10 might bounce any members, but it's not as outlandish as it initially seems. FWIW, I would think Northwestern is safe - good football and it props up the conference's charade of interest in academics.

Nedward wrote:Notre Dame is staying Indy. That's talk for the morning shows everyday. People have already parked a brinks ,truck outside ND and they say no.

In a weird and and strange twist, ND actually prioritizes their academics like we tried to claim during the Pye years that obliterated our athletic program.

Again, super pumped this happened since it gives us a final chance to get into anything remotely resembling a p5 conference. This latest shift, once all the dominoes fall will probably be the last major shift in most of the posters on this board's lifetime. Myself included.

Just wondering how you get they prioritize academics? Their decisions have always been based on what options give ND the largest payout. The other issue they must come to terms with is that if they join the Big10 in most years they will be the 3rd-4th best team. They and Texas continue to thrive on their histories more than any other schools.

Is there any chance that North Carolina might go to the Big 10 and Clemson and Fla State get into SEC? That would implode the ACC but leave a possible opening for us. I wouldn't mind playing in that league. But I dont see us getting in if the teams I mentioned remain. It would be great playing against Ga Tech, BC, Syracuse, Duke.

Ladies and Gents: I don’t see a snowballs chance for us to upgrade under any realistic scenario. Hope I’m wrong.

EPE wrote:

Nedward wrote:Notre Dame is staying Indy. That's talk for the morning shows everyday. People have already parked a brinks ,truck outside ND and they say no.

In a weird and and strange twist, ND actually prioritizes their academics like we tried to claim during the Pye years that obliterated our athletic program.

Again, super pumped this happened since it gives us a final chance to get into anything remotely resembling a p5 conference. This latest shift, once all the dominoes fall will probably be the last major shift in most of the posters on this board's lifetime. Myself included.

Just wondering how you get they prioritize academics? Their decisions have always been based on what options give ND the largest payout. The other issue they must come to terms with is that if they join the Big10 in most years they will be the 3rd-4th best team. They and Texas continue to thrive on their histories more than any other schools.

Completely disagree with ND. They would only be second to Ohio State in the B10, and I think in certain years would have been B10 champs (Ohio State hasn’t won ever year either). If you look at it objectively, ND produces better NFL talent across the board than any other B10 school not named Ohio State. They have the most NFL players (slightly edging out Michigan and Iowa) and only trail Georgia (barely), LSU, Ohio State and Alabama. And ND does it with an over 90% 4-yr graduation rate. LSU doesn’t even hit 40%. If you want a school that focuses on academics and football (ie, the whole argument for student - athletes), ND is IMO the threshold. It’s true they haven’t won National Championship since 1988, but Georgia hadn’t won one either for even longer (1980/1981) until this year.

Even with a strong USC, my bet would be in ND being a top contender to win the conference, again, with only Ohio State as the clear leader. The rest would be among ND, USC, Michigan and occasionally Wisconsin or Penn St.

For those looking east, is it too simplistic to suggest that aligning with schools like Duke, Wake Forest and Boston College (smaller, private, academics-first schools) might be our best hope when it comes to ACC consideration?

SMU Pom Mom wrote:I hear rumors that the founding members are grandfathered in, but I can't find evidence of that. The bylaws require a 70% vote to expel a member, so it would behoove the at risk schools to remain loyal to each other. Plus, we are not THAT bad. I mean, since the CFP rankings started in 2014, NU has finished in the Top 25 four times. That ties for third in the B1G, after only OSU and Michigan. Hardly dead weight.

And finally, ESPN is crawling with the Purple Mafia. Don't underestimate their power.

Northwestern will be fine. They are Chicago's Big Ten team!

Spending big money to jump into quicksand UCF, BYU, UH, and UC. may come to regret moving to Big Smelve

The thing you have to factor in is that the GOR is not buy-outable. Period.

This isn't the days of exit fees. There is a reason why the SEC hasn't bought out the OU and UT contracts to get them out of the Big 12 early.

GOR is a huge factor that will delay the super conference formation.

ACC GOR is until 2036. Their TV money stays in ACC. No conference will take a team without their GOR. Cost to buy out GORs probably in the $100 Million range per school, PaC12 GOR expires in 2024.
That’s why it’s teams are poached. Read one report that Big XII wants AU, ASU, UT and CO. Makes sense in that CO comes home, UT and BYU are reunited, and AZ schools are closest.

EastStang wrote: Read one report that Big XII wants AU, ASU, UT and CO. Makes sense in that CO comes home, UT and BYU are reunited, and AZ schools are closest.

That scenario makes sense as it comes down to survival for the Big XII vs PAC XII. Also read that Big 10 might be dangling Stanford as an enticement for Notre Dame to join bringing that group to 18 teams and giving Notre Dame at least 5 games vs their long time rivals. That would leave the 5 remaining PAC XII teams (Oregon, OSU, Washington, WSU & Cal) looking at either joining the MWC or hoping to take that group's most attractive members in an attempt to hold the PAC XII together.

As mentioned, the ACC has the toughest GOR to work around but I would imagine Clemson, Florida State, Miami and possibly UNC will be hoping to join the "Big Boy" party and talking to the SEC before all is said and done.

It's all pretty interesting but I don't see any hope for SMU and the AAC to be anything but "next tier" along with the Big XII, PAC XII & ACC schools once the Big 10 and SEC settle on their membership and take control of college football at it's highest level. College football already has playoffs at every level and this is ultimately just going to create another tier.

I don't have the link to the Star Telegram column by Max Engel but he correctly points out that the realignment decisions will be made by the broadcast networks. Went on to tout TCU as being courted by PAC 12 and suggested that they would be a great addition to the Big 10 - even willing and able to write a big check for the honor. There is no way to tell how this is all going to fall out, but Engel is right, the networks are calling all shots and they want to separate the wheat from the chaff. If places like Oregon and Cal are chaff, what are we?

Topper wrote:I don't have the link to the Star Telegram column by Max Engel but he correctly points out that the realignment decisions will be made by the broadcast networks. Went on to tout TCU as being courted by PAC 12 and suggested that they would be a great addition to the Big 10 - even willing and able to write a big check for the honor. There is no way to tell how this is all going to fall out, but Engel is right, the networks are calling all shots and they want to separate the wheat from the chaff. If places like Oregon and Cal are chaff, what are we?

https://www.star-telegram.com/sports/sp ... 09828.html

At least locally, TCU has made it known to staffers and faculty that it’s ready to do whatever necessary to remain a member of the Power 5. According to TCU’s Board of Trustees “Retreat Outcomes” in April of 2022, one of primary goals of the school moving forward includes, “Be proactive, nimble and win, maximize placement as member of Power 5 conference in intercollegiate athletics.” High ranking TCU officials recently relayed to select faculty members that the school is so invested in its current model that there is no Plan B. To go in an another direction could be catastrophic, and would have a trickle down effect on salaries and compensation packages for staffers all over campus.

That last sentence is the path we took. SMU can't even say what they do.