Privates in BCS Conferences

[AusTxPony]

I have often heard it here on this board the the BCS Confernces would like to get rid of Private Universities, i.e. SEC and Vanderbilt, the BIG XII and Baylor, the BIG X and Northwestern, etc. But Privates have done well in sports other than Football often and sometimes even Football. Think Notre Dame, Miami, Boston College, Stanford, Southen Cal and even Northwestern once and a while. Is this really true they want them out or is this just hearsay and unsupported assumptions? What is your evidence? And why does it get repeated so often?

[FroggieFever]

This would be a rumor--as I believe, and I say this while being very careful [in the fear of retaliation], only teams affiliated with conferences can opt themselves out. For instance, TCU can choose to leave the Mountain West Conference, but, the Mountain West Conference cannot force TCU to leave, without valid reason; forcing one to leave because of the type of school they are would not be a valid reason.

Furthermore, doing such a thing would bring drastic changes for any conference. Not only concerning the fan-base, but revenue, as well. Again, for instance, Baylor, Big XII, sells more athletic merchandise [online], believe it or not, than Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. To eliminate Baylor from the conference would bring a loss of revenue. Sure, one can make the argument of taking in LSU for Baylor, who sells more merchandise [online] than Baylor, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State, combined. But, if this arguement is made, and similar "trades" happen, you are going to end up with "super conferences" and "ultra-weak conferences." Generally, anyone who cares for the current conference placement situation, would laugh at the suggestion.

My personal view on the Big XII: unless something catastrophic were to happen, say bankruptcy, it will stay the same for as long as the current system works. Now, it goes without saying that the Big XII has room for additional members, but, in my view, no subtractions will occur.

[Charleston Pony]

see Temple and the Big East re: how a conference member can be voted out. The majority rules and changes to bylaws can be voted in to force members out. Just don't see it happening because most privates are contributing something to their respective conferences

[jtstang]

Never said they wanted to get rid of any--just that they don't want any more. With the possible exception of TCU.

[EastStang]

Unless a school brings $$$$ to the table like for instance ND, no conference is going to add another mouth to feed. 12 is the maximum in my view. It gets you a championship game and $$$, but nothing else. The only BCS conferences that are short of 12 are the PAC 10, BE, and Big Ten. Big Ten is holdling their slot open for ND. The BE has 8 it might add a ninth team for scheduling reasons but other than that, I don't see it happening, plus they have 16 teams for basketball already. They would need to add football only schools to get to 12. The PAC 10 is fine and doesn't seem to want to feed any more mouths. The only schools in their footprint available are schools like Utah, BYU, UNLV, SDS, and Fresno State. Each of those schools has some negatives. The might try to lure a Big XII school like Colorado, but who else. UT was mentioned once. So, I don't see any movement at this point. SMU, TCU, Rice, Tulane, Tulsa, I suspect will stay on the outside looking in. Vandy may opt to join them at some point as they occasionally make such noises. Duke and Wake are joined at the hip with Clemson, UNC and UVA and will stay in the ACC.

[CalallenStang]

Yes, but EastStang, C-USA got rid of basketball-only teams when they expanded. I can see the Big East doing the same.

[Stallion]

I think the Big East has solidified and all "that talk" about splitting into two went out the window when they signed a recent huge TV deal powered by its Basketball teams. Many people who predicted the demise of the Big East forgot about their ace in the hole-the TV Contract that controls the Eastern markets for Basketball. Its quite lucrative and more financially rewarding than any other scenario for those teams.

[deepellumfrog]

I have heard that it is important to the conferences that they have at least one private member, so that they do not have the minutes of their meetings subject to open records legislation, which would be the case if they were all public institutions.

I have no idea if this is the case, but the theory has been espoused, and here I am to repeat it

[SMU Football Blog]

Don't think it works that way. Arguably if a conference were entirely confined to a single state's public schools, then that state's sunshine laws might apply, but I don't think so when you are dealing with an association of schools that cross state lines.

BTW, there are conferences that have all public schools.

[CalallenStang]

I believe the inclusion of privates is for the reason of raising the academic profile of the conference.

[EastStang]

I could say something to get me banned, but I won't. Anyway, the BE basketball TV contract is made lucrative by the mix they have and they did not get slighted at all when NCAA selections were made so I suspect if that continues fighting will not breakout because removing the football schools from the non-football schools will hurt the value of the whole. Georgetown vs. Syracuse is a great tv draw. Notre Dame - Pitt is a great tv draw. Villanova - UConn is a great tv draw. You don't want to lose that.

[BUTitan]

Baylor may not contribute the most in football, but we earn our stay. We finished in the top half of the Big XII in the directors cup. The main fans that i've seen calling for our heads have been A&M & Ok. Lite.

[CalallenStang]

I could say something to get me banned, but I won't. Anyway, the BE basketball TV contract is made lucrative by the mix they have and they did not get slighted at all when NCAA selections were made so I suspect if that continues fighting will not breakout because removing the football schools from the non-football schools will hurt the value of the whole. Georgetown vs. Syracuse is a great tv draw. Notre Dame - Pitt is a great tv draw. Villanova - UConn is a great tv draw. You don't want to lose that.

St. John's? Seton Hall? Marquette? Not challenging you on the fact that it's unlikely. Just offering possibilities.

I could see Miami (OH) joining as football-only members of the Big East; their basketball isn't on par with that type of competition but I know the Big East looked into adding Miami when they last expanded.

[EastStang]

The problem is that Rutgers, Pitt, Syracuse and UConn have tons of history with St. Johns, Seton Hall, Notre Dame, Georgetown and Villanova. And those schools are in the big eastern markets. As I said they could try and fill 4 slots with football only to get to 12 or add another school football only to get to nine, possibly Navy or Delaware if they'd move up from 1-AA.

[CalallenStang]

The problem is that Rutgers, Pitt, Syracuse and UConn have tons of history with St. Johns, Seton Hall, Notre Dame, Georgetown and Villanova. And those schools are in the big eastern markets. As I said they could try and fill 4 slots with football only to get to 12 or add another school football only to get to nine, possibly Navy or Delaware if they'd move up from 1-AA.

I don't know why the Big East needs two teams in the New York market (St. Johns, Seton Hall), but you are right about the history.

What conferences do you think will be changing in the next 5 years?