leopold wrote:The SECOND Notre Dame wants into a conference they will pick up the phone call the Big 10.
The Big Ten offers $10 Million a year more than the Big 12, has better academics, makes sense geographically, and much more. ANY interest in ND going to the Big 12 is ENTIRELY on the Big 12's part.
If ANYBODY here wants to start laying bets on ND going to the Big 12, you let me know, I can use the extra cash.
Completely agree. ND can pick whatever conference it wants. That's the benefit of having one of the most storied football programs, top-notch academics, loyal and large fan base (with many haters too) and top sports teams across the board.
Though they are often mentioned, BYU and Boise State can be eliminated as Pac-12 candidates. These schools are considered academic inferiors by the Pac-12 for a number of reasons.
SMU and Houston can be called legitimate candidates for Pac-12 expansion.
Houston is not academically inferior???
Houston is a bastion of higher learning in comparison to Boise State. And, unlike BYU, it is free of Mormon leadership. Is Houston an ideal selection? Certainly not. But given the caliber of competition, Houston has to be considered a favorite.
There is too much anxiety in college football. Six months ago, it was the Big 12 that was falling apart. Now it looks stable compared to the ACC. Baylor was re-writing its resume to send to the Big East. I'm surprised that a school like Clemson, a charter member of the ACC, would throw away 60 years of ACC tradition, for a couple million bucks per year - and the right to play volley ball games in Aimes Iowa. Its insanity. Clemson would argue that they are a football school trapped in a basketball conference. Well, if Clemson & schools like Florida State would actually be good at football, they might have an arguement.
I agree that Chuck Neinas is a genius at running a conference. Rather than add teams like Pittsburgh & Syracuse for markets sake, the teams that were added to the Big 12 actually have good football programs. The SEC / Big 12 alliance is a stroke of genius that tilted the balance of power away from the ACC & towards the Big 12.
Though they are often mentioned, BYU and Boise State can be eliminated as Pac-12 candidates. These schools are considered academic inferiors by the Pac-12 for a number of reasons.
SMU and Houston can be called legitimate candidates for Pac-12 expansion.
Houston is not academically inferior???
Houston is a bastion of higher learning in comparison to Boise State. And, unlike BYU, it is free of Mormon leadership. Is Houston an ideal selection? Certainly not. But given the caliber of competition, Houston has to be considered a favorite.
Don't see how Houston fits at all with the PAC12...no geography, poor academics relative to the PAC...certainly better than Boise but I don't consider them a legitimate candidate.
Though they are often mentioned, BYU and Boise State can be eliminated as Pac-12 candidates. These schools are considered academic inferiors by the Pac-12 for a number of reasons.
The Pac may take BYU eventually as there aren't any good athletic programs left from the western united states.
Chip Brown who bleeds burnt orange reports that while there may have been discussions, there is nothing to report. No way the Big XII is going to take ND without burning that NBC contract which doesn't end until like 2016.
The ND/NBC contract is through 2015, to the best of my knowledge. Also, don't think for a second the Big 12 wouldn't make concessions with ND and NBC to accommodate them. With that being said, the Big Ten still makes the most sense for them.
I saw an article on Fox Sports today mentioning how the ACC should make a play for ND now. Good regional and academic fit- but wouldn't make sense for ND to go there now with the SEC/Big 12 contract.
2005 PonyFans.com Rookie of the Year Award Recipient
leopold wrote:The SECOND Notre Dame wants into a conference they will pick up the phone call the Big 10.
The Big Ten offers $10 Million a year more than the Big 12, has better academics, makes sense geographically, and much more. ANY interest in ND going to the Big 12 is ENTIRELY on the Big 12's part.
If ANYBODY here wants to start laying bets on ND going to the Big 12, you let me know, I can use the extra cash.
Completely agree. ND can pick whatever conference it wants. That's the benefit of having one of the most storied football programs, top-notch academics, loyal and large fan base (with many haters too) and top sports teams across the board.
The thought is big12 because unlike in the big10, ND can keep some TV rights much like Texas. This is impossible in big10 and could make up the money.
Commentators and analysts tend to believe that the Big 10 could allow ND their TV contract if they were to join, and why wouldn't they? It would mean about what? 4? 5? Big 10 conference games on a major network rather than on the Big 10 network, where they will already have plenty of games to choose from. It's more money, more exposure, the whole conference would benefit. They would work out the TV contract thing.
To those concluding that Notre Dame will inevitably pick the Big 10 - The B!G has been persuing ND for a 100 years and the answer is always "no". ND sees itself as a national brand - not a midwestern regional one. IMO, ND will never align itself with local rivals like Purdue, Indiana and North Western. My prediction is that ND will move Olympic sports to the Big 12 with a long term deal with the Horns for Thanksgiving football - and if the superconferences force the issue - full blown Big 12 membership that includes football.
West Coast Johnny wrote:To those concluding that Notre Dame will inevitably pick the Big 10 - The B!G has been persuing ND for a 100 years and the answer is always "no". ND sees itself as a national brand - not a midwestern regional one. IMO, ND will never align itself with local rivals like Purdue, Indiana and North Western. My prediction is that ND will move Olympic sports to the Big 12 with a long term deal with the Horns for Thanksgiving football - and if the superconferences force the issue - full blown Big 12 membership that includes football.
Why would Notre Dame want to play in Waco, Iowa, Kansas, and Lubbock? Not really the national appeal I'd think they are looking for. If they truly want National appeal, they would figure something out with the Pac 12, they'd have games on the west and east coast - where all the TV's are.
ponydawg wrote:Why would Notre Dame want to play in Waco, Iowa, Kansas, and Lubbock? Not really the national appeal I'd think they are looking for. If they truly want National appeal, they would figure something out with the Pac 12, they'd have games on the west and east coast - where all the TV's are.
They would also be playing in Florida, South Carolina, West Virginia, Austin, Norman, and possibly Atlanta if Ga Tech comes with ND.
Therefore ND would keep their national presence by playing all over the nation instead of in a regional conference like the B1G
If Notre Dame REALLY wants a national presence, they should join the Big East.
I'm obviously being sarcastic, but if NBC ties their new sports network to the BE, what better conference to incorporate their national contract to than with one they're already in agreement with? ND could keep their NBC deal, play teams all over the country in the BE, and still have 4 non conference games each year to play USC, Michigan, Boston College, whoever. And the BE has a presence in a lot of the major recruiting hotbeds- TX, CA, FL, NJ, PA, etc. It won't happen, and I'll go back to drinking now.
2005 PonyFans.com Rookie of the Year Award Recipient
