Williams Blog: Give the PAC 10 credit

[alaskaguy]

I like the thought. Drop Baylor and instead look at the Big East Football schools with Missouri and Nebraska staying. Geographically speaking, it might be apealing to Oklahoma and OSU to stay. Would make for some nice basketball schools.

Unless a TV deal can be negotiated similar to the proposed PAC 10/Fox deal or the Big 10 network, I don't know why Oklahoma or Okie State would stay. If it is clear that revenues will be significantly greater if they join the PAC 10, they will be gone.

[Hawk10]

Iowa better hope that the Big 10 invites some lessor teams or it will be doomsday for the hawks.

How is it doomsday?? the only teams the Big 12 has that are THAT much more prestigious than Iowa are Texas and OU.

Nebraska is currently on par with Iowa
Missouri won't even play us in football...bball I don't follow them.

We suck at many other non revenue sports besides WBB and Field hockey soooo....

[alaskaguy]

Iowa better hope that the Big 10 invites some lessor teams or it will be doomsday for the hawks.

Ohio State and Michigan have among the biggest sports budgets in college sports and yet Iowa tends to be competitive.

[2forISU]

It's certainly alarming...I came off in another thread the wrong way...

But I want this to be taken with the best possible respect...Would ISU possibly be more successful in a MAC or even MWC? The attendance and facility's would be among the best in that league...and you would probably be able to contend for a title...Money wise it would probably be about a 10 million dollar hit...but maybe with more success on the field and court the donors would start to open up those pocketbooks? I don't know...regardless it doesn't look good for ISU.

You have little room to talk about facility's...Iowa would have the worse facility's in the big 10. Mizzou and NU have better.

[BryceC]

It's certainly alarming...I came off in another thread the wrong way...

But I want this to be taken with the best possible respect...Would ISU possibly be more successful in a MAC or even MWC? The attendance and facility's would be among the best in that league...and you would probably be able to contend for a title...Money wise it would probably be about a 10 million dollar hit...but maybe with more success on the field and court the donors would start to open up those pocketbooks? I don't know...regardless it doesn't look good for ISU.

I bet it would be at least a 10 million dollar hit, probably more like 15 or 20. Also, attendance would greatly suffer. Let's be honest it would make a huge difference. Look at how full hilton is against noncon foes as opposed to conference foes... it's night and day.

[alarson]

It's certainly alarming...I came off in another thread the wrong way...

But I want this to be taken with the best possible respect...Would ISU possibly be more successful in a MAC or even MWC? The attendance and facility's would be among the best in that league...and you would probably be able to contend for a title...Money wise it would probably be about a 10 million dollar hit...but maybe with more success on the field and court the donors would start to open up those pocketbooks? I don't know...regardless it doesn't look good for ISU.

flat out, no, it wouldnt work. just because we're at the level where we can take down mac\mwc conference teams now, does not mean that would necessarily continue. sure, we'd hold a facilities advantage (certainly over the MAC where we'd have the largest school-owned stadium by at least 20,000 seats, and in the MWC would be 2nd after BYU), but our recruiting would drop off, our ability to retain top level coaching would drop off, our donors would drop off... the shock to the system would be incredible. Over time, we'd be down to the level of the rest of that group, if not below due to struggling to cope with the budget shock.

[swiacy]

How come Kansas apparently is not considered in Big 10 or Pac 10 covert actions? The Kansas City market supports an NFL & MLB franchise and I would think would bring financial resources to whichever conf. KU would align itself with. From what I read in these discussions, K-St., ISU and KU are not ever thought of as attractive while MU, NU & CU of the North division are.

[clonedude]

I have a question...how would this make Iowa irrelevant?? We are a top 15 grossing football program and a pretty highly grossing department...and on the field we can more than hold our own...we already own the state in recruiting so...It's ignorant comments like these that annoy me.

And you think Iowa will just continue to win 10 games a year when they have to play Texas, Nebraska, Missouri, Ohio St, Penn St... and then probably Ohio St again in the conference championship ( if they ever make it to the conference championship?).

Iowa will be in the division with Texas and Nebraska, should they join the Big 10. Nebraska is now a top 10-15 team again too. You will never beat Texas for the division title... just accept that right now.

In the end, this will not be a good thing for Iowa either. Come back a few years after this all goes down and see how you like it? I doubt you will. Iowa doesn't have the fan following and TV sets of the big boys. Sorry. They just don't.

[acgclone]

How come Kansas apparently is not considered in Big 10 or Pac 10 covert actions? The Kansas City market supports an NFL & MLB franchise and I would think would bring financial resources to whichever conf. KU would align itself with. From what I read in these discussions, K-St., ISU and KU are not ever thought of as attractive while MU, NU & CU of the North division are.

I think there are two factors at play here because certainly KU brings WAY more to the table academically and athletically to the Pac 10 than TT or OSU.

a) UT, OU and A&M said we're a package deal with TT and OSU and of course they are the big fish that the Pac 10 is trying to land.

b) KU and K-state are tied through legislation, and K-state is not welcomed in the Pac 10 (although OSU and Tech cannot be much different).

[BryceC]

I am frankly shocked at the number of people who are talking about Iowa here. We're facing potential athletics armageddon and people want to talk Hawks. It's befuddling.

[Cyclonestate78]

How is it doomsday?? the only teams the Big 12 has that are THAT much more prestigious than Iowa are Texas and OU.

Nebraska is currently on par with Iowa
Missouri won't even play us in football...bball I don't follow them.

We suck at many other non revenue sports besides WBB and Field hockey soooo....

More like Iowa is finally on par with Nebraska after the Huskers have taken several steps backwards and the hawks have taken several steps forward. As far as tradition goes Nebraska blows Iowa right off of the college football map.

[jbhtexas]

I came off in another thread the wrong way...

How did you expect to "come off" making a comment like:

Our entire state is burdened by ISU athletics.

???

[acgclone]

And you think Iowa will just continue to win 10 games a year when they have to play Texas, Nebraska, Missouri, Ohio St, Penn St... and then probably Ohio St again in the conference championship ( if they ever make it to the conference championship?).

Iowa will be in the division with Texas and Nebraska, should they join the Big 10. Nebraska is now a top 10-15 team again too. You will never beat Texas for the division title... just accept that right now.

In the end, this will not be a good thing for Iowa either. Come back a few years after this all goes down and see how you like it? I doubt you will. Iowa doesn't have the fan following and TV sets of the big boys. Sorry. They just don't.

Iowa will be fine as long as Kirk Ferentz is there, but if they have a mis-hire after he's gone, and lose momentum, they could become cellar dwellers very quickly.

It is not easy to have back-to-back-to-back great hires by any FB powerhouse, let along a borderline power like Iowa.

Look no further than their once mighty Bball program. It's a doormat with no end in site.

Long term, this expansion will not help Iowa. Texas, OSU, Nebby, Michigan (it might take another coach or so) and Penn State will always be football powers. That's a lot of might to compete with for a small state.

They've had a good run with Fry and Ferentz, but they could easily slip up once he's gone.

[Mclone]

Unless a TV deal can be negotiated similar to the proposed PAC 10/Fox deal or the Big 10 network, I don't know why Oklahoma or Okie State would stay. If it is clear that revenues will be significantly greater if they join the PAC 10, they will be gone.

Travel would be a reason. It sounds like they won't play the California/west coast schools, but I would think they will have to play them on a every 2/3 year schedule.

Maybe it's just me, but I would be a little hesitant hitching my horse to the Texas wagon. They are clearly out for their own best interest. Going independent will always be an option for them regardless of where they go. If that happens, where will that leave OU and OSU.

[fsanford]

My question is this...What does the PAC-10 have that the Big 12 doesn't? Revenue sharing? More money? A single school that doesn't control the conference?

The state of California..