VT in discussions with SEC

[jdoggivjc]

Get Florida State, Clemson, Georgia Tech and UConn. Then go west and get New Mexico and BYU.

Oh hell, what do I know?

This will never happen. BYU alienated the Big 12 when the Big 12 needed them most, and now the Big 12 doesn't need them. The Big 12 isn't going to expand west.

[chuckd4735]

the big 10 has more $$ by far than any other conference can offer

thats why they have their choice of teams typically

They have the most money, but not by far. That gap has narrowed big time in the last few years.

[CycloneErik]

I get the money angle, but why do they want to turn college football into NFL lite, only with the players paid at XFL level via scholarships?

There's money in it with a labor force that can't organize. It's what being a non-profit entity is all about.

[cyclones500]

This will never happen. BYU alienated the Big 12 when the Big 12 needed them most, and now the Big 12 doesn't need them. The Big 12 isn't going to expand west.

Probably correct. But I never saw Notre Dame as partial in ACC or Maryland to Big Ten, either. Or Boise State to the Big East..

[alarson]

For us the damage is already done. I only really care about playing the old big 8\big 12 north schools. Aside from recruiting reasons, i dont really care about whether i play UT or Baylor or TCU every year. We took the biggest hits losing NU\CU\MU already.Variety isnt such a bad thing in conference schedule if we're going to have 9 conference games. Makes up for the fact that right now 10 of our games are the same every year and most years the 11th (UNI). Fan-wise, we'd get over it if we played UT less often. We got by fine only playing them 2/4 years, and before 15 years ago we never played them at all.

[jdoggivjc]

Probably correct. But I never saw Notre Dame as partial in ACC or Maryland to Big Ten, either. Or Boise State to the Big East..

I did see Notre Dame as a partial to the ACC (and I actually saw it torquing off the football members of the ACC, as FSU, Clemson, GT, and Miami get no benefit from it, although it surprised me that Maryland was the first to exit).

I saw Maryland going to the Big 10 if and when they ever decided to go to 16. Rutgers is the one that mildly surprises me, although now knowing that FOX bought YES, Rutgers is a no-brainer.

And Boise St to the Big East was a inconsequential desperation move by the Big East to try to stay relevant that now isn't going to happen because, quite frankly, the Big East is no longer going to exist as a football conference.

[CyCrazy]

Boise State is not going to be a member of the Big East

[CyCrazy]

For us the damage is already done. I only really care about playing the old big 8\big 12 north schools. Aside from recruiting reasons, i dont really care about whether i play UT or Baylor or TCU every year. We took the biggest hits losing NU\CU\MU already.Variety isnt such a bad thing in conference schedule if we're going to have 9 conference games. Makes up for the fact that right now 10 of our games are the same every year and most years the 11th (UNI). Fan-wise, we'd get over it if we played UT less often. We got by fine only playing them 2/4 years, and before 15 years ago we never played them at all.

I would not mind this. Whatever happens I want to play our original schools every year.

[TallKidIsTall]

They have the most money, but not by far. That gap has narrowed big time in the last few years.

the big 10 is the last one to renegotiate their 1st tier rights

theirs are going on 6 yrs old now and stand to get much much bigger with the next contract

ive been reading 35-40 mil annually with the next one which would put them well above all others for a while

[Frak]

As soon as the SEC or B1G goes to 16, everything is going to come quickly. If that does happen, here's how I see it:

SEC: Adds VT and UNC
B11: Adds UVA and NC ST
B12: Adds FSU, Clemson, GT and Pitt. Basically gets the ACC leftovers after the SEC and B11 money grab.
P12: Sits at 12 unless they can find a way to grab B12 schools. Academics won't let BSU and BYU in.
ACC: Falls apart...new conference with Duke, UCONN, Cuse, BC, Miami, WF, Cincy, USF, ECU, Temple, UMASS, Louisville.
MWC: Reforms with BSU, BYU, Houston, SMU, Tulsa, NM, UNLV, Wyoming, LA Tech, CSU, Rice, NT, SDSU, Fresno.

[CyFan61]

Sticking with my earlier pie-in-the-sky prediction, let's say the Big 12 goes to 16 with Florida State, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Pittsburgh, Louisville, and Duke. The way the divisions would shake out would be really interesting.

If it was straight geographic (which I would truly, sincerely doubt), Iowa State would probably be the school that got shipped out east. Can you imagine this division?

Big 12 East
Clemson
Duke
Florida State
Georgia Tech
Iowa State
Louisville
Pittsburgh
West Virginia

Like I said, there are so many reasons that this won't happen (there will be two Texas schools in each division, for starters), but it'd be crazy if it did. Tradition would be completely out the window.

[CascadeClone]

I think it is all going to go to four 16-team super conferences. Then you get basically an 8-team conference for all intents and purposes, with a couple other games from the other half per year - 9 conf games, 3 non-conf. The real rivalries will be within the 8-team "halves". You will only see the teams from the other side every 4 years at best.

Maybe we could name our conference half "The Big 8".

Then you have a conf champ game for each conf aka first round of playoffs. The 4 conf winners become the playoff for the Natl title.


I guess the other possibility would be to have 9 conf games per year with 3 protected rivalries, and 6 of the other 12 each year. Not sure how that works into a playoff as easy though.

Big10 has figured this out, and is trying to get the 16 they want most, with an eye on $$$ above all. SEC figures they will have their pick of 2 more and be OK since they have the talent, brand recognition, and ESPN love. Challenge will be for the Big12 to find SIX teams that make some kind of sense from the leftovers- I think there will be plenty of teams to get, but they won't be the most exciting. Optimal for the Big12 I think would be to clear out a bunch of the coastal region teams: Clemson, UVA or Va Tech, FSU, UNC or NCSt, Ga Tech, Miami. But I think B1G and SEC will get first dibs. Hopefully what is left will work.

Pac12 has some issues too, they are running out of options out west. 4 more from out there? New Mexico? UNLV? Boise St? BYU? Pretty slim pickings. That's one reason I see the Big12 looking east, not west.

I think the only thing ISU has to fear, I think, is if Pac12 comes and grabs OU, OSU,Tex, and Tech. Then we're in the "crappy leftovers" conference with the wreckage of the ACC, Big East, and Big12. But I don't see the SEC doing that to us, they can get the good coastal schools easier, and they will be more docile than Texas.

Of course, I have a record of being wrong about realignment stuff...

[HandSanitizer]

IF the PAC12 doesn't have to expand then we don't have to expand. If each conference gets 16 then then we are going to have wierdness because the only way the Pac12 expands to 16 is with 4 Big12 teams or 3 Big12 teams and BYU.

And that is very touchy when it comes to TV Contracts. The Pac 12 isn't going to want KU, KSU and ISU. Nor do we want to go there. If I had to watch ISU bball games at 11 at night I would stop watching

For some reason I see the Pac12 and Big12 sitting this out. Its not like Texas isn't going to get into the Playoffs/BCS if they win the Big12.

[Wesley]

I think the major networks want the big conferences across the four timezones to get interested in a nationwide league. That would mean that nationally games are relevant other than just the BCS.

[Cycsk]

VT is a school like TAM and TCU with a quirky, national fan base. Go for Florida State which is much better for recruiting (and away games).