The Big 10 may have shown us their cards. Last night national media was reporting the Big 10 intends to try to go to a 16 team elite conference by inviting Nebraska, Syracuse, Rutgers, Maryland, Notre Dame. What every conference in America needs to do now is compete with that model. It is not good enough to be the Pac 10 or Big 12 anymore. These two conferences are strategically located to effectively compete with the Big 10 but it is important that they act soon and take advantage of two things they have going for them. Those two things are location and the fact that existing members are used to working together. If the Big 12 and Pac 10 would merge in entirety with the goal of moving to a 24 team conference (in other words add two or three teams depending if Nebraska decides to become part of this), they will be able to lay claim and control of everything West of the Mississippi, with the possible exception of Nebraska.
It will be hard to match the 16 team member number of the Big 10. They will very effectively use elite status to claim superiority. The best way for conferences to compete is by volume and number of teams, and take advantage of better combined location. What better way to get a recruit than to say you will be part of a conference that offers exposure to everything West of the Mississippi. The champion of this conference will play every year for the national championship. After all they are already champion of the Western half of the United States. It will be up to the Eastern United States to see who is up to the challenge.
Come Iowa State, come Baylor, come Big 12 North, come Big 12 South, come all Pac 10 teams come enough teams to make 24. Because of tradition all these teams belong. All these teams are needed and have earned the right to be there. It is time to assure the traditional whole Western United States players get a place at this table. If you don't the Big 10 intends to eat your lunch.
This new conference may be best organized by having an east division and a west division, because of the difference of time zones. Run the divisions to the best advantage of the conference and as agreed. Since this conference will make far more money than has been made by conferences in the past, share revenues for the betterment of the members involved. There will be enough for everyone. Some of the funds generated need to be used to improve the academics of the institutions involved.
One other thing, if you move quickly you may be able to make an offer to Nebraska to be a part of something better than the Big 10. If they do not come, so be it, at least you offered. They may table their decision to join the Big 10 if they can be a voice in building this Great Western Conference. What say you Big 12 and Pac 10? Are you looking for ways to compete with the new Big 10 super conference?
It will be hard to match the 16 team member number of the Big 10. They will very effectively use elite status to claim superiority. The best way for conferences to compete is by volume and number of teams, and take advantage of better combined location. What better way to get a recruit than to say you will be part of a conference that offers exposure to everything West of the Mississippi. The champion of this conference will play every year for the national championship. After all they are already champion of the Western half of the United States. It will be up to the Eastern United States to see who is up to the challenge.
Come Iowa State, come Baylor, come Big 12 North, come Big 12 South, come all Pac 10 teams come enough teams to make 24. Because of tradition all these teams belong. All these teams are needed and have earned the right to be there. It is time to assure the traditional whole Western United States players get a place at this table. If you don't the Big 10 intends to eat your lunch.
This new conference may be best organized by having an east division and a west division, because of the difference of time zones. Run the divisions to the best advantage of the conference and as agreed. Since this conference will make far more money than has been made by conferences in the past, share revenues for the betterment of the members involved. There will be enough for everyone. Some of the funds generated need to be used to improve the academics of the institutions involved.
One other thing, if you move quickly you may be able to make an offer to Nebraska to be a part of something better than the Big 10. If they do not come, so be it, at least you offered. They may table their decision to join the Big 10 if they can be a voice in building this Great Western Conference. What say you Big 12 and Pac 10? Are you looking for ways to compete with the new Big 10 super conference?
