*****The Super, Mega, Huge Big 12 Expansion Thread*****

[HFCS]

Most of what I've read from UNC fans is that they would look first at SEC. SEC would probably take them.

Its interesting when you look at the big picture. Is there enough value in any one of the teams outside of the Big XII, Big Ten, PAC, or SEC? For example, how much more does each school in the SEC get by adding UNC?

UNC/Duke/NCState/UVA/Maryland are in the same position KU/KSU/ISU/Baylor/Mizzou were in before.

UNC is more valuable than KU, but like KU if they go alone they leave in state and ancient rivals in the dust.

If the ACC really crumbles and the Big Ten doesn't expand East, some historic programs are gonna get left in the dust. It just naturally shifted from happening to the #2 football conference to the #5 and #6 football conferences.

 

[cyman05]

Who knows if the B10 goes to 16 someday, but if they did, you'd think it'd be with all teams on the east coast. I wonder how Nebraska feels about that? Anybody for a B10 football championship game in somewhere like Pittsburgh? And they thought the drive to Dallas was far!

 

[DistrictCyclone]

I understand your logic, but I'm just saying I could see it happening. I don't think UNC and the ACC fully understand what is happening if all the rumors are true. If they did understand it, they'd do everything they could to keep FSU from leaving. Once the anchor schools are gone, the thing will eventually blow up.

But it won't blow up immediately...and I think if BB is the real priority at UNC, then why run off to the Big 10 and leave BB superiority and the familiarity of the ACC? Now several years down the line, once they understand that the ACC has been left behind, I think they'll wise up and leave for the Big 10. But in the near future, I could easily see them saying no. Maybe I'm crazy though.

According to most of the pundits, the newly announced Champions Bowl essentially sealed the ACC's fate by taking away their seat at college football's grownups table. Perhaps UNC doesn't think it's worthwhile to try salvaging the ACC, and is just waiting for the right offer?

Though they were certainly overrated, the Big Ten was hailed by most as the best basketball conference last year. Conversely, the ACC definitely doesn't have the clout it had 10-20 years ago, either. GA Tech, NC State, Maryland, Virginia, and Wake Forest have all regressed, and the league has largely become the Duke/UNC show. I'm not sure they can still stake a claim as a superior basketball conference.

Besides, that's not the point. The better choice for UNC's athletic department as a whole would almost certainly be either the SEC, Big Ten, or Big 12. They'd be silly to make basketball the priority.

 

[BloodyBuddy]

UNC's got way too much pull to be considered a "basketball only" school. They've got a well-rounded athletic department that's had success in just about every sport. Given the choice, I think they'd drop their buddy Dook in a heartbeat if it was all that stood in their way. The only relevancy this rivalry has is in basketball where it would be pretty easy to maintain if they were in different conferences.

What about the Lacrosse Rivalry?

 

[Die4Cy]

Larry Scott created the idea of the super conference, and was the first to make an attempt to pull it off, knowing they had limited geographic options. They couldn't pull it off.

I believe the Pac 12 will be content to stay at 12 now, considering there are no net value additions available now out west. I see the Big Ten (now with that Pac 12 partnership in place) staying pat as well, although they do have some options with the ACC bent over the barrel. Any move the Big Ten makes on the ACC would kill it off completely. The ACC will survive by adding football playing Big East members, and the Big East will cease to be a football league. Ultimately, if enough dissent to the new look ACC remains, the SEC will be the first conference to move to block scheduling and pods with a 16 team league.

It's pretty obvious what is going on here.

 

[RayShimley]

I sincerely doubt that such a research partnership hinges upon which athletic conference the members schools are in.

Right, because the B1G lets just anyone participate in the CIC. As another poster said, Duke and UNC will not be split up. Ever.

 

[Pseudonym]

RT @Matt_HayesSN: Sports Business Journal: #SEC near SEC Network deal, begin early as 2014. CBS balking at major $ increase with Mizz/TAMU

@BryanDFischer
Can't say I'm surprised at my bosses' bosses' bosses balking at major $ increase for SEC. Mizzou/A&M don't do much for broadcast network.

lol.

:biglaugh:

 

[weR138]

Right, because the B1G lets just anyone participate in the CIC. As another poster said, Duke and UNC will not be split up. Ever.

A good point but I'm still wondering what athletics has to do with anything...

You mention the CIC of which the University of Chicago is a member. Why? Because they used to be a Big Ten member until they dropped football. So, if the ACC schools are tethered by academics why not just stay tethered by academics? The ACC schools (the legit academic ones) could form their own CIC, right?

Why would Duke care if they became the U of Chicago to UNC's U of Illinois? Would they lose significant $$$ by staying in ACC athletics?

 

[Wesley]

According to most of the pundits, the newly announced Champions Bowl essentially sealed the ACC's fate by taking away their seat at college football's grownups table. Perhaps UNC doesn't think it's worthwhile to try salvaging the ACC, and is just waiting for the right offer?

Though they were certainly overrated, the Big Ten was hailed by most as the best basketball conference last year. Conversely, the ACC definitely doesn't have the clout it had 10-20 years ago, either. GA Tech, NC State, Maryland, Virginia, and Wake Forest have all regressed, and the league has largely become the Duke/UNC show. I'm not sure they can still stake a claim as a superior basketball conference.

Besides, that's not the point. The better choice for UNC's athletic department as a whole would almost certainly be either the SEC, Big Ten, or Big 12. They'd be silly to make basketball the priority.

Yeah, that was quite an announcement. Everyone was saying it was to be a nothing announcement, and then it became the B12 Force Striking back at the ACC. Now will the Pac 12 and BIG announce their champion game?

 

[DistrictCyclone]

Right, because the B1G lets just anyone participate in the CIC. As another poster said, Duke and UNC will not be split up. Ever.

Ever heard of the University of Chicago? When was the last time you saw them take the field against a Big Ten team?

 

[DistrictCyclone]

Yeah, that was quite an announcement. Everyone was saying it was to be a nothing announcement, and then it became the B12 Force Striking back at the ACC. Now will the Pac 12 and BIG announce their champion game?

I'm glad to see that the yet-to-be-played Champions Bowl is already making people forget about the Rose Bowl :wink:

 

[Palmer]

Biggest indicator of all that FSU and Clemson are coming?

Total silence from their AD's over all of the news about it this weekend.

 

[colbycheese]

A few days ago I put up a post asking why people are bashing the ACC. I've now switched sides after hearing the local sports radio talking heads give their reasoning on why FSU should stay in the ACC. One guy was bashing ISU's academics (which is in my opinion an an equal level with the ACC in terms of academics and is one of the top 3 in the Big 12) and was poking jokes about the ability to get a flight to Ames.

As long as my secondary Alma Mater (NCSU) finds a good landing place, GAME ON FOR ACC BASHING.

I sent the guy an email saying he was misinformed about ISU's academics and pointed out the fact that Des Moines Internation Airport is as close to Jack Trice as RDU is to any of the Triangle teams. I also pointed out that ISU is an AAU member, one of the top land grant universities in the country, and a peer institution of several ACC land grant schools.

 

[Clonehomer]

Biggest indicator of all that FSU and Clemson are coming?Total silence from their AD's over all of the news about it this weekend.

It was mentioned last week that FSU put a gag order to its employees for legal issues.

BTW, just listened to an interview of Chadd Scott on 810 out of KC. That guy is the biggest *** I've heard.

 

[heitclone]

According to most of the pundits, the newly announced Champions Bowl essentially sealed the ACC's fate by taking away their seat at college football's grownups table. Perhaps UNC doesn't think it's worthwhile to try salvaging the ACC, and is just waiting for the right offer?

Though they were certainly overrated, the Big Ten was hailed by most as the best basketball conference last year. Conversely, the ACC definitely doesn't have the clout it had 10-20 years ago, either. GA Tech, NC State, Maryland, Virginia, and Wake Forest have all regressed, and the league has largely become the Duke/UNC show. I'm not sure they can still stake a claim as a superior basketball conference.

Besides, that's not the point. The better choice for UNC's athletic department as a whole would almost certainly be either the SEC, Big Ten, or Big 12. They'd be silly to make basketball the priority.

BBall will always be the priority at UNC, but they can keep all their bball clout as a member of any other conference. Like you said, as far as bball goes, UNC and Duke are bigger than the ACC, they will be fine in any conference and unlike Duke they have been semi-successful in the past in football, they recruit good enough in football to at the very least be competitive in football in most conferences. I see them as similar to Kentucky in that regard, UK is by no means a football powerhouse but they get to bowl games in a brutal conference as a basketball school.

 

[scyclonekid]

ND, FSU, Clemson, GT, come on down you are the new members of the Big Twelve!! Hope it is true.

 

[RayShimley]

A good point but I'm still wondering what athletics has to do with anything...

You mention the CIC of which the University of Chicago is a member. Why? Because they used to be a Big Ten member until they dropped football. So, if the ACC schools are tethered by academics why not just stay tethered by academics? The ACC schools (the legit academic ones) could form their own CIC, right?

Why would Duke care if they became the U of Chicago to UNC's U of Illinois? Would they lose significant $$$ by staying in ACC athletics?

Ever heard of the University of Chicago? When was the last time you saw them take the field against a Big Ten team?

Not exactly a very convincing parallel. UIC left the B1G VOLUNTARILY in 1935 because it felt athletics were distracting from its academics. It is now a Division III school. Despite the obvious point that the current climate is a no analog in comparison to 1935, Duke is one of the top D1 athletics brands in the nation, despite having effectively 0 football interest. Duke ranked 25th in the country on total AD revenue, 4 spots AHEAD of UNC.

 

[DistrictCyclone]

Not exactly a very convincing parallel. UIC left the B1G VOLUNTARILY in 1935 because it felt athletics were distracting from its academics. It is now a Division III school. Despite the obvious point that the current climate is a no analog in comparison to 1935, Duke is one of the top D1 athletics brands in the nation, despite having effectively 0 football interest. Duke ranked 25th in the country on total AD revenue, 4 spots AHEAD of UNC.

I have no idea what your argument is anymore. You started out claiming that Duke and UNC's research partnership somehow means that they must always remain in the same athletic conference, but for some reason, you seem to have shifted to claiming that Duke pulls in more revenue than UNC (which is not correct, by the way). What exactly is your point?

 

[Rickybaby]

ND, FSU, Clemson, GT, come on down you are the new members of the Big Twelve!! Hope it is true.

Yes sir, that would be pretty awesome !

 

[snowcraig2.0]

@GSwaim: I'm told that #ND will jump in #Big12 very soon with Olympic sports, and then football joins after TV contract expires. #BlowsMyMind