Around the Big Ten

[Mike]

We really need USC to take ND out of the equation.

[entropy]

3 hours ago • By STEVEN M. SIPPLE

I'm guessing Nebraska fans will like this:

The Atlantic Coast Conference and the Orange Bowl Committee announced Thursday that the Discover Orange Bowl will annually pit the ACC Champion against an opponent from the Big Ten, SEC or Notre Dame as part of the 12-year agreement that begins following the 2014 season.

ESPN will serve as the broadcast partner, and the historic bowl game will either be played in an exclusive prime-time window New Year’s Eve or on New Year’s Day, pending the schedule of the new collegiate postseason playoff games.

According to this news release, the selection of the opponent will be based on the guiding principle of securing the highest-ranked team in the final standings available from the Big Ten, SEC or Notre Dame, but will also utilize criteria that shares the minimum appearance standards as agreed upon by all parties. The standards include at least three guaranteed appearances over the 12 years for both the Big Ten and the SEC and a maximum of two with no minimum for Notre Dame.

Nebraska has a rich Orange Bowl tradition, with a flood of memories.

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delaney's formal statement: "We are very excited to reach agreement with the ACC to provide a highly regarded football opponent at the Orange Bowl following select seasons from 2014-2026. The ACC plays great college football and our fans have a deep respect for the historic Orange Bowl tradition. If previous Orange Bowl appearances are any indicator, I am confident that our fans will travel in great numbers to South Florida; and that those who can't be there in person, will tune in to ESPN to watch these exciting postseason contests."





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[entropy]

Huskers Bolster Backcourt with a Pair of Signings

Lincoln -- University of Nebraska men's basketball coach Tim Miles announced Wednesday that a pair of student-athletes have signed National Letters-of-Intent to play basketball for the Husker program beginning in the 2013-14 season.

The class includes guards Nick Fuller (Sun Prairie, Wis.) and Nathan Hawkins (Garland, Texas), both of whom are ranked among the top 30 nationally at their respective positions. Both Fuller and Hawkins are four-year starters at their respective high school programs, and Miles believes that this class, along with the six scholarship newcomers already in the Husker program for the 2012-13 season, will set the groundwork in rebuilding the Husker basketball program.

"It is a great day for Husker basketball!" Nebraska Coach Tim Miles said. "We are elated to add two guys we focused in on early. Nick and Nate want to be part of the foundation as we build something special for this program. Both come from great families and are true winners in every sense of the word - in the classroom, on the court and in the community. They care only about winning and will no doubt be a part of our future successes at Nebraska. Husker Nation and the Lincoln community will absolutely love them!"

Nick Fuller
Fuller is a 6-foot-6 forward who attends Sun Prairie High School and plays for Coach Jeff Boos...rated by 247Sports as one of the top 150 players in the county and is a consensus three-star recruit by Rivals.com, Scout.com, ESPN Recruiting Nation and 247Sports.com....listed by ESPN as the 19th best small forward in the country in the class of 2013 and the sixth-ranked player in the state of Wisconsin, a state which is expected to have 17 players sign Division I scholarships during the fall signing period....has been a three-year starter at Sun Prairie High School and enters his senior year with 1,311 points and 424 rebounds in 74 career games....is one of only four players to reach 1,000 career points at the school and is on pace to break the school record for points, which is held by John Brenegan (1341, 1987-89)...selected as the Wisconsin State Journal All-Area Boys Basketball Player of the Year in 2011-12, averaging 23.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game...named first-team all-state by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association and second-team all-state honors from the Associated Press...chosen as the Big Eight Conference Player of the Year in 2012 after leading Sun Prairie to a 17-8 record and a 13-5 conference mark despite being the only returning starter on the squad....helped his team earn a berth in the 2012 Division I sectional semifinals...totaled 40 points in a win over Madison West to help Sun Prairie earn a runner-up conference finish...garnered honorable-mention all-state honors as he averaged 18.5 points per game as a sophomore and helped Sun Prairie to a 19-6 record and a sectional final runner-up...named first-team All-Big Eight Conference...the school's 19 wins in 2010-11 were the most since joining the Big Eight Conference in the late 1970s....carries better than a 3.5 GPA at Sun Prairie HS...played for Wisconsin Swing AAU program...Selected Nebraska over Minnesota and a host of schools, including Colorado, Creighton and Marquette..is the son of Jeff and Ann Fuller.

"There are a lot of things to like about Nick," Miles said. "He has great shooting ability and deep range, plus he gives us a lot of size on the perimeter. He has been a part of rebuilding a program at the high school level and plays with a great tenacity and purpose. We think Nick can be a big, strong wing who has the ability and skill set to play multiple positions."

Nathan Hawkins
Hawkins is a 6-foot-5 guard who attends Rowlett High School and plays for Coach Stan Blackmon...is a fourth-year starter on a Rowett team that features three players who are signing National Letters-of-Intent during the fall signing period... is a consensus three-star pick by Scout.com, Rivals.com and 247sports.com...rated as the No. 26 shooting guard nationally by ESPN Recruiting Nation and the No. 14 prospect in Texas in 2013...ranked as the No. 11 prospect on in the state by Rivals.com Texas Hoops for the class of 2013...listed by Rivals.com's Eric Bossi as one of the top 20 deep shooters nationally in the class of 2013...is among the top 247 players nationally by 247Sports in the class of 2013...averaged 12.9 points, five rebounds and four assists per game, as Rowlett HS finished 22-9 and won a Bi-District championship in 2012....earned a starting spot as a sophomore, averaging 11.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists per contest to garner all-district honors...played in the summer for the Dallas Mustangs AAU program...excels in the classroom, carrying a 3.8 GPA and is ranked in the top-10 percent of his senior class at Rowlett High School...is a three-time All-District 10-5A all-academic selection... is the son of Rob and Janene Hawkins...his older sister (Lauren) is a two-year starting volleyball player at the University of Memphis...chose Nebraska over Kansas State, UTEP, Oklahoma State, and SMU.

"Nate is a high-energy player who possesses great length and athleticism," Miles said. "He is someone who consistently makes winning plays on both ends of the court and understands how to make his teammates better. Nate will give us a lot of versatility in the backcourt, and we believe he has the potential to be a great defender with his combination of length, athleticism and work ethic."

"What stands out about both players is their work ethic, passion for the game and an understanding of what it takes to win," Miles said. "Today is a great day for the Husker basketball program, and we are extremely excited about the direction and future of our program."


CORNHUSKERS .....To The End

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[Dr. Strangelove]

Odd rumor seen on multiple PSU boards today...Maryland to the B1G. Heh

[WM Wolverine]

Without a solid source, I'll call but bs as we've heard those type of rumors since the addition of Penn State about one of Pitt, Syracuse, Rutgers joining about every couple years and about every other month since the last round of expansion. All the rumors likely coming from the same rumor monger.

I like Maryland, but they aren't a team worthy of being added by their own 'value.' Two Maryland quality schools (e.g. Rutgers, Virginia, Missouri) don't enhance the B10 (mostly thinking financially) but dilute it. It does however expand the B10's footprint which has it's own value and imo there is a need to do so...

Now that the Big East is essentially dead after being eaten by the ACC; the ACC is actually the B10's biggest rival conference in terms of geography, a conference I respect quite a bit. One concern we should have when you invade your weaker neighbors, it invites their neighbors (SEC might take 2 of VT/NC State) too to raid them.

[Hannibal]

The "expanded footprint" argument doesn't hold any water. If the footprint is that valuable, then the ACC should be drowning in cash. And this isn't the 1980s anymore, when all that you could see was regional games on TV. Virtually every game that is even remotely worth watching is nationally broadcast, with the exception of the late night games on the PAC-12 network.

[WM Wolverine]

Why did the SEC expand in to Texas & Missouri? It certainly wasn't for A&M and the Tigers.

[Dr. Strangelove]

The ACC doesn't have a network comparable with the BTN. Getting BTN on basic or basic digital cable in Maryland/DC/Northern Virginia would be a big deal.

Maryland isn't that valuable from a ABC/ESPN contract standpoint, but I think it is for the BTN. Conversely, Nebraska was a bigger deal for the major network contract that's up in a couple years.

No idea if there's any merit to the rumor but the guy who runs Penn State's Rivals board called this a "done deal". I don't know how much credibility he has.

[THE_WIZARD_]

There is no way that Merryland gets in the B1G. No fucking way.

[WM Wolverine]

Timing doesn't sound right either.

[WM Wolverine]

Maryland vs ACC = blah ratings except for maybe Florida State. Maryland vs B10, good ratings.

[THE_WIZARD_]

The only programs worth adding are Notre Dame, Pitt (good basketball decent football and natural rival of PSU), Virginia (AAU and market along with decent athletics), and Kansas (great basketball). Maryland's Athletic Department is in shambles right now and their fanbase isn't that great. Yes the market is viable and large but frankly if the B1G expands to 16 I would prefer ND, Pitt, Virginia and KU. ND is unlikely...Pitt and Kansas would join in a heartbeat...Virginia I don't know if they would entertain a B1G invite.

[WM Wolverine]

I think you need 1 of ND or NC to be worth expanding, no two of Pitt, Maryland, Rutgers, Virginia, Kansas, Syracuse, etc. are worth it imo...

Pitt does add value to PSU but they also don't add much in terms of BTN because they are in the same state as PSU. Pitt is a B10 caliber school in the same state as PSU...

[THE_WIZARD_]

Without ND I don't see expansion at all.

[WM Wolverine]

I don't see it either, maybe the number crunchers find out the B10 is better off financially with two programs from Maryland/Rutgers/Virginia.