Around the Big Ten

[Jeff Buchanan]

Excellent point.

Quicksand is all I can say about media markets. They may have no meaning at all in 10 years as the concept of a media market is going to change radically going forward.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Conference realignment may have died a quiet death today with the ACC passing a grant of media rights

[entropy]

and if it did, the BIG got Rutgers and Maryland... thrilling..

that said, lawyers have ways out of things.

[WM Wolverine]

and Nebraska too.

[entropy]

we've always belonged

[Dr. Strangelove]

I have this curious notion that Rutgers can actually be a decent program. I think they have mainly lacked money and exposure and have made huge strides in the past decade.

Not sure about Maryland; but they help hoops and get us to start a lacrosse league. woo-hoo!!

[WM Wolverine]

Agree on Rutgers, they've done well in the lousy Big East. Since '05, they regularly go bowling.

[Wild Hoss]

So we are essentially buying a decrepit Maryland program from the ACC, and in the process opening a convenient slot in that league for Notre Dame.

Well played Jim.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Nothing too revealing here but he talks a bit about the difficulties some teams may have in adjusting their schedules. OSU, among others, will have to drop an OOC game in 2016.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/75337/scheduling-tweaks-coming-for-2016-beyond

[Whitley]

So we are essentially buying a decrepit Maryland program from the ACC, and in the process opening a convenient slot in that league for Notre Dame.

Well played Jim.

Considering Notre Dame just extended their deal with NBC through like 2026 or so, I don't see them joining the ACC any time soon.

[hack]

Oh well in that case Jim Delaney Is A Genius

[Whitley]

Since the GOR takes expansion off the board for the power conferences for the next decade. In the long run though this is probably good for the Big Ten.

The culture in Virginia and North Carolina is going to become more Big Ten like over the next decade. That will make it a lot easier for the Big Ten to pry those teams away if an opportunity arises. It will also allow Maryland and Rutgers to integrate into the conference.

Modern Big Ten joiners:

Penn State 1993 (athletically)
Nebraska 2011
Maryland and Rutgers 2014

In a decade it might be a lot easier for the Big Ten to acquire the 4 teams they really want out of the ACC (Virginia, UNC, Duke, GT)

[hack]

Really? So it's truly game over? In that case can we fire Delaney now?

[Whitley]

I am not sure it is ever truly game over. But time is on the Big Ten's side here. Over time the states of Virginia and North Carolina are going to become more like how Maryland is now. States that share less and less of the southern culture and fit more and more with (for lack of the better term) northern culture. That is going to make them a better fit (and perhaps less grumbling from the fans) and should be an easier transition.

Now, there has been a recent report that the Big Ten also did homework on Kansas, Oklahoma and Vandy (the SEC does not have GOR).

Vandy to me is pretty interesting because on the academic side they are a very good fit (just like Georgia Tech is) but a rather mediocre athlete school. However, the advantage that they would have over Tech is that they are a lot closer to the B1G schools which is not a little consideration. That could be another point that makes UNC (and Duke) want to come aboard at a later time.

Also bringing a school like Vandy in would make it easier to do divisions and feel that there is more a flow to them. Just a couple of thoughts. I still think that 16 will get done (prolly in about a decade) with 18 being likely and stay there (unless there is a Notre Dame or Texas knocking on the door).

[hack]

States that share less and less of the southern culture and fit more and more with (for lack of the better term) northern culture. That is going to make them a better fit (and perhaps less grumbling from the fans) and should be an easier transition.

That's the first bullet out of your gun? In that case it sure does look to me like it's Game Over Delaney.