Around the Big Ten

[Optimus Prime]

Tressel-ball is locked in at EL

Problem for them is they can't get the athletes that he did.

According to DSL, Tressel has NO balls.

[lineygoblue]

But I bet he has free tats for the rest of his life by just picking up the phone ...

[WM Wolverine]

Sounds like the ACC is going to pull all stops with the Maryland exit fee, they know if Maryland leaves, others might follow and whatever amount Maryland nets would be multiplied by another possible 6+ programs leaving. They have no desire or intention of settling and this process might be a very, very long one.

[Hannibal]

Makes sense. The ACC is finished if a few dominoes fall.

[lineygoblue]

Maybe the B1G and the ACC should merge.

[Rob F]

Maybe the B1G and the ACC should merge.

I'm sure they would consider it if they could, in the process, find a way to jettison the "riff-raff" that the B1G wants nothing to do with, which would be at least half the teams from that conference. The B1G wants nothing to do with NC State, Clemson, Wake Forest, and BC, likely doesn't have room for VT and Duke and really isn't a good fit for FSU or Miami. They already are getting Maryland and it sounds likely they will soon also scoop up UVA, GT, and UNC.

ND? Friggin' ND? I know speculation is that ND is the end game here, but I still think the chances are slim that they'll ever join the B1G unless forced to by some playoff formula that doesn't allocate a slot for independents.


All the ACC really can do is slow the process down for Maryland by tying them up in courts for awhile, but, from what I've read here and elsewhere, it'll eventually be settled OOC for substantially less than what the ACC wants. U of Maryland will likely be able to force the case to a jurisdiction that'll be more "Terrapin-friendly" than the ACC wishes.

[entropy]

I think the BIG has moved past ND. I don't think they are the end game anymore.

and I think ND, if the ACC collapses, will be Big12 bound.

[WM Wolverine]

B10 certainly will give ND another shot but it'll be there last shot after the B10 attempts to kill the ACC.

[hack]

That's a shame. I don't fault ND for being the program they are trying to be. But when it's time to give that up -- and it looks like there will come a time -- it would be utterly ridiculous to let pride get in the way of it being in a conference it belongs in. That said, isn't Rutgers essentially there to get ND a game in the NYC area every other year? It's hard to imagine the Big has moved on from ND...

[whodean]

Rutgers is there to get UM, OSU and the other existing Big10 teams a NYC game.

[hack]

Whereas ND is the one that would actually care about that the most, but, yeah.

[Whitley]

I'm sure they would consider it if they could, in the process, find a way to jettison the "riff-raff" that the B1G wants nothing to do with, which would be at least half the teams from that conference. The B1G wants nothing to do with NC State, Clemson, Wake Forest, and BC, likely doesn't have room for VT and Duke and really isn't a good fit for FSU or Miami. They already are getting Maryland and it sounds likely they will soon also scoop up UVA, GT, and UNC.

ND? Friggin' ND? I know speculation is that ND is the end game here, but I still think the chances are slim that they'll ever join the B1G unless forced to by some playoff formula that doesn't allocate a slot for independents.


All the ACC really can do is slow the process down for Maryland by tying them up in courts for awhile, but, from what I've read here and elsewhere, it'll eventually be settled OOC for substantially less than what the ACC wants. U of Maryland will likely be able to force the case to a jurisdiction that'll be more "Terrapin-friendly" than the ACC wishes.

The Big Ten would find room for Duke. They would be in without a second thought.

[Whitley]

When the Big Ten kills the ACC (and that is going to happen sooner than later), there will be an invite extended to Notre Dame.

At that time with the power of the ACC (UVA, Duke, Georgia Tech and UNC) all there if the Domers want a "national" schedule then the only way for them to do that would be to join with the Big Ten. I have a hard time seeing Notre Dame saddling up the Big XII. The ego of Texas would probably be too much for them. I have no doubt that the faculty at ND are ready to join the CIC and AAU. The real question would be the leadership at Notre Dame if they would be willing to accept that.

Perhaps one way of making them feel more comfortable would be to bring along a team like Kansas from the Big 12.

[entropy]

Texas and ND share the same type of ego. Big12 also will allow them to keep the NBC contract

[Whitley]

Texas and ND share the same type of ego. Big12 also will allow them to keep the NBC contract

The only way Big 12 would let them keep the contract is IF they gave a portion of it to the BIG 12 and I can't see that happening.