Big Ten Expansion: Maryland and Rutgers

[joecct]

That's not a bad idea. I do believe there's some decent D III in WI. I'll have to check it out. I'm also sliding towards women's D1 hockey, that hasn't been screwed up yet by the big whatever.

If you're near Green Bay try St. Norbert. Eau Claire is making rumblings of having a good team and Stevens Point has good beer.

[Wol4ine]

Re: Big Ten Expansion: Maryland and Rutgers

If you're near Green Bay try St. Norbert. Eau Claire is making rumblings of having a good team and Stevens Point has good beer.

When I lived in NY, my roommate was from Stevens Point. His folks would bring a case of Point Beer with them when they visited. One time his dad opened the fridge and saw we had Genesee Cream Ale. He said, "What's this crap?" "Oh, that's what we buy when we can't afford Milwaukees Best!" His dad had this 'You've got to be sh1tting look on his face.

[Wol4ine]

Re: Big Ten Expansion: Maryland and Rutgers

I don't like this move at all, primarily for selfish reasons. I like that the Big Ten is (was now I suppose) THE conference of the Midwest. There ain't nothin Midwest about Jersey and crab cakes. It's not even an attractive addition on either end. Maryland isn't what they used to be in basketball and the football team, well that's its own animal. Rutgers is... Rutgers. I just don't find that to be an enticing team.

If it was up to me the Big Ten would have stopped at 12, or if it needed to expand they should've added Pitt and Syracuse last year. The next move is 16, and they probably won't be leaving soon. I'm not sure who the next two could be. The Kansas school? Possibly but Kansas and ksu are attached at the hip. Steal Missouri from the SEC after we shut them out last year? Seems like a long shot.

I thought the Big Ten came out of realignment on top after the first wave by staying at 12. By waiting to go to 14 theyre stuck with leftovers and ended up on the losing end.

You sound like you're worried that they will replace Minnesota with Rutgers and it will just be that much harder to become bowl elgible.

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: Big Ten Expansion: Maryland and Rutgers

You sound like you're worried that they will replace Minnesota with Rutgers and it will just be that much harder to become bowl elgible.

Ouch.

[Spartanforlife4]

Re: Big Ten Expansion: Maryland and Rutgers

I read somewhere that they dumped a quarter billion into their non-revenue sports, including an indoor rowing facility, which is something I didn't know existed until a couple days ago.

Yup. They redid their gymnastics, rowing, volleyball and a couple other non-revenue sports.

On top of that they renovated Yost and Crisler.

[pgb-ohio]

Re: Big Ten Expansion: Maryland and Rutgers

MD and RU will be Leaders, Illinois becoming a Legend.

Year 2 and those division names are no less ridiculous.

Agreed, the current division names are an ongoing embarrassment. I'm not sure that you've got the final line-up figured out, although your guess is certainly reasonable. But the necessary reconfiguration gives us a real opportunity to get rid of the L words, which would be a very good thing.

[5mn_Major]

Re: Big Ten Expansion: Maryland and Rutgers

Ouch.

Capital one cup has Maryland with great athletics. Its the #17 mens program and #10 womens program in the country. Rutgers didn't make the top 100 on either side (may there's a reason why). Maybe Michigan will catch Minnesota next year in either mens or womens sports. Maybe.

http://www.capitalonecup.com/assets/...-standings.pdf

[joecct]

Re: Big Ten Expansion: Maryland and Rutgers

Agreed, the current division names are an ongoing embarrassment. I'm not sure that you've got the final line-up figured out, although your guess is certainly reasonable. But the necessary reconfiguration gives us a real opportunity to get rid of the L words, which would be a very good thing.

On probation / not on probation?

[Clifton]

Re: Big Ten Expansion: Maryland and Rutgers

Delanay's REAL Motivation revealed!

[MavHockey14]

Delanay's REAL Motivation revealed!

He does such a great job with his blog, it's awesome having him as a Hawkeye fan!

[bigmrg74]

Delanay's REAL Motivation revealed!

Hahahaha!!! Risk for the Win!!

[MavHockey14]

Delanay's REAL Motivation revealed!

He does such a great job with his blog, it's awesome having him as a Hawkeye fan!

[state of hockey]

He does such a great job with his blog, it's awesome having him as a Hawkeye fan!

Yeah, we know.

[bigmrg74]

Re: Big Ten Expansion: Maryland and Rutgers

Big East Schools may vote to dissolve league.

Hell, at this point in the game, they might as well, kill off the Big East instead of trying to get other schools to join in that really don't fit the Big East profile. You know, like being East of the Mississippi. Plus, with that spot being reserved in the BCS bowls for the best of the Group of Five that's been tossed around, other schools may not want to sell all out just to get into a BCS league when all they gotta do is just be better than everybody else in 5 other leagues.

Plus, they kill off the league now with Rutgers leaving, the Basketball schools could work together to put together a new basketball and other sports conference pretty easy without having to worry about the football schools anymore.

[kingdobbs]

Re: Big Ten Expansion: Maryland and Rutgers

Big East Schools may vote to dissolve league.

Hell, at this point in the game, they might as well, kill off the Big East instead of trying to get other schools to join in that really don't fit the Big East profile. You know, like being East of the Mississippi. Plus, with that spot being reserved in the BCS bowls for the best of the Group of Five that's been tossed around, other schools may not want to sell all out just to get into a BCS league when all they gotta do is just be better than everybody else in 5 other leagues.

Plus, they kill off the league now with Rutgers leaving, the Basketball schools could work together to put together a new basketball and other sports conference pretty easy without having to worry about the football schools anymore.

Well, it's a move that makes sense if either UConn or Louisville exit the league for another (for whatever reason, Cincy and USF aren't as big of linchpins) in the coming days. There's no reason for UCF to be associated with Georgetown and vice versa. At this point, of the newbies to the Big East portfolio within the past year, Temple is the only one that's actually become invested in it.

Some would say it was the split that should've happened a number of years ago, but given the ten year hindsight map, the 2003-2013 Big East was actually pretty solid as an 8 FB/16 BB league. But without football schools that were pulling their weight on one or both sides of the league (everyone except for Rutgers and USF, basically), the marriage makes no more sense, especially because most of the football-side replacements are serious anchors on the basketball side of things.

An all-sports league of Temple, Memphis, Cincinnati, SMU, Houston, UCF and USF, and any combination of UConn or Louisville that isn't gone to a "Power 5" will have pretty decent hoops, and will at least be the best non-power conference in football (especially if it can convince Boise, SDSU or any other western school they're better off in a "best of the rest" league). I would see this league angling for UMass, East Carolina, and maybe someone like Tulsa; not ideal by any stretch, but any port in a storm.

Likewise, an all-sports-but-football league of the 7 current Big East Catholics, plus Xavier, Butler, and Dayton would be a 3-4 bid basketball league from year to year. I could also see someone like St. Louis or Siena liking this league.