College Football 2010: Dude, Where's my Conference?

[BoomGoestheDynamite]

Re: College Football 2010: Dude, Where's my Conference?

It seems unlikely that they would; from what I'm reading, one of the things driving the present outcome is that ESPN/ABC was willing to stick by the contract they signed when the contract had twelve teams, and that payout is now only being split ten ways. The time when things might start to get interesting is when we approach the expiry of the current deal, then it might be in the XII/X's interest to go back up to twelve if they can get teams in the right markets.

Outside of snagging BYU, i.e. the Mormon Notre Dame, there aren't any mid-major programs left that would add any value to the Big 12. TCU? Houston? Tulsa? RIce? SMU? Louisiana Tech? New Mexico? They all have glaring flaws being small private schools or lower tier/commuter publics. They have small stadiums by BCS standards and generally field fairly weak Olympic sports teams/basketball.

[GreatLakerMohawk]

Re: College Football 2010: Dude, Where's my Conference?

The Big TeXas.

The answer is really simple for a new conference:

$Texas

[J.D.]

Re: College Football 2010: Dude, Where's my Conference?

Outside of snagging BYU, i.e. the Mormon Notre Dame, there aren't any mid-major programs left that would add any value to the Big 12. TCU? Houston? Tulsa? RIce? SMU? Louisiana Tech? New Mexico? They all have glaring flaws being small private schools or lower tier/commuter publics. They have small stadiums by BCS standards and generally field fairly weak Olympic sports teams/basketball.

I thought about this. What if at some point the New Big X (II?) is more lucrative than the SEC? I see two logical candidates in LSU and Arkansas. The SEC would then be looking to add two teams from the ACC IMO.

Possibly, what are your cross division permanent games?

Didn't think about that, but couldn't you just do a rotation on a year-to-year basis?

[mookie1995]

Re: College Football 2010: Dude, Where's my Conference?

Outside of snagging BYU, i.e. the Mormon Notre Dame, there aren't any mid-major programs left that would add any value to the Big 12. TCU? Houston? Tulsa? RIce? SMU? Louisiana Tech? New Mexico? They all have glaring flaws being small private schools or lower tier/commuter publics. They have small stadiums by BCS standards and generally field fairly weak Olympic sports teams/basketball.

should invite vanderbilt and louisville. think outta the box. (roughly same air distance from austin to lincoln with both)

foothold in SEC and Big 10(11, 12) country.

[Kepler]

Re: College Football 2010: Dude, Where's my Conference?

Hell, the Atlantic 10 conference has 15 members.

They're using base 15.

[dxmnkd316]

Re: College Football 2010: Dude, Where's my Conference?

Didn't think about that, but couldn't you just do a rotation on a year-to-year basis?

I don't think so. You have two of the oldest trophies on a rotating basis (which they currently are, but I think revival of the trophies as year to year would be good for the big ten):

West/Northwest:
MSU
Michigan
Minnesota
Iowa
Wisconsin
Nebraska

East/Southeast:
PSU
OSU
Indiana
Purdue
Illinois
Northwestern

Protected CROSS-DIVISION games:
MSU-PSU
Michigan-OSU
Minnesota-Northwestern
Iowa-Purdue
Wisconsin-Illinois
Nebraska-Indiana

Play every team in the respective division, plus their single protected cross-division rival, plus two cross-division rotating games.

All trophies except for the governor's victory bell are preserved (but no one cares about that trophy from either of the teams). All current Big Ten mandated protected rivalries are kept alive. All non-trophy rivalries are protected as well.

The geography works out, the power balance is good, and ****it, the myth that OSU and michigan must be in the same division is completely debunked.

[JF_Gophers]

Re: College Football 2010: Dude, Where's my Conference?

Why would Minnesota want to protect a game with Northwestern?

I hope you meant Wisconsin.

Seperately, the biggest issue the Big Ten has in division alignment is the balance of power. If the power teams are Michigan (historically), MSU, Penn State, Ohio State, Nebraska how do you break them up evenly and keep the most old rivals?

I would say this is as close as you can get. You could switch an Illinois for Northwestern if it made sense. I think Iowa and Nebraska need to be together. They are automatic border rivals and you would want to build that up.

Balance D1
Michigan
Michigan State
Ohio State
Illinois
Purdue
Indiana

Balance D2
Penn State
Nebraska
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Iowa
Northwestern

[dxmnkd316]

Re: College Football 2010: Dude, Where's my Conference?

Why would Minnesota want to protect a game with Northwestern?

I hope you meant Wisconsin.

Um, no, they play them every year since they are in the same division. The protected rivalry games are just the cross-division games.

Minnesota's only rival in the west/southwest division is Northwestern. I think over the past couple years we've seen a nice little rivalry build. The last two years have produced amazing games.

I think both schools are at about the same level of competitiveness and are about on the same level.

[dxmnkd316]

Re: College Football 2010: Dude, Where's my Conference?

Seperately, the biggest issue the Big Ten has in division alignment is the balance of power. If the power teams are Michigan (historically), MSU, Penn State, Ohio State, Nebraska how do you break them up evenly and keep the most old rivals?

I would say this is as close as you can get. You could switch an Illinois for Northwestern if it made sense. I think Iowa and Nebraska need to be together. They are automatic border rivals and you would want to build that up.

Balance D1
Michigan
Michigan State
Ohio State
Illinois
Purdue
Indiana

Balance D2
Penn State
Nebraska
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Iowa
Northwestern

You obviously missed the part where I did break them up as evenly as possible. You have five teams for two divisions. I have them three and two. Also, your geography isn't pretty. You have the westernmost team and the easternmost team in the same division.

In fact, the way I have it aligned, ALL RIVALRIES are preserved. All of them. Even the Iowa-Nebraska one you suggest.

[bronconick]

Re: College Football 2010: Dude, Where's my Conference?

Michigan and OSU should just be in the same division. So they're playing for a shot at the conference title instead of for the title itself like in years past. Somehow Florida-Georgia and Texas-Oklahoma survived such an indignity.

I think such a rivalry game probably hinders a rematch if they're playing each other yearly anyway.

The geography for a breakup doesn't mean much if you don't want it to. The ACC doesn't use divisions outside of football, for instance. The Big XII didn't either, while the SEC did.

[JF_Gophers]

Re: College Football 2010: Dude, Where's my Conference?

You obviously missed the part where I did break them up as evenly as possible. You have five teams for two divisions. I have them three and two. Also, your geography isn't pretty. You have the westernmost team and the easternmost team in the same division.

I didn't miss your breakdown. I just put two seperate posts into one so it looks like both are aimed at you.

Geography means nothing unless its a rival. I assume travel within the Big Ten is not a consideration.

[dxmnkd316]

Re: College Football 2010: Dude, Where's my Conference?

Michigan and OSU should just be in the same division. So they're playing for a shot at the conference title instead of for the title itself like in years past. Somehow Florida-Georgia and Texas-Oklahoma survived such an indignity.

I think such a rivalry game probably hinders a rematch if they're playing each other yearly anyway.

The geography for a breakup doesn't mean much if you don't want it to. The ACC doesn't use divisions outside of football, for instance. The Big XII didn't either, while the SEC did.

I still don't think that matters because the number of years they play each other where they are both at the top are going to be somewhat numbered. Take that and the fact that a single loss could cost a team their division championship. So playing the OSU-Michigan game would probably mean one team does not make it to the championship.

True, but I think the big ten will likely have the teams broken up geographically and I think the way I broke it up is aligned with how the big ten would like to see it. But that's IMHO.

And if you want to do basketball divisions, the way I broke it up still works. The competitive balance is shifted somewhat to the east, but that's fine. There's so many basketball games as is that you'll probably play everyone at least once as is.

[dxmnkd316]

Re: College Football 2010: Dude, Where's my Conference?

I didn't miss your breakdown. I just put two seperate posts into one so it looks like both are aimed at you.

Geography means nothing unless its a rival. I assume travel within the Big Ten is not a consideration.

Ah, ok. Makes sense then.

[alfablue]

Re: College Football 2010: Dude, Where's my Conference?

Let's be really radical...

BYU
SMU
Notre Dame

what other religious school has football?

Did someone mention Baylor as leaning?

Then we can have the offical face off to supremacy over God.

I'm sure some of the current "minor" schools would step it up given the offer to rule the hearts and minds of the US....

Although, probably only just apply to the Christian world, since I'm not aware of a Jewish or Muslim primary school in the US that has D1 football.

[Bob Gray]

Re: College Football 2010: Dude, Where's my Conference?

Why would Minnesota want to protect a game with Northwestern?

I hope you meant Wisconsin.

Seperately, the biggest issue the Big Ten has in division alignment is the balance of power. If the power teams are Michigan (historically), MSU, Penn State, Ohio State, Nebraska how do you break them up evenly and keep the most old rivals?

I would say this is as close as you can get. You could switch an Illinois for Northwestern if it made sense. I think Iowa and Nebraska need to be together. They are automatic border rivals and you would want to build that up.

Balance D1
Michigan
Michigan State
Ohio State
Illinois
Purdue
Indiana

Balance D2
Penn State
Nebraska
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Iowa
Northwestern

Nothing against the Spartans, but I don't think they belong with the other four teams you're listing as the traditional power teams in the Big Ten. I'd certainly throw Wisconsin in as the 5th over MSU.