So I wonder if the Big 10 will try to seduce ND to become part of the conference again? Perhaps last go-round, Big 10 officials asked this question: "If we were the last conference on the earth, do we have a chance of you joining us?" to which Notre Dame replied with "Maybe." The Big 10 brass thought, "There's still a chance!"
Big 10 = Unrequited Lover
I imagine speculation is out there on who the Big Ten conference will court this time, and here are my so-called thoughts:
- U of Pittsburgh: They expanded over to Happy Vallley, so why not the Land of Piroges?
- U of Cincinnati: Since they've become a football power at present, this might make sense. However, I wonder how long that will last.
- U of Louisville: This would be a serious expansion southward for the conference. Athletically the school is strong in both football and basketball. For U of L, a move from the Big East to the Big Ten is a no-brainer.
- Boston College: "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes ... you just might find ... you get what you need." This is a very strong academic school, and they're good in football. This would mess up the ACC, and Boston is long ways from Big 10 country though.
- Iowa State: What if ISU jumps ship to the Big 10 and then TCU moves into the Big 12 where it should be? Pipe dreams, yes. But this makes lots of sense, people. I smell conspiracy and collusion.
So what do all of you sports fans think?
Who should the Big 10 seriously court?
2 comments:
Round these parts, the talk today was about Mizzou getting the invite to join the B10.
I don't get it, what makes the Big 10 more attractive than the Big 12? The B10 can't even count. :)
Seriously, though, in football and basketball the two conferences seem to be close to each other in quality. Right now B12 is maybe a bit ahead in both, but that will change year to year. I don't follow the other college sports to know how they rank, but those are the two big ones, obviously.
I guess there is more money with the Big 10 TV network, but I imagine the Big 12 (and SEC, Pac-10, etc.) will have one in a few years.
As far as academics go, does it really matter anymore? Before the information age exploded and the thousands of college ratings lists were easy to find, maybe there was a signal-value to being able to say "We are a Big 10 school".
But I doubt that is still effective.
I definitely see the value in a school moving from a non-BCS to a BCS for the money and prestige, but I don't see the value from moving between BCS conferences.
There was a column today in the local paper that also mentioned Mizzou, and an official at MU put the kibosh on that, noting that the Mizzou-IL game will expire next year, they're happy being in the Big 12, etc. Mizzou going to the Big 10 makes no sense.
Big 10 schools do have academic prestige if you value huge, research universities. But I see that image as more of a factor when you're talking about graduate programs since the undergraduate experience at those behemoths can be alienating and strange [mid-size to small college liberal arts bias].
There might some academic weak links in the Big 12 though.
But like you said, the "signal-value" of being a Big Ten school is minimal at best.
I think Pitt is the frontrunner even though JoePa also mentioned Rutgers and Syracus. Rutgers?!?
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