Conference Realignment Thread (Maryland & Rutgers join the Big Ten conference)

[Serious Late]

Originally Posted by illinifan4249

At this point instead of constantly doing all of this conference realignment and things, they should just blow up all the conferences and get everyone together and make all new conferences from scratch and get it over with at once instead of dragging it out.

As an Illini fan, this would be the last thing we would ever want.

Guaranteed seat at the most powerful conference in the country vs. re-doing it where we may or may not be left out in the cold...

Its never going to happen, so we don't need to worry about it. But I really don't understand why any Illini fan would have any interest in that.

The best part of all this, the core of the B1G has been rock solid. Meanwhile, the Big 12, ACC and Big East (in addition to the smaller conferences, like my secondary conference of the Mountain West) have all lost charter members and big time programs. There has been not a sniff of dissension within our conference. Why would we ever want that to change?

[HsvIllini]

Originally Posted by illinifan4249

At this point instead of constantly doing all of this conference realignment and things, they should just blow up all the conferences and get everyone together and make all new conferences from scratch and get it over with at once instead of dragging it out.

And it should be done by drawing names out of a hat

[NEIlliniFan]

Well, I'm pretty psyched about seeing the Illini in person. 2014/15 Heat We Come!

[Dan]

Jim Delany discusses addition of Maryland

With so much realignment elsewhere, Delany said the league had to question its vulnerability.

"It's pretty obvious to us that the paradigm has shifted," Delany said. "It's not your father's Big Ten. It's probably not your father's ACC. The paradigm shift is that other conferences had [expanded], we had chosen not to, and we explored the collaboration [with the Pac-12]. It couldn't be executed. The Pac-12 couldn't do what they thought they could do. ...

"We said, how do we participate in the new paradigm? Our answer was let's look at contiguous states first, let's look at AAU members first, and let's figure out if there is a way to continue to bridge from Penn State into the Mid-Atlantic. Is there a way to collaborate with like institutions, to grow our footprint, to compete and to position ourselves for the future? We determined this is the best way to accomplish those ends."

Rittenberg

[Dan]

Maryland will be a Big Ten member as of July 1, 2014. President Loh says board voted "very strongly" to endorse move to Big Ten.

http://twitter.com/ESPN_BigTen

[Fighting Billini]

Wait, what was this potential "collaboration with the Pac12" of which Delany speaks?

[Dan]

Official release-

University Of Maryland To Join The Big Ten Conference

The Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors (COP/C) announced unanimous approval today for the University of Maryland to join the Big Ten Conference effective July 1, 2014, with competition to begin in all sports for the 2014-15 academic year. The University of Maryland also looks forward to joining the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), a consortium of world-class research institutions dedicated to advancing their academic missions.

“Today is a watershed moment for the University of Maryland,” said university president Dr. Wallace D. Loh. “Membership in the Big Ten Conference is in the strategic interest of the University of Maryland. It will not only ensure the financial vitality of Maryland Athletics for decades to come, but the extensive opportunities in the CIC for collaborations with our peer AAU and flagship universities in education, research, and innovation will boost the University of Maryland’s ascendancy in academic excellence.”

“The Big Ten Presidents and Chancellors are pleased to welcome the University of Maryland to the Big Ten Conference,” said COP/C Chair and University of Iowa President Sally Mason. “The University of Maryland is one of the premier public research universities in the country and represents a natural alignment with our other member institutions. Their top-ranked academic and athletic programs will be a tremendous addition to our conference.”

http://www.bigten.org/genrel/111912aac.html

[Dan]

At least Maryland prez being honest about move to B10. We were broke. This is about money

http://twitter.com/DanWetzel

[quhawks12]

Love the fact they are going to start reinstating teams that they previously cut.

[Dan]

July 2, 2012- Maryland cuts seven sports on ‘sad day’ in College Park

Maryland prez says B10 membership will allow it to reinstate cut teams. Bravo.

http://twitter.com/dennisdoddcbs

[Dan]

Originally Posted by Fighting Billini

Wait, what was this potential "collaboration with the Pac12" of which Delany speaks?

http://espn.go.com/college-football/...ll-partnership

[ILL_INI]

Originally Posted by Fighting Billini

Wait, what was this potential "collaboration with the Pac12" of which Delany speaks?

The two conferences were going to play each other in all sports. Pac-12 football coaches killed it, from what I understand.

[RedButkus]

Originally Posted by Groundhogday

I can certainly see this as a viable addition. Perhaps the only reason we didn't do it earlier was that everyone was waiting for ND to make a move. The potential addition of the NY/NJ and NOVA TV markets could make this fly. These are also two more land-grant schools that fit the B1G culturally and academically.

[trevdv]

We may be the Indians, but we just moved from the AL Central to the AL East. RT @GChums:We’ve been wolf fodder for the past 2 decades in fb.

https://twitter.com/ALionEye

[Dan]

#BigTen commissioner Jim Delany: "Maybe some people fear the turtle. We embrace the turtle."

http://twitter.com/sunjeffbarker

[Dan]

Delany says the Big Ten will have an office on the East Coast as well. Main HQ will be in Rosemont, Ill., soon (now Park Ridge, Ill.)

http://twitter.com/ESPN_BigTen

[Botb9]

What Jim Delany does on his own time is none of my business.

[champaignchris]

Love or hate this move, one thing you have to admit...

Jim Delaney is a mutha-effin ninja!

From breaking news to done deal in 48 hours, without a whisper beforehand.

[IlliniKat91]

Originally Posted by wpr

Sorry Kat you lose. I run my own insurance agency.

...

That said feelings do matter in sports. Giant corps count on it. (Which includes universities.) They count on it all the way to the bank. Do you think Michigan counts on a bunch of chuckle heads painting themselves maize and blue every Saturday even though they may not have tickets to the game? Sure they do.

Ah, well, not the first time I've gambled and lost.

And while fan feelings matter (you're 100% right, they do play on fan loyalty to keep money rolling in), loving your school doesn't change depending on the conference. They'll still love Maryland, and they'll keep going to games regardless of whether they're B1G or ACC.

I can't speak for you or anyone else, but I know from my perspective if Illinois jumped to the Big 12, I might be annoyed, but I would still cheer for Illini sports. The only way I'd be really upset is if I thought we were moving down a conference; frankly, the ACC has always tanked in football, and other than Duke and UNC, they haven't been a consistent basketball powerhouse, either. I would say the B1G trumps them in both regards.

So, I suppose I would have to revise my statement: your feelings only matter if money can be made off them. If your hurt feelings won't negatively impact the bottom line, nobody gives a $h!t.

Some Maryland fans want to think they can still hang in the ACC. Bad news, boys, you can't. You need our TV money. Their fans will whine a bit this year, get used to the idea next year, and be glad to join the year after that.

[ILL_INI]

Originally Posted by Dan

Delany says the Big Ten will have an office on the East Coast as well. Main HQ will be in Rosemont, Ill., soon (now Park Ridge, Ill.)

Well, they need something to spend their money on. And it doesn't seem to make sense to have an East Coast office for only 2 teams on the coast, so if anyone questioned if this would stop at 14, I think this is your answer.

[IlliniKat91]

Originally Posted by ILL_INI

Well, they need something to spend their money on. And it doesn't seem to make sense to have an East Coast office for only 2 teams on the coast, so if anyone questioned if this would stop at 14, I think this is your answer.

PSU and OSU would also be closer to an East Coast office.

[Groundhogday]

Originally Posted by ILL_INI

Well, they need something to spend their money on. And it doesn't seem to make sense to have an East Coast office for only 2 teams on the coast, so if anyone questioned if this would stop at 14, I think this is your answer.

The east coast office won't be there to serve Maryland, Rutgers and Penn State (remember, PA has a coastline.) The office will exist to build media relations and negotiate cable contracts... for all B1G teams.

If there are two more teams added to the fold, I would guess the move would be more South than northeast. Open season on the ACC.

[MikeThomas4Prez]

Scott Van Pelt, a Maryland grad, spent his "One Big Thing" on the conference switch. Thought he did a good job explaining it from their point of view.

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=8653119

[Lasagna]

Originally Posted by Groundhogday

Penn State brings down the B1G academically? Maryland and Rutgers are unworthy? Please go back and read the posts with research university rankings. All three of these schools fit in the B1G academically.

Maybe its just me, but I enjoyed being associated with cream of the crop. Is penn state an awful school? No. But neither are some ACC and Big East schools. I'm simply saying that when you have Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Northwestern, etc., you have top25 universities. And arguably, that is why people cheered for this conference. These were the smartest kids and they were competing athletically. When you start diluting that with the Nebraskas of the world (where N stands for Knowledge), the brand gets a little less respect.

[ILL_INI]

Originally Posted by IlliniKat91

PSU and OSU would also be closer to an East Coast office.

State College would be closer, but not Columbus. By East Coast, I mean D.C., Philly or NYC.