USC, UCLA to join the Big Ten in 2024

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#285      

Mr. Tibbs

Mr. Tibbs
southeast DuPage
Mr. Tibbs
JJE said:
It's good to already be in the Big Ten. I'm fairly certain if we weren't already a part of it, we wouldn't be very high on the list for these last few spots in the BIG or SEC.
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I hear ya . but the same could be said for 7-8 schools in the league already .
 
#286      

Tacomallini

T
Washington State
Tacomallini
JJE said:
It's good to already be in the Big Ten. I'm fairly certain if we weren't already a part of it, we wouldn't be very high on the list for these last few spots in the BIG or SEC.
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Wait a minute, are we the Washington State Cougars of the B1G?
 
#289      

GForce

GForce
GForce
gibb52 said:
Cal would be a questionable add IMO as their Athletic Dept is a hot mess financially and their teams are not that good. If adding more from the Pac12 I'd vote for UDub/Oregon/Stanford/1 of the AZ schools.
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Cal's sports teams may be down right now, but it's the flagship U of the massive California system, with many sports-loving alums, and many of them deep-pocketed. Cal vs Stanford is one of the biggest/oldest rivalries in college football, even though it doesn't register much in the midwest.
 
#295      

Greensboro

Greensboro
Greensboro
the juiceman cometh said:
I see everyone mentioning these 4 but with the two SoCal schools already coming in, I wonder if it wouldn't make more sense to focus expansion on major markets in other states.The Bay area is a great market but it's not like it's completely dovorced from SoCal. I'd expect BTN gets into that market already with USC and UCLA. Maybe target states/markets where we have zero footprint like Arizona, Florida (FSU/Miami), Texas (Tech? Houston?), maybe Boston College.
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My thinking is it is only one of Stanford/Cal, certainly diminishing returns on the second. Academically both would be great, but end of the day this is about maximizing paychecks, so don't think you need both. Guessing Cal would be more attractive, state school, bigger alumni base
...It doesn't matter that they are rivals, big is holding the cards here & I suspect tonight we can have any other Pac12 team we want or Big 12 for that matter.

Personally I don't see the point in going too much higher, have your list of big fish that are worth it & wait for them. You just took the 2 most attractive teams from a conference that many thought was solid, largely because of geography & pulled UCLA out of the CA state school system leaving Cal to defend for itself...we are in a good position here, you don't add anyone that doesn't bring in more revenue than your average payout and probably at this point your bar should be higher than that. Big needs & can be very selective here, it is easy to add, but nearly impossible to get rid of a school.

ACC I think has TV rights tied up until 2036, so they don't have any value to the Big 10 until GOR is up, so I don't expect anything to happen there soon. Could it break NC of ND lose down the road, maybe...I think you wait for those guys before you go adding just anyone because you can.

Still holding out hope that Texas A&M is upset enough about letting Texas into the SEC that they consider options or Texas decides the Big10 with USC/UCLA is a better choice and can figure out a way to wiggle out of SEC...getting an SEC school is likely a pipe dream, but would be a major coup in conference pecking order. But then just last week I would have told you USC/UCLA was a pipe dream.

We need to think B1G
 
#296      

AutoPoster 3000

AutoPoster 3000
AutoPoster 3000
Ander1345 said:
Way worse.
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This is vastly overstated. Illinois consistently ranks midpack in the B1G in athletic department revenues (the number that matters). We’re certainly not among the conference elites, but we’re hardly the runts of the litter either (Rutgers has literally half our revenues). I mean if Illinois is unworthy of expanded B1G membership, then neither is Michigan Stste or Minnesota.
 
#297      

CDRUSN

CDRUSN
CDRUSN
IlliniFaninHoosierLand said:
Some of my initial thoughts on this (my apologies in advance if any of these have been mentioned already)...

B1G has got A LOT of TV money rolling in, especially since I think their new TV deal starts this year. With adding USC and UCLA, you would now have BTN in the three biggest TV markets in the country.

The next biggest TV market out west that would have schools interested in leaving is probably Phoenix. I wonder if Arizona and Arizona State ask if they can come along with USC and UCLA to the B1G.

With all due respect to the folks at Wazzu and Oregon State, places like Pullman and Corvallis aren't really bringing in much. Eugene probably doesn't either if Nike isn't right there.

Does the Pac-12 bring in someone like Gonzaga as a basketball-only school? Do they try and poach the Mountain West?

Does Mizzou see what's happening and consider leaving the SEC for the B1G?
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I really would not like to see Mizzou in the Big Ten, mostly because of inferior academics. In the latest 2022 college academic rankings, they are all the way down at #122. With the exception of outlier Nebraska (#136), the lowest rated Big Ten school is Iowa (#83). We don't need to add a second school dragging down the Big Ten's reputation for academic excellence. Plus, they are Mizzou, with all the scummy behavior their basketball and football programs have been involved with over the years. Any plusses they would bring seem to me to be greatly outweighed by the minuses. I understand it would be a big win for Mizzou, but I don't see where the Big Ten benefits much.
 
#298      

phats22

P
phats22
Someone smarter than me help- previous conversations about sports revenue vs academic endowment suggested academics still is the bigger deal.

I remembering that correctly? If so, what schools offer the best combo - Stanford and ND, others?

Do these mergers even deal with academics?
 
#299      

Greensboro

Greensboro
Greensboro
AutoPoster 3000 said:
One must assume that the professional decision makers at USC and UCLA calculated that there is a high probability, if not certainty, that once they announced this move, the key programs on their coast would follow suit and join them. Those California schools don’t care if they never play Washington State or Utah ever again. But they’re going to want an October and November schedule full of their nearby traditional rivals. Everyone will want that. Ratings and money flow will demand it. But those schools can’t walk out for the press conference and say “oh BTW wink wink Stanford and Cal and some other friends will be coming along too.”
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I think the everyone in the Pac12 would like to follow suit and join them...but the B1G is the gate keepers, we need to do what is right for the B1G as a whole. A trip to Southern California once a year or every other year is a good recruiting tool, making a couple trips a year there probably starts getting old. Even worse for basketball and other sports. If the whole of the PAC12 was such a good deal they would be making B1G money already & wouldn't need to leave. We can, should, and will be selective.
 
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