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B1G rumored to be looking at 6 more schools

jabba2

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Aug 5, 2008
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According to a new report from CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd the conference may be heading back to the Pac-12 well.

Dodd mentioned four west coast schools, and a pair of Florida schools in his latest report. Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren shut down the rumors at media day.

Personally I think 2 is enough on the West Coast. FSU is more desirable and Miami is just OK.
 
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According to a new report from CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd the conference may be heading back to the Pac-12 well.

Dodd mentioned four west coast schools, and a pair of Florida schools in his latest report. Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren shut down the rumors at media day.

Personally I think 2 is enough on the West Coast. FSU is more desirable and Miami is just OK.
well, if ND holds the B1G will look at Stanford, Oregon, and Washington. You also have qualifiers in Utah, AZ, AZ State and Colorado
 
I wouldn’t bother with the Florida ones but I could see getting to 20 total with some combination of the western schools or Notre Dame.
 
I wouldn’t bother with the Florida ones but I could see getting to 20 total with some combination of the western schools or Notre Dame.
Does anyone know specifically what the penalty is for leaving the ACC early? Some of the numbers that I have heard are very high.
TIA.
 
Clearly the Big Ten dropped this nugget to Dodd in hopes ramping up pressure on ND. Get on or get left behind.

first off I think there is virtually no chance that any of these teams are invited any time soon (unless ND jumps and changes the dynamics). If the Big Ten actually wanted any Pac12 teams they would have added them at the same time or shortly after USC/UCLA.

I think this was leaked mostly to keep the PAC-12 teams from locking each other up - why sign a long term GOR if the Big Ten might be calling sometime soon? They want Washington and Stanford etc to be available if they are needed but don’t want them right now.

Also probably doesn’t hurt that dangling Cal out there might soften the complaints from the California politicians. (I think there’s close to zero chance Cal ever gets added; they just don’t bring enough value despite the stellar academics)
 
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$100M exit fee or something like that. Thats roughly one year of revenue in the new B1G.
I believe that's the number for ND only because they aren't included in the ACC GOR for football. For ND the break up fee is less than the others and I've heard the same, about $100M, which would be easy for them to make up in the Big 10.
 
I think the Florida schools would be a fantastic add just for the idea that the BIG would be deep in SEC territory. California and Florida recruiting within the same conference. Sounds like a huge win….
And great road trips
 
first off I think there is virtually no chance that any of these teams are invited any time soon (unless ND jumps and changes the dynamics). If the Big Ten actually wanted any Pac12 teams they would have added them at the same time or shortly after USC/UCLA.

I think this was leaked mostly to keep the PAC-12 teams from locking each other up - why sign a long term GOR if the Big Ten might be calling sometime soon? They want Washington and Stanford etc to be available if they are needed but don’t want them right now.

Also probably doesn’t hurt that dangling Cal out there might soften the complaints from the California politicians. (I think there’s close to zero chance Cal ever gets added; they just don’t bring enough value despite the stellar academics)
Agree, especially about Cal. Great academics, bad football. The last time they won the conference and went to the Rose Bowl people were buying Edsels. They would be a perennial doormat in a bigger, stronger Big Ten. And they wouldn't add much as far as fan interest. The 49ers own the Bay Area, not Cal, they same was the Steelers own Pittsburgh, not Pitt.
 
Clearly the Big Ten dropped this nugget to Dodd in hopes ramping up pressure on ND. Get on or get left behind.
There's no pressure. If they add schools now and go to 20 when ND finally stops being stubborn they'll go to 24. And if they're at 24 they'll go to 25-28. I don't know why people aren't realizing what's going on still.
 
first off I think there is virtually no chance that any of these teams are invited any time soon (unless ND jumps and changes the dynamics). If the Big Ten actually wanted any Pac12 teams they would have added them at the same time or shortly after USC/UCLA.

I think this was leaked mostly to keep the PAC-12 teams from locking each other up - why sign a long term GOR if the Big Ten might be calling sometime soon? They want Washington and Stanford etc to be available if they are needed but don’t want them right now.

Also probably doesn’t hurt that dangling Cal out there might soften the complaints from the California politicians. (I think there’s close to zero chance Cal ever gets added; they just don’t bring enough value despite the stellar academics)
You're still in denial
 
Nobody actually thinks the exit fee will hold if one of the Virginia or North Caroline public schools (or Pitt) challenges it in court. The legislature for the NC/VA schools and very likely Pitt would need to agree to the grant of rights and they didn’t.
 
Agree, especially about Cal. Great academics, bad football. The last time they won the conference and went to the Rose Bowl people were buying Edsels. They would be a perennial doormat in a bigger, stronger Big Ten. And they wouldn't add much as far as fan interest. The 49ers own the Bay Area, not Cal, they same was the Steelers own Pittsburgh, not Pitt.
Yeah. If you are going to add a Bay Area team, Stanford is the clear option. But even they seem kind of a stretch unless they are the +1 for another team (I.e. along with Notre Dame or maybe a Washington/Stanford combo).
 
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Nobody actually thinks the exit fee will hold if one of the Virginia or North Caroline public schools (or Pitt) challenges it in court. The legislature for the NC/VA schools and very likely Pitt would need to agree to the grant of rights and they didn’t.
The exit fee isn’t a massive issue and it can be negotiated. The separate - and vastly more expensive - issue is the Grant of Rights and they are literally a couple hundred million per school to buy back. And while it feels plausible that these things could be fought in court, it’s telling that neither Texas/Oklahoma or USC/UCLA are bothering to do so and are just waiting until their current GORs expire to join new leagues.

At this point I tend to believe the ACC GOR is an insurmountable obstacle and we won’t see anyone jump from that league until closer to the end of the contract. It will be telling if the impending Big Ten TV deal ends at the same time or just before the ACC deal indicating they will try to pick up ACC teams then.
 
Yeah. If you are going to add a Bay Area team, Stanford is the clear option. But even they seem kind of a stretch unless they are the +1 for another team (I.e. along with Notre Dame or maybe a Washington/Stanford combo).
This whole thing is starting to feel like trading baseball cards back in the day. The concept of the Big 10 being primarily large state schools plus Northwestern as the elite private is gone. The "fit" of the academic side plus all of the research benefits touted when we joined are irrelevant now.

USC and Miami are small private schools who overperform in major sports. I'd imagine that there is significant overlap amongst applicants at these two schools.

Stanford is the same but they are excellent at country club/Olympic sports and good at stick and ball sports. Note Dame is Notre Dame. Again, it is reasonable to think they share an application base as both are up the ladder from Da U and So Cal.

Cal, Washington, Oregon, Florida State and UCLA fit the old Big model and feel more like overall fits. But none of this matters anyway, as it is only about sports, revenue, and eye balls.

Geography plays a bit of a role, and the concept of being in FL and CA is intriguing. But it feels like the beginning of the end to me. While I don't like it I think we should just get 'em all...why not?
 
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I'm also thinking about the oft rumored creation of a sports based Ivy League ll of similar universities. Money is a driver in everything, but once conferences have no geographic connection, how long do the elite privates stick in the mega conferences- especially if they are getting whipped in most sports?

Vandy, Northwestern, Duke, Wake will struggle mightily. Throw in Tulane, Rice and maybe Stanford plus others like BC and go their own way. Conference money matters but at what point for well endowed schools do they get out of the NIL leagues?
 
I'm also thinking about the oft rumored creation of a sports based Ivy League ll of similar universities. Money is a driver in everything, but once conferences have no geographic connection, how long do the elite privates stick in the mega conferences- especially if they are getting whipped in most sports?

Vandy, Northwestern, Duke, Wake will struggle mightily. Throw in Tulane, Rice and maybe Stanford plus others like BC and go their own way. Conference money matters but at what point for well endowed schools do they get out of the NIL leagues?
Each of those schools have a specific sport or two where they excel, but I could see that conference working out for them except with Duke basketball
 
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The exit fee isn’t a massive issue and it can be negotiated. The separate - and vastly more expensive - issue is the Grant of Rights and they are literally a couple hundred million per school to buy back. And while it feels plausible that these things could be fought in court, it’s telling that neither Texas/Oklahoma or USC/UCLA are bothering to do so and are just waiting until their current GORs expire to join new leagues.

At this point I tend to believe the ACC GOR is an insurmountable obstacle and we won’t see anyone jump from that league until closer to the end of the contract. It will be telling if the impending Big Ten TV deal ends at the same time or just before the ACC deal indicating they will try to pick up ACC teams then.
Let me clarify, the entire agreement will go down in a heap of flames when challenged by a Virginia school. The whole kit and caboodle.
 
Didn't Kevin Warren say that the B10 won't consider expansion (again) until your new media rights deal is done?
 
Didn't Kevin Warren say that the B10 won't consider expansion (again) until your new media rights deal is done?
Didn't he say their was an alliance with the ACC and Pac XII while he was working behind the scenes to take USC/UCLA? Reality is nothing they say has any meaning. We know it's only a matter of time before the Big Ten and SEC expand.
 
I dont see how they can argue that Cal Berkeley must be included. What makes them more special the San Bernardino and the other campuses?
Yeah, if they cared this much for the Cal system, why didn’t they force the PAC-12 to add other Cal system teams over the years (or now)?

All this is just political bluster for show. Nothing is going to happen regarding UCLA joining and Cal will not be joining the Big Ten. The most extreme thing that would potentially happen is UCLA pulling out and then the Big Ten would invite Stanford or Washington instead. And I can’t imagine California politicians being that stupid to hurt both UC schools.
 
Didn't Kevin Warren say that the B10 won't consider expansion (again) until your new media rights deal is done?
I wouldn’t necessarily trust anything he says because it’s “true”… until it’s not.

That said I think that unless Notre Dame jumps the Big Ten won’t add anyone else before signing a new TV deal this summer.
 
But why would they?
There are a lot of rumors floating around indicating that the Big Ten's end game is much bigger than people think and both Virginia schools will definitely want in so they need to tear down the agreement.
 
Yeah, if they cared this much for the Cal system, why didn’t they force the PAC-12 to add other Cal system teams over the years (or now)?

All this is just political bluster for show. Nothing is going to happen regarding UCLA joining and Cal will not be joining the Big Ten. The most extreme thing that would potentially happen is UCLA pulling out and then the Big Ten would invite Stanford or Washington instead. And I can’t imagine California politicians being that stupid to hurt both UC schools.
Only two of the University of California has 10 campuses have FBS football programs; there are no other UC teams to add to the Pac 12. The only other UC campus with a football program is Davis, which is FCS.

Because Cal's stadium sits on a fault line, Cal borrowed more than $400 million for a retrofit of the stadium to seismic safety standards that was completed around 2012 They're now having trouble paying off those bonds and UCLA leaving the Pac 12 will almost certainly affect Cal's revenues in an adverse way.

And don't think this is just a "politician" issue and political bluster. The UC has one, single Board of Regents for the entire university. Each campus has a Chancellor who answers to the BoR. I forget the exact number of Regents, but the large majority of them are appointed by the Governor; there's no insulated, self-reproducing cabal like the B&I trustees. Also unlike PSU's BoT where the Pennsylvania Governor's has non-voting ex officio seat, Newsom is not only a voting member as governor he's also the Board's president. I can imagine that Newsom would be having some special conversations with the Berkeley and LA chancellors and ADs right about now.
 
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Yeah, if they cared this much for the Cal system, why didn’t they force the PAC-12 to add other Cal system teams over the years (or now)?

All this is just political bluster for show. Nothing is going to happen regarding UCLA joining and Cal will not be joining the Big Ten. The most extreme thing that would potentially happen is UCLA pulling out and then the Big Ten would invite Stanford or Washington instead. And I can’t imagine California politicians being that stupid to hurt both UC schools.
That is pretty much how political intervention typically goes like when AOC kept NY from getting new Amazon headquarters jobs or these politicians driving big business and population away from their state with woke policy, high taxes, and high crime.
 
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ND has until 2025 to make their decision. B1G doesn’t have to do anything until then. They will raid the P12 again targeting the AAU schools. Same with the ACC schools with AAU status. The B1G vision is pretty clear and FSU and Miami don’t fit the B1G model.
 
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ND has until 2025 to make their decision. B1G doesn’t have to do anything until then. They will raid the P12 again targeting the AAU schools. Same with the ACC schools with AAU status. The B1G vision is pretty clear and FSU and Miami don’t fit the B1G model.
The biggest concern would be if PAC12 teams sign a new/longer GOR and be unavailable as a partner with ND.
 
Why would any of the schools mentioned/rumored to be looked at by the BIG even consider locking themselves into a shitty deal for less $$ for any amount of time when the can reap huge $$$ even if less than the full amount. Likely double what they would get in PAC, even with a lower BIG payout than normal.
 
Big Ten will wait for UNC and UVA.

Two institutions that fit and would help build a strong East Coast presence up and down the Mid-Atlantic.

Good for Penn State and the Big Ten.

No reason to just grab schools out west willy nilly.
 
Why would any of the schools mentioned/rumored to be looked at by the BIG even consider locking themselves into a shitty deal for less $$ for any amount of time when the can reap huge $$$ even if less than the full amount. Likely double what they would get in PAC, even with a lower BIG payout than normal.
Oh I agree. I actually think this “rumor” about looking at those schools had nothing to do with actually taking them any time soon and everything to do with keeping them from locking into a longer GOR that would make them unavailable. The Big Ten wants Washington, Stanford, Oregon, etc available to join in a reasonable timeframe if and when they are invited.

They surely would want to keep their options open as they wait on Notre Dame.
 
Big Ten will wait for UNC and UVA.

Two institutions that fit and would help build a strong East Coast presence up and down the Mid-Atlantic.

Good for Penn State and the Big Ten.

No reason to just grab schools out west willy nilly.
I think they are going to grab six or more schools from out west and a couple of the ACC before this is over.
 
Big Ten will wait for UNC and UVA.

Two institutions that fit and would help build a strong East Coast presence up and down the Mid-Atlantic.

Good for Penn State and the Big Ten.

No reason to just grab schools out west willy nilly.
Honestly, I don’t get the fixation with Cal, Stanford, and Virginia. I’m not trying to be rude, but just being blunt- None of them are any good in football. They don’t bring any national interest at all. Hell, they don’t bring any local interest either. No one in the San Francisco market cares about Cal or Stanford football. All 3 of those schools are money losers. They certainly don’t bring in $100 mil each.

As for UNC, I’m not sure what to make of them. They’re more reasonable than the other 3, but that’s not saying much. I know Delaney wanted them since he was a Tarheel alum but he’s gone now.

Generally, people in North Carolina don’t care about Carolina football……… other than it means Carolina basketball is just around the corner. ;) If you take them do you have to take Duke or NC State?

I’d love to see the numbers on what is projected that UNC would bring to the conference.
 
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Honestly, I don’t get the fixation with Cal, Stanford, and Virginia. I’m not trying to be rude, but just being blunt- None of them are any good in football. They don’t bring any national interest at all. Hell, they don’t bring any local interest either. No one in the San Francisco market cares about Cal or Stanford football. All 3 of those schools are money losers. They certainly don’t bring in $100 mil each.

As for UNC, I’m not sure what to make of them. They’re more reasonable than the other 3, but that’s not saying much. I know Delaney wanted them since he was a Tarheel alum but he’s gone now.

Generally, people in North Carolina don’t care about Carolina football……… other than it means Carolina basketball is just around the corner. ;) If you take them do you have to take Duke or NC State?

I’d love to see the numbers on what is projected that UNC brings to the conference.
I absolutely agree with what you are saying about Cal, Stanford and Virginia. This isn't the college quiz bowl. This is a football conference where the athletes are being paid to play, albeit in a backdoor creative accounting way. Any additions to the conference have to be willing to play that game and make enough of a commitment to be competitive. And when I say competitive I mean with on a SEC level because that is where 'college' football is going at least in the top division. The Big 10 needs to ask itself when considering adding a team does this make our conference stronger? Do they help us match up against the SEC? Just being bigger does not help. Face it, the SEC is the best conference. The Big Ten is number two forget the rest. If the Big Ten improves its quality of football they and the SEC can form their own division and a playoff system for a champion. They will get the prime TV contracts and money and everyone else loses.

There aren't many good candidates left for expansion. That's my take. Oregon, Washington, Notre Dame, Clemson, Florida State, what else? Not much.
 
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