ADVERTISEMENT

USC & UCLA

Wow! This is pretty big news if it happens.

Then again the big 10 is going to get so big, they will talk about splitting it up at some point in the future. The pendulum swings.
 
Very doubtful, there's never actually been a rule that says a Big Ten team must have wrestling. Just one of those old wives tales that has spread across our community.
 
Very doubtful, there's never actually been a rule that says a Big Ten team must have wrestling. Just one of those old wives tales that has spread across our community.
There is no rule but if they join, I truly believe they will develop a wrestling program for possibly 4 years down the road, say, 2025-2026.
 
UCLA crowned its first individual NCAA champion in 1979 at HWT & had five NCAA qualifiers in 1980, two of which were All Americans. Mark Schultz was an NCAA qualifier his freshman year for UCLA in ‘79 and his brother Dave had transferred to UCLA from Oklahoma State that year and was sitting out. They must have sensed the program was going to be dropped after the following year and they both took off for OU together. Dave lost a year of eligibility with that second transfer to OU.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sandiegohawk
I wouldn't be surprised to see Nolf get a coaching job if these 2 do add wrestling
 
So is he suggesting that there are few current B1G schools that have felt pressure to field a wrestling squad that would no longer feel that pressure if the C’s get a pass? Or is it more complicated?
All the current B1G wrestling programs were in existence when they joined the B1G. He could be saying, that a few schools are only keeping wrestling because they are in the B1G. Maryland could fit that description.
 
They won't...
Folks on ESPN say otherwise about both schools expanding to Olympic Sports. Not to say it will happen but USC appears to be closer to adding wrestling (as a Varsity sport) than UCLA. It is all a crap shoot right now and more so for football than anything else.

On a different topic.
I would not see the Big Ten stopping here either. The Big Ten has always been enamored by BC (due to the Boston TV Market) and Louisville. Although it would not be a prime football school but more so a basketball addition, the Big Ten also likes Kansas. Unless Miami and Clemson leave for the SEC, and the ACC folds (or has lesser competition giving ND an out or ND buys out there contract), currently Notre Dame has to stay with the ACC due to a clause in the agreement that if they were to join a conference it would have to be the ACC. I also believe that UNC and VA Tech may make a push to join the Big Ten as well.

I would love to hear other peoples opinions but it is just hard to fathom a college sports landscape that will ultimately be determined by about 40-50 schools in 2 conferences.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SUPERTODD
I don't think anyone involved in making this deal happen, which is all about brand consolidation and TV money, gave a second of thought to wrestling, and I'm having trouble imagining why UCLA and USC would necessarily bother. It'd be great if they did, but I see more risk than appeal.

In the meantime I'll just be over here F5'ing the ticketmaster page to lock in seats for Rutgers UCLA.
 
It absolutely won't happen, I'm sorry yall but unless they are forced they aren't adding wrestling. Name the last huge university that did so....
 
Folks on ESPN say otherwise about both schools expanding to Olympic Sports. Not to say it will happen but USC appears to be closer to adding wrestling (as a Varsity sport) than UCLA. It is all a crap shoot right now and more so for football than anything else.

On a different topic.
I would not see the Big Ten stopping here either. The Big Ten has always been enamored by BC (due to the Boston TV Market) and Louisville. Although it would not be a prime football school but more so a basketball addition, the Big Ten also likes Kansas. Unless Miami and Clemson leave for the SEC, and the ACC folds (or has lesser competition giving ND an out or ND buys out there contract), currently Notre Dame has to stay with the ACC due to a clause in the agreement that if they were to join a conference it would have to be the ACC. I also believe that UNC and VA Tech may make a push to join the Big Ten as well.

I would love to hear other peoples opinions but it is just hard to fathom a college sports landscape that will ultimately be determined by about 40-50 schools in 2 conferences.
The ACC has a poison pill agreement with all of its members thru 2026. I doubt any conference would stomach the necessary bailout for anyone other than ND, which doesn't want a shared football revenue pool.

Conference folding would do the trick, but how likely is that? B10 and SEC would find easier (and possibly more profitable) targets without waiting.

I don't get the infatuation with Kansas. What exactly do they bring to the table? Rutgers with a lot fewer TVs. They incrementally grow B10 footprint when the conference is swinging for the fences.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cali_Nittany
When in doubt, look at TV market sizes:
https://oaaa.org › Portals › O...PDF
2021 NIELSEN DMA RANKINGS - OAAA

Here are the Top 30 markets not under B10 or SEC control:
6 - San Francisco = 2.65M
10 - Boston = 2.49M
11 - Phoenix = 2.16M
12 - Seattle = 2.10M
13 - Tampa (?) = 2.04M
16 - Denver = 1.80M
17 - Orlando (?) = 1.73M
18 - Miami = 1.69M
20 - Sacramento = 1.46M
21 - Portland = 1.36M
22 - Charlotte = 1.29M
24 - Raleigh = 1.24M
26 - Pittsburgh = 1.17M
27 - San Diego = 1.13M
30 - Salt Lake City = 1.10M

? = I don't know how Tampa and Orlando are split between Florida and Florida State, contractually.

USC + UCLA bring the SF and Sacto markets. Also, Stanford doesn't have a wide fan base, and Berkeley doesn't care about football.

Boston can't happen due to the ACC poison pill.

That leaves Washington, Arizona State, and Colorado as the most likely targets. ASU doesn't fit academics. Colorado doesn't fit athletics (though there is some long-term potential growth). Washington fits both.

Oregon is with Washington most likely. They don't fit academics, but there's zero chance of turning away that marketing prowess.
 
When in doubt, look at TV market sizes:
https://oaaa.org › Portals › O...PDF
2021 NIELSEN DMA RANKINGS - OAAA

Here are the Top 30 markets not under B10 or SEC control:
6 - San Francisco = 2.65M
10 - Boston = 2.49M
11 - Phoenix = 2.16M
12 - Seattle = 2.10M
13 - Tampa (?) = 2.04M
16 - Denver = 1.80M
17 - Orlando (?) = 1.73M
18 - Miami = 1.69M
20 - Sacramento = 1.46M
21 - Portland = 1.36M
22 - Charlotte = 1.29M
24 - Raleigh = 1.24M
26 - Pittsburgh = 1.17M
27 - San Diego = 1.13M
30 - Salt Lake City = 1.10M

? = I don't know how Tampa and Orlando are split between Florida and Florida State, contractually.

USC + UCLA bring the SF and Sacto markets. Also, Stanford doesn't have a wide fan base, and Berkeley doesn't care about football.

Boston can't happen due to the ACC poison pill.

That leaves Washington, Arizona State, and Colorado as the most likely targets. ASU doesn't fit academics. Colorado doesn't fit athletics (though there is some long-term potential growth). Washington fits both.

Oregon is with Washington most likely. They don't fit academics, but there's zero chance of turning away that marketing prowess.
The key academic determination regarding if a University is a good fit for the B1G is membership in the Association of American Universities. The following Pac-12/Big12/ACC schools are AAU members:

Washington
Oregon
Cal
Stanford
UCLA
USC
Arizona
Utah
Colorado

Kansas

UNC
UVA
Pitt
Georgia Tech

Notre Dame and BC are not AAU members, however, the B1G would definitely ignore that requirement for ND. Nebraska is the only non-AAU school in the B1G, they were a member when they joined the B1G.

Based on AAU membership and TV market size, the B1G should go after Arizona, Washington, Oregon, and Colorado at a minimum. Tucson is a little more than a 100 miles from Phoenix, UA would have plenty of access to Phoenix. Eventually make a push for Utah, UNC, UVA and either ND or BC. You have 24 outstanding academic institutions and cover most of the large TV markets in the north east, mid-west, mountain west and the pacific coast.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kevin310
Eventually this football thing is going to drop the pretense that anything has anything to do with academic prestige. This is steam rolling toward a competition with the NFL and will be very interesting for a time with the Wild West NIL of college vs a salary capped NFL. Probably the most compelling sports story of my lifetime. Deep pocketed alumni with fierce ties to schools give the college football game possible staying power.
 
The key academic determination regarding if a University is a good fit for the B1G is membership in the Association of American Universities. The following Pac-12/Big12/ACC schools are AAU members:

Washington
Oregon
Cal
Stanford
UCLA
USC
Arizona
Utah
Colorado

Kansas

UNC
UVA
Pitt
Georgia Tech

Notre Dame and BC are not AAU members, however, the B1G would definitely ignore that requirement for ND. Nebraska is the only non-AAU school in the B1G, they were a member when they joined the B1G.

Based on AAU membership and TV market size, the B1G should go after Arizona, Washington, Oregon, and Colorado at a minimum. Tucson is a little more than a 100 miles from Phoenix, UA would have plenty of access to Phoenix. Eventually make a push for Utah, UNC, UVA and either ND or BC. You have 24 outstanding academic institutions and cover most of the large TV markets in the north east, mid-west, mountain west and the pacific coast.
Based upon market size and academics I'm confused as to why Stanford isn't at the top of the "next" list. Wrestling is simply a cherry on the top.
 
The key academic determination regarding if a University is a good fit for the B1G is membership in the Association of American Universities. The following Pac-12/Big12/ACC schools are AAU members:

Washington
Oregon
Cal
Stanford
UCLA
USC
Arizona
Utah
Colorado

Kansas

UNC
UVA
Pitt
Georgia Tech

Notre Dame and BC are not AAU members, however, the B1G would definitely ignore that requirement for ND. Nebraska is the only non-AAU school in the B1G, they were a member when they joined the B1G.

Based on AAU membership and TV market size, the B1G should go after Arizona, Washington, Oregon, and Colorado at a minimum. Tucson is a little more than a 100 miles from Phoenix, UA would have plenty of access to Phoenix. Eventually make a push for Utah, UNC, UVA and either ND or BC. You have 24 outstanding academic institutions and cover most of the large TV markets in the north east, mid-west, mountain west and the pacific coast.
Rice University brings Houston 2.6 MM into the conversation or Texas A&M brings Houston and Dallas 2.9 MM into the conversation.
My cousin and his wife are Aggies and they and most of the Aggie faithful are very butt hurt over UT (Texas not Tennessee) being invited into the SEC without any Aggie consultation.
 
ADVERTISEMENT