[NU Sports] Missouri in the Big Ten?

[Jeff Beamsley]

"Speculation Alert"

I have nothing to base this on other than observation of the market.

I think that this is play to get ND into the BT once and for all.

Givens:
1. The world is moving inexorably to some sort of college playoff format.   
2. There is a lot of money and appears to be athletic benefit to a conference
championship game (witness poor post season performance by BT teams).
3. The BT needs to add another team to start to move to a divisional format
that would support a championship game.
4. ND's independent football status is most vulnerable when they are unranked
because they "need" the BT games on their schedule more than the BT needs
them.

What better time than now to force ND's hand than to threaten to add a
twelfth team and permanently close ND's opportunity to participate?

Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com] On
Behalf Of Arthur Miller
Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2007 9:51 AM
To: nwu-sports at tssi.com
Subject: RE: [NU Sports] Missouri in the Big Ten?

Interesting, but seems really far-fetched.  I can see the benefit to the Big
Ten (primarily, the St.Louis & Kansas City media markets) but can't figure
out what Mizzou would get out of this.  Their rivalry with Kansas is much
stronger than with Illinois, so they'd have to find a way to preserve that
going forward.  And this rivalry is much more steeped in basketball, a sport
where a rivalary is even harder to sustain out of conference.



-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com] On
Behalf Of mlinhardt at netzero.net
Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2007 7:23 AM
To: nwu-sports at tssi.com
Cc: Maureen.Linhardt at plexus.com
Subject: [NU Sports] Missouri in the Big Ten?


http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/EyeoTheStorm/2007/10/17/NCAA_Conference
_Dominos

According to a Tampa Bay Fox affliate(WTF a FL TV station knowing about Big
Ten activity) the Big Ten is making overatures to Missouri to join as the
12th team.

Positives
* Existing rival for Illinois
* Geographically within the conference -- we have existing schools farther
west(MN) and near on the south side(IN).
* Some rivalry with Iowa
* Decent balance between football and basketball abilities
* Primary school in the state vs. Iowa State, Pitt, or Syracuse

Negatives
* Not a high prestige school ala Notre Shame
* Not regarded as a strong academic school vs. Syracuse or Notre Shame

For expansion I still think we wait for the shame to change their mind as
they are the only school that truly fits -- geographically, athletically, and
academically.

Also if tOSU runs the table and makes the title game why risk a shot at the
football title by having a championship game.  That is more important than a
few dollars. _____________________________________________________________
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