[NU Sports] EXPANSION

[Sportsbiz]

Actually, Jonathan the Big East would not even need to issue the threat if
the Big Ten took three football schools because that would be the end of the
conference, Notre Dame or no Notre Dame and ND would be on the outside
looking in, or joining the ACC with the rest of the Big East football
schools; rather what is left of the ACC after the SEC gets through with it.
Once all of this gets rolling and it looks like 16 school leagues is the
default, I expect the SEC to take Fla. State, Miami, Ga. Tech and Clemson
from the ACC, returning it to its original incarnation, only without
Clemson.  It would then likely take in the Big East refugees to beef-up and
try to stay alive and relevant.  It would be a decent football conference
but still an awfully good basketball conference, adding Louisville, Cincy
and West Va to the Carolina schools and Maryland.

Mark S. Ament
sportsbiz at gmail.com
SportsBiz - The Business of Sports
Illuminated<http://thesportsbizblog.blogspot.com>
When it comes to sports, you know it's all about the money
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On Mon, Jun 7, 2010 at 5:33 PM, Jonathan Hodges
<jonathanwhodges at gmail.com>wrote:

> Probably the most direct way of forcing ND's hand:
>
> 1. Threaten to take Pitt, Rutgers, and Syracuse from the Big East (along
> with Nebraska and Missouri from the Big XII).  These are all AAU members
> who
> have competitive athletics (how much additional revenue is arguable, but
> those 5 are nothing to laugh at, at least).
>
> 2. The Big East will be finished (as a BCS football conference) if 3 of its
> 8 football members are taken.  This will essentially force their hand to
> pull out the stops and give their own ultimatum to ND to try and get them
> in
> the fold to keep the conference alive (join the Big East in all sports,
> including football, or else they'll get kicked out in everything).  There
> aren't any really viable expansion targets for the Big East in their
> current
> geography (although it is quite vast), so this may be their only option
> outside of folding.
>
> 3. ND may be able to survive as a football independent, but they cannot
> survive with all of their sports as independents today.  This would force
> them into joining a conference in football and the choice between the Big
> Ten and the Big East would be easy for them.  And even if they don't take
> the Big East's ultimatum seriously, they know that their conference may
> very
> well collapse if the Big Ten takes 3 of its members (the remaining 5 would
> likely scramble for a place in another BCS conference, like the ACC or
> SEC).
>
>
> This hinges on if the Big Ten is really willing to take those 5 schools,
> including at least 3 Big East members, and if it is financially viable to
> do
> so.  The additional revenue (in the form of a renegotiated ABC/ESPN
> contract, additional subscriber and advertising revenue from the BTN, more
> bowls, and maybe a championship game and TV deal) would have to be enough
> to
> increase the current equal revenue sharing.  This would indicate that the
> Big Ten is serious and the Big East & ND will be forced to do something.
>
> I'd imagine that the Big Ten has some of that ammunition from their
> research
> so far, and hopefully enough for them to make a decision to pull the
> trigger
> soon since the Pac 10 seems intent on forcing the expansion issue within
> the
> next few weeks.
>
> Jonathan
>
> On Mon, Jun 7, 2010 at 3:11 PM, <Martinitis at aol.com> wrote:
>
> > Having followed this discussion for a while my observation is that an
> > announcement from the Big Ten confirming Notre Dame's decision to join
> the
> > conference is all we need. Then if we don't get Texas it really doesn't
> >  matter.
> >
> > It doesn't matter if you like ND or not.  They will increase the brand
>  of
> > the conference more than the addition of any other 4 teams (even Texas)
> > combined.  We don't like Ohio State.  But does anyone want them to  leave
> > the
> > conference?  We want Ohio State in the conference don't  we?  Good versus
> > evil. And even if you don't like the Domers, you  can't quarrel with
> their
> > academics. They are arrogant.....so we'll knock them  down a couple pegs
> > with
> > Fitz....and maybe even basketball :)
> >
> > Get ND.  For me, that's the ball game.    Their  membership in the
> > Conference will give us the opportunity to meet, and  hopefully beat
> them,
> > regularly.  And if two - 6 team divisions is all it  is,  I still see it
> as
> > all good.
> >  Two - 6 team divisions better our  chances for division titles in the
> > future, as opposed to 7 or  8 team  divisions.  And we get more frequent
> > games
> > against ND....which I see as a  positive.
> >
> > We can take our time in getting another 2 or 4 teams later down the road
> if
> >  economics so dictate.
> >
> > The powers that be have to convince the Irish that the 4 Super Conference
> > set up is a foregone conclusion and their best place at the table is
>  with
> > the Big 10. (Can you imagine them in the SEC? Even the Pac 10 makes  them
> > look like an odd ball). And without Notre Dame.......WE are left  chasing
> > Texas.  And they ain't coming.
> >
> > Get the Irish.  Make draw them a picture..make them an offer they  can't
> > refuse.
> >
> > Lou
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