Probably fluff, but there's more brazen rumors about a GT-B1G agreement.

Seems to make no sense, given this is a school who voted in favor of the $50m buyout, but...it's getting to a point where someone high up in the institution may have to make a comment regarding the matter. It's there where the substance will be found, if any.

Would Georgia politics get in the way to ensure the UGA game is protected?

And who is 16?

GT to B1G will happen. Now, what interests me is the whole UVA lovefest the other day with the ACC. Was that just a ploy to give them some time, or to wait for another piece to fall? Maybe they did not want to be the first, but is more than willing to be the last.

Would the B1G call Notre Dame and tell them, this is it, we have a 15th team, we need one more, are you in? If the Irish refuse, Delaney calls UVA and welcomes them aboard.

I think once one piece falls from the ACC, the exodus will be fast and furious. Look for Clemson and FSU to go to the SEC. SEC will not want the BIG 12 into their fertile recruiting grounds, and prime time matchups with FSU-LSU, FSU-Alabama, Clemson-UF and Clemson-USC would be worth more than having any other program. The SEC will be driven by getting the most money, not getting into new markets. They are the kings of college football, adding high powered teams will only cement that status.

The rumors are certainly out there now.

Report: Georgia Tech approved by Big Ten to become 15th member

http://www.landgrantholyland.com/2012/1 ... -expansion

not official but still....

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I think a school in Los Angeles would then make a terrific #16.

I doubt (hope desperately) this is un-true.

But you have Delany on a power-trip. His latest actions have destabilized almost all of Division 1.
Why does he stop there ? He can use the leverage the BTN pull in another 48 school and create the "Grand 64" all under the Big ten umbrella....

If true this is devious, UNC probably didn't want to the the ACC, but now if the Big Ten is filling up with the likes of GA Tech as 15, they have to decide now or never as an underdog school like UConn/BC/Syracuse could take the #16 spot.

If they jump we know UVA and Duke will also want to come along and boom the conference is at 18 and has once again destabilized ND's non-fb home. The Big Ten could still expand to 20 or heck 24 with ND, BC, Syracuse, UConn, Pitt, and Miami and have a solid Eastern division (just like PSU has always wanted).

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If the Big Ten goes beyond 14, then all of a sudden some of the dream thread posts will seem like reality.

For instance, if the Big Ten added GA Tech, Virginia, Duke and UNC to goto 18, then the SEC likely takes VA Tech and NC State to stake their claim, and FSU and Clemson slot into the Big 12, perhaps even with Miami and Louisville.

All of a sudden, you've got an ACC of only:
Miami
Wake Forest
Boston College
Syracuse
Pitt
Louisville

who could grab UConn, Cincinnati, Memphis, Temple, UCF and USF to complete the cycle.


I'm hoping the Big Ten stays at 14 for sometime. Sure, adding 2 more southern schools would help. But are GA Tech and Virginia (or UNC or Duke) the best additions?

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And the ACC becomes the Big East !

The same thought had occured to me.

At which point, you'd have 5 major conferences. The old ACC got dispersed, and the BE gets renamed "ACC".
So at that point, the power conferences are the Big Ten, Big XII, and the SEC.
The ACC trails behind, in that it lacks "flagshp schools" that are large land grant universities,
and the PAC has low numbers and the western expansion candidates are "MWC caliber".
Does the PAC try to climb into the Top 4 by adding BYU, Boise St., SDSU, some MWC schools lke Nevada, UNLV ?

Right now we have: 12 + 10 + 14 + 14 + 14-1/2 = 64-1/2.
Could the conferences get together and say: lets stop the poaching / round up 72 and create our super-league ?
We'll realign once we secede. They'd have to get the TV networks on board, as contracts would have to be amended.

So who would the other 7-1/2 be ?
Notre Dame football is the 1/2.
UConn, BYU, Boise St., Cincy or Houston, (maybe Hawaii, UNLV, New Mexico to give those states representation...) ??

Align all schools somewhat geographically into eight 9-team divisions. 8 conference games, 3-4 OOC games that don't count in the standings - just play whoever you want.
Then maybe the top 2 in each division go into a 16-team bracket. And watch the money flow....

But I digress and yes, this is sounded like the dream conference thread.... MAYBE that is where we are now headed.
It's goig to take some macchavellian behavior to pull it off. Delany, Swofford, and Scott are certainly suited for that kind of thing.

The AD stepped to the mic and pretty much said "nope."

That is NOT how this has gone in the B1G before. I doubt GT will be the exception.

I seriously doubt the SEC would be taking Big Ten leftovers from another raid on the ACC. The SEC takes Va Tech & NC State? Frankly, the SEC could and would do better. And the SEC is going to sit back and allow the B12 to scoop up FSU and Clemson, the two strongest fb fan-based ACC programs in the backyard of the SEC? There is already talk within the SEC, that IF matters do go to "16" for mega-conference creation, that pressure would be on certain schools to "allow/support" within footprint additions, namely, FSU and Clemson. GT does not match those two per attendance figures. New markets are important, but so is turf protection, and adding viable, sustainable, and intense rivalries already evident with certain SEC schools.

Rumors are wild right now, driven largely by the Big Ten additions and the ACC changes. Agree, perhaps Delany needs to take a bit of "time-out" for now if indeed he's planning to add a couple more. As to Delany/B1G still after Notre Dame, they need to give it a rest, they lose on it each time. Let it go! You can't force ND to do something, when you have been a part of the enabling that has allowed ND to have all it wants, and then some.

As to the 4 mega-conference 16 member stuff, what would the PAC12 suppose to do, add Miami, Pitt, Syracuse, & BC? These sling-shot tactics trying to please TV network executives may end up backfiring and diluting the product.

Concerning the PAC-12. They have no reason to expand, they can sit back, wait, relax. If the time comes when 3 16 (or more) team super conferences start imposing their will on the NCAA, then the PAC-12 will be in perfect position to invite ND in. With them, BYU, Boise State and maybe Hawaii could be invited in.

Going by the pods they wanted to set up last year, they could do something like this:

Pod A: Oregon, OSU, Washington, WSU.
Pod B: Boise State, Colorado, BYU, Utah.
Pod C: Stanford, Cal, Arizona, ASU.
Pod D: USC, UCLA, Hawaii, Notre Dame.

This would give ND at least one game a year in California, something they want. They could keep their yearly game with Stanford, as an out of pod lock in? It would mean every other year all those rich ND alum can plan a nice relaxing trip to Hawaii. The LA to Hawaii trip is a direct shot, travel for sure, but to Hawaii? LOL!

It would also mean these wonderful games over Thanksgiving!

Oregon-OSU
Washington-WSU
Arizona-ASU
Stanford-Cal
BYU-Utah
Colorado-Boise State
USC-ND
UCLA-Hawaii

If I'm the PAC-12 I just sit back and see how this all plays out. I would also send an open invitation to ND, letting them know they are welcomed whenever they are ready.

The Big Ten is in a position where they would take ACC schools that fit their overall needs, including the basics of the academic mold to an extent.

As for the SEC, we already know they don't want in-state competitors, so that takes GA Tech, FSU, Clemson, Louisville off the table. The two schools that did pop up in the recent past were VA Tech and NC State. Sure, maybe they were just rumors, but for VA Tech it went as far as the AD having to make a statement of their commitment to the ACC.

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VA Tech and UNC are what the SEC wants above everyone else. VA Tech owns that state in fb and UNC owns NC. However the Big Ten wants UNC too and that is the most attractive conference for that school outside of geography/athletics when you consider the quality of membership all AAU (but Nebraska) and the CIC plus now Maryland. If they get invited obviously their long time rivals UVA, Duke, and possbily GA Tech would also be considered for any future expansion while they may not get invited to the SEC....ever.

FSU may be a SEC target because they are more of a national brand but Clemson really isn't and that market is already dominated by the SEC.

NCSU is basically Texas A&M of NC. They are good from time to time but will always be second fiddle to UNC. If they want to cover every state in the South NCSU is a fine addition, not exactly leftovers like whats in the Big East now still plenty of prime cuts. And we know they'd we better than Mizzou.


The PAC12 would take 6 from the Big 12 before they expand and kill the GOR, we all know that unless they slum it with MWC schools or BSU/SDSU/BYU the end game is still UT/OU. Depending on how/when those raids occur the name of the fourth conference could be either the B12 (if the ACC gets picked apart first) or ACC (if the PAC12 goes first) but it really doesn't matter. We'd have the SEC/PAC/B1G + an odd mix mash of former Big12/ACC/BigEast/Metro/SWC/CUSA schools forming a 4th conference that would be very short lived until the Big 3 just merge together (remember the attempt by BigTen/PAC12) and start their own post seasons and collectively negotiate their own TV rights for fb/bb and select other sports (Baseball/Softball/LAX/Hockey) like the NFL/MLB. Then they'd probably realign again like the pros do in the NFL/MLB/NBA/NHL for maximum TV ratings (see Dallas Cowboys still in the NFC East w/ NY/DC/Philly) and pick apart the best pieces of the 4th conference most likely to make divisions even and/or increase their overall TV dollars.

Schools like Texas, OU, FSU, ND, UNC will mostly likely survive but pretty much anyone else could be on the outside looking in like half of the SWC was, if the PAC12/SEC/Big Ten say jump pretty much everyone but those 5 say "how high?"

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Well, I doubt 64 would be feasible/necessary.

A 36-team Big Ten Network conference? Way more realistic.

Big Ten Leaders/Legends (current)
Pac-12 North/South (current)
Other Group: BC, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Maryland, Virginia, Duke in one division, and Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, UNC, Ga Tech and Miami in the other.

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The SEC will not be taking any one's leftovers. The SEC will take whatever helps them whether it's for recruiting or TV market.

I think the SEC is focused on thier new network that they have tunnel vision and are going add a Virginia and a North Carolina school. That is what most SEC insiders say any way. The Virginia and North Carolina markets add close to 6 million subscribers to the SEC network. I think the most likely choices are UNC and VT assuming UVa goes to the B1G. Also heard chatter about the SEC taking both UNC and Duke since the SEC is so strong in football. This would help really help the basketball side and it doesn't hurt that both schools are AAU which would boost the SEC's academic image.

Personnally, if I was the SEC, I would add one new market and protect my recruiting base especially the state of Florida. I am biased but I would add FSU to protect Florida and I would add a North Carolina school, first choice UNC, if not I'd grad NC State. The only way I do not add FSU is if I can get UVa. I know Virginia Tech is the popular choice but I believe it's a program headed down.

My SEC priority list is (not theirs)

1. UNC
2. UVa
3. FSU
4. NC State
5. Duke
6. Virginia Tech
7. Clemson
8. NO ONE