This has been on my mind. My hope is that the research money/ reputation that Illinois provides with its presence outweighs any negative from the athletic side. Of course this could be avoided if football gets turned around sooner rather than later. Thankfully basketball is already well on its way. Gotta think that now that it’s a brand thing rather than a footprint issue that Rutgers/Purdue would be on the politely asked to leave shortlist?
Conference Realignment
- Status
This has been on my mind. My hope is that the research money/ reputation that Illinois provides with its presence outweighs any negative from the athletic side. Of course this could be avoided if football gets turned around sooner rather than later. Thankfully basketball is already well on its way. Gotta think that now that it’s a brand thing rather than a footprint issue that Rutgers/Purdue would be on the politely asked to leave shortlist?
Fair enough but let me bring my question closer to home. What if the B1G could add A&M and ND. They place them in the West and move Purdue to the East. How excited should Illini fans and AD be about $$$ knowing that we will most likely be the Kansas of the B1G? A BB only school with a FB that only exists to eat up the losses year after year. As more of a FB fan than BB, it would be a dark day for me if it happened.
This is the situation I see in the SEC with adding Okla and Texas. Someone in the SEC has to know that is what they are signing up for. I don’t follow the SEC to know who that is but I suspect it’s not just one program. I guess they probably don’t really have a choice. If they are against it then they will probably just tell them there’s the door. More money for the rest of us.
Epsilon
M tipping over
- Pdx
As much as I admired the fire in your original post about this, I’m not so sure it holds water. There are a total of 127 FCS teams, so even a complete (or partial) B1G PAC12 merger still only contains a small fraction of the total lot of teams. If we take our ball and go home all the other teams and conferences will still want to compete for a national championship, and with the vast majority of FCS schools still participating, they could still justifiably call it a national championship.
Epsilon
M tipping over
- Pdx
Can’t edit my post so just wanted to clarify one point. I’m not suggesting that a B1G PAC12 merger or partnership is a bad idea… sometimes a good offense is the best defense. But I think trying to break off from the playoff series won’t work to our advantage for the reasons specified here.
Big 12 and Pac 12 discuss merger:
www.espn.com
Big 12, Pac-12 discuss potential partnership
Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby is meeting with Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff on Tuesday to discuss options for a potential strategic partnership between the conferences.
mattcoldagelli
- Script Illinois Enthusiast
For the PAC-12, this is the realignment equivalent of making small talk at the bar to be polite.Big 12 and Pac 12 discuss merger:
Big 12, Pac-12 discuss potential partnership
Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby is meeting with Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff on Tuesday to discuss options for a potential strategic partnership between the conferences.
Big 12 and Pac 12 discuss merger:
Big 12, Pac-12 discuss potential partnership
Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby is meeting with Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff on Tuesday to discuss options for a potential strategic partnership between the conferences.
This won't stop USC or any others from leaving for the B1G, but could save the PAC from totally blowing up and keep the Big 12 teams in a Power 5 conference.
Still really, really hope USC, UCLA, Oregon and at least Washington come to the B1G.
The Galloping Ghost
- Washington, DC
I don't see Stanford getting in bed with Baylor and TCU so I'd guess they'd bolt before merging with the Big 12, too.
mattcoldagelli
- Script Illinois Enthusiast
I mean, somebody take your best shot at what Bowlsby can say in that meeting that sounds like a win to the PAC-12. I am all ears.
The Galloping Ghost
- Washington, DC
Even add Stanford and Colorado to that list, would be awesome to see them all come to the B1G and get San Fran and Denver in the fold.
mattcoldagelli
- Script Illinois Enthusiast
If you are USC, does the prospect of a “strategic partnership” with the UT- and OU-less B12 slow down or speed up any departure plans you may have been kicking around?
The answer to that seems obvious to me.
The answer to that seems obvious to me.
Honestly this talk isn't even a bad thing. Same as the Clemson/FSU talk with the SEC. It just makes the B1G target more likely to jump to the B1G. USC is too big of a brand to want to be in a Big12/Pac12 thing. Stanford is too proud of their academics to be involved with what's left of the Big 12. So right there you have USC, Stanford, UNC, and Duke that make a ton of sense for the B1G. If you want throw in GT and Colorado to get to 20.
You may have the Mountain and Pacific time zones, but nobody pays attention because it's too late. Come to the Central Time Zone and be relevant!
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
The glide path we're all sleepwalking towards is mutually assured destruction not just for our specific conferences, but the very notion of conferences, eventually the sport of college football, and thereby college athletics as we know it.
Every move on the chessboard that goes by tilts the game ever closer to the College Football Super League that is now plainly in the sights of the SEC and ESPN. It's the Big 12 today, it will be you tomorrow, and so on.
Right now, while those who abhor this idea still have the power and the tectonic plates are still in motion, is the last chance we're going to have to break free of this thing, get Kevin Warren on the phone and lets save college sports.
I think some of you guys are thinking the stakes of the Nebraska game are a lot higher than I do.
Look, the typical SEC fan probably doesn't get it, but everyone else knows that a conference can only go .500 playing each other. Every conference needs some teams to beat up on. Tranquilo.
Oh, who will wake us from our path to mutually assured destruction of college athletics? Who is wise enough to navigate the chessboard, shift the tectonic plates and break us free from the shackles of ESPN? I vote for Super Gritty!
Quick! The man asked for Kevin Warren on the phone! Get him! What are you waiting for? Don't you want to save college sports?
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Hey man, between this and the article from the other day about Gene Smith calling for a pause on CFP expansion talks, clearly I'm not just shouting into the void here.
Let's be honest, if there were great and positive developments for college sports moving forward, you could set your watch by the Big Ten and Pac 12 being sticks in the mud about it, that's just how they are, let alone something like this which promises to destroy them both.
mattcoldagelli
- Script Illinois Enthusiast
I certainly didn't expect this.
Would love to get to play KU regularly in hoops, and football for an easy win for that matter.
Hope this doesn't mean USC, Stanford, UCLA, Oregon or Washington are out of the picture.
Would much rather see us extend into the PAC than add Kansas.
Joel Goodson
- dawgville
I don't hate it, but I don't love it either. Need confirmation. No other Big 12 schools, please.
mattcoldagelli
- Script Illinois Enthusiast
Well, stopping at 15 seems weird. Not that we haven’t stood pat on an odd number before.
Homecoming 2019
- Chicago
He followed it up with this tweet, so I'm not sure what was taken out of context here.
Have to wonder if it's imminent that they are headed to the BIG, or it's imminent that they *want* to
IlliniwekKDR
- Colorado Springs, CO
The plot thickens!
- Status