CBS Sports: It might be true westward expansion for B1G

[NUCat320]

Pac-12 in danger of eventual collapse as Big Ten considers further expansion, Big 12 interest looms

If the Big Ten can get one more significant payday, it may be curtains for the Pac-12

www.cbssports.com

Not sure if this reporting is old news, but there’s nary a mention of ND as it mentions that Kevin Warren has targeted the other interesting PAC-## schools: Cal, Oregon, Stanford, Washington. With Arizona/ASU/Colorado/Utah interesting to the Big ##, this leaves Wazzu and the Beavs hoping for a Mountain west invite and an (presumably) annual thrashing in the Civil War and Apple Cup, now (presumably) played in September.

This would likely leave an imagined four-division, five-team alignment out of the realm of possibility, at least in a way that doesn’t force 3+ trips East for the the schools (really, “teams”) in the pacific time zone.

Regardless, this will not be your grandpa’s, or really, even your mom’s younger brother who is only ten years older and who you call Uncle Fun’s, Big Ten.

 

[Catslash]

drop ASU ,Cal ,Stanford,replace with Kansas, Okie State,Baylor

 

[phatcat]

drop ASU ,Cal ,Stanford,replace with Kansas, Okie State,Baylor

How times have changed in 5 years. Imagine Kansas football having more worth than ASU, Stanford, or really, anyone.

It's all about markets, peeps. Phoenix and Bay area over KCMO, Stillwater and Waco

 

[curdog]

How times have changed in 5 years. Imagine Kansas football having more worth than ASU, Stanford, or really, anyone.

It's all about markets, peeps. Phoenix and Bay area over KCMO, Stillwater and Waco

It’s not about markets, it’s about eyeballs. Oklahoma market is nothing to speak of yet okalahona games get millions of viewers. No one outside of BIG/SEC/ACC, with the exception of ND, gets enough eyeballs to justify expansion.

That doesn’t mean BIG won’t expand with some combination of Washington, Oregon, Stanford, Cal to have a true west coast presence. The dilution of revenue per team would be offset by helping USC/UCLA and adding reasonably large brands and in Stanford cal case, academic prestige.

 

[FeralFelidae]

drop ASU ,Cal ,Stanford,replace with Kansas, Okie State,Baylor

Yuck.

 

[Katatonic]

The dilution of revenue per team may not be that great, if anything, if the B1G can get Amzn or someone else to fork over $$ for the late night window.

Also by basically doing away w/ the P12, that's more $$ broadcasters have available for other conferences.

 

[Eurocat]

drop ASU ,Cal ,Stanford,replace with Kansas, Okie State,Baylor

Cal and Stanford give you market number 5, the San Fran bay area. They like their football there. (Probably just a smidgen too small to support two NFL teams which is why the Raiders left, but two colleges definitely). Plus Cal is the flagship school of the State.

Arizona State is the largest college in America and one of the largest in the world. They have 73,000 undergraduates and the growing Phoenix Market.

BTW I am not against Kansas or OSU or Baylor by any means, just saying I would not take the schools you dismiss too lightly.

 

[RhabdoWildcat]

Cal and Stanford give you market number 5, the San Fran bay area. They like their football there. (Probably just a smidgen too small to support two NFL teams which is why the Raiders left, but two colleges definitely). Plus Cal is the flagship school of the State.

Arizona State is the largest college in America and one of the largest in the world. They have 73,000 undergraduates and the growing Phoenix Market.

BTW I am not against Kansas or OSU or Baylor by any means, just saying I would not take the schools you dismiss too lightly.

If you think the Bay Area loves (or even likes) college football, I have some ocean front real estate to sell you in Nebraska.

 

[Katatonic]

I'd say the majority of people in the Bay Area don't really have an interest in CFB, or at least Stanford and Cal FB (Stanford had trouble filling their stands when they had that really good stretch).

But there are enough B1G alums living in the area to make it worthwhile (but really, only need 1 of Stanford or Cal).

If the Pac12 disintegrates, the AZ schools are headed for the B12 (or maybe 1 of them to the SEC).

 

[ohiovalleycat]

If it is about football, adding Washington and Oregon would suffice. If academics is a consideration, taking along Stanford and California would do. If I'm looking at a map and trying to build in a link from the current Big Ten to USC and UCLA, then there are other schools to look at. I know it would not be a football move, but some combination of Colorado, Kansas, Arizona, ASU, and Utah would provide a stronger link to connect the Los Angeles schools to the current Big Ten than even adding additional west coast schools. On the other hand, if you add to many west coast schools, the will there be room for east coast schools like North Carolina or FSU if the ACC opens up? Then again, is the Big Ten looking to be 18, 20, 24, 28, 32? Decisions. Decisions. Decisions.

 

[Katatonic]

Adding all 4 WC schools shouldn't preclude the conference from adding the ACC schools they want (if and when they seek greener/$ pastures).

By taking the most desirable schools from the P12 and ACC, the B1G would have a national/coast to coast conference that includes most of the major metro areas.

 

[Fighter of the Nightman]

Adding all 4 WC schools shouldn't preclude the conference from adding the ACC schools they want (if and when they seek greener/$ pastures).

By taking the most desirable schools from the P12 and ACC, the B1G would have a national/coast to coast conference that includes most of the major metro areas.

And, most importantly, the Big Ten seems to realize the long term value of non-football revenue in a way the SEC does not. Yes, a school like Auburn is a high-revenue football school but what else?? There is a lot of money to be made in the long run by having good schools with academic war chests that are covered in major media markets and have massive alumni/fan bases.