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| Big Meeting in Austin Today. |
The problem is Delaney will need a multiple home run game for expansion to be viewed as a success.
Texas is the most coveted program in the nation. It seems that the Big Ten and Pac 10 are the front runners for the Longhorns, with the SEC on the outside looking in for their services.
This doesn't mean the SEC commissioner Mike Silve will not be active trying to do what is best for his conference. I have believed for sometime that Silve would like to have a Texas presence in the SEC, for no other reason than recruiting. In addition, I cannot see commissioner Silve just sitting back idle, watching the Pac and Big Ten change the face of college football without being heard. Apparently he hasn't been idle, and has been in talks with Texas A&M.
So what we have is the Big Ten, wanting to bring either Texas alone or with Texas A&M to the conference. although the programs are geographically distant, those institutions embody what the Big Ten stands for. Both are AAU members, and both are research orientated public universities in great standing. Besides geography the Big Ten has a Texas Tech problem. If the Texas State Legislature ties Tech to Texas and A&M, The Big Ten will not allow Tech in because of its academic standing, which doesn't fit the Big Ten mold. Needless to say The Big Ten will need help to land Texas in the expansion game.
The Pac 10 on the other hand has invited Texas, Tech, A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Colorado to join Arizona and Arizona State in a new division within the Pac 10, which would make the Pac 10 the first college football super conference. This option seems to be the front runner, because it not only keeps like members together, it allows for a new TV deal for the Pac 10 to be formulated which could be very lucrative for all involved.
Long time rivals will meet today in Austin. Texas and Texas A&M are meeting not only to clear the air of expansion scenarios, but to decide if they will be going to the same conference. You would think this would be an easy decision. But it gets a little complicated if the SEC is truly involved with A&M. All signs from orangeblood.com and the like, point to Texas not wanting to go to the SEC. However many Aggies feel just the opposite, they would welcome an SEC invite, and possibly would like to be in a different conference than Texas, getting out from under the athletic supertanker. This stalemate could very well be difficult to overcome.
Hail To The Victors Blog with an unbelievable amount of help from the contributors at Frank The Tank's Slant believes in the end Texas and A&M, will come to an agreement on joining the Pac 10 with their Big 12 mates.
But do not under estimate Mike Silve and the SEC. If the conference can make a strong pitch to Oklahoma or A&M which is already reported as happening, the Pac 10 deal could be on uneven ground.
This scenario could leave an opening for Texas, and ND to join the Big Ten with Nebraska, all while giving Delany the home run additions he has been striving for.
Of course for this example to occur, The Big 12 would have to stop looking like the largest dysfunctional family on the planet, and Mike Silve of The SEC would have to check his ego at the door, and watch the Pac 10 become the first college football super conference.
When you look at it that way, maybe the Big Ten does have a shot at Texas.
Hail to The Victors Blog would love to hear your take on Big Ten Expansion.
One down, four to go! Options appear to be:
ReplyDelete1. Pick up four others from Big 12, including Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State. At lunch this noon I saw that Mizzu is a done deal. That would relocate 11 of the 12, leaving Baylor on the outside.
2. Assuming Mizzu is a done deal, the Big 10 would have 13 schools. The Big 10 could invite Rutgers, Syracuse and Maryland to join the Big 10.
In either of these scenario the Big 10 could establish 2 - 8 teams divisions.
An ardent Michigan alum and grad
Can't see #1 ever coming to fruition. how does that help the BTN or the Big Ten. KSU is not an AAU member and would never be invited by the Big Ten Presidents, and since they are tied to Kansas. they both are probably non-starters. Iowa would not want to share the spotlight with Iowa State besides we already get the Iowa BTN households with Iowa so ISU doesn't bring anything to the table to pay for themselves becoming a member.
ReplyDelete2 Missou may eventually become a member but I can't see them be invited quickly because they are in the bag so to speak. The big Ten will likely exhaust all Home run options before turning to missou.
Maryland is a perfect fit. AAU member big public university and would bring a new market with D.C.
Right now the apparent focus is still on Texas and A&M, until they turn us down the plan is imo Tex, A&M, ND NEB Rutgers or syracuse.
If Texas A&M vountarily divorces itself from UT, we'd probably have a very good shot at the Longhorns.
ReplyDeleteND seems to be waiting to see if we stop at 12 after Nebraska. I have to believe they would jump on board if we landed UT knowing that our next step is to cherry pick the Big East.
Agreed Augmentee;
ReplyDeleteThat is our best shot at Tex. I hope ND has agreed to such an outcome, but they have been very quiet. So it is possible Tex has already ruled out the Big 10 as well.
I think in the end. A&M will probably follow Tex to the Pac 10. Assuming Cal and Stanford will allow Tech and OSU in. The Pac 10 deal still seems a little uneasy to me.
the next couple of days or weeks should be telling.
Thanks for the comment.