The Big Ten has recently announced its renewed efforts to seriously consider expansion. There's fear in the Big East that it could lead to a raid of the conference, much as the ACC did a few years back, as Rutgers, Syracuse, Pitt, and WVU have all been mentioned as potential candidates. Such a raid could be fatal to the Big East as a football conference, and certainly as one with an BCS automatic bid, unless a plan is put together to keep the coffers full.
I'll first state that if I were the Big Ten, none of the schools mentioned would be my first choice. To me, being a Midwestern conference is a crucial part of the Big Ten's identity. Penn State is the one outlier, and some would argue that their piece of Pennsylvania has quite a bit in common with the Midwest anyway. So while they may want to reach further east--particularly if Syracuse or Rutgers can give them some headway into the New York media market--it would dilute one of things that defines them.
To me, Mizzou is the obvious choice for expansion. They have an identity similar to many other Big Ten institutions as a flagship, land grant institution in the Midwest. Their university, team, and band would fit right in. And the conference rivalry they'd lose with Kansas on their western border would be replaced by Illinois to the east.
Still, while the possibility looms that the Big East could be raided, perhaps we should be proactive, not reactive. It is tough because the Big East has more to consider than just football. Fielding an unwieldy mega-conference in basketball makes it hard to think about adding a 9th member for football, knowing that we'd balloon to 17 in basketball. But awaiting a raid and reacting would leave us in the same 8 team predicament we currently have, and there's no guarantee that whoever we add would add value to the conference, particularly if a heavy hitter like West Virginia should be taken.
My thought? Send a care package down to Fort Worth and invite TCU. Granted, it leads to a loose interpretation of the word "East" in Big East, but then again, the Big "Ten" hasn't let mere definitions stand in the way of expanding to 11 and possibly 12. For that matter, TCU's Dallas-Fort Worth neighbors the Dallas Cowboys play in the NFC East, so there's precedent. TCU brings a proven winner in football who would only get stronger in a BCS auto-qualifying conference. They bring fertile recruiting ground in the state of Texas. And they bring the DFW media market, which is the fourth largest metro area in the United States, giving the Big East presence--between football and basketball--in four of the top five metro areas in the US.
Granted, there are challenges. In addition to the struggles of a 17-team basketball league, there's also travel to consider, and TCU would certainly be an outlier. Still, the increased stability for the Big East and the BCS autobid and legitimate shot at a national championship that TCU has lacked makes this a potentially strong move. Let's be proactive, not reactive.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Labels
- A-Rod (1)
- A.I. duPont Tigers (7)
- AAF (1)
- ACC (56)
- administration (3)
- AHES (21)
- Air Force Falcons (6)
- Akron Zips (1)
- Alabama A and M Bulldogs (4)
- Alabama Crimson Tide (41)
- Alabama State Hornets (3)
- Albany Great Danes (4)
- alcohol (2)
- Alcorn State Braves (2)
- Alcorn State Braves (2)
- All 80 (29)
- All Star (7)
- America East (1)
- American Athletic Conference (18)
- Appalachian State Mountaineers (4)
- Arizona Cardinals (2)
- Arizona State Sun Devils (8)
- Arizona Wildcats (3)
- Arkansas Razorbacks (6)
- Arkansas State Red Wolves (6)
- Army (1)
- Army Black Knights (6)
- Atlanta Falcons (4)
- Atlantic 10 (2)
- Auburn Tigers (16)
- audio (5)
- auto racing (1)
- B4 (292)
- Ball State Cardinals (1)
- Baltimore (4)
- Baltimore Orioles (7)
- Baltimore Ravens (6)
- band (504)
- band holiday (5)
- band on the road (92)
- baseball (14)
- basketball (112)
- Baylor Bears (10)
- BBQ (2)
- BCS (27)
- BCU Wildcats (7)
- beer (16)
- Before the Clock Starts (20)
- Ben Roethlisberger (1)
- bias (2)
- Big 12 (4)
- Big East (42)
- Big South (1)
- Big Ten (28)
- Big XII (11)
- Binghamton Bearcats (4)
- Black Music Month (3)
- blogs (4)
- Blue Devils (11)
- Blue Knights (1)
- Blue Stars (2)
- Bluecoats (5)
- Boise State Broncos (12)
- books (6)
- Boston (2)
- Boston Bruins (2)
- Boston College Eagles (5)
- Boston Crusaders (5)
- Boston Red Sox (3)
- bowl (9)
- Bowling Green Falcons (4)
- bowls (311)
- Brett Favre (1)
- Buffalo Bulls (2)
- Butler Bulldogs (1)
- BYU Cougars (11)
- Cadets (10)
- Cal Golden Bears (4)
- Carolina Crown (24)
- Carolina Panthers (9)
- Cavaliers (6)
- Central Michigan Chippewas (4)
- CFB150 (1)
- Championships (142)
- Charlotte 49ers (4)
- Charlotte Bobcats (1)
- Charlotte Hornets (2)
- Charlotte Hounds (1)
- Charlotte MLL (2)
- cheerleading (1)
- chess (2)
- Chicago Bulls (1)
- Chicago Cubs (1)
- Cincinnati Bearcats (17)
- Cincinnati Reds (1)
- Citadel Bulldogs (2)
- classic (10)
- Clemson Tigers (32)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (2)
- club sports (1)
- CMB150 (2)
- Coach K (1)
- Coach Kay Yow (1)
- coaching (15)
- Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (1)
- Colgate Raiders (1)
- college (599)
- Colorado Buffaloes (2)
- Colorado State Rams (4)
- colorguard (1)
- Colts (1)
- commercials (1)
- community service (3)
- Conference USA (3)
- conferences (9)
- contest (3)
- controversy (4)
- Cornell Big Red (3)
- coronavirus (11)
- Creighton Blue Jays (1)
- cricket (1)
- Crossmen (1)
- cymbals (1)
- D-League (3)
- dallas cowboys (6)
- Davidson Wildcats (1)
- DCA (1)
- DCI (110)
- decade in review (2)
- Delaware (12)
- Delaware 87ers (2)
- Delaware Blue Hens (4)
- Delaware State Hornets (2)
- Denver Broncos (2)
- Denver Outlaws (3)
- Denver Pioneers (2)
- Detroit Lions (2)
- Down and Dirty Dawg Band (2)
- Draft (3)
- drumline (17)
- Duke Blue Devils (19)
- dynasty (1)
- Eastern Michigan Chippewas (1)
- Eastern Michigan Eagles (1)
- Eastern Washington Eagles (1)
- ECU Pirates (15)
- electronics (5)
- ESPN (17)
- expansion (39)
- facebook (2)
- fail (1)
- family (4)
- FAMU Rattlers (18)
- fans (4)
- fantasy football (1)
- fashion (2)
- FCS (5)
- FIU Golden Panthers (2)
- Florida (2)
- Florida Gators (14)
- Florida State Seminoles (17)
- food (11)
- football (334)
- Fresno State Bulldogs (4)
- FSU Seminoles (11)
- fundraising (1)
- gambling (7)
- game of the week (68)
- Georgetown Hoyas (4)
- Georgia Bulldogs (21)
- Georgia Southern Eagles (2)
- Georgia State Panthers (1)
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (11)
- Glassmen (1)
- Golden Band from Tigerland (3)
- Golden State Warriors (1)
- Grambling State Tigers (3)
- Green Bay Packers (1)
- Greensboro Swarm (1)
- Hall of Fame (5)
- Hampton Pirates (1)
- harebrained schemes (18)
- Hartford Hawks (1)
- Hawaii Warriors (2)
- hazing (11)
- HBCU (64)
- Heisman Trophy (1)
- Herd of Thunder (2)
- high notes (64)
- high school (7)
- hockey (4)
- Hofstra Pride (1)
- holiday (7)
- homecoming (3)
- Honda Battle of the Bands (19)
- Houston Cougars (12)
- Howard Bison (3)
- i (1)
- Idaho Vandals (1)
- Illinois Fighting Illini (3)
- Illinois State Redbirds (1)
- Inauguration (2)
- Indiana Hoosiers (2)
- Indianapolis Colts (4)
- injury (1)
- interleague (1)
- Iowa Hawkeyes (7)
- Iowa State Cyclones (5)
- Jackson State Tigers (7)
- Jacksonville State Gamecocks (2)
- James Madison Dukes (1)
- Jersey Surf (1)
- Johns Hopkins Blue Jays (10)
- Kansas Jayhawks (1)
- Kansas State Wildcats (15)
- Kent State Golden Flashes (1)
- Kentucky Wildcats (2)
- lacrosse (85)
- Las Vegas Golden Knights (1)
- logo (16)
- Los Angeles Lakers (1)
- Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (5)
- Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (6)
- Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (1)
- Louisville Cardinals (12)
- LSU Tigers (23)
- Madison Scouts (5)
- Marching 100 (8)
- Marquette Gold Eagles (1)
- Marshall Thundering Herd (5)
- Maryland (7)
- Maryland Terrapins (35)
- mascot (3)
- MEAC (7)
- media (14)
- Meineke Car Care Bowl (1)
- Memphis Tigers (6)
- metaphor (2)
- Miami Dolphins (1)
- Miami Hurricanes (10)
- Miami Redhawks (1)
- Michael Vick (3)
- Michigan State Spartans (9)
- Michigan Wolverines (16)
- Mid American Conference (2)
- Mid-Atlantic (1)
- Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (2)
- military (1)
- Minnesota Golden Gophers (6)
- Minnesota Vikings (2)
- mission (1)
- Mississippi State Bulldogs (8)
- Missouri State Bears (1)
- Missouri Tigers (5)
- mlb (12)
- MLL (8)
- MLS (1)
- Morgan State Bears (1)
- movie (7)
- MTSU Blue Raiders (2)
- NASCAR (3)
- National Battle of the Bands (3)
- National Signing Day (1)
- Navy Midshipmen (14)
- NBA (21)
- NC A and T Aggies (21)
- NC Central Eagles (1)
- NC State Wolfpack (12)
- NDSU Bison (1)
- Nebraska Cornhuskers (7)
- Negro League Baseball (1)
- Nevada Wolf Pack (5)
- New Jersey Nets (1)
- New Mexico Lobos (2)
- New Orleans Saints (4)
- New York Jets (1)
- NFL (56)
- NHL (6)
- NIT (3)
- Norfolk State Spartans (3)
- North Carolina (25)
- North Dakota State Bison (4)
- North Texas Mean Green (2)
- Northern Illinois Huskies (8)
- Northwestern Wildcats (6)
- Not Box 5 (1)
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish (30)
- odds (1)
- Ohio (1)
- Ohio State Buckeyes (42)
- Ohio State Buckeyes' (1)
- Ohio University Bobcats (12)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (1)
- Oklahoma Sooners (18)
- Oklahoma State Cowboys (10)
- Old Dominion Monarchs (1)
- Ole Miss Rebels (11)
- Olympics (4)
- Oregon Crusaders (1)
- Oregon Ducks (17)
- Oregon State Beavers (3)
- Pac-10 (1)
- Pac-12 (8)
- parade (8)
- Penn State Nittany Lions (19)
- pep band (34)
- Pepsi Max (1)
- petition (1)
- Phantom Regiment (3)
- Philadelphia (10)
- Philadelphia 76ers (6)
- Philadelphia Eagles (35)
- Philadelphia Flyers (4)
- Philadelphia Phillies (5)
- Philadelphia Soul (1)
- pictures (2)
- Pittsburgh Crawfords (2)
- PIttsburgh Panthers (13)
- Pittsburgh Pirates (2)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (3)
- playoffs (65)
- PLL (1)
- podcasts (14)
- politics (9)
- polls (1)
- pop culture (2)
- Prairie View A and M Panthers (3)
- Preakness (1)
- preseason (2)
- Prince (1)
- Princeton Tigers (4)
- Pro Bowl (3)
- pros (1)
- Punkin Chunkin (1)
- Purdue Boilermakers (6)
- Queen City Battle of the Bands (5)
- quidditch (1)
- Radford Highlanders (1)
- radio (3)
- random thoughts (1)
- rankings (4)
- realignment (68)
- review (3)
- Rice Owls (4)
- RIP (6)
- rivalry (31)
- Ron Artest (1)
- Rose Bowl (8)
- rules (13)
- Rutgers Scarlet Knights (16)
- San Diego State Aztecs (7)
- San Francisco 49ers (1)
- San Jose State Spartans (2)
- Santa Clara Vanguard (6)
- scandal (1)
- schedule (1)
- SDSU Aztecs (1)
- Seattle Seahawks (1)
- SEC (26)
- shout-out (1)
- SMU Mustangs (5)
- soccer (15)
- South Alabama Jaguars (2)
- South Carolina Gamecocks (17)
- South Carolina State Bulldogs (3)
- Southern Conference (6)
- Southern Jaguars (11)
- Southern Miss Golden Eagles (4)
- Staccato (8)
- Stanford Cardinal (19)
- Stanley Cup (1)
- Stony Brook Seawolves (2)
- Sudler Trophy (11)
- Sun Belt Conference (1)
- Super Bowl (13)
- survey (1)
- SWAC (5)
- Syracuse Orange (14)
- tail (1)
- tailgating (32)
- Talladega College Tornadoes (4)
- Tampa Bay Rays (1)
- TCU Horned Frogs (13)
- Teal Sound (2)
- Temple Owls (11)
- Tenessee State Tigers (1)
- Tennessee Volunteers (12)
- Texas (3)
- Texas A and M Aggies (16)
- Texas Longhorns (13)
- Texas Southern Tigers (2)
- Texas State Bobcats (1)
- Texas Tech Red Raiders (4)
- the South (1)
- The Undersigned (10)
- theater (1)
- Toledo Rockets (6)
- Toronto Nationals (2)
- Tour of Champions (13)
- tournament (69)
- Tournament of Roses Parade (5)
- Track and field (1)
- tradition (4)
- travel (74)
- Troopers (2)
- trouble (2)
- Troy Trojans (2)
- Tulane Green Wave (3)
- Tulsa Golden Hurricane (4)
- TV (44)
- twitter (13)
- UAB Blazers (3)
- UAPB Golden Lions (1)
- UCF Knights (22)
- UCLA Bruins (6)
- UConn Huskies (6)
- UMass Lowell River Hawks (1)
- UMass Minutemen (5)
- UMBC Retrievers (90)
- UNC Tar Heels (27)
- UNCG Spartans (25)
- uniforms (25)
- USC Trojans (9)
- USF Bulls (87)
- Utah State Aggies (6)
- Utah Utes (7)
- UTEP Miners (1)
- UTSA Roadrunners (1)
- Vanderbilt Commodores (5)
- Vermont Catamounts (1)
- video (25)
- video game (1)
- Villanova Wildcats (2)
- Virginia Cavaliers (18)
- Virginia Tech Hokies (14)
- vision (1)
- VMI Keydets (2)
- Wake Forest Demon Deacons (24)
- Washington Capitals (1)
- Washington Commanders (2)
- Washington Huskies (9)
- Washington Nationals (1)
- Washington Redskins (8)
- Washington State Cougars (5)
- West Liberty Hilltoppers (1)
- West Virginia Mountaineers (12)
- Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (4)
- Western Michigan Broncos (5)
- WGI (3)
- Wichita State Shockers (2)
- Wilmington Blue Rocks (1)
- Wisconsin Badgers (14)
- World Cup (2)
- wrestling (1)
- WSSU Rams (2)
- WVU Mountaineers (7)
- Wyoming Cowboys (1)
- Yale Bulldogs (1)
- Year in review (8)
- Youngstown State Penguins (1)
No comments:
Post a Comment