Considering the B1G's grab for cable markets ( the whole NE corridor?) , Swofford ought to be stroking BC right now.
latest from Star Ledger: Rutgers to join Big Ten once formal invitation extended by conference Rutgers is expecting to formally accept an invitation to join the Big Ten conference today and will hold a press conference Tuesday to announce the decision, end ESPN.com has reported the Maryland president told the school's board of regents that Rutgers and Maryland will join the Leaders Division along with Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue and Indiana. Under that scenario, Illinois would move to the Legends Division with Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and Northwestern. https://www.bigsoccer.com/community/threads/maryland-is-leaving-acc-to-join-the-big-ten.1978231/
The Big Ten just became the 2nd best conference in women's college soccer. Yes, even better than the Pac 12, and the WCC. Penn State (#1 seed many times in past) Maryland (#1 seed in 2010, and have been seeded in most years over the recent stretch) Rutgers (have made multiple sweet 16's and even elite 8 appearance in the recent past) Ohio State (multiple sweet 16's recently, and made the college cup in 2010) Illinois (multiple trips to the NCAA tournament, sweet 16 appearance recently) Minnesota (multiple trips to NCAA tournament, and sweet 16 appearance in 2010) Michigan State (multiple trips to the NCAA tournament, 2nd round appearances) Wisconsin (multiple trips to the NCAA tournament recently) Michigan (sweet 16 appearance this year, Greg Ryan continues to build program) Nebraska (one of the top programs in the 90's and early 2000's, in the entire NCAA) Purdue Indiana (very good in men's college soccer of course, top 5 traditional program) Iowa Northwestern
Who, other than North Carolina, have ever won a National Championship from the ACC? Who, other than North Carolina, has ever won a National Championship period? --------- (George Mason, Notre Dame, Florida, Portland, Santa Clara, USC, Stanford) A total of eight programs have ever won a National Title. The Big Ten has always been a league that doesn't win tons of National Titles in any sport (except women's lacrosse). But from top to bottom, they are consistently strong in every sport. They are a Top 2 or 3 conference (top to bottom) in every men's and women's sport it seems. That is stability and consistency. And they are the wealthiest conference financially. Maryland and Rutgers are making the right move for themselves. There are wild rumors that Texas is now interested in the Big Ten, due to the non-stability of the Big 12, and the failure of the Texas Longhorn network. Texas knows they can't survive on their own. They experimented with starting their own network, and thought about starting a new conference (with Notre Dame, and BYU, etc). Notre Dame fell through, as they took their act to the ACC. Texas knows the Big 12 is eventially doomed, in competing against the expanded Big Ten, SEC, ACC, and Pac 12's of the world. Texas could leave the Big 12, join the richer Big Ten, accept equal sharing, and keep their Texas Longhorn network as a joint venture with the Big Ten Network, and make it all work out where they become richer, but most important, increasingly relevant and "stable" long-term, in a power conference, and as a power institution. With all that being said, Texas is still a long-shot to join the Big Ten.
Maryland and Rutgers bring the Big Ten nine digits $$$ more per year ($100,000,000.00) http://www.thebiglead.com/index.php...xtra-100-million-per-year-in-subscriber-fees/
I've also been hearing that the Big Ten is also going to pursue North Carolina and Virginia to be the 15th and 16th members (the final two expanded members) to join the Big Ten. The Big Ten is planning on opening up new offices throughout the east, after the additions. They're not doing that just for Maryland and Rutgers. They plan to expand more east (southern part of their eastern journey, since Rutgers is more north). The Big Ten wants the Virginia and Carolina markets, so they can corral all eastern markets, from New York to New Jersey, down through Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. Population is booming in a lot of those areas. If the Big Ten can pull this off, no other conference can ever compete with that type of expanded footprint. The entire midwest, the upper northeast, down the entire mid-atlantic and eastern seaboard to the sun-belt of the south. Georgia Tech and Texas are also on their minds (Texas market, and Atlanta market). They are thinking big. They want to get richer.
I dont See UVA and UNC in The B1G. Television marktes are everything, and that is The Name of The game
The real concern is if BC also bolts. It's clear the B1G is going after big cable markets in the NE corridor to get the most out of their TV contract. BC looks like a big juicy tidbit for the Boston market.
Yeah, I don't see it. The B1G just picked up the #1, #4, and # 9 TV markets in the country. Maybe the #26 market with Baltimore for free. Charlotte is the #24 market in the country. Raleigh -Durham is #27. Just for perspective, Portland is the # 22 market in the country and I haven't heard that the B1G has made any big overtures to Portland State University. Besides, the ACC is all UNC from Swofford on down, and every championship is in UNC country. They will be left holding the bag when everyone else had left.
Yeah, and if you look at the decisions from every major ACC expansion or attempted expansion, UNC and Duke have been side by side and voted the same way every time. They may be rivals, but you're not going to get one leaving without the other.
Thanks for making my point. The big 10 isn't one of them. They have as many championships as the Southern and the Big Sky.
That could quickly change this year, if Penn State can quickly get a new head coach (in the next couple of days).
My second shot at this, but you do realize that is just about as likely right now as that either the PAC or the WCC could lay claim to a third team in this millennium to get a National Championship? Even if an ACC team wins, they won't be able to claim that. Win one first to get in the conversation about best conferences.
This is a great move for Scarlet Knights soccer. For Maryland . . . I think it's more problematic. But as a lifelong Rutgers fan, I can't believe we're in the Big Ten. Go RU! FWIW, I think Crooks will be the guy to de-throne PSU at the top of the league.
If by problematic you mean that Maryland will have to schedule harder teams than Towson and Alabama and George Mason, then yeah. They will have to go on the road in non- conference and play top teams instead of depending on linkage with the ACC to pull them through RPI-wise. Say buh-bye to scheduling Towson and Alabama. There are some ACC teams that need to pick up an out of conference date now...
The Big Ten isn't done. They are courting after UNC and Virginia. If they grab both, they instantly become the #1 conference in college soccer (yes, above the new ACC, the new SEC, and the new Pac 16). New Big Ten (in 2015 and beyond) Penn State North Carolina Virginia Maryland Rutgers Nebraska Ohio State Michigan Illinois Wisconsin Minnesota Michigan State Iowa Purdue Indiana Northwestern New ACC Duke Notre Dame Miami (Fla) Wake Forest Boston College Virginia Tech Clemson UCONN Louisville Pitt Syracuse UCF Memphis East Carolina Temple Georgia Tech (doesn't have a soccer program) New SEC Florida Texas A&M Missouri Florida State N.C. State Tennessee Georgia Kentucky Vanderbilt South Carolina Alabama Auburn LSU Arkansas Ole Miss Mississippi State New Pac 16 USC UCLA Stanford Cal Arizona Arizona State Oregon Oregon State Washington Washington State Colorado Utah Oklahoma Oklahoma State Kansas UNLV Like it or not, 16-team super conferences are coming.
The B1G are going after Markets. they will pick off the bigger markets in the Big12 (i.e. Texas) or possibly BYU (MUCH less likely). that gives them a pretty big chunk of the far West. the only thing is they have to convince those two programs they will do better abandoning their own networks. here are the top markets. they had 3,11,15,17, and 23 they just picked off 1,4, and 9 on the list. they got 26 Baltimore for free. Charlottesville Virginia is the 183rd largest TV market in the country, right after Bowling Green Kentucky and more than twice as far down the list as Paducah-Cape Giradeau and Spokane. Not happening. UNC (Raleigh-Durham) is the 27th market. ( Chapel Hill itself isn't even in the top 210. that puts it below Mankato, which is great if you are going after the Little House on the Prairie crowd.) On the other side, I'm not sure UNC is willing to compete in an environment where they aren't top dog and don't have the championships in their back yard. Swofford won't be elected B1G commissioner. Why would he negotiate himself out of a job? Look for the B1G to go after teams in Markets 5,7, and 10. I'll let you figure out who they are. The ACC team in those markets is BC. ~~~~~~~~~~~ your assertion that an expansion makes the B1G the best soccer conference is still comical this time. They will only become the best soccer conference if and when the B1G wins it all consistently. Virginia has no titles. that puts them even with all the current B1G schools. UNC? Well they are still top10, best historical program in any sport. but not what they were. that won't make the conference better. it will just mean what it has always meant for the ACC, which is that UNC is in it and that the rest are bridesmaids.
The Big 10 will pick up two more schools, at least I think so; but I do not think UNC will be one of them. If I had to guess Florida St could be one (the only two ACC schools to vote against the $$$$ fine for leaving the ACC were Maryland and FSU) … and the other could be Texas or possibly Oklahoma (it looks like the ‘Texas’ network isn’t working out)
All kinds of buzz out there that the Big Ten still wants contiguous states (states that border each other). Maryland borders Pennsylvania (Penn State). Same for New Jersey (Rutgers) in bordering Pennsylvania. It's a bridge to more states. There is all kinds of buzz that the Big Ten wants Virginia (Academics) and UNC (Academics and more reach into the southest). This keeps along the contiguous path, and increases the Big Ten's brand academically, culturally/demographically, and they have a foothold in two prime areas of the country (Midwest and the Eastern Seaboard). They want to dominate both areas. UNC and Virginia are in conversations now with the Big Ten. The Big Ten is also opening up brand new offices in the East, in addition to their offices of operation in the Midwest (Chicago). They're not stopping at just Maryland and New Jersey (Rutgers) in the East. They're attacking Virginia and North Carolina next. TV Markets were only one of their primary goals. They have other additional priorities in addition to just TV markets (make no mistake, TV markets are one of thee biggest priorities), but they have captured what they wanted there, by adding D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, etc. Don't be surprised if Virginia and/or North Carolina join.
Also don't be surprised if Virginia tech is the choice for that state and NC state gets the Carolina slot. Bigger schools, bigger markets and aren't as well tied the ACC bosses. But the more I look around the net, stick a fork in the ACC according to the pundits. GA Tech as well as the two Va schools, UNC, NC state, and BC are B1G targets GA Tech and FSU and NC State and VATech are SEC targets And the Big 12 has an eye out for FSU and maybe VA tech as well. But Cincinatti and Louisville seem a lock for the ACC.