College conference expansion
For most in these parts, no one sways much west of the Mississippi River. The focus in college sports around here are Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia, and to an extent Ohio State and Michigan. There is a sprinkling of us who follow all of the (major) conferences from all over the country, but most here choose to stay local. That’s fine. That’s also one of the reasons why Sports Beat ventures outside the box and brings more insight into what is going on the world of sports.
The order of the day is the expansion of major college conferences and, more specifically, the Big Ten and the Pac 10. As of this moment, Nebraska has been courted by, and accepted an invitation to, the Big Ten. Also Colorado has decided to join the Pac 10. Mind you, both schools are/were members of the Big 12, which used to be the Big Eight many years ago. It expanded when the then Southwestern Conference broke apart.
Before going any further, here is the story locally. Years ago, Pitt and Penn State played in each other’s season finale. It was a celebrated event here and in Happy Valley. What many may not know, or understand, is what happened in the middle 1980s. At that time, Joe Paterno, head football coach at Penn State, wanted a number of schools, including Pitt, to form an eastern seaboard conference. Penn State and Pitt had both been independents for several years (since their existence), but Paterno knew that the schools could benefit from such a conference. Pitt balked, so Penn State decided to join the Big Ten.
The Big East came into existence as a basketball conference, which still exists and is, arguably, the toughest conference in the nation. In order to keep up, a Big East football conference was formed and, among others, Pitt joined. Then the uproar began about why Pitt and Penn State no longer play and everyone wants to blame Paterno. Not so fast.
With the Big Ten wanting to expand, Paterno has been courting Pitt. Whether the Panthers decide to join, and if they’re invited, (that would be decided by the board of regents) remains to be seen. It would be a boon football wise, as the Panthers would be looking to fill more seats at Heinz Field. Playing Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and, yes, Penn State on an annual basis would be huge for the university and its alumni. But Pitt would also be just another fish in the pond. As it stands now, Pitt would be the beast of the Big East. Essentially, pick your poison.
The way things are now, there are six power conferences (Pac 10, Big 12, Big Ten, Big East, SEC, and ACC). (As of this writing, the remaining 10 teams in the Big 12 have decided to stay, at least for the moment). All six receive automatic BCS bids. We all know how most feel about the BCS, but this is about how the face of college sports is changing.
For better or for worse, college sports, like pro sports, is money driven. The two major college sports are football and basketball. They drive all of the other campus sports with ticket revenue and advertising dollars. When campus stadiums like the Rose Bowl, the Big House, and Beaver Stadium all seat 100,000 plus, you know the money is coming in like gangbusters. Add to that why Paterno insists on at least seven home games per year and you get the picture.
Now, the landscape is changing. The Big Ten is now the Big twelve with the addition of Nebraska. The Pac 10 is now the Pac 11 with Colorado on board, and neither conference is close to being done. But the big wild card in the picture is, and has been, Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are independent in football, but in the Big East in all other sports. Notre Dame football has a contract with NBC to broadcast its home games. But what some do not want to believe, or admit to, is that Notre Dame does not really have the cache it once did.
Back when there were only three channels on television, Notre Dame was featured quite often and also attracted many high school recruits. Times have changed. Everyone is on television today and the kids have a choice of where they want to go to school and play ball. They are now going to USC, Florida, Alabama, Ohio State, and others. Notre Dame is no longer the lone major option. The fact they haven’t won a national championship since 1988 is not lost on this argument.
Conference expansion is about money. The more money that is made, the more that can be contributed to other sports, to attract and keep the best coaches, and to enhance conference supremacy and legitimacy. Nebraska being in the Big Ten is an odd proposition, but it is in the Midwest and plays Midwestern football. Colorado is the same for the Pac 10, even though Colorado is close to the west coast.
Another slice of this pie is that the Big Ten has its own network to broadcast college sports. That also produces revenue and gives the conference greater flexibility. Other conferences are also looking at perhaps starting their own networks to realize the benefits of additional revenue streams. Again, for better or for worse, it’s about the money. You can’t run a university and an athletic program without money.
As of this writing, Nebraska and Colorado are the two schools to officially move to other major conferences, even though Boise State has agreed to move to the Mountain West Conference. There are plenty of rumblings and other schools (Utah) that could be moving to other conferences and the Big Ten, Pac 10, and SEC are all players. As the dominoes continue to fall, here is how things may happen locally.
Does Pitt stay in the Big East? Or are they courted to perhaps join the Big Ten or ACC? Football wise, they may be better served to go to the Big Ten, even though they would be the big dog in the Big East. Revenue would be much greater and it might even be a boon to recruiting. A move to the ACC for basketball would be huge. Can you see the Pete hosting Duke and North Carolina? They might have to move those games to Consol Energy Center. The Pete would be too small to hold the number of people who want tickets to see these two basketball behemoths.
There are those who say that since the Big Ten already has Penn State and has Pennsylvania covered. Truth be told, Pitt is much closer to all of the Big Ten schools and could travel by bus to Columbus to face the Buckeyes. Pitt joining the Big Ten is not so far fetched, especially if Rutgers also receives an invited to join the Big Ten, which is on the conference’s radar.
There is also speculation that Pitt and West Virginia may both join the ACC and reunite with Boston College, Miami FL, and Virginia Tech, which fled the Big East for the riches of the ACC. It might be nice to be wanted, and it may also not be a bad idea to stay put. The possibilities are there and it may take a long time to sort them all out. The super-conferences are in the process of being formed and will be here to stay. They are going to affect television revenue, for certain.
Prediction: Notre Dame has its hand forced in football and either joins the Big East in all sports, or moves over to the Big Ten. Pitt is asked to join the Big Ten and debates the merits of leaving the Big East for hoops. West Virginia joins the ACC.
The order of the day is the expansion of major college conferences and, more specifically, the Big Ten and the Pac 10. As of this moment, Nebraska has been courted by, and accepted an invitation to, the Big Ten. Also Colorado has decided to join the Pac 10. Mind you, both schools are/were members of the Big 12, which used to be the Big Eight many years ago. It expanded when the then Southwestern Conference broke apart.
Before going any further, here is the story locally. Years ago, Pitt and Penn State played in each other’s season finale. It was a celebrated event here and in Happy Valley. What many may not know, or understand, is what happened in the middle 1980s. At that time, Joe Paterno, head football coach at Penn State, wanted a number of schools, including Pitt, to form an eastern seaboard conference. Penn State and Pitt had both been independents for several years (since their existence), but Paterno knew that the schools could benefit from such a conference. Pitt balked, so Penn State decided to join the Big Ten.
The Big East came into existence as a basketball conference, which still exists and is, arguably, the toughest conference in the nation. In order to keep up, a Big East football conference was formed and, among others, Pitt joined. Then the uproar began about why Pitt and Penn State no longer play and everyone wants to blame Paterno. Not so fast.
With the Big Ten wanting to expand, Paterno has been courting Pitt. Whether the Panthers decide to join, and if they’re invited, (that would be decided by the board of regents) remains to be seen. It would be a boon football wise, as the Panthers would be looking to fill more seats at Heinz Field. Playing Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and, yes, Penn State on an annual basis would be huge for the university and its alumni. But Pitt would also be just another fish in the pond. As it stands now, Pitt would be the beast of the Big East. Essentially, pick your poison.
The way things are now, there are six power conferences (Pac 10, Big 12, Big Ten, Big East, SEC, and ACC). (As of this writing, the remaining 10 teams in the Big 12 have decided to stay, at least for the moment). All six receive automatic BCS bids. We all know how most feel about the BCS, but this is about how the face of college sports is changing.
For better or for worse, college sports, like pro sports, is money driven. The two major college sports are football and basketball. They drive all of the other campus sports with ticket revenue and advertising dollars. When campus stadiums like the Rose Bowl, the Big House, and Beaver Stadium all seat 100,000 plus, you know the money is coming in like gangbusters. Add to that why Paterno insists on at least seven home games per year and you get the picture.
Now, the landscape is changing. The Big Ten is now the Big twelve with the addition of Nebraska. The Pac 10 is now the Pac 11 with Colorado on board, and neither conference is close to being done. But the big wild card in the picture is, and has been, Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are independent in football, but in the Big East in all other sports. Notre Dame football has a contract with NBC to broadcast its home games. But what some do not want to believe, or admit to, is that Notre Dame does not really have the cache it once did.
Back when there were only three channels on television, Notre Dame was featured quite often and also attracted many high school recruits. Times have changed. Everyone is on television today and the kids have a choice of where they want to go to school and play ball. They are now going to USC, Florida, Alabama, Ohio State, and others. Notre Dame is no longer the lone major option. The fact they haven’t won a national championship since 1988 is not lost on this argument.
Conference expansion is about money. The more money that is made, the more that can be contributed to other sports, to attract and keep the best coaches, and to enhance conference supremacy and legitimacy. Nebraska being in the Big Ten is an odd proposition, but it is in the Midwest and plays Midwestern football. Colorado is the same for the Pac 10, even though Colorado is close to the west coast.
Another slice of this pie is that the Big Ten has its own network to broadcast college sports. That also produces revenue and gives the conference greater flexibility. Other conferences are also looking at perhaps starting their own networks to realize the benefits of additional revenue streams. Again, for better or for worse, it’s about the money. You can’t run a university and an athletic program without money.
As of this writing, Nebraska and Colorado are the two schools to officially move to other major conferences, even though Boise State has agreed to move to the Mountain West Conference. There are plenty of rumblings and other schools (Utah) that could be moving to other conferences and the Big Ten, Pac 10, and SEC are all players. As the dominoes continue to fall, here is how things may happen locally.
Does Pitt stay in the Big East? Or are they courted to perhaps join the Big Ten or ACC? Football wise, they may be better served to go to the Big Ten, even though they would be the big dog in the Big East. Revenue would be much greater and it might even be a boon to recruiting. A move to the ACC for basketball would be huge. Can you see the Pete hosting Duke and North Carolina? They might have to move those games to Consol Energy Center. The Pete would be too small to hold the number of people who want tickets to see these two basketball behemoths.
There are those who say that since the Big Ten already has Penn State and has Pennsylvania covered. Truth be told, Pitt is much closer to all of the Big Ten schools and could travel by bus to Columbus to face the Buckeyes. Pitt joining the Big Ten is not so far fetched, especially if Rutgers also receives an invited to join the Big Ten, which is on the conference’s radar.
There is also speculation that Pitt and West Virginia may both join the ACC and reunite with Boston College, Miami FL, and Virginia Tech, which fled the Big East for the riches of the ACC. It might be nice to be wanted, and it may also not be a bad idea to stay put. The possibilities are there and it may take a long time to sort them all out. The super-conferences are in the process of being formed and will be here to stay. They are going to affect television revenue, for certain.
Prediction: Notre Dame has its hand forced in football and either joins the Big East in all sports, or moves over to the Big Ten. Pitt is asked to join the Big Ten and debates the merits of leaving the Big East for hoops. West Virginia joins the ACC.
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