Conference Realignment..?

[UnholyLivingDead]

[UnholyLivingDead]

if the big 10 is smart, their top target will be cincy.

With Pac-12 and ACC teams off the table, they would be looking to add one eastern team to put in a pod with Penn State and one midwestern team to keep the likes of Iowa and Nebraska happy.

[NewtonHawk11]

A pod of Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota would be cool.

Maybe Pitt likes the ACC a lot, but I think they fit so much better with B1G. Obvious rival with Penn State, close to Columbus, Ohio and not a bad day trip to go to like Ann Arbor.

[CrimsonNBlue]

Pitt's a good school. Makes much more sense than Cincinnati.

KU is easily the most obvious west school. Wonder how realistic reaching out to mizzou would be.

[UnholyLivingDead]

Pitt is great fit for the Big Ten, but likely not a candidate at this time because they wouldn't take an ACC school or a Pac-12 school. I guess that's part of being in "The Alliance".

[nu_bronco]

Put WV and Cincy in ACC and someone else. Put KU and Pitt in Big Ten. Or put KU and WV in Big Ten. Just helping with options.

[HenrySwanson]

What worries me is we have been talking about ISU + KU to be teams 15/16 in the B1G, but if they decide on only one midwest team and one eastern team then it becomes *either* KU or ISU. Not predicting which of the two would get the invite but sure adds to the uncertainty.

[kubowler99]

Not just the B1G, but wouldn't this also drive the ACC and PAC to follow suit as well and end up with four 16 team super conferences? It seems like that would be the likely landing spot if the SEC pulls the trigger.

[CrimsonNBlue]

What worries me is we have been talking about ISU + KU to be teams 15/16 in the B1G, but if they decide on only one midwest team and one eastern team then it becomes *either* KU or ISU. Not predicting which of the two would get the invite but sure adds to the uncertainty.

Is there an assumption on who teams 13 and 14 are that I have not seen?

[NewtonHawk11]

They have 14 teams...?

[CrimsonNBlue]

They have 14 teams...?

Jeebus, I am completely out of it.

Kick Rutgers out.

[Deleted User 89]

if Pitt goes B1G, i have a hard time believing KU would get picked over isu

[NewtonHawk11]

if Pitt goes B1G, i have a hard time believing KU would get picked over isu

Any specific reason Trad?

I personally think KU is much better top to bottom when you consider EVERYTHING. The alumni bases, greater success at their particular sport, 2 B1G schools in Iowa would be an absolute disaster.

[CrimsonNBlue]

if Pitt goes B1G, i have a hard time believing KU would get picked over isu

Any specific reason Trad?

I personally think KU is much better top to bottom when you consider EVERYTHING. The alumni bases, greater success at their particular sport, 2 B1G schools in Iowa would be an absolute disaster.

Agree. Much bigger brand and market. KU can add wrestling or swimming/diving in a heartbeat and be at 8-9 men's sports. ISU would need to add baseball, which is a lot tougher.

I don't think ISU has anything on KU except very current football stability.

[Deleted User 89]

if Pitt goes B1G, i have a hard time believing KU would get picked over isu

Any specific reason Trad?

I personally think KU is much better top to bottom when you consider EVERYTHING. The alumni bases, greater success at their particular sport, 2 B1G schools in Iowa would be an absolute disaster.

football and iowa

both are AAU (obviously), but isu has the better success on the gridiron

oddly, despite iowa and isu fighting over tv eyes and markets, i think their annual matchups outweigh whatever negatives might be perceived by having both schools in the same conference. the conventional wisdom that iowa doesn’t want to share with isu is out the door, or at least it seems that way to me

i’d like to think that the KU brand would be a bigger selling point, but i’m not so sure. if the B1G is only looking at one midwest program, i think the playing field becomes much more even between KU and isu

just my feeling though

[CrimsonNBlue]

That's just a lot of words to say that ISU currently has better football and nothing else. KU is a bigger (and new) market, bigger brand, and more athletic revenue despite bad football.

Not that KU moves the needle a ton for the B1G, but ISU doesn't move it at all.

[Deleted User 89]

not at all?

they move the needle as much as KU, imo. the rumor mill for isu to B1G is just as healthy as it is for KU, which is really all any of us have to go on

i’d like to agree with you guys and value KU so much higher. but if such was reality, would we really even be having this discussion?

[NewtonHawk11]

That's just a lot of words to say that ISU currently has better football and nothing else. KU is a bigger (and new) market, bigger brand, and more athletic revenue despite bad football.

Not that KU moves the needle a ton for the B1G, but ISU doesn't move it at all.

I think this is the entire gist of it all.

[CrimsonNBlue]

not at all?

This is about money. They don't add anything to the B1G in that regard.

If Iowa weren't part of the picture, different story.

[CrimsonNBlue]

That's just a lot of words to say that ISU currently has better football and nothing else. KU is a bigger (and new) market, bigger brand, and more athletic revenue despite bad football.

Not that KU moves the needle a ton for the B1G, but ISU doesn't move it at all.

I think this is the entire gist of it all.

ISU makes sense for B1G compared to most of the Big 12 leftovers--I think that is where a lot of the rumors come from. They are also obvious rivalry/geography partners with Iowa.

I'd have to figure, though, that a conference in as good as shape as B1G needs something like $20-$50mil in new revenue for an addition to make mathematical sense, and I just don't see how Iowa State gets you there with their low athletic revenue and overlap of assets with Iowa.

In that regard, even Colorado or Oklahoma State make a lot of sense over ISU.