If 16 Teams Is the Mark of Playoffs, Then...

[Cane from the Bend]

I suppose the Big XII South schools choosing not to join the pac-10, and TCU's joining with the Big East, tossed a wrench into the expansion Machine.

With the Big East expanding in football, and the Big XII stabilizing, the attempts at collapsing them seem to have faltered.

Here's an article that shows the halt of the progress toward the "Super Conference" talk.

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The Big Ten announced Sunday that it will no longer actively pursue expansion after a 12-month study period.

The league's Council of Presidents/Chancellors agreed at its winter meeting to end the expansion study, which was announced last December and scheduled for 12-to-18 months. The Big Ten added Nebraska as its 12th member on June 11, marking the league's first expansion in two decades.

"We have been thoroughly engaged in the process since last December," said Indiana University president Michael McRobbie, the chair of the Big Ten's Council of Presidents/Chancellors. "Following detailed discussions at today's meeting, my colleagues and I can report that we believe that this process has reached its natural conclusion. We are pleased with the addition of Nebraska and look forward to working with our colleagues there in the years ahead."

In a statement, the Big Ten said it will monitor the landscape in college sports but "will not be actively engaged in conference expansion for the foreseeable future and does not expect to be proactively seeking new members."

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Playoff just took a big step backwards.


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[Spence]

I am glad the B-10 decided to stop the expansion talk now. I hope forever, but probably not.

[armchairqb]

I'm not sold on the fact that the Big XII is stabilized, though things seem calm for now. When Texas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M get proportionately more of the money, then dominoes begin to fall (Nebraska leaving for a conference where they get an equal $$$ split).


From chicagobreakingsports.com

That's consistent with what sources have told the Tribune, that the league is happy to remain at 12 after adding Nebraska. Notre Dame has shown no inclination to join the Big Ten, and the league is not interested in expanding just for the sake of it.

But it's not in line with what Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said recently.

"If I were a betting man, I'd say there's more change ahead and more expansion ahead," he said last week. "That review continues and discussions continue, and there are still possibilities out there."

He also reportedly told a booster group in Toledo, Ohio, that he envisioned the Big Ten expanding to 14 or 16 teams.

[Spence]

That is what I have heard as well, I think they would just rather work behind closed doors for now.

[Brian Roastbeef]

Yeah, the Big 10 "isn't looking at expanding" now...

Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, and Newt Gingrich "still haven't made a decision" if they are running for President.

Barack Obama truly believes that the economy "is on the path to recovery."

Tiger Woods "isn't in decline," and hasn't won a tournament all year because he is "making changes to his swing."

There are things that people say... then there are the realities that play out six months later...

Big XII isn't stable. The agreement last summer was a temporary fix that is working as a temporary fix. Oklahoma justified its sweet deal this year, but Texas not so much... and there are teams looking bold with Missouri, Oklahoma St, even Baylor that might start thinking about looking out for themselves if opportunity arises.

Big East expansion meanwhile doesn't mean that the turbulence has ended... They're just the French in 1928 building up the Maginot line. Everything might be friendly right now, but they know the next war is coming and that's why they act. They'd better hope that TCU and Villanova are more useful than Alsace and Metz were... (grabbing the #3 team in the country could very well be). Meanwhile the WAC is still looking to get cannibalized by the Mountain West and the PAC-10. All we need is for the PAC-12 to start making moves in Fresno St.'s direction to get everybody hopping again.

[Spence]

Yeah, the Big 10 "isn't looking at expanding" now...

Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, and Newt Gingrich "still haven't made a decision" if they are running for President.

Barack Obama truly believes that the economy "is on the path to recovery."

Tiger Woods "isn't in decline," and hasn't won a tournament all year because he is "making changes to his swing."

There are things that people say... then there are the realities that play out six months later...

Big XII isn't stable. The agreement last summer was a temporary fix that is working as a temporary fix. Oklahoma justified its sweet deal this year, but Texas not so much... and there are teams looking bold with Missouri, Oklahoma St, even Baylor that might start thinking about looking out for themselves if opportunity arises.

Big East expansion meanwhile doesn't mean that the turbulence has ended... They're just the French in 1928 building up the Maginot line. Everything might be friendly right now, but they know the next war is coming and that's why they act. They'd better hope that TCU and Villanova are more useful than Alsace and Metz were... (grabbing the #3 team in the country could very well be). Meanwhile the WAC is still looking to get cannibalized by the Mountain West and the PAC-10. All we need is for the PAC-12 to start making moves in Fresno St.'s direction to get everybody hopping again.

And that is the big thing about what the B-12 did and why it won't work. The conference teams all have to be equal to make a partnership work. If they aren't, they won't work together and that will cause problems in the long term. You will have teams trying to cut their own deals every year.

[Eric]

Definitely. I think it may be possible that the SEC will seriously court Texas A&M and West Virginia. The pitch to A&M could easily be that they will get out of Texas' shadow and get a better payday, where with West Virginia there is obviously a step up in competition. But then again, if A&M leaves, I'm not sure where the Big 12 would go, so maybe if these conferences continue to pick off the Big 12, Texas and Oklahoma may wind up somewhere else. Who knows.

I have a hunch that the Big 10 is still looking to go eastward. If the Big East begins to stumble, you know they have their eye on Rutgers and/or Syracuse.

[Spence]

I think one or the other, not both. You know the B-10. If they can't include ND they aren't going to expand.