[:D] I try to be well-rounded.
ancient: where are you with ND and the Big 10 (16)?
I think they’d be nuts not to join. They already play several of those teams. The question would be who their end of year rival would be: Indiana? Purdue? Not that it matters. you know they’d swing it where they’d play Mich and Mich St every year. The quesiton is who they’d drop in their non-conference. USC? Or keep USC and drop a service school?
Navy could end up in a tough spot. Army suffered when the Eastern independent football teams joined the Big East. Army was left playing Colgate and Bucknell.
Navy had ND, and bouts with Maryland and others. It seemed a better deal than Air Force in their mid-major conference out West, but with the formation of these superconferences on the horizon, Navy may be out of position. That doesn’t bode well for upholding the bowl deal they’ve signed onto.
Believe it or not, I think Navy would make a nice Big Atlantic team when you consider all sports, like swimming, lacrosse, soccer, etc. Football is weak, but they could make a bowl game almost as often when playing that schedule compared to now. But, there may not be room in that conference when you count the possible schools who’d go ahead of them. What’s left? Maybe, being a service school, they can stay independent. But, home games in Navy-Marine Stadium will be hard to come by if they are BAC, SEC and Big 10(16) non-conference foes throughout the season. I mean, will those schools want to travel to Annopolis to play a break-game in their conference sschedule? (not to diminish the long tradition of Navy football/sports)
huh, another side step. Back on topic:
Notre Dame?
Seriously, I think this is the biggest issue as to how the Big 16 shook out.
Big Ten (16) without ND opens the door to two of the three: Mizzou, Iowa State, Maryland, after Pitt and Rutgers are wooed, rather than one of those three.
Scenario with no-ND in Big Ten:
Big Ten goes after two Big 12 schools? What happens to the Big 7 or 8 left in that conference? Who do they go after to survive? TCU? Doesn’t SEC want TCU? There’s a fight. And if those 7 or 8 Big-12 teams want to stay out of being absorbed into PAC-10, then there’s a western fight brewing for Boise St., Utah, maybe even Fresno State and Nevada?
…OR, maybe the BigTen(16) goes with 1 ACC and 1 Big 12 team. Taking UMd would bolster the DC area with more than just Penn State grads. UMd would bring an intersting mix in other sports – possibly helping some other sports, including basketball – which IMO, UMd would not have to fight the new BAC conference, where G’town could go as a non-football addition. They’d ceretainly have a better record in Big Ten (16) play the BAC play.
If ND is off the table, then I think even schools like VaTech, UVa, Louisville come into the picture, even with Mizzou, Iowas State as clearer picks – heck, even Kansas could be in the conversation – even if only for a brief moment -which would really burn the remains of the Big 12.
BUT – if ND went to the Big Ten, with Pitt and Rutgers being the other clear front runners into the conference, the noose on who would be the 16th school tightens quickly.
I don’t think Big Ten really wants Iowa State. Seriously. I think the Big Ten wants 1- Notre Dame, 2 – Pitt, 3 – Rutgers, and 4 – either Maryland or Missouri. and that ‘s the B-16.
So, here’s my look at the two choices, should they want to be in the discussion:
Maryland hands BigTen a part of the DC market – which honestly, they sort of have – PSU alum are major numbers here – But, they really don’t have. DC rarely gets Big Ten games that aren’t nationally televised, ACC always bumps Big Ten. So th,25,592468.001002001001001001001002001002001001001,13,28745,140.147.236.194
601628,601308,601622,2010-07-23 17:31:47.163000000,Re:You need to read this if you spend more than $600 a year with a supplier”