UNC receives offer to join Big Ten

For the 253rd time-realignment suxx.

Oh Sierra,Hotel,India,Tango!

Is the Big Ten trying to replace the NCAA???

Big Ten going after TV footprint again.

"We are the Borg; you will be assimilated"

So what's the ceiling on conference size? Many decades ago (before my time) the old Southern Conference had up to 30 teams. Are we headed that way again? Is 16 the stopping point, or could it go as high as 20? I really like 14 (at least for football) as you can develop a schedule that lets the kids play everybody at least once in a four year cycle. If the B1G goes to a 10 game conference football schedule, each school would play everyone else 2 or 4 times in a 4 year cycle.

QUOTE(#6):

Originally posted 06:17 AM ET  02.20 by DearbornSparty

So what's the ceiling on conference size?

Four FBS conferences, each with 32 teams and 4 divisions. CC playoffs in early December. NC playoff at the change of the year.

Oh, and the B1G will be allowed to call itself the "Big Thirty," even though it has 32 members.

QUOTE(#7):

Originally posted 07:05 AM ET  02.20 by Tin Man

Four FBS conferences, each with 32 teams and 4 divisions. CC playoffs in early December. NC playoff at the change of the year.

I like the symmetry. 128 teams means room for everyone. How would you divide the current and wannabe FBS schools?

QUOTE(#6):

Originally posted 06:17 AM ET  02.20 by DearbornSparty

So what's the ceiling on conference size?

For the BigTen my guess is 16.

QUOTE(#9):

Originally posted 07:09 AM ET  02.20 by DearbornSparty

I like the symmetry. 128 teams means room for everyone. How would you divide the current and wannabe FBS schools?

As the FBS consolidates into the four super-conferences, those schools left out will be forced down into FCS. FCS programs wishing to move up to the FBS will have to displace a current member school. Criteria will include performance in all conference sports, fiscal health & state of athletic facilities, academic performance, and contribution to "conference well being." This last one is deliberately fuzzy, as demographics and other intra-conference matters change.

Scenario 1: A super-conference is displeased with the performance of a current member and covets a school in another super-conference. They invite the school to make the switch, offering them the place of the school out of favor. The poached super-conference knows attempting to force retention of the outbound school is bad juju, so they do not block the move. The super-conference with a slot open could pick up the school ousted from the poaching super-conference, however, a growing FCS power with competitive programs in other conference sports has an excellent academic record, growing enrollment & research funding, a well-execute facilities enhancement plan with recent and future stadium expansions, and is benefiting from area population growth and demographic trends. The super-conference opts to invite the FCS school to join. The school booted by the other super-conference falls to the FCS, causing some minor realignment among FCS conferences.

Scenario 2: An FCS school wants in to a super-conference. In every criteria, they match or exceed an under-performing existing member. They issue a challenge. Per bylaws, the super-conference and challenged institution must accomodate the challenge within 4 years. While the dry analysis of the institution-to-instiution is undertaken, plans are made for the four sports (2M & 2W, one is always football) in which the challenger and challenged must meet. If enough glam exists and the fans travel numbers are favorable, a destination Bowl committee may engage the two schools to arrange a four-sport extravaganza, staging all the games over a weekend. After the accountants, investigators, and waistcoat wearers have done their due diligence, and all the preliminary meetings, glad-handings, tuckus-smoochings, and demonstrations indicate favorably, the challenge games to commence. Though victory on the grid-iron and in the other venues is openly declared not a deciding factor, the outcomes eerily align with the super-conference decisions almost every time.

Yes, you should all petition to make me the Tsar of CFB and simultaneously, the head of the NCAA.

QUOTE(#13):

Originally posted 11:27 AM ET  02.20 by Tin Man

Yes, you should all petition to make me the Tsar of CFB and simultaneously, the head of the NCAA.

If the pay is anywhere close to what the NFL pays Goodell, it would be sweet.

QUOTE(#13):

Originally posted 11:27 AM ET  02.20 by Tin Man

Yes, you should all petition to make me the Tsar of CFB and simultaneously, the head of the NCAA.

Done

QUOTE(#10):

Originally posted 09:27 AM ET  02.20 by Docmadinejad

This doesn't make any sense, but if any school would consider leaving the ACC, it'd be UNC. They are honorless.

Duke Lacrosse team?

QUOTE(#13):

Originally posted 11:27 AM ET  02.20 by Tin Man

Yes, you should all petition to make me the Tsar of CFB and simultaneously, the head of the NCAA.

A thrilling answer oh tsar, but what I desire to know is this: which teams will you assign to the four conferences?

QUOTE(#17):

Originally posted 02:14 PM ET  02.20 by DearbornSparty

A thrilling answer oh tsar, but what I desire to know is this: which teams will you assign to the four conferences?

Oh, that'll sort itself out.

QUOTE(#7):

Originally posted 07:05 AM ET  02.20 by Tin Man

Four FBS conferences, each with 32 teams and 4 divisions. CC playoffs in early December. NC playoff at the change of the year.

I think three mega conferences is more likely than four. That works pretty good for a 4-team playoff, with 3 conference champs and a wild card, and 128 teams is too many for the big boys. No way, for example, that the Pac 12 brings in teams like Boise St. just to reach 32 teams.