College Conference Alignment

[Mike-Dub]

http://espn.go.com/espn/commentary/story/_/id/7001193/football-kills-big-east-basketball-tradition

Michael Wilbon, one of my favorite sports personalities out there, could not have summed up how I feel about this conference realignment thing any better than he did in this.

College sports IMO have become too big and just about money and there is nothing that can stop it unfortunately.

The NCAA has no control and everything basically needs to be rebuilt from scratch. 

There was a really good piece on the most recent "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" that dealt with the bowls and their charity designation and how much of a joke that has become.

College sports, particularly football, is a very ugly and messed up industry.  Especially when you consider that its supposed to be "amateur" athletics.

It is all a complete joke and utterly disgusting.  And the NCAA can't do anything about it because under their watch it became to big for them to handle.

[Eja117]

After the schools get all this money will college tuition go down one cent? Of course not. They're going to make a lot more money, then they're going to raise tuition for the 30th year in a row, then they're going to call alumni asking for money, then they're going to say that Congress needs to give them more money because the cost of education has gone up.

Education dollars from tax payers should be contingent on lowering tuition.  They have enough money.

[Moranis]

After the schools get all this money will college tuition go down one cent? Of course not. They're going to make a lot more money, then they're going to raise tuition for the 30th year in a row, then they're going to call alumni asking for money, then they're going to say that Congress needs to give them more money because the cost of education has gone up.

Education dollars from tax payers should be contingent on lowering tuition.  They have enough money.

Less then 25 schools make a profit on their athletic programs in any given season and the last few it has been in the 15 school range.  They need to make all this money in football and basketball so they can have track, swimming, volleyball, tennis, golf, etc. 

[Eja117]

After the schools get all this money will college tuition go down one cent? Of course not. They're going to make a lot more money, then they're going to raise tuition for the 30th year in a row, then they're going to call alumni asking for money, then they're going to say that Congress needs to give them more money because the cost of education has gone up.

Education dollars from tax payers should be contingent on lowering tuition.  They have enough money.

Less then 25 schools make a profit on their athletic programs in any given season and the last few it has been in the 15 school range.  They need to make all this money in football and basketball so they can have track, swimming, volleyball, tennis, golf, etc. 

The price of college went up 500% in a 20 year period when the price of everything else went up 150%. It's the only thing I can think of that the price goes up significantly every single year. I don't buy their excuses. They raise the price because they can.

[Moranis]

After the schools get all this money will college tuition go down one cent? Of course not. They're going to make a lot more money, then they're going to raise tuition for the 30th year in a row, then they're going to call alumni asking for money, then they're going to say that Congress needs to give them more money because the cost of education has gone up.

Education dollars from tax payers should be contingent on lowering tuition.  They have enough money.

Less then 25 schools make a profit on their athletic programs in any given season and the last few it has been in the 15 school range.  They need to make all this money in football and basketball so they can have track, swimming, volleyball, tennis, golf, etc. 

The price of college went up 500% in a 20 year period when the price of everything else went up 150%. It's the only thing I can think of that the price goes up significantly every single year. I don't buy their excuses. They raise the price because they can.

The increase in tuition has nothing to do with athletics.  My point was merely that all the football money goes to the other sports programs and not academics. 

The rise of tuition is mostly for 2 reasons.  First, the federal and state governments put significantly less money into colleges.  The money from every government cut has to come from somewhere (sorry students that is you).  Second, just like with the car industry, the pension packages for teachers, janitors, etc. has become significantly more crippling the last 20 years or so.

[Moranis]

Missouri to SEC officially announced.

[Moranis]

Navy to join the Big East for football only beginning in 2015.  That would put the Big East at 11 teams, so clearly it will be looking to add one more team.  Perhaps it will revisit with Air Force who may be more inclined to join with Navy in the fold.  East Carolina and Memphis are also probably on the short list.

[Eja117]

After the schools get all this money will college tuition go down one cent? Of course not. They're going to make a lot more money, then they're going to raise tuition for the 30th year in a row, then they're going to call alumni asking for money, then they're going to say that Congress needs to give them more money because the cost of education has gone up.

Education dollars from tax payers should be contingent on lowering tuition.  They have enough money.

Less then 25 schools make a profit on their athletic programs in any given season and the last few it has been in the 15 school range.  They need to make all this money in football and basketball so they can have track, swimming, volleyball, tennis, golf, etc. 

The price of college went up 500% in a 20 year period when the price of everything else went up 150%. It's the only thing I can think of that the price goes up significantly every single year. I don't buy their excuses. They raise the price because they can.

The increase in tuition has nothing to do with athletics.  My point was merely that all the football money goes to the other sports programs and not academics. 

The rise of tuition is mostly for 2 reasons.  First, the federal and state governments put significantly less money into colleges.  The money from every government cut has to come from somewhere (sorry students that is you).  Second, just like with the car industry, the pension packages for teachers, janitors, etc. has become significantly more crippling the last 20 years or so.

i can't believe I missed this. It strikes me as timely cause of Obma's comments in the State of the Union last night. I don't buy the fed and state cuts thing. They call me every year and tell me this. If it were true then there wouldn't be any money from government at all and who can blame them when they raise tuition every year. And every college in the country agreed to pension raises far exceeding inflation?

[nickagneta]

Looked back at this and thinking how crazy some of the predictions of team movement was. It looks like all the current conferences will survive long term(I always thought they would) and that the major movement would be from teams in and out of lower earning football conferences, which includes the Big East.

So let's review:


Syracuse and Pitt to the ACC for a 14 team conference.

Missouri and Texas A&M to the SEC for a 14 team conference.

UCF, Houston and SMU to the Big East for all sports. Boise St, San Diego St, and Navy to join Big East football only.

Big 10...pretty much a done deal unless Notre Dame decides to come aboard for all sports which would trigger the addition of another team.

TCU and West Virginia are now bound for the Big 12 which will build back up to a 10 team conference.

Pac 12...a done deal.

Non-BCS conferences...all over the place as BCS conferences look for replacements from teams going other BSC conferences from these non-BCS conferences. So MAC, Mountain West, CUSA and others struggle to fill slots.

[Donoghus]

And it continues...

Maryland just voted to join the Big Ten.  Rutgers is expected to join them.

That school in Storrs could be poised to jump ship from the Big East to the ACC now. 

[Fafnir]

Big 10 was just waiting for ND to make a decision I guess.

[Rondo2287]

wow, maryland throwing away 50 million dollars. 

[Fafnir]

wow, maryland throwing away 50 million dollars.

They'll try to negotiate that down I'm sure.

But when your income steam is going from 16 to 25 - 35 or whatever the Big 10 network brings they're making a longer term play.

[Donoghus]

wow, maryland throwing away 50 million dollars.

Certainly a lot of money there but if Maryland can pull it off, Florida State might think twice again and flirt with the $EC again.

Could trigger another domino or two to fall.

[Donoghus]

wow, maryland throwing away 50 million dollars.

They'll try to negotiate that down I'm sure.

But when your income steam is going from 16 to 25 - 35 or whatever the Big 10 network brings they're making a longer term play.

Exactly.  Maryland will recoup that exit fee one way or another.

Read something the other day that one of the Underarmour guys and MD super boosters just cashed out a ton of stock.