Big Ten view of ISU?

[CyBobby]

I think ISU fits in the Big Ten, but it won't ever happen. To be fully honest, the Big Ten will only expand, if Notre Dame is willing to join. Other than that, Delany is comfortable at 12.

Your rite about the number 12...Unless you add Notre Dame whomever you add is going to make the slice of the pie smaller rather than larger...


Notre Dame or even Texas would bring a bunch of TV sets but neither ND nor Texas want to give up their money to join the big ten....


You're also right on that we at ISU will never get an invite to the big ten....


Here's hoping that Texas Univ can hold the big 12 together and we have a bright future with coach rhoads and his great staff.

Go Cyclones Smother those UConn Huskies.....:yes:

 

[tec71]

If the super conferences happen, there is a chance that the non-profit status of many conferences may come into question with how some teams were chosen. This is a really long shot but what if B1G tried to avoid this in the super conference model by adding academic fits that may already be in the conference footprint such as Pitt and ISU. It would make it hard to prove expansion was driven by money only.

You will see congressional hearings on this very issue, if they happen, and frankly maybe if they don't. There's far too much money being thrown around and far too blantantly being used as a reason for making these decisions, the fed is going to want a cut.

The only way we end up in the Big Ten is as a filler in the 16th spot. Frankly if the Big 12 is going away I'd love going into the Big 10. I'd rather play with the big boys. I think Iowa wouldn't mind it cause politically they have trouble taking us off their schedule but they want us off the non-conference schedule in FB so they can schedule the directional state school of the month for an easy home win. I still think the better chance is that we end up in a non-BCS league.

 

[Judoka]

I don't necessarily buy that arguement. The state has about 7-8,000 more graduates from Iowa State than Iowa, and I would guess that there are more Big 8/Big 12 graduates here than Big 10 graduates. Myself, I don't watch the Hawkeyes when they play and root against the Big 10 in general except for Northwestern. When Iowa was in the doldrums at the end of Fry's tenure and the beginning of Ferentzs' I believe the state was about 50/50 for the fan bases and actually leaned towards the Cyclones. Saw the same thing in the 70's. I believe you'll see us as a Cyclone state when it comes to basketball this year and I hope a long ways into the future and we are turning the corner in football.

You are looking at it the wrong way. The Big Ten already has the entire state covered via Iowa and Nebraska. They are already on every cable provider in the state.

The only way we would ever get a Big Ten invite is if they need a 'filler' school to hit 16/18/20.

 

[MNCyGuy]

Big Ten adding the remaining Big 12 north schools would actually be kind of cool, fun conference. It would kind of have the feel of a Big Ten/old Big 8 merger. It won't ever happen, but it would be cool.

 

[Entropy]

If the Big XII blows apart (like it looks) I think the Big 10 is our best shot at staying in a BCS Conference, otherwise we'd likely end up in C-USA.

 

[jdoggivjc]

If the Big XII blows apart (like it looks) I think the Big 10 is our best shot at staying in a BCS Conference, otherwise we'd likely end up in C-USA.

This tells me you haven't done a whole lot of research on the subject.

If this league goes to 16-team superconferences, that means there will be 20 current BCS schools not in the B1G, SEC, or Pac 1X vying for 16 spots in a conference of what would be a conglomerate of the Big 12, Big East, and ACC. If you want to throw teams currently not BCS, about all you're going to add is Houston and ECU. UCF won't be added because this "new" conference will already have Florida St and Miami. You can forget SMU, Rice, etc - they give you absolutely nothing. TCU is lucky they've had the decade of football they've had, or they'd be nothing as well. ISU just has to be a better option than 6 of them. They're clearly more desirable than Baylor (for obvious reason), K-State (Kansas gives this conference everything they need, and it's been said over and over again that KU and K-State are NOT tied at the hip), USF (for the same reasons as UCF), Syracuse (they do NOT give the new conference the New York market despite what the fear-mongerers would have you believe), Wake Forest (a small school that really adds nothing, especially if adding ECU), and Cincinnati (has about as much impact in the state of Ohio as any other MAC school). That's 6 schools off the top of my head that ISU is more desirable. ISU has excellent academics, more support for its athletics than most Big East schools, a lot of ACC schools, and as much or more than its fellow Big 12 schools, not to mention adds a state population of more than 3 million people to any conference not named the B1G.

In other words, ISU is a VERY DESIRABLE school. The media and "experts" would just rather not do the research and kick ISU to the ground because, well, it can.

 

[Prone2Clone]

It makes great sense on every level except TV. And until a conference proves me wrong, that's all this crap is about. TV. If they could, they'd probably boot Iowa, NW, Purdue, and Michigan State and add Syracuse, Rutgers, Missouri, and Maryland or some other four-team mix that brings lots of TV sets.

 

[bosco]

I think the Big Twen would consider it but the University of Iowa will never allow it.

Football scheduling wise it would favor Iowa. Instead of being a Non-con game the rivalry game would be a conference game allowing Iowa to schedule the cupcake they so desperately desire.

 

[jdoggivjc]

It makes great sense on every level except TV. And until a conference proves me wrong, that's all this crap is about. TV. If they could, they'd probably boot Iowa, NW, Purdue, and Michigan State and add Syracuse, Rutgers, Missouri, and Maryland or some other four-team mix that brings lots of TV sets.

Syracuse and Rutgers to the B1G have to be the BIGGEST college realignment urban legends ever. They do NOT add the NYC market to the B1G because New York DOES NOT CARE about Syracuse or Rutgers and, with the exception of the Big East Tournament, college sports at all. It is a pro sports town. Adding Rutgers and Syracuse will not allow the B1G to strongarm the cable providers in New Jersey and New York because nobody there cares.

Everyone keeps saying it's all about TV sets, and everyone is GROSSLY wrong about that - it's not just about TV sets, it's about market penetration. If Rutgers/Syracuse truly gave the B1G the New York market, it would have been one of those two schools and NOT Nebraska added to the B1G last year. Yet both schools are still in the Big East and squirming every time realignment come sup.

IF the B1G goes East, it's not going to be to the New York market. It's going to be South - as in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and Duke.

 

[Prone2Clone]

Syracuse and Rutgers to the B1G have to be the BIGGEST college realignment urban legends ever. They do NOT add the NYC market to the B1G because New York DOES NOT CARE about Syracuse or Rutgers and, with the exception of the Big East Tournament, college sports at all. It is a pro sports town. Adding Rutgers and Syracuse will not allow the B1G to strongarm the cable providers in New Jersey and New York because nobody there cares.

Everyone keeps saying it's all about TV sets, and everyone is GROSSLY wrong about that - it's not just about TV sets, it's about market penetration. If Rutgers/Syracuse truly gave the B1G the New York market, it would have been one of those two schools and NOT Nebraska added to the B1G last year. Yet both schools are still in the Big East and squirming every time realignment come sup.

IF the B1G goes East, it's not going to be to the New York market. It's going to be South - as in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and Duke.

I'll buy that.

 

[Entropy]

This tells me you haven't done a whole lot of research on the subject.

If this league goes to 16-team superconferences, that means there will be 20 current BCS schools not in the B1G, SEC, or Pac 1X vying for 16 spots in a conference of what would be a conglomerate of the Big 12, Big East, and ACC.

Interesting suggestion. Haven't seen this yet.

If you want to throw teams currently not BCS, about all you're going to add is Houston and ECU. UCF won't be added because this "new" conference will already have Florida St and Miami.

Okay.

You can forget SMU, Rice, etc - they give you absolutely nothing.

Agreed.

TCU is lucky they've had the decade of football they've had, or they'd be nothing as well.

Agreed.

ISU just has to be a better option than 6 of them. They're clearly more desirable than Baylor (for obvious reason), K-State (Kansas gives this conference everything they need, and it's been said over and over again that KU and K-State are NOT tied at the hip), USF (for the same reasons as UCF), Syracuse (they do NOT give the new conference the New York market despite what the fear-mongerers would have you believe), Wake Forest (a small school that really adds nothing, especially if adding ECU), and Cincinnati (has about as much impact in the state of Ohio as any other MAC school). That's 6 schools off the top of my head that ISU is more desirable. ISU has excellent academics, more support for its athletics than most Big East schools, a lot of ACC schools, and as much or more than its fellow Big 12 schools, not to mention adds a state population of more than 3 million people to any conference not named the B1G.

I can see this.

In other words, ISU is a VERY DESIRABLE school. The media and "experts" would just rather not do the research and kick ISU to the ground because, well, it can.

If we're so desirable, why are there no offers asking us to join, or on the flip side, why aren't we asking to join another conference?

 

[andjhostet]

I think the Big Twen would consider it but the University of Iowa will never allow it.

Wouldnt it be positive for Iowa? They would keep the rivalry and have an extra nonconference game to play ball st. or tenn tech or whatever gimmic game

 

[trajanJ]

This tells me you haven't done a whole lot of research on the subject.

If this league goes to 16-team superconferences, that means there will be 20 current BCS schools not in the B1G, SEC, or Pac 1X vying for 16 spots in a conference of what would be a conglomerate of the Big 12, Big East, and ACC. If you want to throw teams currently not BCS, about all you're going to add is Houston and ECU. UCF won't be added because this "new" conference will already have Florida St and Miami. You can forget SMU, Rice, etc - they give you absolutely nothing. TCU is lucky they've had the decade of football they've had, or they'd be nothing as well. ISU just has to be a better option than 6 of them. They're clearly more desirable than Baylor (for obvious reason), K-State (Kansas gives this conference everything they need, and it's been said over and over again that KU and K-State are NOT tied at the hip), USF (for the same reasons as UCF), Syracuse (they do NOT give the new conference the New York market despite what the fear-mongerers would have you believe), Wake Forest (a small school that really adds nothing, especially if adding ECU), and Cincinnati (has about as much impact in the state of Ohio as any other MAC school). That's 6 schools off the top of my head that ISU is more desirable. ISU has excellent academics, more support for its athletics than most Big East schools, a lot of ACC schools, and as much or more than its fellow Big 12 schools, not to mention adds a state population of more than 3 million people to any conference not named the B1G.

In other words, ISU is a VERY DESIRABLE school. The media and "experts" would just rather not do the research and kick ISU to the ground because, well, it can.

I think the ACC is going to be rock solid and stay together. Their members are very proud of being in the ACC unlike the Big 12 members. They could get a team or two taken but they will replace them with Big East teams. That means Wake Forest is safe. The Big East and Big 12 will be the schools taken. ND will be forced to join a conference. That leaves 6 teams out unless somebody values BYU then 7 teams out. I would love to agree with you on Syracuse but I think they will be a pretty popular team and wouldn't be surprised if some schools like the Big 10 are after Rutgers just for their footprint. They don't need Rutgers fans watching, all they need is the footprint and all the Big 10 alumns that live in the area have to pay a lot more to get the Big 10 channel. Some of the Big East teams are going to have advantages because of population and location. If this thing goes to 4 - 16 team superconferences it's going to get ugly and The Big 12 North teams are not in a good position.

 

[jdoggivjc]

If we're so desirable, why are there no offers asking us to join, or on the flip side, why aren't we asking to join another conference?

How did being extremely vocal play out for Mizzou last year?

If rebecacy's thread from last week is to be believed, Senators Harkin and Grassley as well as Iowa's Representatives are in ISU's corner. Being as senior as they are, Harkin and Grassley wield a LOT of power, particularly to get the ball rolling when it comes to having the NCAA's non-profit status revoked. That would be an extreme hit to universities in terms of donations - how many people are going to want to continue donating to ADs when they can no longer claim it on their annual tax returns?

Not to mention, if rebecacy is to be believed, that donor he's close with says nobody in that room - Iowa's politicians, donors, JP and GG, looked worried at all, and they were discussing realignment all evening.

All of the evidence leads me to believe that ISU has a seat at the superconference table if this all shakes out, and I could see it in any of the conferences except the SEC. More than likely it would be in the merged Big 12/Big East/ACC.

 

[Entropy]

How did being extremely vocal play out for Mizzou last year?

Excellent point.

If rebecacy's thread from last week is to be believed, Senators Harkin and Grassley as well as Iowa's Representatives are in ISU's corner. Being as senior as they are, Harkin and Grassley wield a LOT of power, particularly to get the ball rolling when it comes to having the NCAA's non-profit status revoked. That would be an extreme hit to universities in terms of donations - how many people are going to want to continue donating to ADs when they can no longer claim it on their annual tax returns?



Not to mention, if rebecacy is to be believed, that donor he's close with says nobody in that room - Iowa's politicians, donors, JP and GG, looked worried at all, and they were discussing realignment all evening.

Totally missed that thread. Haven't logged on in probably a year. Reading right now...

All of the evidence leads me to believe that ISU has a seat at the superconference table if this all shakes out, and I could see it in any of the conferences except the SEC. More than likely it would be in the merged Big 12/Big East/ACC.

That would be nuts, but the more I think about it, the more likely it seems. Guess we'll have to increase the travel budget.

 

[andjhostet]

I think the ACC is going to be rock solid and stay together. Their members are very proud of being in the ACC unlike the Big 12 members.

Unless the SEC rapes it for GT, Miami, Clemson or frankly any school it wants. The ACC can all go downhill if that happens. because if SEC goes to 14 (which looks inevitable) B1G probably wont be far behind and if ACC is unstable who knows what will happen? B1G might go after BC, Duke, Maryland, UV, VT?

 

[ljhlax]

Seems to me ISU would fit with the Big Ten like hand into glove, with one exception.

How we fit:

* Academically - Unlike Nebraska, we are a member of the elite association of 60 research institutions, membership in which is prized by the Big Ten universities (don't recall the name of the association). Overall academically, do we not measure up to Big Ten standards?

(Could it be a bonus that our athletics department takes pride our football team leading the Big 12 in GPA and graduation [is that accurate?] and student-athlete academic performance generally?)

* Our Olympic sports programs are doing well -- was it last year or the year before we finished in the 30s in the all-sports tabulations? In direct competition with Big Ten member Iowa, we're on a par competitively (Cy-Hawk competition as an example; ui has nothing on us).

* Hilton Coliseum has the requisite seating, correct? Isn't capacity similar to Michigan's Chrysler arena, Purdue's Mackey arena, and others?

* The football complex is quality, with the indoor practice facility and the new football complex being built. JTS has undergone important improvements, and others are on the horizon.

* ISU fans travel, and this could be important. We're a fanatic fan base, one that highly supports its teams. Football bowl operations know this; it could figure in Big Ten calculations. And, let's mention here that the wbb program annually ranks in the top 5 in national attendance. And mbb season tickets, we're gonna have a packed Hilton this winter, correct?

* Geographically, with Nebraska as the western outpost, we're already inside the Big Ten boundary footprint. If Olympic sports travel expenses come into play (a minor consideration, I suppose) when figuring future conference members, we're a natural.

How we might not fit:

* Football tradition, thus branding. Likely, this is the only reason Nebraska is a Big Ten member today, so it looms large. Although, the Big Ten people will know we're 8-6 over Iowa in the last 14 football meetings, and with a finger on the pulse of college football, they will know that ISU has the ability to become ever more competitive under the leadership of the AD and football coach.

JTS would not be the smallest capacity Big Ten stadium, correct? What do Minnesota, Indiana, and Northwestern average these days? And, with Big Ten revenue sharing, we'd likely move to 65,000 capacity sooner rather than later.

(How big was Saturday's win as conference re-alignment waters begin to roil again? How about if we can move our football record to 3-0, then 4-0?)

-----------

So, how well would we or wouldn't we fit into the Big Ten Conference if re-alignment movement forces the Big Ten to look at expanding? The stuff above is off the top of my head; I'll bet others here have thought through this issue with far better analysis. I'd sure like to be privy to your thinking. Thanks.

Here is where I really respect the Hawkeye fans I watched the game with on Saturday at Old Chicago. They made it pretty clear that they would love to have ISU in the B1G if things fall apart in the Big 12. In fact the Bartender (a Michigan fan) my father brother and another guy at the bar who are all Illinois grads said that ISU is a natural fit. My cousin, a Penn State fan said it'd be great to see ISU in the Big 12. It would give him another close stadium to see his Nittany Lions play. The Wisconsin fan agreed and thought it would be fun to travel to JTS for a game. He hadn't been since he saw U2 play there 15 years ago and he also said he'd like to see the scoreboard in person (bonus points to the Scoreboard).

Now here is where I don't think ISU fans realize the respect our quality fan base carries in B1G country. I'm in Kalamazoo, MI. Almost every Michigan State fan I know around here has respect for ISU. Most can attest to the class of our fans after our in the Palace and loss to MSU in the elite 8 and some even know that we've picked up some of their cast aways and wish them well at ISU. My wife works in Battle Creek a big Wrestling town in Michigan, and anyone with kids who wrestle that she knows has tremendous respect for ISU and our program. Plus, anyone who had been to the Midlands tournament has a lot of respect for our school and program.

I'm looking for a good ISU Basketball crowd in Ann Arbor this season and I'm confident we will represent the ISU fan base real well. I think part of the process starts with us. Every single fan has the opportunity to be an ambassador for the program, especially fans living out of state in the heart of B1G country.

Of course, I really think the Iowa Board of Regents have to be proactive, the Des Moines International Airport, the Iowa Tourism Board and other powerful Iowa entities that will benefit from our pressence in the B1G need to show up big time as well. As a fan base we have to look at this like a sales pitch to host the Olympics. Ames is an AMAZING town. We offer a lot to the B1G. Some of the best things we offer are the intangibles that don't always show up on traditional balance sheets, but it doesn't mean we can't still try and sell them.

Another note, last year, even though it wasn't the best game available for the time slot and it wasn't the most competitive game. The Grand Rapids market chose the Iowa / ISU game over the MSU, MICH game (against very week opponents) Penn State, Wisconsin and Illinois against good opponents. When I emailed the stations program director to request the game, I received a reply. We've had an overwhelming majority of requests for this game. We are doing everything we can to secure this game for broadcast this Saturday.

 

[digZ]

The old guard schools of the Big 10:

"Don't we already have the Big10 network in Iowa?"

As much as we are a fit in every logical way(Strong AD, good academics, midwest school/values, good enrollment, strong fan support, etc), we're not a fit in the ways that are driving this whole realignment mess. It's unfortunate, but it's the cold hard truth.

 

[cyowa]

This tells me you haven't done a whole lot of research on the subject.

If this league goes to 16-team superconferences, that means there will be 20 current BCS schools not in the B1G, SEC, or Pac 1X vying for 16 spots in a conference of what would be a conglomerate of the Big 12, Big East, and ACC. If you want to throw teams currently not BCS, about all you're going to add is Houston and ECU. UCF won't be added because this "new" conference will already have Florida St and Miami. You can forget SMU, Rice, etc - they give you absolutely nothing. TCU is lucky they've had the decade of football they've had, or they'd be nothing as well. ISU just has to be a better option than 6 of them. They're clearly more desirable than Baylor (for obvious reason), K-State (Kansas gives this conference everything they need, and it's been said over and over again that KU and K-State are NOT tied at the hip), USF (for the same reasons as UCF), Syracuse (they do NOT give the new conference the New York market despite what the fear-mongerers would have you believe), Wake Forest (a small school that really adds nothing, especially if adding ECU), and Cincinnati (has about as much impact in the state of Ohio as any other MAC school). That's 6 schools off the top of my head that ISU is more desirable. ISU has excellent academics, more support for its athletics than most Big East schools, a lot of ACC schools, and as much or more than its fellow Big 12 schools, not to mention adds a state population of more than 3 million people to any conference not named the B1G.

In other words, ISU is a VERY DESIRABLE school. The media and "experts" would just rather not do the research and kick ISU to the ground because, well, it can.

I really want to believe you, I really do. BUt after the great victory over the Hawkeyes, I was really pumped Sunday morning and eager to read the Omaha World Herald's account of the win. The Herald is the only paper in town. The coverage of the game was pretty good and not derogatory toward ISU. So I'm feeling pretty good until I return to the front page and start reading about their take on super conferences. They include an elaborate sketch of four 16 team super conferences , an effort put together as a colaborative effort of four Herald columnists. To make a long and messy story short, their conclusion is that only three BCS schools will not be included and will be relegated to a Conference USA. The three are: Baylor, Miami, and Iowa State. Several of the schools you don't include were in their super conference scheme.

Now, I'm not saying the World Herald has any more knowledge of where this is all going to shake out than any other bogger or newspaper, but I do get down and nervous when several of these so-called experts excude ISU. Repeated often enough it becomes a self fullfilling prophesy. Just saying.

 

[jdoggivjc]

Here is where I really respect the Hawkeye fans I watched the game with on Saturday at Old Chicago. They made it pretty clear that they would love to have ISU in the B1G if things fall apart in the Big 12. In fact the Bartender (a Michigan fan) my father brother and another guy at the bar who are all Illinois grads said that ISU is a natural fit. My cousin, a Penn State fan said it'd be great to see ISU in the Big 12. It would give him another close stadium to see his Nittany Lions play. The Wisconsin fan agreed and thought it would be fun to travel to JTS for a game. He hadn't been since he saw U2 play there 15 years ago and he also said he'd like to see the scoreboard in person (bonus points to the Scoreboard).

Now here is where I don't think ISU fans realize the respect our quality fan base carries in B1G country. I'm in Kalamazoo, MI. Almost every Michigan State fan I know around here has respect for ISU. Most can attest to the class of our fans after our in the Palace and loss to MSU in the elite 8 and some even know that we've picked up some of their cast aways and wish them well at ISU. My wife works in Battle Creek a big Wrestling town in Michigan, and anyone with kids who wrestle that she knows has tremendous respect for ISU and our program. Plus, anyone who had been to the Midlands tournament has a lot of respect for our school and program.

I'm looking for a good ISU Basketball crowd in Ann Arbor this season and I'm confident we will represent the ISU fan base real well. I think part of the process starts with us. Every single fan has the opportunity to be an ambassador for the program, especially fans living out of state in the heart of B1G country.

Of course, I really think the Iowa Board of Regents have to be proactive, the Des Moines International Airport, the Iowa Tourism Board and other powerful Iowa entities that will benefit from our pressence in the B1G need to show up big time as well. As a fan base we have to look at this like a sales pitch to host the Olympics. Ames is an AMAZING town. We offer a lot to the B1G. Some of the best things we offer are the intangibles that don't always show up on traditional balance sheets, but it doesn't mean we can't still try and sell them.

Another note, last year, even though it wasn't the best game available for the time slot and it wasn't the most competitive game. The Grand Rapids market chose the Iowa / ISU game over the MSU, MICH game (against very week opponents) Penn State, Wisconsin and Illinois against good opponents. When I emailed the stations program director to request the game, I received a reply. We've had an overwhelming majority of requests for this game. We are doing everything we can to secure this game for broadcast this Saturday.

Living up here in Michigan, I've only run into a handful of idiots that have derogatory opinions about Iowa State. Most people up here I've talked to, including random strangers commenting on me wearing ISU gear, think it would be awesome for ISU to be in the B1G. I get it - as much as ISU has going for it, it's virtually nil on market penetration. But the simple truth is that anyone that didn't attend ISU looks down at ISU simply isn't true. There is a lot of respect for ISU, especially amongst B1G fans.