Iowa Hot Take: Big 10 Contraction

[BCClone]

The Texas schools aren't even terribly far. When we went to Akron last year it was the same as going to DFW.

Not terrible. Was more just thinking that when we go to a K school or so, we have the possibility of just driving down to Manhattan or so and coming home right away if we are needing to. The TX ones, you probably are grabbing a hotel on one side no matter what. We are near the MN border so its a little added from there.

 

[mj4cy]

There's no way either us or Iowa get left out going forward. Both have AAU status, and large, engaged fanbases. In the era of cord cutting that makes you far more valuable than schools like Rutgers, Maryland, or half the ACC that sit in large media markets but have no fan interest.

Iowa also has the benefit of being in the second most stable conference.

Agree with this. 10 years ago, we sucked in football and weren't near huge cities with eye balls. It was all about access to eyeballs. A lot of us caught on knowing that was short sighted, but seemed like the Big 10 didn't care (Rutgers and Maryland). However now, you look at Iowa State with huge enrollment, lots of alumni, and loyalty like nothing else. That's worth a lot more than a team that has access to populous cities but not much of a following.

 

[dexterhawk]

Agree with this. 10 years ago, we sucked in football and weren't near huge cities with eye balls. It was all about access to eyeballs. A lot of us caught on knowing that was short sighted, but seemed like the Big 10 didn't care (Rutgers and Maryland). However now, you look at Iowa State with huge enrollment, lots of alumni, and loyalty like nothing else. That's worth a lot more than a team that has access to populous cities but not much of a following.

Personally I just never bought the Rutgers argument. They have minimal pull in New York...

 

[Al_4_State]

Not terrible. Was more just thinking that when we go to a K school or so, we have the possibility of just driving down to Manhattan or so and coming home right away if we are needing to. The TX ones, you probably are grabbing a hotel on one side no matter what. We are near the MN border so its a little added from there.

I'm in the Decorah area and we made it home from a wedding in the north Dallas suburbs in about 12-13 hours. Hit the road around 7:30AM and was home a little after 8:00PM.

But I barely stop and hate getting a hotel when I'm that close to home.

 

[Al_4_State]

Personally I just never bought the Rutgers argument. They have minimal pull in New York...

But it did get the B10N on all New Jersey cable packages, which brought in a lot of $.

That's really all it was.

 

[herbicide]

Personally I just never bought the Rutgers argument. They have minimal pull in New York...

You didn't buy it, unless you were a cable subscriber living in NJ or NY...

 

[JP4CY]

Personally I just never bought the Rutgers argument. They have minimal pull in New York...

Syracuse would have been a better pull. If you ever go to NYC the S flags are everywhere at bars.

 

[mj4cy]

But it did get the B10N on all New Jersey cable packages, which brought in a lot of $.

That's really all it was.

RIght, it was a great move for the 5-10 years after it occurred, but I don't see it as long term success. Really really waters down the Big 10. You can go 11-1 and if you missed out on Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, and Penn State (I believe that was Iowa a few years ago), you have no shot in the CFP.

 

[JP4CY]

RIght, it was a great move for the 5-10 years after it occurred, but I don't see it as long term success. Really really waters down the Big 10. You can go 11-1 and if you missed out on Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, and Penn State (I believe that was Iowa a few years ago), you have no shot in the CFP.

Waters down is an understatement. You could get a ticket to the B1G basketball tourney in DC for 2 games (1 session) for $6 on stubhub. That's the lowest allowable sale price.

 

[Legend Hawk]

I revise my earlier state. All conferences are either 9 or 10 teams. Every team required to play 10 other Power teams every year. Win the conference is an auto bid and then 1 at large team selected for a 8 team playoff.

Pacific 10
Washington
Washington State
Oregon St
Oregon
Cal
Stanford
UCLA
USC
Utah
BYU

Big 8 then 12 now Big 9
Colorado
Nebraska
KState
Kansas
Missouri
ISU
Oklahoma St.
OU
Louisville

SWC
Texas Tech
TCU
Texas
Texas A&M
Arizona
Arizona St.
Baylor
Houston
Arkansas

Big 10
Minnesota
Iowa
Wisconsin
Northwestern
Illinois
MSU
Michigan
OSU
Purdue
Indiana

NEC (North East Conference)
Notre Dame
Penn St.
WVU
Pitt
Syracuse
Boston College
Rutgers
Maryland
Virginia
Virginia Tech

ACC
South Carolina
Duke
NC State
North Carolina
Wake Forest
Clemson
Georgia Tech
FSU
Miami

SEC
Auburn
Alabama
Tennessee
Kentucky
Georgia
Ole Miss
Florida
Vanderbilt
LSU
Miss St.

 

[laminak]

There's no way either us or Iowa get left out going forward. Both have AAU status, and large, engaged fanbases. In the era of cord cutting that makes you far more valuable than schools like Rutgers, Maryland, or half the ACC that sit in large media markets but have no fan interest.

Iowa also has the benefit of being in the second most stable conference.

Here is a decent ranking by the WSJ about the value of the NCAA football teams. There was another recent one by Forbes, however they only did top 20 for their ranking.

https://graphics.wsj.com/table/COUNT_09212017

 

[mj4cy]

I revise my earlier state. All conferences are either 9 or 10 teams, and then you have to play 10 other Power teams every year. Win the conference is an auto bid and then 1 at large team selected for a 8 team playoff.

Pacific 10
Washington
Washington State
Oregon St
Oregon
Cal
Stanford
UCLA
USC
ASU
Arizona

Big 8 then 12 now 9
Utah
Colorado
Nebraska
KState
Kansas
Missouri
ISU
Oklahoma St.
OU

SWC
Texas Tech
TCU
Texas
Texas A&M
LSU
Miss St
Ole Miss
Baylor
One more team, struggling here I gotta move something???

Big 10
Minnesota
Iowa
Wisconsin
Northwestern
Illinois
MSU
Michigan
OSU
Purdue
Indiana

NEC (North East Conference)
Notre Dame
Penn St.
WVU
Pitt
Syracuse
Boston College
Rutgers
Maryland
Virginia
Virginia Tech

ACC
Louisville
Duke
NC State
North Carolina
Wake Forest
Clemson
Georgia Tech
FSU
Miami

SEC
Auburn
Alabama
Tennessee
Kentucky
Georgia
South Carolina
Florida
Vanderbilt
Arkansas

This could be fun. Have the 7 winners plus 1 at large (or undefeated mid major) do an 8 team playoff.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

WV is successful no doubt. I was alluding to them not fitting geographically...I’d like the conferences to be aligned more along those lines quite frankly and I don’t much care for the Maryland and Rutgers adds for that reason. Would have liked Pitt/Mizzou

B1G fans can take the geography argument and shove it up their ***.

 

[Legend Hawk]

This could be fun. Have the 7 winners plus 1 at large (or undefeated mid major) do an 8 team playoff.

Get some great non conference games, because they don't hurt you if you lose, so teams will schedule tougher. Conference rivalry would be intense as you play every year. Win your conference and you are in so you earn it on the field.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

I don’t think there’s much danger of ISU being left out anymore. A couple years ago I thought differently....

I thought they would be going the super conference route which personally I don’t like....don’t think that’s really in the cards anymore

Oh, and Iowa’s safe

I agree with you 100%. Things looked really bad for Iowa State during the first go round but things are certainly different now and I'm not talking about W's and L's.

 

[scottwv]

I agree, should be based on geography and tradition. I like the 9 team conferences/divisions, but I would only have 7 of them (63 total). Then you play a 8 game conference schedule, you are required to play 3 other Power teams and then you can schedule 1 pre season game (doesn't count, but you can play a MAC or FCS team to warm up). Win your conference you are in and there is 1 at large team that makes it (always seems to be a great team that just doesn't win their division each year).

This creates better games all year long, with top non conference matchups that don't ruin your season if you lose them as you can still win your conference.

Problem with 63 teams is there are 64 P5 teams + Notre Dame. Which 2 existing schools get dropped? How long would that be tied up in court and/or congressional hearings? IMO it would be less hassle to take the 64 exiting P5 teams, plus BYU and Notre Dame and find 6 more teams to add.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

But it did get the B10N on all New Jersey cable packages, which brought in a lot of $.

That's really all it was.

I doubt that even balanced out Rutgers full conference share. Rutgers and Maryland watered down the conference and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Look no further than Comcast looking to cut BTN out of cable packages inside B1G territory.

 

[CyTwins]

Problem with 63 teams is there are 64 P5 teams + Notre Dame. Which 2 get dropped existing schools get dropped? How long would that be tied up in court and/or congressional hearings? IMO it would be less hassle to take the 64 exiting P5 teams, plus BYU and Notre Dame and find 6 more teams to add.

Iowa and Rutgers. They can take their rivalry somewhere else

 

[BCClone]

Iowa and Rutgers. They can take their rivalry somewhere else

Is this really supposed to be a rivalry?

 

[CyTwins]

Is this really supposed to be a rivalry?

Yeah Rutgers is Iowa's new protected rival