Expansion buzz
posted by LW, Tuesday, April 20, 2010
This expansion stuff has a Wild Wild West feel to it.
(No, I wasn't just looking for an excuse to post another picture from the movie "Tombstone." But I'm constantly looking for opportunities, and expansion talk provides a nice opening for the analogy.)
Dennis Dodd of CBS Sportsline is doing a really nice job of tackling the topic, and it helps make up for his woefully inaccurate reporting on Tubby Smith to Auburn last month.
Today, he talks about Texas' decision about whether to stay or go -- and if it's go, where the Longhorns will end up -- having a huge impact on everyone else.
Three things I take from this column:
-- The SEC's landmark television deal ($3 billion over 15 years) is a major influence in the Big Ten's expansion plans, which have reportedly been accelerated.
-- The Big East could be doomed.
-- The SEC might be more interested in raiding the Big 12 than the ACC.
The third notion is most interesting, because most of us have been proceeding under the assumption that Miami, Florida State and Clemson would be attractive candidates if the SEC became interested in adding more teams.
Clemson, by the way, would be very much interested in listening if that opportunity materialized. Actually, Clemson's athletics department would be very much interested in listening. The university administration might be a different story.
But anyway, Dodd's piece points out that the SEC could look west instead of east.
Would Oklahoma follow Texas? Maybe the only way to trump the Big Ten's power play is somehow lure Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas A&M to the SEC. Blood rivals on the field, Texas and OU can't get along without each other, really. In a quiet moment in his office, Dodds admitted to proudly showing current Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione around the campus each time he visits.
Regarding the Big East, this Louisville columnist says the Big East is on the verge of becoming the Big Empty.
Louisville AD Tom Jurich told the columnist he's "expecting probably the worst" at this week's BCS meetings in Phoenix.
And this from Big East commish Mike Tranghese:
“If the Big Ten comes and takes multiple teams from the Big East, then I think the Big East is in trouble. It's a tough situation, because I don't think there's anything the Big East can do to prevent it, and I think everybody is sort of sitting on pins and needles.”
When high-ranking officials are speaking in apocalyptic tones, it's time to start paying attention.
Wonder what the folks in Greensboro think of all this? This is high-stakes, cut-throat stuff that makes the previous rounds of expansion look like Tiddlywinks.
The emerging expansion buzz, coupled with the ACC's ongoing negotiations for a new TV deal, means it'd be fascinating to be a fly on the wall in John Swofford's office.
One would think West Virginia and Louisville would be logical targets for the ACC. But Tranghese, for one, doesn't see it happening.
“I just don't see it that way at all. I just don't think that the ACC and SEC are going to expand.”
The Big East, by the way, poses a serious roadblock to an accelerated timetable with expansion:
Big East teams that agree to leave for other conferences are contractually obligated to remain in the Big East for 27 months after notifying the league of their intentions. That arrangement was set up not only to try to protect the league from defections, but to give the rest of the league time to act if a school left.
More on expansion in this New York Times article.
Here's a good story in The State on the Byrd brothers, Jonathan and Jordan, paying tribute to their late father.
In the ACC Sports Journal, a look at the shaky bond between Florida State and Bobby Bowden.
In the Winston-Salem Journal, a look at Wake Forest's spring game.
Is the ACC hyping North Carolina as the Coastal Division favorite? We'd never expect the ACC to stoop to those lows, would we?
Kyle Singler will return for his senior season with Duke. If you detest the thought of the Blue Devils returning to prolonged college basketball supremacy and all the glorification that would come with it, better leave your television off for the next year or two ... or just leave the country.
Happy 65th birthday, Steve Spurrier. But please, keep your shirt on when posing for pictures.
LW
Click here for the "Eye On The Tigers" blog archive.
Link to this entry - Discuss this entry - Return to Blog Home
This expansion stuff has a Wild Wild West feel to it.
(No, I wasn't just looking for an excuse to post another picture from the movie "Tombstone." But I'm constantly looking for opportunities, and expansion talk provides a nice opening for the analogy.)
Dennis Dodd of CBS Sportsline is doing a really nice job of tackling the topic, and it helps make up for his woefully inaccurate reporting on Tubby Smith to Auburn last month.
Today, he talks about Texas' decision about whether to stay or go -- and if it's go, where the Longhorns will end up -- having a huge impact on everyone else.
Three things I take from this column:
-- The SEC's landmark television deal ($3 billion over 15 years) is a major influence in the Big Ten's expansion plans, which have reportedly been accelerated.
-- The Big East could be doomed.
-- The SEC might be more interested in raiding the Big 12 than the ACC.
The third notion is most interesting, because most of us have been proceeding under the assumption that Miami, Florida State and Clemson would be attractive candidates if the SEC became interested in adding more teams.
Clemson, by the way, would be very much interested in listening if that opportunity materialized. Actually, Clemson's athletics department would be very much interested in listening. The university administration might be a different story.
But anyway, Dodd's piece points out that the SEC could look west instead of east.
Would Oklahoma follow Texas? Maybe the only way to trump the Big Ten's power play is somehow lure Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas A&M to the SEC. Blood rivals on the field, Texas and OU can't get along without each other, really. In a quiet moment in his office, Dodds admitted to proudly showing current Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione around the campus each time he visits.
Regarding the Big East, this Louisville columnist says the Big East is on the verge of becoming the Big Empty.
Louisville AD Tom Jurich told the columnist he's "expecting probably the worst" at this week's BCS meetings in Phoenix.
And this from Big East commish Mike Tranghese:
“If the Big Ten comes and takes multiple teams from the Big East, then I think the Big East is in trouble. It's a tough situation, because I don't think there's anything the Big East can do to prevent it, and I think everybody is sort of sitting on pins and needles.”
When high-ranking officials are speaking in apocalyptic tones, it's time to start paying attention.
Wonder what the folks in Greensboro think of all this? This is high-stakes, cut-throat stuff that makes the previous rounds of expansion look like Tiddlywinks.
The emerging expansion buzz, coupled with the ACC's ongoing negotiations for a new TV deal, means it'd be fascinating to be a fly on the wall in John Swofford's office.
One would think West Virginia and Louisville would be logical targets for the ACC. But Tranghese, for one, doesn't see it happening.
“I just don't see it that way at all. I just don't think that the ACC and SEC are going to expand.”
The Big East, by the way, poses a serious roadblock to an accelerated timetable with expansion:
Big East teams that agree to leave for other conferences are contractually obligated to remain in the Big East for 27 months after notifying the league of their intentions. That arrangement was set up not only to try to protect the league from defections, but to give the rest of the league time to act if a school left.
More on expansion in this New York Times article.
Here's a good story in The State on the Byrd brothers, Jonathan and Jordan, paying tribute to their late father.
In the ACC Sports Journal, a look at the shaky bond between Florida State and Bobby Bowden.
In the Winston-Salem Journal, a look at Wake Forest's spring game.
Is the ACC hyping North Carolina as the Coastal Division favorite? We'd never expect the ACC to stoop to those lows, would we?
Kyle Singler will return for his senior season with Duke. If you detest the thought of the Blue Devils returning to prolonged college basketball supremacy and all the glorification that would come with it, better leave your television off for the next year or two ... or just leave the country.
Happy 65th birthday, Steve Spurrier. But please, keep your shirt on when posing for pictures.
LW
Click here for the "Eye On The Tigers" blog archive.
Link to this entry - Discuss this entry - Return to Blog Home
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