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Conference Expansion

Ronman

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Jan 4, 2004
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Planet Iowa
I haven't seen much discussion about this topic on this board and I'm just wondering what you guys think of adding USC and UCLA to the B1G. I think the football program can easily compete with the new additions, but both newly added basketball programs are pretty stout competition. Might make it even harder to compete for a conference title or a BTT Championship. Could open up new recruiting territory, but I doubt we would be able to pull many Californians out to Iowa nevertheless. I'm not against the expansion, but as an Iowa basketball fan, I'm not sure we needed the extra conference competition.
 
Definitely looks like two strong adds. I like the recruiting angle. We will get views we probably would have never received before and with so much talent in So Call and so few roster spots I would take some "4 star spillage" coming our way now and again. BUT....need to protect the home turf. No big names getting away from home. Also as a fan I like the idea of traveling to So Cal on a Wednesday, watching our boys play USC on a Thursday and staying to see them play UCLA on a Saturday or Sunday. THAT could be some fun!
 
I haven't seen much discussion about this topic on this board and I'm just wondering what you guys think of adding USC and UCLA to the B1G. I think the football program can easily compete with the new additions, but both newly added basketball programs are pretty stout competition. Might make it even harder to compete for a conference title or a BTT Championship. Could open up new recruiting territory, but I doubt we would be able to pull many Californians out to Iowa nevertheless. I'm not against the expansion, but as an Iowa basketball fan, I'm not sure we needed the extra conference competition.
Sure, adding those programs makes it even less likely that Iowa will win a regular season BTT. I already thought that was highly unlikely to happen in my lifetime, though, so won't lose any sleep over that one.
I'm more concerned about how it might affect their chances to make the NCAA tourney and potential seeding matchups. Probably be a wash?
 
My thoughts are all over the board on this one......I think that adding these two will strengthen the conference, but I think that's good for the Hawks. I think it could enhance the NCAA resume for Iowa, while making it statistically tougher to win the conference.

I like the tradition of the B10...so I feel this move is a little depressing, but more so for football than basketball. In terms of where college sports appears to be heading it's a great move for the conference.....still contemplating what this will all look like and what the results will be.
 
Definitely looks like two strong adds. I like the recruiting angle. We will get views we probably would have never received before and with so much talent in So Call and so few roster spots I would take some "4 star spillage" coming our way now and again. BUT....need to protect the home turf. No big names getting away from home. Also as a fan I like the idea of traveling to So Cal on a Wednesday, watching our boys play USC on a Thursday and staying to see them play UCLA on a Saturday or Sunday. THAT could be some fun!
I've never understood the mindset "need to keep local players home." Makes no sense, seems irrelevant. Get the best players who want to play for the Hawks, don't give a shit where they're from.
 
Personally I hope the Big Ten stops at 16. I don't particularly care all that much about football; I watch Iowa every week but don't follow CFB as a whole. My biggest concern is down the road if the Big Ten and SEC move to super conferences and break off from the NCAA. I think the NCAA tournament is the best thing in sports and my pessimistic side worries that if 2 conferences break off from the NCAA in football, they could easily decide to chase more TV money and cut out the other conferences in basketball too. What makes the tournament great is that every year a team like St Peters or George Mason or Loyola Chicago can get hot and go on a run and beat the big dogs. These smaller conferences rely heavily off the TV revenue from the NCAA tournament. Just leave basketball alone and let football do their own things is what I say.
 
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I've never understood the mindset "need to keep local players home." Makes no sense, seems irrelevant. Get the best players who want to play for the Hawks, don't give a shit where they're from.
The issue with good players from in-state is that they will tend to stick it out/stay if they immediately don't get playing time or the success on the court they are desiring.

I get what you are saying that the overall goal should be to get the best players possible who want to play here. The reason people go to the in-state recruiting angle is that proximity to home is one of the major factors when players choose a school. All things being equal, going to school where family will be able to easily go to all home games is a positive.

I think what you are getting at is "keeping high quality players at home." Wieskamp was from just down the road in Muscatine. The Murrays are from CR. They are all close. But most importantly, they are/were really good.
 
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Sometimes expansions don't translate as expected on the field/court. I thought Nebraska would be a contender for the B1G West in FB every year, not competing with Illannoy for the cellar. Nebbie BB has been on target.

How will the B1G divide the conference now, still two divisions?
 
Personally I hope the Big Ten stops at 16. I don't particularly care all that much about football; I watch Iowa every week but don't follow CFB as a whole. My biggest concern is down the road if the Big Ten and SEC move to super conferences and break off from the NCAA. I think the NCAA tournament is the best thing in sports and my pessimistic side worries that if 2 conferences break off from the NCAA in football, they could easily decide to chase more TV money and cut out the other conferences in basketball too. What makes the tournament great is that every year a team like St Peters or George Mason or Loyola Chicago can get hot and go on a run and beat the big dogs. These smaller conferences rely heavily off the TV revenue from the NCAA tournament. Just leave basketball alone and let football do their own things is what I say.
I've had similar thoughts from the basketball perspective as well. The elite football teams are their own animal, about as far removed from the rest of college sports as it gets. It would be just as well at this point if they break off and form the equivalent of triple A teams for the NFL that they are heading toward anyway.

The Big Ten is becoming far removed from its roots so even though I'd miss some aspects of the conference race in men's b-ball as long as the NCAA tourney was kept intact relatively as is that would be OK.

The upper echelon of college football can forge ahead with 40 or so elite teams and leave the rest behind with the NCAA to do whatever they want. But that would be a huge mistake to do something similar with men's b-ball.
 
I have to wonder a little about about the west coast HS recruits and their opinion of this deal. Yes, if they go to UCLA or USC they will get to play in the B1G. That's important.

But, they will also get to spend a big chunk of their winters on a plane traveling to the icy Midwest and east coast. Their family and friends may have a tougher time going to road games vs. games in Arizona or northern Calif. TV games will often be at 3 - 4:00 pm. A Saturday game might start at 9 am.

A direct flight from LA to Chicago is 4 hours. To Maryland is 5 hours. I wonder what kind of impact that kind of travel schedule will have on classes, social life - even practice times.

I have no idea how a 16 year old thinks - but it might have an impact.
 
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I have to wonder a little about about the west coast HS recruits and their opinion of this deal. Yes, if they go to UCLA or USC they will get to play in the B1G. That's important.

But, they will also get to spend a big chunk of their winters on a plane traveling to the icy Midwest and east coast. Their family and friends may have a tougher time going to road games vs. games in Arizona or northern Calif. TV games will often be at 3 - 4:00 pm. A Saturday game might start at 9 am.

A direct flight from LA to Chicago is 4 hours. To Maryland is 5 hours. I wonder what kind of impact that kind of travel schedule will have on classes, social life - even practice times.

I have no idea how a 16 year old thinks - but it might have an impact.
Valid points. I would opine that it's likely by 2025 or soon after there are more western teams than just UCLA and USC in the Big 10.
 
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I've never understood the mindset "need to keep local players home." Makes no sense, seems irrelevant. Get the best players who want to play for the Hawks, don't give a shit where they're from.

Not sure if actually true. But it seems like the "local" or regional players tend to stay more committed to the program for the long-term, seeing less transfers.
 
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Valid points. I would opine that it's likely by 2025 or soon after there are more western teams than just UCLA and USC in the Big 10.
Not unlikely, but as the second most western team from the current B1G schools, Iowa might be one of the schools stuck with the most travel. There are definitely some other very attractive Pac10 schools willing to make a move with USC and UCLA gone.
 
How will the B1G divide the conference now, still two divisions?
Forget about divisions for FB, what are they going to do with the conference tournament for basketball? Gold and Silver brackets, top 8 and bottom 8? They can't expect the top teams to play 4 in 4, can they? and you don't want to make it a week long event.
 
Forget about divisions for FB, what are they going to do with the conference tournament for basketball? Gold and Silver brackets, top 8 and bottom 8? They can't expect the top teams to play 4 in 4, can they? and you don't want to make it a week long event.
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Forget about divisions for FB, what are they going to do with the conference tournament for basketball? Gold and Silver brackets, top 8 and bottom 8? They can't expect the top teams to play 4 in 4, can they? and you don't want to make it a week long event.
It will be the same format we have with 14...except the 9 & 10 seeds will play the 15 & 16 seeds the same day the 11/14 & 12/13 games are played. The top 4 will still get a double bye, with the 5-8 seeds getting a single bye
 
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It will be the same format we have with 14...except the 9 & 10 seeds will play the 15 & 16 seeds the same day the 11/14 & 12/13 games are played. The top 4 will still get a double bye, with the 5-8 seeds getting a single bye
Sounds pretty simple. Seems the B1G was just waiting for 2 more teams. 🙂
 
Misleading thread title. I thought you guys were going to break out the news that Kansas and North Carolina would join the Big Ten and turn it into the premier basketball conference.
 
Misleading thread title. I thought you guys were going to break out the news that Kansas and North Carolina would join the Big Ten and turn it into the premier basketball conference.
Football is king of $$$$$$$$. Kansas and UNC have mediocre football bases and teams, at best.
 
The PAC (12?) may seem less appealing without USC/UCLA to some recruits. Extended family can still see the games on TV. Iowa’s style of play is attractive to a tv audience is my bet. I see a chance to pull a kid or two from the area that we never would have had before the merger.
 
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