I think the AAU membership will always be a criteria due to the research funds the Big Ten Academic Alliance controls. The addition of AAU schools can only increase that funding and the research funding dwarfs what the athletic payouts are.
Southern Cal and UCLA to Big 10
- Thread starter ToddFlanders
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I'm not going to disagree with that premises, most individuals do not know that research funding does indeed dwarf athletic funding, and that AAU membership is considered one of the most prestiges organizations a school can be associated with.
With that said I don't think it's unimaginable that one or two schools will be allowed to slip in, slight chance to be sure, HOWEVER the main caveat will be a institution have high academic standards (or the school in question is under consideration for AAU membership). I won't name names, but this would undoubtedly eliminate some of the names we've read on this board.
Agree....the one exception to having an AAU membership that I know of is Notre Dame. But as you noted they have very high academic standards.
Of some of the schools mentioned to the B1G, listed are their academic rankings (Per USNews yearly rankings - 2021)
Truthfully the FSU ranking surprised me.
EDIT: These are non AAU schools.
ND - 19
Miami - 49
FSU - 55
Clemson - 75
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Maybe the world has changed that much, but the Big Ten seems a conference run by Presidents rather than ADs. The research angle is a lot of money.
If you believe the rumors, and at this point why wouldn't you ?, when the 2 Super Conferences are formed, am I alone in thinking
CFB has started a precedent where they are starting the cannibalization of itself. The majority of schools will remain in mediocrity or worse
with little chance to see daylight.
CFB has started a precedent where they are starting the cannibalization of itself. The majority of schools will remain in mediocrity or worse
with little chance to see daylight.
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Who is mentioning those? From the ACC can see maybe UNC and/or UVA, but definitely not FSU or Clemson. Surprised at FSU's rank also. If it were any of the last three, it would almost have to be with the understanding that the schools don't participate in the BTAA and I don't know if that is possible under current Big Ten rules.
Isn't there a different, less pessimistic way to say that? Like: When the 2 Super conferences are formed, they will pay high six figure NIL's and have NFL ready players graduating. The majority of schools will give up competing with the super conferences, and go back to just having amateur football teams like was originally intended, with most players getting a small NIL stipend to help with school and a few star players a bit more. With the cream of the crop portalling the next season to whatever super conference team wants them. The new reality.
I'm sure you are right about the research funding vs the athletic payouts, but the athletic programs, particularly football, have become the public face of the universities today. Think of them as the university marketing departments. The BIG10 is comprised of fine academic institutions, but they are businesses and 90% of their undergrad customers are essentially buying a 4-year lifestyle experience. Unfortunately, football probably has a larger influence on those decisions than the research programs. I don't know the intricacies of the BIG10 research funding distribution agreements, but if there's a way to modify those agreements so the admission of non-AAU members won't diminish it, I bet they are looking into it. I'm not saying that Clemson and FSU are even on the BIG10's radar, but when it comes to college football and athletic conference admission, I think all of the assumptions of the past decades will be questioned moving forward.
Perhaps, but if the B!G can add UND, then all the rest they would need is footprint and they can accomplish that with AAU programs, such as UNC, UVA, GaTech, Stanford, Berkeley, Washington, Oregon, etc. The Big Ten started as an academic conference and I don't know whether they will be willing to ever renounce that, but who knows at this point.
The SEC is also a Presidents run conference. There is a commissioner at the pleasure of the schools presidents. I believe that's true but if wrong I can count on being corrected.
The SEC won't be left behind. I'd get the Arizona schools. They both have large enrollments and a lot of living alumni.
If just looking at schools, Oklahoma State would be attractive. But it doesn't bring any TV market that OU doesn't already bring. The Arizona schools bring Phoenix, Albuquerque, Tucson, Mesa, Chandler, Tempe, Scottsdale, etc TV markets that don't belong to the SEC now. And when I say SEC, of course I mean ESPN. As this is really all a Fox (Big Ten) vs ESPN (SEC) TV war, right? So I agree, but because of TV, not alumni or enrollments.
Which is why if the ACC is cannibalized, I think you will see the SEC and the B1G split the NC and VA schools.....adds territory for both conferences without burdening either conference with more than one school from the state (the only exception would be Duke who will probably go with UNC). Can also see the B1G adding GaTech to get a part of the GA market as insignificant as in reality it probably is.
COLLATERAL DAMAGE:
Now this is sad, but the 1 tradition we may have never thought would go away is in serious jeopardy.
Rose Bowl.
To a lesser extent the Sugar Bowl.
More and more I can see myself longing for "the gold old days" in very short order.
Now this is sad, but the 1 tradition we may have never thought would go away is in serious jeopardy.
Rose Bowl.
To a lesser extent the Sugar Bowl.
More and more I can see myself longing for "the gold old days" in very short order.
ASU and UA would also bring in the southern California markets as kids from Southern California go to school in Arizona...
Join the club, my friend. We all get there eventually.
These developments and speculated moves across conferences is head spinning. Everything seems to be channeled to mega-conferences and schools that might
consider moving...or else.
It reminds me of the bank mergers and acquisitions that occurred regularly in the 80s and 90s. You banked at your local or state bank on Friday and then found
out you were part of another, and larger, bank group on Monday. It was all about gaining footprint and deposits. Interstate banking became regional and then national.
When you thought it'd run it's course the feeding frenzy kept going.
Right now, I'm thankful we're in the SEC.
Ch, ch, ch, changes.
consider moving...or else.
It reminds me of the bank mergers and acquisitions that occurred regularly in the 80s and 90s. You banked at your local or state bank on Friday and then found
out you were part of another, and larger, bank group on Monday. It was all about gaining footprint and deposits. Interstate banking became regional and then national.
When you thought it'd run it's course the feeding frenzy kept going.
Right now, I'm thankful we're in the SEC.
Ch, ch, ch, changes.
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