TW - Report: Big Ten extends offers to Missouri, Nebraska

[Vulgar Display of Orange]

Report: Big Ten extends offers to Missouri, Nebraska (http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/article.aspx?subjectid=234&articleid=20100510_298_0_hrimgs561257)

By Staff Reports
Published: 5/10/2010**1:23 PM
Last Modified: 5/10/2010**3:23 PM

Related story: Big Ten expansion talks fraying nerves of Big 12
Poll question: Let us know if you think the Big 12 should try to keep Missouri and Nebraska.

A Kansas City radio station is reporting that the Big Ten Conference has made "initial offers" to Big 12 schools Missouri and Nebraska to join the league, but a top Nebraska official said no such overture has been made to the Cornhuskers.

According to a story on the website for Kansas City radio station WHB am810 citing “multiple sources close to the negotiations,” the Big Ten has made offers to Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame and Rutgers. The Big Ten is looking to expand, but conference officials have not said how many teams might be added.

Lincoln, Neb., Journal-Star columnist Steve Sipple reported in a blog post that "asked whether the report has any validity as it applies to Nebraska, UNL chancellor Harvey Perlman said, 'None whatsoever.'"

Missouri and Nebraska would have to pay a penalty to leave the Big 12, with a move costing the schools 50 to 100 percent of the shared annual revenue from the league, the radio station reported. The University of Missouri Board of Regents would have to approve the move.

The report said the Big Ten officials have told Missouri representatives that the conference would like to have the expansion process completed this summer and make an announcement by the end of July. Big Ten officials are set to meet the first week of June in Chicago.

[Tokyoken]

I could see a Nebraska move geographically and perhaps politically, but Missouri is another matter. I have heard that the Missouri president is all for it, but whether the BOD would go for it is probably up in the air. Hate to see the B12 fall apart...just as it was becoming a great sports conference. Go Pokes!!

[Vulgar Display of Orange]

I think that the Missouri offer was based on TV markets alone. For my money Iowa State could compete in any sport they play with all but 2 or 3 teams in the Big 10. There aren't very many TV sets in Iowa though. They should go. If they really have been offered they should go. They would be stupid not to. If that happens look for Colorado and BYU to join the Pac-10 within the next few years. If Nebraska, Missouri, Notre Dame, Rutgers and school to be named later do go to the Big 10 then look for the Big East and Big 12 to go the way of the WAC within the next 5 years.

[MemphisPoke]

I think I called this one a little bit back.

http://www.ostatesports.com/community/showthread.php?t=17103&highlight=Missouri

And since then I have read a blog by somebody (and wish I could remember who) that said if Missouri and Nebraska were to leave that the Big 12 would raid Conference USA, specifically University of Houston and University of Memphis. (And why not U of Tulsa....who knows)

University of Houston I could see in that it is the third largest university in the State of Texas (enrollment of 37,000) and it has a great TV market.

University of Memphis....well ????? It is a decent size (?)(enrollment of 21,000) and they would be able to provide a 60,000 seat stadium (Liberty Bowl) even though it is a crappy venue. And the Basketball program would bring a lot of $$'s to the conference in that the FedEx forum is always sold out for the Tigers games. And they have a major airport. But other than that I can't see it. The TV market is not that strong, relatively speaking.

Now don't get me wrong...I would love to see Memphis join the Big 12 because I would get to see the Cowboys play over here and be able to take ya'll down to Beal Street and let you listen to some great Blues. Hell, I would even tell you where Graceland is so you could go see all things Elvis. (I don't need to, been there-done that)

Damn I wish I could remember where I saw that blog.

And as far as Colorado joining the Pac 10? Could somebody please tell the Pac 10 to take Tech while they are at it. :biggrin: (I mean in case you didn't know, Tech invented the Pac 10) And those Pac 10 players would already be used to playing in a hot, dry, lifeless landscape because they have Arizona and Arizona State, right? Wait that is being unfair to Arizona and ASU....sorry about that.

Anyway this should be interesting.

:officechair:

[CaliforniaCowboy]

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany e-mailed conference officials Tuesday to stamp out a rumor that four schools had already been offered a chance to join the league.


Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith confirmed Tuesday that Delany had quashed a report that the Big Ten had offered expansion spots to Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame and Rutgers.

Asked if there was anything to that speculation, Smith said, "Nothing. There's no truth to it whatsoever. Actually, Jim sent us all an e-mail telling us there's no truth to that -- which we knew. There's no extensions of offers that have been made, so that's not true."

The conference is looking at expanding from its current 11 members so that it can extend the reach of its lucrative cable network and add a league championship game in football.

The Big Ten athletic directors will meet May 17-19 in downtown Chicago. They will be joined by faculty representatives, senior women's administrators and the head coaches in football and men's and women's basketball. But Smith said the meetings were routine and nothing would be decided in terms of expansion.

"This is our normal meetings, the ones we have every year," Smith said. "Jim will probably give us an update on what the consultant has shared, and I don't even know if the consultant report is done. He'll give us an update and then move on doing what he's been doing. I think they meet with the [university] presidents in June or something like that. So the timeline hasn't changed, but there won't be any action next week."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

[GoPokes83]

Most of the other premier conferences offer equal revenue sharing which dramatically helps the smaller schools in their conferences to be competitive, and of course the B12 doesn't. So as long as we don't divvy up the TV revenues equally to all schools then the schools with smaller athletic budgets are always going to be targets and perhaps tempted to move to divisions with a more equitable system. IMO it's just a matter of time until someone moves on to cash greener pastures.

[FloridaPoke]

I believe the demise of the Big 12 is emminant. I sure hope Burns and Mike are being proactive about this. The goal will be to land in ANY BCS Conference. Being left out of a mega BCS Conf will relegate any school to second class status. I sure hope that is TTech, Baylor, ISU, KSU etc............................................... .....

Of course, TTech probably invented the idea of conference realignment, so I'm sure they are safe in spite of being in Lubbock, and only having recent success in one sport. They seem to think TX will piggyback them somewhere cool. I personally believe the Whorns will throw Tech under the bus so fast you won't be able to say "dirt"

[GoPokes83]

So if we lose one team we wont have to / get to have a conference championship game right? Would every team have to play every team in our conf. every year to have a champ?

[bleedorange]

I believe the demise of the Big 12 is emminant. I sure hope Burns and Mike are being proactive about this. The goal will be to land in ANY BCS Conference. Being left out of a mega BCS Conf will relegate any school to second class status. I sure hope that is TTech, Baylor, ISU, KSU etc............................................... .....

Of course, TTech probably invented the idea of conference realignment, so I'm sure they are safe in spite of being in Lubbock, and only having recent success in one sport. They seem to think TX will piggyback them somewhere cool. I personally believe the Whorns will throw Tech under the bus so fast you won't be able to say "dirt"

I agree. There's always been some fleeting what if scenarios floated out there, but there sure has been a lot of smoke on this one. If the Big Televen actually makes a move on MZ and/or Neb, I think the dam will break with teams scurrying for position.

If all that cascading happens and it's headed for 4 big superconferences, I think our best bet is to approach a merger with Pac-10. Cast off Baylor, Texters, Cal, ISU. Sell NU and MZ to Big Televen. That makes a pretty solid 16 team superconference.

[MajorMike]

Is OSU tied to uo like UT is to atm? The UT legislature won't let UT go anywhere without atm, is it the same in Okla?

As far as expansion or whatnot, people don't care about the school - they want the market. Mizzou gives the B10 the StL market and a foot in the KC market. Rutgers gives them the NYC market. ND and Meb give them nationwide appeal.

For the B12 to counter, they will be going after market, not so much teams. BYU, Colo State, Utah, TCU, Houston, Memphis, New Mexico; these are all non-BCS schools who have pieces of major TV markets (Salt Lake City, DFW, Houston, Memphis, Albeuqerque). These are the most logical schools to look at to join if the B12 goes that route.

[cowboystover]

what would the big televen think if they get either missouri or nebraska to complete their 12 team conference we offer iowa to come to the big xii to bring their would crashing back down to televen again :D go after the hawkeyes lol

[Ostreak]

No Big 10 Ten team would ever leave. There are to many reasons not to. $$$$$$$$

[wickerbill]

what would the big televen think if they get either missouri or nebraska to complete their 12 team conference we offer iowa to come to the big xii to bring their would crashing back down to televen again :D go after the hawkeyes lol

Yeah, you're crazy if you think we could get any Big 10 team to leave and join the Big 12.

[WyomingOSUAlum]

I personally believe the Whorns will throw Tech under the bus so fast you won't be able to say "dirt"



...or "dust storm"...


...or "wish we had some trees"...


...or "trees? what are trees?"...

[MajorMike]

I really can't see Neb switching; Mizzou, yes, probably. They have been one of the better B12 teams recently, yet have been argueably 'screwed' by bowl selection for a few years now, and only get a 'proportional' amount in the B12. The proportional amount is based upon how many times you are on TV, and quite frankly, Mizzou isn't a very popular TV draw. In the B10/1, they get a flat 22 mil while in the in the B12 they get around 8 mil. That's a BIG diff, plus the chance to get better payouts in better bowls.

Last year, 8-5 Mizzou was passed over for the Indep Bowl by a 6-6 atm. They payoffs are 1.1 Mil Indep to 700k Texas. By contrast, the 4-4 slot that Mizzou could have filled in the B10/1 last year (Michigan State) went to the Alamo Bowl and got a 2.25 Mil payout.

In 2008, Mizzou won the north (losing only to OSU, UT and uo) but dropped all the way to the Alamo Bowl (2.25 Mil) instead of the Cotton or Holiday (3 Mil). In the B10/1, they would have filled the Outback slot (3 Mil).

In 2007, They beat KU and only lost to uo (yes, twice) and KU was chosen over them for the BCS (17 Mil to 3 Mil). KU was #8 and Mizzou was #6. In the B10/1, they would have easily gotten a BCS bid over Illinois (9-3, #13).

All these alone would be decent reasons ASIDE from the huge disparity in cash from the TV package.

[bleedorange]

...or "dust storm"...


...or "wish we had some trees"...


...or "trees? what are trees?"...


...or "haboobs!"

[Tokyoken]

Timing is probably everything. The smoke and mirrors here for Missouri, is that the B10 has cut the latest deal for TV revenue and it looks more attractive now than it will in another year or two when B12 and SEC cut their new deals. While it would make sense for Missou to go in the short term, in the longer term the incentive is not as strong. Missou fans should be the ones to weigh in on this decision since the most obvious impact will be on them. Should they go where they were never originally wanted until TV revenue became the decision maker or remain in a conference (including B8) that has always been there? Any Missou fans out there???