Notre Dame could kill expansion

huskalova said:
Obviously, I am new. The questions that I have are.

Why has the Big Twelve not been more proactive in this whole conference realignment?

Didn't the Big 12 commissioner not see this coming?

Have the powers that be not looked into Big 12 TV, additions to the conference?
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Don't worry about the wrong thread. It happens.

Welcome to the board. :thumbs

I think your first question answers your second. Dan Beebe, the Big XII Commissioner, has been astoundingly silent about this process until recently, when he rattled his saber at Nebraska and Missouri. That's been just about the extent of his actions, at least publicly. Maybe he's been working behind the scenes, but there's no evidence of that to date, not even rumors. That's probably the most disheartening thing about all of this - our own conference didn't seem too interested in us until it began to look like we had a real shot at jumping ship, then suddenly it's, "Get on board or get off the ship."

The biggest problem here is revenue, and it's twofold - first the sports revenue that comes from TV deals and general branding of a conference, and the second is academic grants that total in the billions of dollars doled out to schools every year. The Big 10 has an advantage over every other conference in both categories right now, and they're looking to corner the market. First, the Big Ten Network pays its members double what schools like Missouri get in TV revenue each year. They would add nearly $11 million (projected) to Nebraska's coffers as well, and we have one of the better TV revenue streams in the Big XII.

Add onto that the fact that the Association of American Universities, of which every current member of the Big 10 is a member, earns more than 55% of those billions of dollars in research grants every year, and you're looking at a tremendous advantage for a conference when they're looking to expand. Nebraska and Missouri are both AAU members, and although they lag behind the Big 10 academically, they're going to catch up REAL fast with the kind of money they can get from association with the Big 10, and Nebraska may be able to take leaps and bounds forward with the advent of their new research park on the old State Fair grounds.

 
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I think there is too much already out there, this is kind of a done deal, or it never happens period. I think the Big Ten will expand, with or without Notre Dame, but the amount of expansion could be limited if Notre Dame balks, so that they could be brought in when they "see the light". Notre Dame is the one team that the Big Ten "has to have" either now, or eventually. However, I think if they quash the expansion now, Nebraska may decide that it just isn't worth it. I also think that if Notre Dame gets some kind of sweetheart deal like Texas did when the Big 12 was conceived, Nebraska will probably balk. Missouri on the other hand is looking for a reason to get out of the Big 12 and into the Big Ten, I think they are looking for a fresh start somewhere else.

 
HuskerTrucker said:
I think there is too much already out there, this is kind of a done deal, or it never happens period. I think the Big Ten will expand, with or without Notre Dame, but the amount of expansion could be limited if Notre Dame balks, so that they could be brought in when they "see the light". Notre Dame is the one team that the Big Ten "has to have" either now, or eventually. However, I think if they quash the expansion now, Nebraska may decide that it just isn't worth it. I also think that if Notre Dame gets some kind of sweetheart deal like Texas did when the Big 12 was conceived, Nebraska will probably balk. Missouri on the other hand is looking for a reason to get out of the Big 12 and into the Big Ten, I think they are looking for a fresh start somewhere else.
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I don't think ND gets a special deal.

They are in a unique position. The Big 10 will take them whenever they say they want in. Whenever the Big 10 deal is better than their current independent deal, they will tell the Big 10 they are ready and the door will be wide open. They are like jello - there's always room. They have accountants counting the beans and the second the scales tip in favor of joining, they apply. I personally can't wait to be in the same conference as ND. I love to hate them so much that it will be war whether we play them in football or rifle (isn't that a sport at NU?) :snacks:

 
Captain K said:
HuskerTrucker said:
I think there is too much already out there, this is kind of a done deal, or it never happens period. I think the Big Ten will expand, with or without Notre Dame, but the amount of expansion could be limited if Notre Dame balks, so that they could be brought in when they "see the light". Notre Dame is the one team that the Big Ten "has to have" either now, or eventually. However, I think if they quash the expansion now, Nebraska may decide that it just isn't worth it. I also think that if Notre Dame gets some kind of sweetheart deal like Texas did when the Big 12 was conceived, Nebraska will probably balk. Missouri on the other hand is looking for a reason to get out of the Big 12 and into the Big Ten, I think they are looking for a fresh start somewhere else.
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I don't think ND gets a special deal.

They are in a unique position. The Big 10 will take them whenever they say they want in. Whenever the Big 10 deal is better than their current independent deal, they will tell the Big 10 they are ready and the door will be wide open. They are like jello - there's always room. They have accountants counting the beans and the second the scales tip in favor of joining, they apply. I personally can't wait to be in the same conference as ND. I love to hate them so much that it will be war whether we play them in football or rifle (isn't that a sport at NU?) :snacks:
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I dunno....I think ND thinks they are a Prima Donna, and deserve more than anyone else - kind of like Texas. The only way that I see them coming in with a deal that is equal to everyone else that may be coming in, is if all of a sudden their independent deal goes bye bye. Otherwise, I don't think they will come in, unless they can have the right to set up their own media deals, and keep the money for themselves...kind of like what they did to the NCAA a few years ago.

I would love to know what kind of formula they would use for the revenue sharing. Hopefully it is better than the one that the Big 12 uses, because it is crap.

I would also love to be in the same conference as a ND, but then I also look forward to maybe getting the opportunity to play the likes of Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Purdue, and Ohio State on a regular basis, which would almost be impossible to set up otherwise, and has to be done so far in advance that you don't know what kind of team you will have or they will have when you do finally get to play, kind of like the whole USC setup was for us...potentially a disaster, with no hope of redemption in the near future.

 
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There's a small part of me that still likes Notre Dame..The part that was honed before Regis..Before Theisman..and WAY before Granny Holtz.

That part of me sorta hopes ND remains independant.

DOWN with the conformi$t$! :LOLtartar

 
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I loved the vid Husker 37. Spine tingling.

While I was watching that something came to me. We really do need to win the NC this year.

Then if we bolt to the Big Whatever it would be called and win one there, I'd imagaine we would be the first team to win a NC in 3 different conferences.

 
The Notre Dame fan base is ardently opposed to Big# membership regardless of the financial impact. The admins of course are weighing financial impact choices of course, but we suspect their real reason is they want ND to be perceived as a major research institution (like the Big#) and not as a Catholic football school. Maybe Nebraska believes your research profile would be upped.

But its the ND fans, not the NBC money that is keeping us out of that conference.

 
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huskalova said:
I loved the vid Husker 37. Spine tingling.

While I was watching that something came to me. We really do need to win the NC this year.

Then if we bolt to the Big Whatever it would be called and win one there, I'd imagaine we would be the first team to win a NC in 3 different conferences.
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Thanks for reminding me to watch that...I almost forgot it was in my sig.

 
HUSKER 37 said:
huskalova said:
I loved the vid Husker 37. Spine tingling.

While I was watching that something came to me. We really do need to win the NC this year.

Then if we bolt to the Big Whatever it would be called and win one there, I'd imagaine we would be the first team to win a NC in 3 different conferences.
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Thanks for reminding me to watch that...I almost forgot it was in my sig.

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Definitely one of the best Husker vids out there.... :koolaid2:

 
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