It will not exactly excite the Big Ten pocketbooks. The state of West Virginia is one of the poorest in the country, and the fan base is relatively small. This might seem crazy, but if you believe some of the sourced information last time the Big Ten expanded, North Carolina was high on the list.
UNC is basketball first and foremost. Also, the ACC seems to be on solid footing and there are no guarantees Carolina would want to leave a league it is so historically tied to in its culture.
Would Sonny go on to another career without Cher? Penn State has always been on an island in the Big Ten with no natural rival. Adding Pittsburgh, which is a rival for the Nittany Lions already, would be good for the league. Pitt also has a very underrated football tradition in a city and state that has football ingrained in its way of life. Also, geographically again it makes sense, especially if you bring in West Virginia along with the Panthers. It would have to be about more than Penn State.
Cincinnati Bearcats defensive end Myjai Sanders 21 celebrates after making a tackle for loss in the third quarter during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against the Georgia Bulldogs,.
No other program matters for football or basketball in the Big Ten. Ohio State might try to block this one. Adding another in-state opponent to the conference might be seen as evening the playing field in recruiting a bit for those Ohio kids that want to play big-time college football. And, Cincinnati is not exactly the type of culture fit the Big Ten has looked for in the past. This is an underrated option that not many talk about. If the Big Ten wants to get into a new market, why not get an institution in population-heavy, football-crazed Florida?
USF is also one of those research institutions that have a lot of the same values and culture as Big Ten schools do academically. The south is where it is when it comes to football talent as well, and getting a footprint there could be huge for the entire conference. You know, the whole SEC thing and all. USF has little football or basketball tradition to speak of.
That seems to be the biggest hurdle with this one. The school has only been around since and a part of FBS in football since The support and facilities would likely need an upgrade to get to Big Ten standards.
There is also a sterile campus feel to everything that might need to change. The I-4 corridor is a much sought-after ratings bonanza. Also, how about all that comes with events that could be held in central Florida for the conference.
Sign me up. It, too, would likely have to go through growing pains to upgrade facilities. Projected to return : A. Notes : Michigan State has a solid returning nucleus and additions like Walker and Christie could make major impacts immediately in East Lansing. Austin , Daniel Ogele from Mercyhurst. Notes : Minnesota has turned over a good portion of its roster following the firing of Richard Pitino and subsequent hiring of Ben Johnson.
Notes : Nebraska will again have significant roster turnover as it enters year three of the Fred Hoiberg era. The Huskers should have a much better backcourt with the addition of McGowens, a five-star prospect. Most notable of those Big East reunions would be Pittsburgh, as the two Backyard Brawl rivals would be able to resurrect their annual rivalry once again as members of the same conference. Some Penn State fans may even be envious of that idea. The ACC adding West Virginia would seem to make some sense too, as the Mountaineers are situated well in terms of geography.
And the benefit of playing in the same time zone would be attractive for West Virginia after their time in the Big The Big Ten would be trickier to pull off. As great as it would be to see Penn State reunited with West Virginia and a Rich Rodriguez Bowl with Michigan , and regular meetings between West Virginia and Ohio State , the academic consideration may be just a tad of a hurdle for the Big Ten if West Virginia comes up in conversation.
Alas, the Big Ten is in a situation where the best options for conference expansion seem to be off the table Texas and Oklahoma or nothing more than a white whale Notre Dame at this point. No remaining member of the Big 12 following the pending departures of the Longhorns and Sooners is a candidate that do much to move the needle for the Big Ten enough to be an obvious addition.
Basically, who knows what the Big Ten will or will not do. But if West Virginia is an option, it sure would be fun to see for Penn State fans. Penn State and West Virginia are currently scheduled to play a home-and-home series.
0コメント