USC & UCLA TO JOIN BIG TEN (beginning 2024)!

[Handy Johnson]

I found it charming in the Washington Post article concerning this expansion that Nebraska was still considered a National “Brand” #GBR  not bad for a program that hasn’t won a Conference Title in Football for nearly 25 years & Basketball for 70… 

[Dead Dog Alley]

8 minutes ago, Handy Johnson said:

I found it charming in the Washington Post article concerning this expansion that Nebraska was still considered a National “Brand” #GBR  not bad for a program that hasn’t won a Conference Title in Football for nearly 25 years & Basketball for 70… 

 

 

[HuskerFever]

8 minutes ago, Handy Johnson said:

I found it charming in the Washington Post article concerning this expansion that Nebraska was still considered a National “Brand” #GBR  not bad for a program that hasn’t won a Conference Title in Football for nearly 25 years & Basketball for 70… 

 

When you're a fringe Top 10 revenue generating program, there's a grace window with performance in what you consider a national brand.

[Cazzie22]

Wondering if Bill Walton will now refer to the B1G as “The Conference of Champions!”

[Cazzie22]

6 hours ago, Nighthawk said:

ok...I don't follow USC or UCLA but all the stories say they are brining all the sports that the Big 10 offeres.  Does that mean we can tell UNO to stuff it when it comes to Hockey and get a Hockey program started? What other sports do the other schools have that we don't have?  Hockey is the only one I'm aware of. 

We don’t have Field Hockey, Lacrosse and Men’s Soccer.

[REDitus]

Nebraska is a brand because it's more than just winning.  It's fan support and operating in the black. Nebraska does well in tv ratings (top 20).  Our fans travel well and seem to pop up in good numbers at away games.   They still put a lot of fans in Memorial stadium despite current W-L's.    As a result we were rated in 2021 as the 20th most valuable brand.   Just think how fast that will shoot up when we start winning again.    Another factor that helps Nebraska is conference RPI.   It's kind of like a neighborhood score.   It helps to be in a P5 conference. 

[Handy Johnson]

3 hours ago, REDitus said:

Nebraska is a brand because it's more than just winning.  It's fan support and operating in the black. Nebraska does well in tv ratings (top 20).  Our fans travel well and seem to pop up in good numbers at away games.   They still put a lot of fans in Memorial stadium despite current W-L's.    As a result we were rated in 2021 as the 20th most valuable brand.   Just think how fast that will shoot up when we start winning again.    Another factor that helps Nebraska is conference RPI.   It's kind of like a neighborhood score.   It helps to be in a P5 conference. 

Plus you hold (permanent) records for Winning like 33 years of 9+ Wins & that remarkable 60-3 run that will never be broken. That’s forever Street Cred…

[REDitus]

6 hours ago, Handy Johnson said:

Plus you hold (permanent) records for Winning like 33 years of 9+ Wins & that remarkable 60-3 run that will never be broken. That’s forever Street Cred…

Fantastic point!   Those generations that grew up during that period and before remember that stuff.  

 

Now we need to get it turned around so we don't lose the current generation. 

 

With the addition of USC&UCLA,  I am once again thankful for the foresight that  T.O,  Pearlman and the Nebraska leadership showed in making the leap to the Big Ten.  While I am not a huge fan of the decline of the old conference affiliations and the direction that college football is going,  I am glad we are positioned where we are rather than being in the B12 or PAC.   That has to suck.   I feel somewhat bad for the old big 8 teams but then I kinda don't because they kind of let it happen.   

Edited July 2, 2022 by REDitus

[HuskerFever]

47 minutes ago, REDitus said:

 

Now we need to get it turned around so we don't lose the current generation. 

 

[Minnesota has entered the chat]

[49r]

2 hours ago, REDitus said:

I feel somewhat bad for the old big 8 teams but then I kinda don't because they kind of let it happen.   

 

When I think about every 11-1 vote at the formation of the Big 12 I can't help but have zero sympathy for those left behind.

[HuscurAdam]

I keep seeing the chatter about Oregon joining the B1G, but it is not going to happen (unless we're talking about adding 5+ teams).  These things are being driven primarily by TV ratings and media markets and Oregon doesn't bring much of either to the table. Furthermore, Oregon is neither an AAU member nor an elite academic institution, things I believe the B1G legitimately cares about. Oregon has a nice brand going for it thanks to Nike, but it doesn't translate to big TV ratings and would likely fade with a few down seasons (like NU is experiencing).

 

The people making these decisions are taking a long-term global view of the landscape and Oregon just doesn't fit the bill for the reasons cited.  Here are what I think are the most likely candidates for further B1G expansion:  

 

1 – Notre Dame (No brainer. Not AAU, but elite academically. Dripping with tradition and is a HUGE ratings draw despite small TV market)

2 – Stanford (SF is #6 TV market. Elite academically and a strong national brand name. Very good in all sports, but not elite).

3 – Arizona State (Phoenix is #12 TV market. Close travel partner for LA schools. Not AAU, but solid enough academically to justify)

4 – Washington (Seattle is #14 TV market. Solid program history including a recent CFP appearance and a national title in football.  AAU member.)

5 – Colorado (Denver is #17 TV market. Bridges gap to western schools. Has some FB history including a natty. AAU member with strong academics.)

6 – North Carolina/Duke (would be higher but ACC grant of rights is a big problem for them)

7 – Oregon? (Resides in #81 media market and has middling academics. See above.)

NOTE: I recognize the risk of having to eat my words is Oregon is added, but it would be a terrible choice unless were talking about a 20+ team super conference.

Edited July 2, 2022 by HuscurAdam
typo

[HuskerFever]

22 minutes ago, HuscurAdam said:

Oregon is neither an AAU member nor an elite academic institution

 

Nebraska isn't an AAU member. And they ranked #2 in the state; #136 nationally. Oregon ranked #99 in the nation.

 

(Per US News 2022 rankings)

[hhcmatt]

14 minutes ago, HuskerFever said:

 

Nebraska isn't an AAU member. And they ranked #2 in the state; #136 nationally. Oregon ranked #99 in the nation.

 

(Per US News 2022 rankings)

 

We were in the AAU when he joined

[hhcmatt]

41 minutes ago, HuscurAdam said:

Notre Dame (No brainer. Not AAU, but elite academically. Dripping with tradition and is a HUGE ratings draw despite small TV market)

 

The B1G would add ITT Tech if it meant getting Notre Dame

[49r]

FWIW, Oregon is currently a member of AAU

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_American_Universities#Current_members

[HuscurAdam]

27 minutes ago, HuskerFever said:

Nebraska isn't an AAU member. And they ranked #2 in the state; #136 nationally. Oregon ranked #99 in the nation.

 

(Per US News 2022 rankings)

 

Nebraska WAS an AAU member at the time they joined the B1G. And Oregon has none of the other qualities that made NU attractive at the time. NU was a big national brand with elite fan support and the TV ratings to match and is one of the few true blue bloods of the sport.    

[HuscurAdam]

4 minutes ago, 49r said:

FWIW, Oregon is currently a member of AAU

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_American_Universities#Current_members

 

I stand corrected. My 10 second research on that was obviously too hurried.  However, I stand behind the rest of my argument. 

[Cazzie22]

2 hours ago, HuscurAdam said:

I keep seeing the chatter about Oregon joining the B1G, but it is not going to happen (unless we're talking about adding 5+ teams).  These things are being driven primarily by TV ratings and media markets and Oregon doesn't bring much of either to the table. Furthermore, Oregon is neither an AAU member nor an elite academic institution, things I believe the B1G legitimately cares about. Oregon has a nice brand going for it thanks to Nike, but it doesn't translate to big TV ratings and would likely fade with a few down seasons (like NU is experiencing).

 

The people making these decisions are taking a long-term global view of the landscape and Oregon just doesn't fit the bill for the reasons cited.  Here are what I think are the most likely candidates for further B1G expansion:  

 

1 – Notre Dame (No brainer. Not AAU, but elite academically. Dripping with tradition and is a HUGE ratings draw despite small TV market)

2 – Stanford (SF is #6 TV market. Elite academically and a strong national brand name. Very good in all sports, but not elite).

3 – Arizona State (Phoenix is #12 TV market. Close travel partner for LA schools. Not AAU, but solid enough academically to justify)

4 – Washington (Seattle is #14 TV market. Solid program history including a recent CFP appearance and a national title in football.  AAU member.)

5 – Colorado (Denver is #17 TV market. Bridges gap to western schools. Has some FB history including a natty. AAU member with strong academics.)

6 – North Carolina/Duke (would be higher but ACC grant of rights is a big problem for them)

7 – Oregon? (Resides in #81 media market and has middling academics. See above.)

NOTE: I recognize the risk of having to eat my words is Oregon is added, but it would be a terrible choice unless were talking about a 20+ team super conference.

Oregon has Nike!  But I agree with your analysis.

[HuskerFever]

Yeah let me add that Oregon has little to no additional redeeming qualities that we added to the table at the time we joined.

 

Just pointing out the data. That said, we did join at more of a peak than a trough. We still have many good qualities, just, performance in the top 3 sports is not one right now.

[Handy Johnson]

I believe our AAU status was dropped when they wouldn’t let us include the UN Med Center in Omaha. 

[throwback]

N Dame is the next tipping point - if they choose to jump to the B1G, that could implode the ACC, and then it goes crazy. The ACC TV rights deal is so restricting and lengthy that those schools cannot jump unless the whole thing implodes. After Maryland left, the ACC really locked everyone else in for a decade-plus. So the entire league has to implode first.

 

[REDitus]

It's weird they make such a big deal about AAU status.  Pearlman said it.   It doesn't mean much.  What has changed? Nothing!  At most it's a lobby group.    

 

It's a much bigger deal being a University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) with the Department of Defense.   Only 14 schools can claim that and Nebraska is one of them.   That affiliation is prestige &  money.   That means something. 

 

Edited July 6, 2022 by REDitus

[HuskerFever]

 

[aphilso1]

On 7/3/2022 at 7:52 AM, REDitus said:

It's weird they make such a big deal about AAU status.  Pearlman said it.   It doesn't mean much.  What has changed? Nothing!  At most it's a lobby group.    

 

It's a much bigger deal being an University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) with the Department of Defense.   Only 14 schools can claim that and Nebraska is one of them.   That affiliation is prestige &  money.   That means something. 

 

 

Are you involved with the NSRI UARC?  Asking because that is an obscure enough reference that most people haven't heard of it. Wondering if you and I have met in real life. I worked on establishing it a decade ago, did some other stuff for a bit, and then came back and worked the second UARC contract from 2017-early 2020.

[HuskerFever]