Cincinnati Does Belong in the Big 12

[cpawstoney]

Chris Bains of Bearcat Nation is still beating this drum.
http://clonesconfidential.com/2012/0...in-the-big-12/

[bearcatbret]

With all of that said, I want UC and UL to stay together. Anyone remember the Great Midwest conference without UL? I remember well the first time they played each other after that. I also hated losing Memphis "State" in basketball but can live with that. But in my mind, UL is our biggest rival and we should keep it.

[coach]

"control" is a relative term in this situation. it doesn't really mean anything in media terms if the existing teams do not earn incremental $'s. there are some who are veterans in that arena who are not so sure that will be the case in the long haul. spreading something over a bigger area does not necessarily make it more lucrative in the business world. if it was that simple, it would have been set in motion many moons ago as the same teams/conferences have "controlled" things for many moons. time will tell. how many tv sets do you think will be tuned in on a regular basis in ny metro and dc if neither one of them competes for a championship for the foreseeable future. it's been know to backfire.

[cincycpaw]

Yeah, but it was readily apparent a year ago that the sport was controlled by the 4 conferences.

Well that is a good point. It was only a matter of time. Just happened a little sooner than people were thinking after the initial wave.

[#41]

Well, the reality is that it could have worked if the sport wasn't controlled by 4 conferences. When you think about it, it is ridiculous that they've turned college football into a country club.

Yeah, but it was readily apparent a year ago that the sport was controlled by the 4 conferences.

I mean, do a google search -- Rutgers to the Big 10 wasn't a shock and many people had been predicting that it would be a prime target (along with MD, Ga Tech, FSU, etc.)for B1G expansion in the future.

Everyone has been predicting since Day 1 that, when the music stopped on all this, that there would probably be 2 teams sitting on the sidelines wondering what the heck happened: UC and USF.

The "New" Big East was DOA before the ink was dry on anything.

[coach]

11 months later, still funny.

it would work if the bigger conferences decided to stay put as they publicly said they would. whether, or how much, this latest move will benefit the existing teams in the big ten will not be determined for some time. they're taking the chance, and now i suspect others will have to. the funny thing is the acc thought it was in good shape, now they aren't sure. onward...i will also predict rutgers or maryland will not win a conference championship in the next 10 yrs in bball or fball. we will also see where their fans stand after that occurs.

[cincycpaw]

11 months later, still funny.

Well, the reality is that it could have worked if the sport wasn't controlled by 4 conferences. When you think about it, it is ridiculous that they've turned college football into a country club.

[#41]

fools gold. this reconfigured conference will work.

11 months later, still funny.

[richard k.]

NYC and Washington DC do though. Tons of cable boxes, which is the one and only reason for the move. Getting the Big Ten Network in front of as many eyes as it can.

Rutgers lost 19 million dollars on their football program last year, so it's not that.

There is a difference however. Here the Big? could threaten Time Warner with shutting them out of OSU and other Big? sports, and it is at least somewhat meaningful. Try that with the MSG network in NYC and they will laugh you out of their office. It is possible, of course to give the product away in the NYC metro area, or even pay someone to broadcast it, if there is enough corresponding revenue from advertising. I don't know how all that stuff works - what I do know is that almost no one on the east side of the Hudson River or north of Bergen County gives a hoot in a hand basket about Rutgers, much less its sports programs.

[RedRocker]

NYC and Washington DC do though. Tons of cable boxes, which is the one and only reason for the move. Getting the Big Ten Network in front of as many eyes as it can.

Rutgers lost 19 million dollars on their football program last year, so it's not that.

Dan Hoard mentioned on the BB broadcast last night that NYC has the largest concentration of Michigan alums than anywhere else in the country. It's all about TV $$$ anymore. Rivalries be damned.

Edit: Looks like Danno has some bad info, but still significant. http://alumni.umich.edu/pdf/MediaOnePager.pdf

Ohio State has a lot of alums in those two markets also. http://www.osu.edu/highpoints/alumni/

[Rational Cat]

Hard to believe there are any studies that indicate that Rutgers and Maryland move any meters.

NYC and Washington DC do though. Tons of cable boxes, which is the one and only reason for the move. Getting the Big Ten Network in front of as many eyes as it can.

Rutgers lost 19 million dollars on their football program last year, so it's not that.

[1977 BearCat]

The following article mentions "studies" that have been conducted (though not explicitly cited or referenced) saying UC and L'ville do not move the TV ratings meter enough to warrant the addition.

http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1439491

Hard to believe there are any studies that indicate that Rutgers and Maryland move any meters.

[GoCats1994]

Exactly. You have to remember, ALL WVU teams will travel. Volleyball, swimming, baseball, etc. Lots of $

This is a common misconception, although it is not true.

The non-revenue sports do not travel with the same regularity outside of the region. There are league championships, but beyond that most of the schedules are regional.

For example - For UC's swimming team's schedule this year, 29 out of 34 dates are either in Ohio or Indiana. Of the remaining 5 dates, 1 is in KY (@ Louisville), 1 is in Florida (@ Florida Atlantic of all places) and 3 are at the Winter Nationals in Austin, TX.

[Binturong05]

The following article mentions "studies" that have been conducted (though not explicitly cited or referenced) saying UC and L'ville do not move the TV ratings meter enough to warrant the addition.

http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1439491

[blackattack]

That would explain Peyton Siva from Seattle. He recruits nationally and internationally

He does recruit nationally. However, Pitino's recruiting emphasis has always been the northeast. If UL bolts for the Big12 I'm hoping Mick can have more success in that region.