<p>Well, it embraced Nebraska and its questionable AAU membership. Obviously, subpar academic factories have been welcomed with open arms, and this will continue as the Big Whatever pursues its expansion.</p>
<p>“Well, it embraced Nebraska and its questionable AAU membership.”</p>
<p>It was a member of the AAU when it joined, and could very well become a member again. Louisville? Not ever. Not even close. I notice that you completely ignored the fact that ND was allowed to join the ACC without its football program. That would never, ever happen in the B1G! I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures.</p>
<p>UNL separated the UNMed campus in Omaha into a separate campus which hurt the research rankings important to AAU. OTOH Rutgers just regained control of their med school which will bump them substantially in research ranking. Neither really changed much on the ground. Sometimes rules/people are dumb.</p>
<p>Several Big Ten Presidents and Delaney are on record as stating that, had Nebraska lost its AAU membership prior to joining the Big Ten, it is unlikely they still would have received an invitation.</p>
<p>“Guess what would the SEC answer to an inquiry from Austin be? Oh yes, but how fast can you come? And that is the answer any conference in the country would offer”</p>
<p>And when they realize (if they haven’t already) that Texas is as entitled and arrogant as a school can get, and that DeLoss and his cronies want to run the conference, Alabama, Florida, and LSU will laugh their behinds’ off before slamming the door in Bevo’s face.</p>
<p>You know that “sliver of east Texas” that cares about A&M and watches A&M football? Turns out that “sliver” is the entire state. Majority of the television sets tuned in to the A&M/Bama game last year were from, in fact, Austin. In other words, adding UT to the SEC would not add any more Texas viewership than the SEC already has.</p>
<p>The only thing Texas brings to a conference is its brand. The SEC is over loaded with top football brands, so other than mediocre football and terrible basketball teams, Texas would add nothing of value. Heck, Texas got out recruited by A&M last year, and this year looks to be the same. </p>
<p>Texas likes its conference right now, because it knows that none of the remaining Big-12-2-2+2 schools can try to even the playing field if they don’t want Texas to bolt to the Pac-12 and leave them without an AQ bid. </p>
<p>Texas should sit back and enjoy watching themselves on the Longhorn network (on one of the 5 televisions in the state that have the channel) and talk about their “SEC” Speed defense, or how they’re going to lose to OU again this year, or how they run a clean program-despite Case-Rapist-McCoy and Cayleb “WifeBeater” Jones.</p>
<p>A&M definitely has a more cult like following whereas UT has more of a T-Shirt fan base. However UT brings in a lot of money.</p>
<p>Big changes to Big Ten divisions</p>
<p>[Big</a> changes to Big Ten divisions - Sports - The Lantern - Ohio State University](<a href=“http://www.thelantern.com/sports/big-changes-to-big-ten-divisions-1.3032486#.UXUl7Mo5VJI]Big”>http://www.thelantern.com/sports/big-changes-to-big-ten-divisions-1.3032486#.UXUl7Mo5VJI)</p>
<p>Michigan, OSU and PSU in the same Division? That’s boneheaded. Once PSU is back on track, in 5 or 6 years, those three programs will, on average, be among the top 4 in the Big 10.</p>
<p>Poor Indiana, maybe they will be able to beat Maryland once every 5 years.</p>
<p>I believe there are spots reserved for Notre Dame & Texas in the West Division, while UVA & UNC are to be added to the East Division. :p</p>
<p>Oh good, I won’t need to look up which esteemed B1G school is part of the Legends or Leaders divisions. </p>
<p>As Hannibal Lecter said, “First principles, Clarice. Simplicity.” ;)</p>
<p>The Big10 lost all semblance of caring about academics when it accepted Rutgers and Nebraska.</p>
<p>^ Rutgers is right there with PSU, MSU, and OSU.</p>
<p>
[ACC</a> Announces Grant of Media Rights Agreement for 15 Schools | Bleacher Report](<a href=“ACC Announces Grant of Media Rights Agreement for 15 Schools | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors | Bleacher Report”>ACC Announces Grant of Media Rights Agreement for 15 Schools | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors | Bleacher Report)
Looks like they may leave</p>
<p>In 15 years. In the mean time the B1G could always add UConn, who can’t be any worse than Indiana.</p>
<p>Rutgers is just fine academically. It is classified by the Carnegie Institute as a Research University (“very high research activity”) along with many other members of the American Association of Universities. It has been a member of the AAU since 1989. It’s academic and football programs will be middle of the road in the B1G. Basketball not so much. Do expect it to move up in the US News ratings because of the addition of a medical school this year.</p>
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<p>Yes, adding a medical school should most definitely be relevant to the criteria of the USNews Best College rankings. Of course, nobody expects the respondents to actually know what they are supposed to include in that pesky term of undergraduate academic distinction. </p>
<p>/sarcasm</p>
<p>Medical schools are expensive. Adding the medical school will likely boost the financial resources ranking for Rutgers since USNWR includes medical research spending in that category… unfortunately. ;)</p>
<p>As UCB says, grant money that goes to the medical school for research will be considered grant money to the University. Unfortunately the College of Medicine and Dentistry was very, very badly managed and it will take lots of money to fix the administrative problems.</p>
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<p>My first reaction as well, but now I think I see what they’re doing: they’re putting forth their strongest brands to try to crack the New York and DC markets. </p>
<p>Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State are the marquee names in the conference by far, even when others like Wisconsin or Michigan State are having athletic success. Each of those three schools will play Rutgers and Maryland every year, home one year and away the next–which means the 3 biggest draws in the conference will be on television against a local team in both DC and New York every year. And they’ll probably arrange the schedule so that each of the “Big Three” will play in NY and DC in alternating years–one year an away game at Rutgers combined with a home game v. Maryland, the next year at Maryland with a home game v. Rutgers. Rutgers will rent the Meadowlands for those games, while Maryland will rent–well, wherever it is the Redskins play these days.</p>
<p>Michigan and Penn State already have huge alumni bases in those markets, and Ohio State might not be far behind; in addition, many in their loyal fans bases back home wouldn’t mind an annual getaway to New York or DC, so they’ll probably be able to fill the biggest stadiums they can get their hands on–and Rutgers and Maryland will get the gate receipts. (They must be practically p***ing their pants with excitement). Meanwhile the “Big Three” get more exposure in big markets that are fertile recruiting ground for blue chip athletes. Oh, and at least for Michigan and Penn State, fertile recruiting ground for OOS students and alumni donors as well.</p>
<p>It also preserves some important traditional rivalries without needing to make special arrangements: Michigan-Ohio State, Michigan-Michigan State, Ohio State-Penn State (not an old rivalry, but it’s become a bitter one), Illinois-Northwestern, Wisconsin-Northwestern, Wisconsin-Minnesota, Minnesota-Iowa are all intra-divisional games under the new alignment. About the only traditional rivalry that got split up was Indiana-Purdue, but they can accommodate that one. And I think Penn State-Rutgers is a natural for an instant new one. Iowa-Nebraska should become one over time as well. (Maryland’s natural rival is Virginia; not much we can do about that until UVA is ready to take the bait and join the conference).</p>
<p>It actually makes some sense. The guys aren’t as dumb as I initially thought.</p>
<p>Buckeyes take lead in 2013 Top 25</p>
<p>[Ohio</a> State Buckeyes take over top spot in latest 2013 Top 25 - ESPN](<a href=“http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/9214725/ohio-state-buckeyes-take-top-spot-latest-2013-top-25]Ohio”>Ohio State Buckeyes take over top spot in latest 2013 Top 25 - ESPN)</p>
<p>Go Bucks!! :)</p>