<p>The Pac 10 and ACC can compete with the Big Ten at the top of the conference but fall behind when you move beyond the top schools. There is no Oregon State or FSU in the Big Ten. In fact, the Big Ten is the only major athletic conference of which all members are also AAU members.</p>
<p>One way to compare is to add up the USNWR rank and the Sagarin Computer Football ranks. I'm not that this can be done for all conferences as not all teams are included in the Tier 1 rankings, but this at least gives some structure to the debate.</p>
<p>Rank (sum of ranks ) , College ( USNWR National University Rank + Sagarin Football Rank )</p>
<p>1 ( 32 pts ) , USC ( 27 + 5 )
2 ( 48 pts ) , UC Berkeley ( 21 + 27 )
3 ( 49 pts ) , U Texas ( 47 + 2 )
3 ( 49 pts ) , Northwestern ( 12 + 37 )
5 ( 51 pts ) , U North Carolina ( 30 + 21 )
6 ( 52 pts ) , U Florida ( 49 + 3 )
6 ( 52 pts ) , Georgia Tech ( 35 + 17 )
8 ( 53 pts ) , Penn State ( 47 + 6 )
9 ( 56 pts ) , Boston Coll ( 34 + 22 )
10 ( 60 pts ) , Wake Forest ( 28 + 32 )
11 ( 61 pts ) , Duke ( 8 + 53 )
12 ( 63 pts ) , Stanford ( 4 + 59 )
13 ( 66 pts ) , Ohio State ( 56 + 10 )
14 ( 68 pts ) , U Virginia ( 23 + 45 )
15 ( 72 pts ) , Vanderbilt ( 18 + 54 )
16 ( 74 pts ) , U Georgia ( 58 + 16 )
17 ( 76 pts ) , Notre Dame ( 18 + 58 )
18 ( 80 pts ) , Rice ( 17 + 63 )
19 ( 81 pts ) , Clemson ( 61 + 20 )
20 ( 82 pts ) , U Miami ( 51 + 31 )
21 ( 84 pts ) , U Pittsburgh ( 58 + 26 )
22 ( 86 pts ) , Virginia Tech ( 71 + 15 )
22 ( 86 pts ) , U Wisconsin ( 35 + 51 )
24 ( 90 pts ) , U Alabama ( 83 + 7 )
24 ( 90 pts ) , U Iowa ( 66 + 24 )
26 ( 101 pts ) , Michigan State ( 71 + 30 )
26 ( 101 pts ) , U Illinois ( 40 + 61 )
28 ( 102 pts ) , Rutgers ( 64 + 38 )
29 ( 103 pts ) , U Maryland ( 53 + 50 )
30 ( 108 pts ) , U Conn ( 66 + 42 )
31 ( 109 pts ) , U Oklahoma ( 108 + 1 )
31 ( 109 pts ) , U Missouri ( 96 + 13 )
33 ( 113 pts ) , Harvard ( 1 + 112 )
34 ( 116 pts ) , Florida State ( 102 + 14 )
34 ( 116 pts ) , U Michigan ( 26 + 90 )
36 ( 119 pts ) , W&M ( 32 + 87 )
36 ( 119 pts ) , UCLA ( 25 + 94 )
38 ( 122 pts ) , Texas Christian ( 113 + 9 )
38 ( 122 pts ) , U Kansas ( 89 + 33 )
40 ( 126 pts ) , U Oregon ( 108 + 18 )
41 ( 127 pts ) , U Minnesota ( 61 + 66 )
42 ( 130 pts ) , NC State ( 83 + 47 )
43 ( 136 pts ) , BYU ( 113 + 23 )
44 ( 137 pts ) , U Arizona ( 96 + 41 )
45 ( 139 pts ) , U Tulsa ( 83 + 56 )
45 ( 139 pts ) , Purdue ( 66 + 73 )
47 ( 140 pts ) , Baylor ( 76 + 64 )
48 ( 143 pts ) , U South Carolina ( 108 + 35 )
49 ( 149 pts ) , U Colorado ( 77 + 72 )
50 ( 152 pts ) , Yale ( 3 + 149 )
51 ( 153 pts ) , Brown ( 16 + 137 )
52 ( 154 pts ) , U Penn ( 6 + 148 )
53 ( 157 pts ) , Texas A&M ( 64 + 93 )
53 ( 157 pts ) , Syracuse ( 53 + 104 )
55 ( 171 pts ) , Auburn ( 96 + 75 )
56 ( 176 pts ) , U Buffalo-SUNY ( 121 + 55 )
57 ( 177 pts ) , U Tennessee ( 108 + 69 )
58 ( 181 pts ) , Princeton ( 2 + 179 )
59 ( 183 pts ) , U Kentucky ( 116 + 67 )
60 ( 187 pts ) , U Washington ( 41 + 146 )
61 ( 189 pts ) , Indiana U ( 71 + 118 )
62 ( 191 pts ) , Arizona State ( 121 + 70 )
63 ( 195 pts ) , Lehigh ( 35 + 160 )
64 ( 197 pts ) , U New Hampshire ( 113 + 84 )
65 ( 202 pts ) , Iowa State ( 89 + 113 )
66 ( 203 pts ) , U Mass ( 102 + 101 )
67 ( 205 pts ) , U Delaware ( 71 + 134 )
68 ( 206 pts ) , Tulane ( 51 + 155 )
69 ( 209 pts ) , Cornell ( 14 + 195 )
70 ( 211 pts ) , Colorado State ( 125 + 86 )
71 ( 213 pts ) , Columbia ( 8 + 205 )
72 ( 216 pts ) , Miami U (OH) ( 66 + 150 )
73 ( 220 pts ) , SMU ( 66 + 154 )
74 ( 234 pts ) , Dartmouth ( 11 + 223 )
75 ( 243 pts ) , Fordham ( 61 + 182 )
76 ( 249 pts ) , Georgetown ( 23 + 226 )
77 ( 267 pts ) , Washington State ( 116 + 151 )</p>
<p>No doubt that the top 5 in the Pac-10 are better than the top 5 in either the Big 10 or ACC. (Stanford> Northwestern= Duke, Berkeley>=UCLA=Michigan=UNC,etc.) But if you involve the whole conferences ( the Not-so-fab five of Wazzu, OSU, OU, ASU, and U of A) then its no contest. And when you consider the fact that the California schools are the only REAL competitors at sports like water polo, sailing, rowing, fencing, synchronized swimming, SQUASH, tiddlywinks, war, gin rummy, etc., those national championships aren't so stellar. The Pac-10 has top national contenders in: USC's obvious prowess on the gridiron, and UCLA's on the hardwood, Stanford's baseball, and Jeff Tedford's BCS whining 4 years ago.</p>
<p>^LOL, I think you're confusing Jeff Tedford with Mack Brownnoser and Brownnoser's BCS whining, not only 4 years ago but this year. Boomer Sooner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>The two 'Zonas are academic-party stars; don't discount them. :D</p>
<p>westside: a certain ancient league has rowing!</p>
<p>There is only one athletic league in which every member school is also a member in the Association of American Universities. </p>
<p>The Big Ten.</p>
<p>Association</a> of American Universities - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</p>
<p>^ Are UA, ASU, Oregon, Oregon State and Wazzu that much worse than MSU, Iowa and Indiana? </p>
<p>
Heh, funny...but you contradict your first statement with your second.</p>
<p>
[quote]
And when you consider the fact that the California schools are the only REAL competitors at sports like water polo, sailing, rowing, fencing, synchronized swimming, SQUASH, tiddlywinks, war, gin rummy, etc., those national championships aren't so stellar.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Um, SQUASH?? California schools are about as dominant in squash as Ivy League schools are in surfing.</p>
<p>The only schools that have ever won national men's or women's squash titles are Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Trinity (a NESCAC liberal arts college in Connecticut). Trinity squash is probably the only Division III sports program that can compete for national championships against Division I opponents. </p>
<p>[correction: one other school, Navy, won a handful of men's squash titles in the 1950s and 1960s]</p>
<p>"^ Are UA, ASU, Oregon, Oregon State and Wazzu that much worse than MSU, Iowa and Indiana? "</p>
<p>Yes, they actually are.</p>
<p>MilwDad brings up a very good point. That probably puts the Big 10 ahead of the Pac 10. Its like the current Celtics and Lakers, with the Celtics are top heavy with their stars, but the Lakers team is deeper.</p>
<p><<and when="" you="" consider="" the="" fact="" that="" california="" schools="" are="" only="" real="" competitors="" at="" sports="" like="" water="" polo,="" sailing,="" rowing,="" fencing,="" synchronized="" swimming,="" squash,="" tiddlywinks,="" war,="" gin="" rummy,="" etc.,="" those="" national="" championships="" aren't="" so="" stellar.="" pac-10="" has="" top="" contenders="" in:="" usc's="" obvious="" prowess="" on="" gridiron,="" and="" ucla's="" hardwood,="" stanford's="" baseball,="" jeff="" tedford's="" bcs="" whining="" 4="" years="" ago.="">></and></p>
<p>Actually, Ohio State has the dominant program in synchronized swimming having won 24 national championships. Ohio State's also won 2 of the last 5 fencing national championships. Almost all of the top fencing schools are in the midwest (Ohio State, Notre Dame, Penn State) or Northeast (the ivies and a few others).</p>
<p>I don't dispute that Stanford and UCLA are unmatched in across the board athletic success, and Cal and USC aren't too far behind, but to contend that the California schools are the "only REAL competitors" is ludicrous. The final standings of the athletic directors' cup each year tells a different story.</p>
<p>Academics:</p>
<ol>
<li>Big10</li>
<li>Pac-10</li>
<li>ACC
While ACC schools have slightly better USN average than the Big10 schools, that advantage comes primarily from its better selectivity because ACC schools are located in states with denser population (more people applying and lower admit rate). ACC schools are not that great when it comes to research, faculty awards, graduate programs, and peer assessment/reputation.</li>
</ol>
<p>The Big Ten has eleven schools. The ACC has twelve. The Pac-10 should be able to add some schools...it's not a fair comparison. :D</p>
<p>Big Ten does have 12 as part of our academic consortium. Chicago has always remained an academic member of the conference.</p>
<p>why does everyone hate the ACC, in terms of schools, every school in the ACC is very good academically</p>
<p>The University of Chicago is a member of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation, CIC</a> Home Page. The CIC is made up of the Big Ten institutions plus the University of Chicago, which used to be a member of the Big 10 athletic conference.</p>
<p>Clemson, Florida State, Miami, North Carolina State?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Yes, by a long shot. Compare these US News rankings for the bottom five in the Big Ten versus the bottom five in the Pac 10:</p>
<p>School/US News ranking/(PA rating)</p>
<p>Big Ten:</p>
<p>Minnesota #61 (3.6)
Purdue #66 (3.7)
Iowa #66 (3.5)
Indiana #71 (3.7)
Michigan State #71 (3.4) </p>
<p>Pac 10:</p>
<p>Arizona #96 (3.5)
Oregon #108 (3.3)
Washington State #116 (2.9)
Arizona State #121 (3.2)
Oregon State "third tier" (2.9)</p>
<p>Of these groups, arguably only Michigan State and U Arizona are truly comparable, with Arizona actually edging out MSU in peer assessment rating. But it's not hard to see why Michigan State's overall US News ranking is so far above Arizona's. With only about 25% more students (36,072 undergrads, versus 29,070 at Arizona), Michigan State has almost twice as many faculty (2,576 full-time, to 1,408 at Arizona). And while Michigan State is only slightly more selective (73.8% acceptance rate, versus 79.5% at Arizona), it does a much better job in retaining freshmen (90.5%, versus 79.2% at Arizona) and graduating its students within six years (74.0%, versus 56.0% at Arizona). So bottom line, the 11th best school in the Big Ten is overall markedly stronger than the 6th best school in the Pac 10, and numbers 7 through 10 in the Pac 10 are not even close.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>B1G + PAC 12</p></li>
<li><p>ACC + BIG East / ND ?</p></li>
<li><p>SEC + BIG 12</p></li>
</ol>
<p>:D</p>
<p>Well since i will be at an sec school next year i believe i have too make its case!
- Big 10/ ACC ( BIG 10 has northwestern, UMich, Penn St, Ohio St, and is basically a number one academic college from a public school perspective. But ACC has wake forest, duke, unc, boston college, uva, maryland, clemson, miami. its very talented. So I think these two conferences are basically equal as a whole.)
- Pac 12 ( not that strong as a whole, Stanford, USC, UCLA, Wash, and maybe CU bolder as the only schools worth mentioning the rest of them are average schools or below.)
- SEC ( Vanderbilt, U of Florida, U of Georgia, new addition Texas A&M is great, Alabama is getting there, tennessee, south carolina are decent. Its not academically superior by any means but each school is starting to strengthen themselves I think minus maybe arkansas the mississippi schools, and tennessee, mizzou and lsu, idk much about them though.)
These are the only conferences that matter and are worth mentioning. Please stop ranking the big east above the sec. The big east’s only strong schools are syracuse, pittsburgh, rutgers, and uconn, and after next season they wont have pitt or cuse. usf louisville, temple, arent good schools. I think the c-usa has some potential if its schools improve. They already have rice and tulane, and smu. And tulsa, ecu, ucf, and houston aren’t the worst schools in the world.</p>