Toledo to the Big East?

BGSUfalcons · Post by **BGSUfalcons** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 10:17 am

Is Fatstutz really telling kids this?

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-rev ... 08257.html

This probably belong in the other schools forum, but the relevance to BGSU football is obvious.

transfer2BGSU · Post by **transfer2BGSU** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 10:20 am

Jacobs4Heisman · Post by **Jacobs4Heisman** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 10:22 am

Don't let the door hit you in the (gigantic) ass on the way out Tom.

orangeandbrown · Post by **orangeandbrown** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 10:24 am

Well, amusing though that might be. It makes me real nervous. I have always said that the best thing for BG is the MAC as it is. A MAC without Toledo gets a lot less attractive for us, especially if Miami would go with them.

Let's not forget, the MCO merger will dramatically change UT--making it larger and more of a research institution.

BGSUfalcons · Post by **BGSUfalcons** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 10:32 am

Granted, Miami is harder to get into than BGSU for undergrads, but BGSU has many more graduate programs than both Miami and Turd.

1987alum · Post by **1987alum** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 11:03 am

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss this, for reasons I'm not at liberty to divulge.

Jacobs4Heisman · Post by **Jacobs4Heisman** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 11:12 am

1987alum wrote:I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss this, for reasons I'm not at liberty to divulge.

Let 'em leave. At least then we'd be Guaranteed a home game with BcS school every other year

That is of course if the Big East is still a BCS conference by then, or if the BCS even still exists.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 11:15 am

I wouldn't be shocked one bit. As someone said merging with MCO will make UT a much more attractive academic school to a major conference. On top of that they've been the class of the MAC in football for years now. They're also in a reasonably large metropolitan area, and are able to fill their stadiums when top notch opponents are coming to town.

Although with the financial problems they've been having I do think it would be a poor move for them to have to shuttle all of their sports all around the country. Who knows, maybe the additional revenue would make up for it for them, though. Right off the bat they get $15 million in BCS money every season to split among the conference members...that'd put a pretty big boost into the athletic budget.

UT is a lot more attractive candidate for this sort of thing than I'd like them to be...

h2oville rocket · Post by **h2oville rocket** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 11:21 am

Just one Rocket fan's opinion, and since I'm real old I may have a deeper affinity for all things MAC than most, but I will be crushed if Toledo would leave the MAC. I don't want a tail wagging dog setup like so many BCS schools and I like the fact that an average athlete such as myself could walk on in some of the minor sports and enjoy all that college athletics had to offer without the pressure of having to win to justify scholarships, etc. I liked the MAC even better when it had eight teams. The quote I saw was a third hand quote from a high school kid who was giving second hand info so I am sceptical at best but 1987alum seems to have a finger on the pulse of things so maybe something is in the works. I will just be unhappy if that's the case.

factman · Post by **factman** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 11:41 am

A bigger question is how much credability will Amstutz have with recruits in a couple years.

OptionQB · Post by **OptionQB** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 11:53 am

I have to wonder if the Big East could be creating just a football conference, as their basketball league is already 16 strong, with 12 very good teams.

I would assume that they would not stop at Toledo and take their football membership to 12. This would almost guarantee a BCS bid for years to come, but it would reserve the all-so-important Conference Championship game that generates the national television exposure, corporate sponsorship and additional revenue.

Without the information that '87 is privy to, I would assume that the breakdown of the conference preference would go something like this:

"A preference": 1a) Notre Dame- nearly impossible for all member schools to give them the package they would have to have to accept. Full rights to NBC TV deal and keeping their own bowl money, in addition to a revenue "guarantee" every year. The ACC was prepared to offer it, but ND wasn't prepared to accept. 1aa) Penn State- geographically, it's the best fit. There are more than a few Big Ten "traditionalists" that aren't happy with Penn State being in the league and if the Big Ten has no plans to go to a twelfth team, why keep 11? PSU would give instant credibility to Big East football, particularly with a ND addition and bring back money feuds/rivalries with Pitt and West Virginia.

"B preference": Central Florida- gets the BE into the Florida mix along with South Florida and the very important recruiting ties. Also, Orlando is a booming TV market as well. Memphis, Toledo, Miami (OH) and Vanderbilt would provide attractive destinations for various reasons as well. Vandy wouldn't leave the SEC for a rebuilt BE without ND and/or Penn State though. Tulane would also be an attractive member, but they will not be able to make the financial commitment for sometime giving the tragedies of the past year.

"C preference": Marshall, Southern Mississippi, Akron, Northern Illinois, Bowling Green and Ohio University. Hear me out. At some point, in the next 5-10 years, I see the NCAA making each school make some sort of commitment financially to D-1 football. Currently there are 11 D-1 conferences and a handfull of independents. I can see the current BCS structure with 4 games (the 5th to be added after the 2006 season), to be used as playoff system with the 5th game being used as the "Plus-One" game once the four BCS games have been played. None of the "C" preferences really provide much in the terms of a TV market, save possibly Akron, but all are or could be competitive football programs. Instead of BG joining a loaded Big East, it would make more sense for BG to join a "Great America Conference" or whatever name you want to attach to it with the leftover members of the MAC, C-USA and possibly the MWC.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

Redwingtom · Post by **Redwingtom** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 11:54 am

factman wrote:A bigger question is how much credability will Amstutz have with recruits in a couple years.

Not to mention this is at least the second recruit that he has virtually guaranteed a starting spot too without even seeing him compete at the collegiate level.

DrDesert · Post by **DrDesert** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 11:57 am

You think Marshall wishes they would have stayed in the MAC?

Rightupinthere · Post by **Rightupinthere** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 11:58 am

I see two schools at the very least being very attractive to the Big East: Miami and Toledo. Miami may push to have OU as a tag-along and at that time, OU may be more attractive.

I don't see any other school dealing for BG's inclusion in the transfer. The other schools would simply throw BG under the bus and move to the larger markets.

The wild card is now Akron. With Akron improving in all sports along with some very good ademics programs, they may push Miami out simply because they would be more attractive in their proximate to Cleveland (the BE already has Cincy).

If Akron continues to improve and with the new stadium they're building, I see UT and UA moving to the Big East. And I think UA and UT would have a pretty raucous rivalry.

BGSU33 · Post by **BGSU33** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 12:11 pm

I agree with some of the ideas above. The one MAC school I have heard talks about in recent years about possibly moving was Ohio. I have heard the Toledo and Miami rumors before, but Ohio has been one that has come up more recently. In my opinion, it would be a big blow to the MAC to lose any school(s) like Ohio, Miami, and yes, even Toledo.