Front Office Football Central - View Single Post - Big 10 Expansion Thread -Big Ten ready for a playoff .. finally?

britrock88 · 09-18-2011, 01:07 PM

I'm amused at all the comments to the effect that the Big Ten will be left behind by staying at 12 members.

The requirement to hold a conference championship football game is a minimum of 12 teams. There are no added benefits to going beyond 12 members as far as league competitiveness is concerned. Teams play each other less often, for one. Also, no matter the number of members in a conference, there we always be a similar distribution of teams at the front of the TV ratings / merchandising revenue pack and bringing up the rear within a conference.

Beyond that, look at the modern history of conferences with more than 12 members. The WAC and C-USA have both had their try, and their 14-16 team configurations broke up within about 5 years, as the princes tired of propping up the paupers and bolted -- creating the MWC, or joining the Big East en masse. And now that Pitt and Syracuse are jumping for the ACC, the Big East's massive all-sports configuration, which lasted the longest (reaching 14 teams in 1991), is possibly crumbling before us.

All in all, I think configurations of more than 12 teams have proved unsustainable. So in 5 to 15 years, when the SEC, ACC, and other conferences splinter, the Big Ten will (at this rate) still have its strong group of 12 members, and will likely emerge in a very profitable position.

09-18-2011, 01:07 PM	#5008
britrock88 Pro Starter Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Madison, WI	I'm amused at all the comments to the effect that the Big Ten will be left behind by staying at 12 members. The requirement to hold a conference championship football game is a minimum of 12 teams. There are no added benefits to going beyond 12 members as far as league competitiveness is concerned. Teams play each other less often, for one. Also, no matter the number of members in a conference, there we always be a similar distribution of teams at the front of the TV ratings / merchandising revenue pack and bringing up the rear within a conference. Beyond that, look at the modern history of conferences with more than 12 members. The WAC and C-USA have both had their try, and their 14-16 team configurations broke up within about 5 years, as the princes tired of propping up the paupers and bolted -- creating the MWC, or joining the Big East en masse. And now that Pitt and Syracuse are jumping for the ACC, the Big East's massive all-sports configuration, which lasted the longest (reaching 14 teams in 1991), is possibly crumbling before us. All in all, I think configurations of more than 12 teams have proved unsustainable. So in 5 to 15 years, when the SEC, ACC, and other conferences splinter, the Big Ten will (at this rate) still have its strong group of 12 members, and will likely emerge in a very profitable position.