I don't really get all of this NCAA conference shuffling. I mean, I understand all of the moving parts – who's going where and whatnot – but I don't understand the reasoning. I'm sure it's financial.
But, purely from a fan's perspective, I'm utterly confused as to why the Big 12 is being so easily pulled apart like so much monkey bread.
To put it in perspective: from a strictly nomenclatural angle, this realignment is exactly backwards. The Big 12, with the loss of Nebraska and Colorado, will have 10 teams, while the Big 10, with the addition of Nebraska, will have 12 teams. If the realignment stops there, can those two conferences please switch names for simplicity's sake?
But there are practical reasons, again from a fan's perspective, that the Big 12 seems like a more valuable and useful conference than either of the _____-10 conferences that are devouring it: championships.
Since 2000, the Big 12 has won two championships in football (Oklahoma '00, Texas '05) and one championship in basketball (Kansas '08). Since these are the only two revenue-producing sports for most schools, they seem the most relevant, but the Big 12 has another 37 championships in other sports ranging from baseball (Texas '02 and '05) to a relative dynasty in women's bowling (Nebraska '01, '04, '05, and '09).
Conversely, the Big 10's last basketball championship was soon-to-be-former-Michigan-State-coach Tom Izzo's only win 10 years ago. Their last football championship came in 2002 (Ohio State).
Meanwhile, the Pac-10 hasn't won a basketball championship since 1997 (Arizona), and their only football championship since 2000 is close to being vacated because Reggie Bush has been a professional athlete since middle school.
The Big 12 has also lost 5 BCS championship games since 2000 (Nebraska '01; Oklahoma '03, '04, and '08; Texas '09). I know the economics run deeper than this, but it's hard to understand this relatively simple dissolution of a conference that has appeared in 7 of the last 10 BCS championship games, the most lucrative game in college sports.
Economics aside, it's hard to understand how the Pac-10, a conference that was the national whipping boy in men's basketball last season, and the Big 10, which includes Northwestern, are waging a successful war on a conference that has some of the most historic and prestigious sports programs in the country.
Question of the Week:
Are you going to watch the FIFA World Cup?
My take: I am right now, so I suppose my answer needs to be yes. I love it when live sports are on in the morning and afternoon. The more relevant test for me is tomorrow's game, which is actually at a worse time for me than this South Africa/Mexico game that I'm watching currently.
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Hop off your mighty anit-realignment horse and realize that your beloved ACC did the same thing just a few years back. And just like now, that move had practically zilch to do with basketball. You do make a good point about the Big 12. What kind of lackluster leadership/management is going on that they are letting their division be pillaged? Yikes.
ReplyDeleteQoW: I'd say yes, some of it. And even though I'm trying to open my mind to the world of Soccer it is still a 2nd rate sport to me. But then again I'm American...err United States of American.
I'm not against realignment, though I am against super conferences like the Big East. I am against realignment that seems illogical and unreasonable, much like I'm against most things that seem illogical and unreasonable.
ReplyDeleteThis realignment just doesn't make much sense. It's like the East and the West dividing up Germany in 1941 instead of in 1945. Right now, the Big 12 seems like it should be more powerful than either of the other two conferences.
Loved your last blog, and this one was decent as well. I am also confused by the storied colleges that have rich tradition with their conference leaving for greener pastures. It's going to take a few years to get used to the changes and the fans may revolt somewhat. Does Texas really want to play Oregon every year rather than Nebraska? Seems like a losing proposition.
ReplyDeleteAs we all know I once skipped out on a trip to the movie theater to stay at grandma and grandpa's and watch the World Cup final. So yes, I will be watching the World Cup