MSU Red Cedar Message Board

Let's slow down. The Omaha Herald? Oh and Hondo says it too? Let me know when a real source is involved. I'm not saying it's false but I'll believe it when I see it at this point. How many stories have we heard about expansion that were totally false yet provoked a ton of discussion on here.

And yet after all that speculation Maryland is in our conference, which no one saw coming until it happened.

Missouri has a population of 6 million people, and it's growing. It contains two metro areas, Kansas City and Saint Louis. It's also the only major school in the state.

Virginia has 8-9 million, but that state is split between VT and UVA (and more football fans root for VT in my experience). It's largest metro area is also DC, something which we pick up with Maryland. After DC, Norfolk/Virginia Beach is probably your next major population area, and I promise they don't care about college athletics.

North Carolina is 9-10 million, but that state is even more split up. You have UNC, Duke, NC State, Wake Forrest, and probably some more I'm forgetting. It's also a total fail from a geography, rivalry, and cultural perspective.

I really do not get the casual dismissal people make of Missouri. Obviously they weren't as good of an addition as Nebraska a few years ago, which is the real reason we didn't call them. Delaney started out by nabbing a blue chip, and I suspect he hoped that the expansion wouldn't continue for a while. I suspect he got spooked by the SEC taking A&M and Mizzou.

Because outside of the constraints the B1G places on the process (AAU member, etc.) there are only two factors that will be considered when picking a team:

1. Does the move potentially force ND to make the smart move to the B1G?

2. Does the move increase the cash-flow over the average number of members in the B1G?

In that order. Missouri does nothing for the first point, and would be questionable for the second. I like Missouri, I think they'd be a good last pick, but if we're trying to trap ND, they're not the right next move.

Basically, let's wait and see. This will all shake out over the next 1-2 years, after which the NCAA will be abandoned by the four major conferences that emerge.

Dinardo said on the BTN that he thinks the BT will pick schools 15 and 16 by next spring. I believe that delaney gives them tidbits of information to float on the air, as test-balloons.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if we know who the next two schools will be by spring. Certainly, other conferences must be having emergency discussions at this point, and I bet quite a few schools are shopping around and whoring for that Big Ten money behind the scenes.

KU is basically in Kansas City...and way more KU fans in KC than Mizzou fans.

People should consider that we will probably go to 18 with 9 games in each division.

Addition of Boston College, Georgia Tech, Kansas, and UNC would seal the deal adding Atlanta, Boston, Kansas City and Charlotte.

God basketball would be insane. MSU, OSU, UNC, Kansas, and Indiana all in the same league? You could finish in 5th place and still be ranked in the top 10. Hell, top 5.

I think these carriage fees, regarding state borderlines, is a perpetuated myth without detailed knowledge of undisclosed contracts between B1G and varied cable carriers.

so what are the best remaining tv markets/colleges for delany to go after

Shanghai, Mexico City, and Tokyo/Osaka.

I think it makes sense. UNC and VA would keep the "contiguous state" reasoning Delaney mentioned at the Maryland presser. However KU basketball and UNC basketball are national brands like Nebraska brought in football.