CJ: Big Ten should seek big names for expansion (Kentucky)

[AndyPopCat]

The University of Kentucky. All right, it'll never happen. But I still say it would be a good move for UK. The football outlook would change dramatically. They'd be an immediate contender in baseball and other cold-weather spring sports. The basketball, overall, would be better. It would free up a non-conference basketball game. And the Big Ten revenue-sharing checks might eclipse those from the Southeastern Conference. Downside: UK administration sometimes prefers premium cable appearances to basic.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070730/COLUMNISTS02/707300451

[gerntz]

$$ will win. That's the SEC. Even though the academic prestige would be a step up.

[BigBlue75]

to be honest with you. I expected to see a discussion of what teams would work if the Big Ten expanded, but what I saw was a joke. Oprah and the WWE? C'mon! Springfield University? Yeah, right! I also flatly disagree that "basketball overall" is better in the Big Ten. I don't want to make a big deal out of a nothing column, but in his mind, that was probably a back-handed insult hurled at UK to be included in such a lame list. But, that's a U of L grad/fan turned sportswriter for ya.

I guess the CJ isn't too concerned about how their reporters meet a deadline as long as it gets met.

[AshlandTomcat41]

Big-Ten. YUCK!

[lribookend]

Big-Ten. YUCK!

I doubt UK will ever leave the SEC because of the share of dollars they get from the SEC football programs, which is huge. However, if they were to change conferences, it always seemed like they would fit better in the ACC in terms of competitiveness in both football and basketball.

[Matt Dillon]

I doubt UK will ever leave the SEC because of the share of dollars they get from the SEC football programs, which is huge. However, if they were to change conferences, it always seemed like they would fit better in the ACC in terms of competitiveness in both football and basketball.

Agree totally.

[sojourner]

1. Any expansion of the Big 10 that does not include Notre Dame is a mistake. Especially if they are talking about television. At some point Notre Dame is going to realize that it will need to join a conference for all sports. If the Big 10 has already filled all of their slots by then, it could be a problem.

2. I am sorry, maybe it is the cynic in me, but whenever I see a Louisville person, or columnist telling me how UK should leave the SEC, I always assume their ulterior motive is to take our place in the SEC. In short, we got what they want. So they will try to talk us into giving it up.

[ukcatfan]

Who wants to go to a conference that can not count its members correctly?????

[lribookend]

Who wants to go to a conference that can not count its members correctly?????

:icon_lol::icon_lol::icon_smile::icon_biggrin:

[surveyor]

Crawford's not the first columnist to suggest UK join the Big Ten, and likely won't be the last.
I recall a few years ago a column suggesting UK join the Big Ten primarily for football recruiting advantages. Among one of the alleged advantages was being the southernmost school in a predominantly cold-climate conference.
The columnist opined that being the northernmost school in the SEC aids in hurting football recruiting.

Hogwash.

UK's historically pathetic football program and focusing significantly more (until recently) resources towards basketball is the reason for mediocre football results.

[TransientAlum]

Big-10 should pick up U of L. Seeing as those schools are all talk and no show in the big games, U of L would fit in nicely.... :eek::icon_mrgreen:

[pjquirk]

It is amazing this type of garbage sells papers. I'll look for the story next week on how UL should join the Pac 10 so they'd be the eastern most school and get all of those recruits who don't want to travel out west. Would greatly improve their ability to recruit compared to their position now so far out west compared to the rest of the Big East.

What? Cincinnati is only about 90 minutes east of Louisville? Oh, well isn't Knoxville only about 90 minutes south of Lexington?????

[LAcat]

I read in a Kentucky basketball book that UK president Oswald wanted to consider a move to the Big Ten back in the late 50's becasue of SEC segregation. UK would have replaced Northwestern. Rupp opposed the move.

[SBCatMan]

OK ... I KNOW this is a moot point because I KNOW we are not going to jump to the Big 10 (11), but, just for the sake of speculation and discussion on a slow Monday night, consider this:

If UK were to join the Big 10 and the Big 10 went to divisional play, here is what would likely happen. The Western Divsion would be Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Northwestern, Illinois and Purdue. That leaves UK in the East with IU, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State. In short, from a football perspective, we are no better off than we are today. Ohio State and Michigan would replace UT & Florida. Penn State and Michigan State would replace UGA and USC. And IU would replace Vandy. And we would still be looking at a very difficult Eastern Division schedule every year, with far less appealing travel destinations.

(Of course, for me, personally, East Lansing, Ann Arbor, Columbus and Bloomington are all closer than Lexington, so I might be the ONLY winner in the whole deal!)

The only advantage would be that the Big 10 West would probably not be as tough as the SEC West year after year, so we might catch a little bit of a break there.

But, as I said, this is all pure fantasy. We are not going anywhere.

[LAcat]

OK ... I KNOW this is a moot point because I KNOW we are not going to jump to the Big 10 (11), but, just for the sake of speculation and discussion on a slow Monday night, consider this:

If UK were to join the Big 10 and the Big 10 went to divisional play, here is what would likely happen. The Western Divsion would be Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Northwestern, Illinois and Purdue. That leaves UK in the East with IU, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State. In short, from a football perspective, we are no better off than we are today. Ohio State and Michigan would replace UT & Florida. Penn State and Michigan State would replace UGA and USC. And IU would replace Vandy. And we would still be looking at a very difficult Eastern Division schedule every year, with far less appealing travel destinations.

(Of course, for me, personally, East Lansing, Ann Arbor, Columbus and Bloomington are all closer than Lexington, so I might be the ONLY winner in the whole deal!)

The only advantage would be that the Big 10 West would probably not be as tough as the SEC West year after year, so we might catch a little bit of a break there.

But, as I said, this is all pure fantasy. We are not going anywhere.

I think you are right.

[gerntz]

OK ... I KNOW this is a moot point because I KNOW we are not going to jump to the Big 10 (11), but, just for the sake of speculation and discussion on a slow Monday night, consider this:

If UK were to join the Big 10 and the Big 10 went to divisional play, here is what would likely happen. The Western Divsion would be Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Northwestern, Illinois and Purdue. That leaves UK in the East with IU, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State. In short, from a football perspective, we are no better off than we are today. Ohio State and Michigan would replace UT & Florida. Penn State and Michigan State would replace UGA and USC. And IU would replace Vandy. And we would still be looking at a very difficult Eastern Division schedule every year, with far less appealing travel destinations.

(Of course, for me, personally, East Lansing, Ann Arbor, Columbus and Bloomington are all closer than Lexington, so I might be the ONLY winner in the whole deal!)

The only advantage would be that the Big 10 West would probably not be as tough as the SEC West year after year, so we might catch a little bit of a break there.

But, as I said, this is all pure fantasy. We are not going anywhere.

Why does your pure fantasy think those would be the divisions? I think it would more likely be NS with South being PSU/OSU/IU/PU/IL/KY.

[gerntz]

Crawford's not the first columnist to suggest UK join the Big Ten, and likely won't be the last.
I recall a few years ago a column suggesting UK join the Big Ten primarily for football recruiting advantages. Among one of the alleged advantages was being the southernmost school in a predominantly cold-climate conference.
The columnist opined that being the northernmost school in the SEC aids in hurting football recruiting.

Hogwash.

UK's historically pathetic football program and focusing significantly more (until recently) resources towards basketball is the reason for mediocre football results.


I think being the coolest, but not cold, school in the very hot climate SEC is a recruiting advantage - to the extent (small IMO) that climate is a factor in a player's choice..

[RV]

Where would you rather travel to and play in October-November.

Gainesville Fla and Athens Georgia

or

Ann Arbor Mich and somewhere in freakin' Minnesota? :shock: :confused:

[AndyPopCat]

Mike DeCourcy

Kentucky. The top two Kentucky markets are only 48th (Louisville) and 63rd (Lexington), but the threat of UK basketball games being unavailable to its unrelenting fan base would force the state's cable systems to add the network on whatever terms the Big Ten wanted.

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=248312

[poodoo]

FWIW, I thought this Eric Crawford column was weak in too many ways to bother discussing. He has certainly done better. :thumbdn: on this one, for sure. GO CATS! GO RICH!