Contendah Number Three: 'staaaaaaaaaache
by Sam @ WWAHT on May 13, 2009 11:45 AM EDT
7 comments
Pitt is yet another Big East team that garners frequent mention whenever talk of Big Ten expansion rears its purty little head. They aren't exactly the sexy pick (read: Notre Dame), but since the late 90's they've consistently been one of the better Big Six teams that actually in the geographic region the Big Ten encompasses. Former Ohio State quarterbacks coach Walt Harris lead to them to five straight bowl games between 2000 and 2004 before moving on to utter failure at Stanford. His successor, Dave Wannstedt, has proven a formidable recruiter (WHO WANTS A MUSTACHE RIDE?) and finally took Pitt to a bowl game this season. On the basketball side of things, Pitt is a perennial Big East powerhouse under Jamie Dixon and has made the NCAA tournament eight straight seasons. If the Big Ten gets Pitt to join up, it's basically asking for a second Michigan State.
Benefits for the conference
- With 27,500 students and academics roughly on par with Ohio State's, Pitt is a natural fit for the Big Ten.
- Pitt has made the Sweet Sixteen five times this decade. Add them into a conference with Michigan State, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Indiana team that will almost certainly be better, and... well, it would have about the same effect adding Louisville would have.
- Wannstache
Drawbacks for the conference
- In a strictly economic sense, adding Pitt doesn't accomplish what many want to accomplish with a hypothetical expansion. It does not significantly expand "Big Ten country", it does not open new markets of any real significance, and well, Pitt fans just aren't crazy about football:
- On top of that, Pitt isn't a particularly big football name to add to the conference, and since most of the discussion is centered around the conference's lackluster performances on the gridiron lately, I'd say that's an issue. Pitt isn't a team that will get fans - or the country at large - particularly excited about Big Ten football.
- Wannstache
Could it happen?
Actually, yes, it could, for three reasons: It's not a massive leap for the conference, like taking in Notre Dame would be. Also, Pitt's AD may see it as an opportunity to get a few different fanbases that travel well to actually, ya know, show up to the football games. Even if it's not their own, it's an improvement over... whatever the hell they call that above. I'm sure they're that desperate by now. Finally, Pitt basketball might be a sufficiently big enough name to get basketball fans in the conference excited. I would say Pitt is far likelier than any of the candidates I've gone over so far.
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It seems to me that the addition of a twelfth team (besides Notre Dame) would inevitably cause a big shakeup in at least one other conference. For example, the addition of Pitt or Louisville might be enough to blow up the Big East, and the addition of a team like Mizzou or Iowa State would rob the Big XII of its championship game. Thoughts?
by kevin09 on May 13, 2009 4:39 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
For simplicity's sake, I'm assuming
that these moves are occurring in a bubble and that because of said bubble, nothing cataclysmic will happen as a result of a move.
Typically, when a conference gets detonated, it just adds more members for another “lesser” conference. The Big East did this recently, taking Louisville, Cincy and USF away from C-USA following the departures of Miami, Boston College and Virginia Tech for the ACC. Nothing would stop them from doing it again, I suppose. But even in this scenario, the “lesser” conference gets boned (again).
www.wewillalwayshavetempe.com
by Sam @ WWAHT on May 13, 2009 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nah
Utah or TCU would quickly be snapped up to bring the Big 12 back to 12 (Utah is more geographically logical as they’d be in the Big 12 North and a true natural rival for Colorado, better at football, better at basketball, and draws more fans… but if Texas politics gets involved, it’ll be TCU).
Snatching a Big East team, though, might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back on a split (with the teams that play Big East football leaving to form a new conference), and the obvious replacement prospects aren’t nearly as good (it’s pretty much Memphis, ECU, and UCF).
by drothgery on May 21, 2009 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m just happy you used the legendary (at BSD, anyway) yellow-out picture.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PRIDE, DANNY?
by ReadingRambler on May 14, 2009 11:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Pitt
The longer they are in the Big East the less chance I see them leaving. The bball team is on the rise and it’s quickly becoming the number 1 sport at Pitt. Plus they don’t add too much money wise. Unless Joe finds naked pictures of Delaney I don’t see this happening.
Kath?
by psuphiman80 on May 16, 2009 2:12 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Looking at Delaney and hearing him speak
One just knows the dude bangs goats on occasion. It’s plain as day.
www.wewillalwayshavetempe.com
by Sam @ WWAHT on May 18, 2009 7:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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