I'm trying to think of a good Saints build scenario and, looking at an older page about QBs, an idea came to me (mostly spitballing):
WI the Saints traded Guy Benjamin for Steve DeBerg and the Niners later traded Benjamin to the Broncos for that 4th rounder?
I'm more of a college fan and I've brought this up before, but what if Notre Dame had become the 12th member of the Big Ten in 99? I don't know what dominoes would fall but for sure the Pac 10 would want to expand sooner or later but Utah wouldn't get good until 2005, so I don't know who they would get to join with Colorado. Also, if Colorado leaves teh Big 12 who do they get to replace them? I used to think BYU as the Big 12 already has Baylor as a religious school but that might be too much to work around as BYU doesn't play on sundays (though Baylor does in spite of being a large Baptist school.)
From what I understand, Notre Dame would have been a full Big Ten member but the issue was over their NBC contract. They must not have found a way to resolve that or a compromise of sorts.Is that for basketball, or both sports (they need that NBC contract for football, from what I understand)?
From what I understand, Notre Dame would have been a full Big Ten member but the issue was over their NBC contract. They must not have found a way to resolve that or a compromise of sorts.
Yeah, probably. Another poster on this thread (about 10 years ago) said that ND NEEDS that contract. BTW, here is an article discussing this scenario:
What if Notre Dame Joined the Big Ten in 1999?
By Steven Lassan (@AthlonSteven on Twitter) With conference realignment back in the news, college football fans are looking for someone to blame for all ofathlonsports.com
Highlights: The author believes that BYU would have joined the Big 12, and Texas A&M doesn't join the SEC.
Now, I want to explore another college conference scenario that was broached on the CSN-BBS forum:
Could the Eastern 8 have become a power football conference?
CSNbbs: The #1 Board for College Sports on the internet.csnbbs.com
The Eastern Athletic Association was formed in 1976 as a hoops-only conference with these members:
Duquesne
Geo. Washington
Massachusetts
Penn State
Pitt
Rutgers
Villanova
WVU
What if they tried to add football a year later? As the author said, half the teams (Pitt, Pedo U, Rutgers, and WVU) were already 1-A football independents, and they could have added others like BC, Syracuse, and Temple.
- in 1971 South Carolina went independent, Clemson was supposed to go with them but backed out at the last minute. The league held on at 7 until the end of the decade before picking up Georgia tech in a move that at the time was like taking in a homeless person as Tech was in shambles at that time. But the early 70s was much dufferent, tech was still ok in football and would not have been a option. And the pickings were thin in the region, Va Tech was at best a middling SoCon team whos biggest rival back then was still VMI. ECU was making their first moves to be a athletic force and practically begged to be let in which was meet with a resounding no that pirate fans of that era are still butt hurt by, but they were not ready then, for that matter tgey would not be ready now . The ACC though would have needed new teams if both SC and Clemson bailed. COULD they have gone after Pitt and Penn State? Would a much weaker FSU had been a option? Could this had led to the ACC as it was then scattering to the wind?
That'd be interesting but strange to see the ACC die. You might end up with some sort of East Coast conference but if all the ACC schools hate each other who knows where they go. I could see Virginia and Maryland going northeast and maybe being part of a league with Penn State, Pitt, West Virginia, and Syracuse. Maybe throw in Boston College and Virginia Tech or Louisville and Cincinnati if they plan to take Football seriously, though Louisville wouldn't do so until Howard Schnellenberger came there for a brief time.I just found some info on this situation: https://www.secrant.com/rant/sec-football/south-carolina-and-the-acc--why-the-divorce/79325110/
On page 2 of this thread, a poster named Tallujah The Tiger had this to say:
Quote" there was never any pact between Clemson & USC to leave the ACC together. USC was intent on leaving all along, while Clemson would consider leaving only as a last resort. Clemson's leadership decided instead to pursue the matter of the 800 rule in federal court, & it was in 1972 found to be unconstitutional as a violation of the 14th amendment & subsequently was rescinded by the ACC. In 1973 the NCAA imposed nation-wide scholarship limits, thus eliminating that other competitive disadvantage in football.
USC went sulking out of the ACC with both middle fingers in the air, & the ACC basically said back to them "don't let the door hit your arse on the way out". But it wasn't long before USC came to regret its decision. Because of its fan support, USC was able to survive financially as an independent in football & was even able to schedule home-&-homes with big-time opponents (Southern Cal, Michigan, Notre Dame, Miami, Nebraska), but it was only able escape its historical mediocrity for a few brief flashes - the George Rogers era of '79 & '80, the Black Magic season in '84, & the Todd Ellis-led teams in '87 & '88. But if the effect on the football program was kind of a wash, leaving the ACC absolutely, undeniably killed USC basketball. Their program was among the nation's elite in 1970-71 & remained competitive as an independent for a few years after. But outside the ACC it turned out to be much harder to recruit elite talent to USC, & by 1976 USC basketball had fallen into mediocrity from which it never really recovered, & in 1980 Frank McGuire was pushed into retirement. Meanwhile, beginning in the late 70s Clemson enjoyed a period of sustained football success that lasted until the early 90s, including the 1981 national championship, & has mostly had a strong upper hand vs USC in football ever since. Clemson even leads the series in basketball since USC left the ACC. "Quote
If the judge ruled in favor of the NC schools, though, and found the 800 rule consitutional, Clemson may have been more likely to leave the NC-dominated ACC. If they do, you probably see Virginia and Maryland leave as well in the next few years. With just four schools left, and the conference having a bad rep as a NC-controlled conference, I wonder if the ACC would have been dead by the dawn of the 80's.
As for Pitt and Penn St, I can see them doing something with Maryland. However, Virginia wasn't good at anything in the 70's, and Virginia Tech was irrelevant (they tried to get into the ACC in the late-70's, and the conference turned them down just to get them out of the way before they added the Rambling Wreck. They were OK at hoops, but I don't think they hit the football big time until 1999 and Michael Vick).
Speaking of VT, they talk about their failure to get into the ACC in the late 70's at this link: http://archive.techsideline.com/tslpass/2004/article243.htm
That'd be interesting but strange to see the ACC die. You might end up with some sort of East Coast conference but if all the ACC schools hate each other who knows where they go. I could see Virginia and Maryland going northeast and maybe being part of a league with Penn State, Pitt, West Virginia, and Syracuse. Maybe throw in Boston College and Virginia Tech or Louisville and Cincinnati if they plan to take Football seriously, though Louisville wouldn't do so until Howard Schnellenberger came there for a brief time.
as for the Carolina schools, they'd by hard pressed to find partners to play with. The SEC might be willing to pay ball, and it might give their academics a boost, but a 14 or 16 team SEC wouldn't be feasible in the 80's, though maybe if they did pods it could work. I know the SEC only played 6 game schedules well into the 80's based on my wikipedia searches. Maybe a 16 team league that's just a loose association might work but again the beefs between Tobacco Road and South Carolina might keep that from happening.
My last scenario if the ACC folds might be this? What if a kind of Magnolia League is formed? Have Duke, and Wake Forest join with other Southern private schools like Tulane, SMU,TCU, Rice, Baylor, and Vanderbilt. Maybe even get North Carolina and Georgia Tech to join and you'd have a good academic league. This might have some repercussions on the SEC and especially the Southwest Conference. I could see a 5 team SWC (Texas, A&M, Tech, Arkansas, Houston) trying to create a Big 12 in the 80's or more likely, just adding Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and trying to poach LSU.
Lots of interesting repercussions.
Another possibility could be the North Carolina schools simply joining the Metro Conference, which would create a ten- school league for football, eleven in basketball until the St. Louis Billikens leave for the Horizon League in 1982.
The four non-North Carolina schools leaving the ACC around 1973 would be a good timeline.
Agree. Or maybe somehow having Penn State joining the Big East. They were one vote away if I remember the ESPN documentary on the Big EastYes, also with the E8/A10 coalescing into a power football conference around Penn State.
Agree. Or maybe somehow having Penn State joining the Big East. They were one vote away if I remember the ESPN documentary on the Big East
That'd be interesting. Maybe Rutgers becomes an actual athletic power instead of a kind of mediocre state university. Their basketball might get really good and even football might benefit. Honestly I need to make some TL's with some of these departures.I think that Rutgers almost joined the Big East in 1979. If they join instead of Seton Hall, maybe PSU gets voted in.
That'd be interesting. Maybe Rutgers becomes an actual athletic power instead of a kind of mediocre state university. Their basketball might get really good and even football might benefit. Honestly I need to make some TL's with some of these departures.
Fun fact: Notre Dame is an associate member of the Big Ten in men’s ice hockey!From what I understand, Notre Dame would have been a full Big Ten member but the issue was over their NBC contract. They must not have found a way to resolve that or a compromise of sorts.