Conference realignment "Rumors" "tweets" "etc"

[Dogma]

55 minutes ago, Ned A Starr said:

Hey Jude,

Don't make it bad.  Take a sad situation and make it better.

Take Mark into your office and make him work harder.

Then, you can start to make it better.

Remember it was your fault the Big East collapsed.

Hey Jude, only you and Mark can make it better.

 

 

 

 

 

[JTrue]

1 hour ago, Triple B said:

Tweaked it just a little because if you have no financial stake right now, you shouldn't have a voice ..... Plus, although you intimated it fairly well, more bluntness about his job being on the line could be a motivator.

Financial stake be damned. The man doesn't even know the Big 12 would be good for us!

[Bull Matrix]

11 hours ago, Ned A Starr said:

Hey Jude,

Don't make it bad.  Take a sad situation and make it better.

Take Mark into your office and make him work harder.

Then, you can start to make it better.

Remember it was your fault the Big East collapsed.

Hey Jude, only you and Mark can make it better.

 

 

 

Beatles song?? Nice !!

[Atlanta Bull]

Rudd, in radio interview, predicts Power 5 realignment will go beyond Big 12 expansion

 

If the Big 12 conference expands by two schools as early as this summer the move won't necessarily signal an end to programs joining power conferences, according to University of Memphis president Dr. M. David Rudd.

Rudd, appearing Thursday on WHBQ-AM 560's Middays with Eli Savoie and Greg Gaston, said he expects the number of schools in power conferences ultimately could grow to 80 from the current 65 in the five Power Five leagues (plus Notre Dame). The Big 12 is considering adding two programs to increase its chances of appearing in the four-team College Football Playoff by as much as 15 percent.

Memphis is one of several schools being mentioned as an expansion candidate. Cincinnati, BYU, Central Florida, South Florida, Houston and Boise State also have been listed. "With respect to the Big 12, I'm not convinced there won't be additional realignment down the road," Rudd said. "It certainly is encouraging to hear of the opportunities that are emerging right now, but I don't think it stops there.

"I don't think it goes from 65 to 67 major universities. I'm one of those presidents that is convinced this probably, at the end of the day, will shake out at about 80 universities as part of the universities that are in power conferences."

Earlier this week, the university released a 42-page promotional publication "Memphis -- Soul of a City" that highlights the city's and university's attributes. The publication, which displays the U of M's accomplishments athletically and academically, has been sent to presidents and chancellors around the country. "We were trying to find an effective way to tell our story, an effective way to put information and data together," Rudd said. "We've got a lot of things we share about this university on a regular basis."

He said the U of M launched a "national visibility campaign" about 18 months ago.

When asked about campaigning for an invitation to a Power Five conference -- while a member of a Group of Five league, the American Athletic Conference -- Rudd said he and AAC commissioner Mike Aresco are "very close . . . I'm on the executive committee for the (AAC)."

"Let there be no confusion," Rudd said. "We are committed to competing at the highest level in terms of college athletics and competing at the highest level academically. At the end of the day this comes down to how do we sustain and support those initiatives."

At issue is the difference in shared conference revenue. Power Five programs generally share nearly 10 times more per year than Group of Five schools.

"I think you know the differentials in funding," Rudd said. "I think you know (the) gap grows each and every year. We have fought very hard in the American . . . to grow revenue."

Memphis received less than $3 million from shared conference revenue last year. Most Big 12 schools -- the eight receiving full shares -- received checks in excess of $25 million.

"There is a remarkable separation and that gap will only widen with each successive year," Rudd said. "Go back a few months to our defeat of Ole Miss at the Liberty Bowl. What a great game and a great day and how remarkable is that for many reasons.

"One of those is the payout in the SEC last year. You’re looking at a university receiving a payout of $28 million-plus a year. You’re looking at the University of Memphis with a payout of under $2.9 million. And yet we not only competed at that level, we were successful at that level. I think that says a lot about what we can do at the university and the opportunity that we have."

The Tiger football program has rebounded the past two seasons, going 19-7 and appearing in back-to-back bowl games. Its sustained success is a necessity.

"Football drives the bus," Rudd said. "That’s the reality. All you have to do is look at the Forbes rankings of football revenue in the top 50-70 programs in the country. Football is critical to that. If we are not competitive in football we are going to have a hard time competing at the highest level in any sport."

http://www.commercialappeal.com/sports/tigers/Rudd-in-radio-interview-predicts-Power-5-realignment-will-go-beyond-Big-12-expansion-378324281.html

 

 

 

[WoolyBully]

This has got to be one of the best projects ever...no deadlines, no deliverables...just the relentless hamster-wheel of open-ended conjecture and speculation. 

 

[MMW]

41 minutes ago, Atlanta Bull said:

Rudd, in radio interview, predicts Power 5 realignment will go beyond Big 12 expansion

Rudd said he expects the number of schools in power conferences ultimately could grow to 80 from the current 65 in the five Power Five leagues (plus Notre Dame). The Big 12 is considering adding two programs to increase its chances of appearing in the four-team College Football Playoff by as much as 15 percent.

Memphis is one of several schools being mentioned as an expansion candidate. Cincinnati, BYU, Central Florida, South Florida, Houston and Boise State also have been listed. "With respect to the Big 12, I'm not convinced there won't be additional realignment down the road," Rudd said. "It certainly is encouraging to hear of the opportunities that are emerging right now, but I don't think it stops there.

"I don't think it goes from 65 to 67 major universities. I'm one of those presidents that is convinced this probably, at the end of the day, will shake out at about 80 universities as part of the universities that are in power conferences."

 

 

 

 

I get the sense from this that he knows he is not in the top 2.  He is putting a positive spin on things which I can understand.

Also, just my opinion, schools that are putting on a public full court press are more than likely doing so because they are trying to get traction. 

Maybe start some rumors that you are on the top of the list and hope for some positive momentum.  

I don't know how things will shake out but I do know the school is doing all it can.

 

Edited May 6, 2016 by mark_my_words

[GaUSFBull]

Quote

"Football drives the bus," Rudd said. "That’s the reality. All you have to do is look at the Forbes rankings of football revenue in the top 50-70 programs in the country. Football is critical to that. If we are not competitive in football we are going to have a hard time competing at the highest level in any sport."

We are a stone-cold LOCK for getting called up to the bigs.  

[NAM37]

12 minutes ago, GaUSFBull said:

"Football drives the bus,"

We are a stone-cold LOCK for getting called up to the bigs.  

[Rocky Style]

43 minutes ago, NAM37 said:

It makes sense. Football drives the bus and Coach T drives this bus with the dishonored Marty St. Louis.

[bullsbucsfan426]

2 hours ago, GaUSFBull said:

We are a stone-cold LOCK for getting called up to the bigs.  

Isn't your success rate on stone cold lock 0.0%?