Shanoff's WUC: Big Ten's 12th Should Be Navy

NAVY? Ummmm, NOPE, back to the drawing board Shanoff.

Likely contenders:

Mizzou, Cincy, Pitt, Louisville, Iowa State or Notre Dame (although ND should stay independent in Football).

Hmmm…. Is Navy to the Big Ten the stupidest thing to come out of SportingNews.com this year?  That’s a tough one, considering the talent, but I think…Yes, worst idea of the year.

Not only should Navy not be the 12th team, they should take team #11 out when they leave.

I like one of two scenarios for Navy:

a) They play as an independent team, taking on only teams who are close enough to the coast for the team to travel to road games by Battleship. I mean, they’re supposed to be in the Navy, not the air force. Army should have to march to their games. Likewise, Air Force should have throw on every down. 

Marines, to my knowledge, don’t play football. If I’m wrong, they get to tag along to games with the Navy, playing teams in the same city as wherever Navy docks.

If I’m right.. why don’t the Marines have a college and a football team??? They’ve earned it, no?

b) The world invents a new sport, preferably a terribly violent one. All of our armed forces play it in their colleges, and they play against the Army/Navy/Air Force teams from other countries.

I love the idea.  I think Navy would make an excellent addition for all the reasons listed above.  I was going over a list of teams in my head last night and I neer considered Navy.  I think it would be good for the conference and for the Naval Academy.

JOE HORN’S LAWN SERVICE (PARAGOULD, AR)

JACOB HORN ASSOCIATED CONTENT

Quit writing just to hear yourself think.  You know this is a crap idea on many levels.  Nothing against Navy, I would love to be a fly on the wall when their scholars hook up with the leftist scholars in the Big10.  Navy would put those dbags in their place.  A service academy does not fit the model on any level whatsoever.

"Nearly beat Ohio State this year" isn’t an actual reason for anything. And neither is "can keep traditional games…" because they can keep those without joining the Big 10. And there’s no mention of any other sports than football, which would come into play.

Navy to the Big Ten.

Pros.  Instant and much needed credibility for the conference.  You get a competitive football team that the Big Ten is desperate for, and could every once in a while throw a scare into the big boys (Ohio State, and Penn State).  Academics are some of the best in the country.  Navy has a big fan following and could travel well.  Lastly, they rise to most challenges when they face highly ranked teams and NEVER fold.  Nowhere near a controversial program so you wouldn’t have to worry about recruiting issues.

Cons.  Geography.  Their stadium is too small, reducing revenue for the other teams who come to play there.  Could the City of Annapolis handle the influx of rabid Big Ten fans who arrive to watch their team play?  Other sports – Navy would get killed in Basketball.

When you weigh the options, what might just be best for the Big Ten would be to take Cincinnati and have Navy enter the Big East.

I’m in disagreement with Sexy Pete.  I think Navy would be a great addition football-wise.  However, while they have impeccable undergraduate education, they have nothing at the graduate or research level.  The Big Ten prides itself more on its land-grant history, and its dedication to research (research that needs scientists as its faculty, PhDs, PhD-candidates, etc.).

Navy is a poor fit academically, not because of its fantastic undergrad student body, but because of its lack of a graduate-level reputation.

Couple that with the fact that the Big East is already signing Navy and Army games to count as in-conference W’s and L’s for the Big East championship, it’s not likely ever going to happen.

Navy?  Let’s get serious. 

Nothing against Navy, but with the exception of the current decade, they haven’t been remotely competitive.  They don’t recruit on the same plane as the other Big 10 schools, either.  Navy’s statidum (as mentioned above) isn’t exactly made for Big 10 crowds, either.  Moreover, having to play against a Big 10 slate on top of the Service Academy games and Notre Dame would mean that Navy took on one of the toughest schedules every year.  The only way Navy makes sense is from a geographic/market perspective. 

There’s really only two candidates that make a whole lot of sense:

Notre Dame
Pittsburgh

Notre Dame wouldn’t accept since they receive rather large advantages from being an independent.  Pitt is already in a major conference (the Big East), but they might accept.  It would make sense to throw Pitt and Penn State in the same league. 

With the exception of Pitt, the candidates become weaker:

Rutgers
West Virginia
Syracuse
Cincinnatti
Boston College
Iowa State
Louisville
Memphis
Temple
Miami (OH)

Of that group, Rutgers and Cincinnatti might be the most viable.  The downside with Rutgers is that they have no real natural connection to any team in the league, but the Big 10 might like to expand its boundaries into Jersey.  Cincinnatti would, at least, seem to have a potential rival in Ohio State.

WVU moving to the Big 10 doesn’t necessarily make sense for them.  Their natural rivals are teams like Pitt, Marshall, and Virginia Tech.  None of which are in the Big 10.

Syracuse is another one that might make sense from a geographic perspective, while expanding the Big 10’s market reach.  But they’ve been fairly dismal at football lately and that would only solidify perception that the Big 10 was a weak football conference.

Boston College would make some sense, but it seems unlikely that they would jump ship twice in less than 10 years.  Plus, maybe they like the ACC better than the Big 10.

Iowa State is in the Big 12, which has been better than the Big 10 for quite awhile.  Moreover, they are not considered a strong football school.

Louisville makes some sense on the face of it, but once again, they seem to have no natural rivalries.  Is the Big 10 really better than the Big East for them?  Maybe.  Louisville would allow the Big 10 to slightly enhance its geographic reach, so I wouldn’t waive them out.

Temple makes sense on a geographic level, as well, and their football team suddenly looks good again.  Moreover, they’d probably jump at the chance to join the Big 10 after getting expelled from the Big East.  But does a few good years negate several decades of futility?  And will Al Golden jump to another school when a better opportunity presents itself?

Miami (OH) has had some good football teams in the past, but they’ve been remarkably inconsistent over the long haul.  They’d make geographic sense and could have a rivalry with Ohio State.  Moreover, they’d bring more prestige to the Big 10, given that it is generally considered to be one of the nation’s more excellent schools.  But I just don’t know that I see the Big 10 inviting Miami University.

Memphis is an intriguing possibility.  From one perspective, it doesn’t make any sense given that Memphis is in the South and not exactly right next door to any of the Big 10 schools.  On the other hand, we’ve seen wackier conference structures with BC being in the ACC and USF (and formerly Miami) being in the Big East.  So maybe Memphis allows the Big 10 to expand its reach.  Moreover, Memphis would jump at the opportunity to join a major league after they were left out of the slate of schools that moved from Conf USA over to the Big East (they were arguably a better candidate than some of the other schools). 

It will be interesting to see if the Big 10 does do this.  I wonder will they finally change their name, though.

Ah, Midwestern provincialism…. as opposed to what?  East Coast arrogance?  I’ll take being a midwestern any day.  At least we know how to work and treat people with respect.  And, the Navy idea is borderline retar.ded.  I agree with the comment that said you should stop writing just to hear yourself think!  Stupid!

Shanoff has just passed Hayes in this years race for biggest- boob-with-a-keyboard

Navy to the Big Ten is possibly the dumbest thing I have read on SN; the reasons given are even dumber. The best choices are Pitt and Cincy, but even Memphis is preferable to Navy.

In an era when TV revenues are everything, Navy has no chance to get into the Big Ten because they won’t generate any.

I will give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he was drinking when he wrote this.

It’s not a bad idea, for football, but not for all sports. I like Army and Navy in The Big East. I think of all teams, WVU would be a great fit.

Navy join the Big 10? Great Idea! The USNA would bring prestige, tradition and yes, a competitive athletic program to the table. They also have a national following.
 I wonder if they could enlarge thier stadium? I don’t know why nobody ever thought about Navy sooner. 
                                      
                                               Larry

Stupidest thing I have seen written on this sight in quite sometime.