B10 Championships / Realignment

[Boilermaker427]

We know the Boilermakers have the most B10 Regular Season Titles. It's a place to hang our hats as we wait for the elusive National Title or at least a Final Four (since 1980). The odds Purdue adds to that total, went up last night.

Next year, USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington are going to be added to the B10. There are currently 20 conference games. With 18 teams in the league, that allows each team to have a "home and away series" with no more than 3 teams. With the B10 becoming essentially two full conferences next year, how much does that diminish any future B10 Titles for any team? We all know what it's like on the road in the Big Ten and each team will play the vast majority of conference foes only once during the regular season. Schedules will be extremely unbalanced and league titles might simply boil down to which team gets which team on the road vs. home. It might also boil down to who the three teams are that each team plays twice end up being.

If they keep traditional Rivalries as the home and away series, like Purdue/IU, USC/UCLA, MSU/ UMich, etc, there will be teams that potentially benefit or suffer for having to play another top team, or a bottom team twice.

As it stands now, the unbalanced schedule already makes it harder/easier for some teams to win it. Even moreso next year with 18 teams.

What are everyone's thoughts? Will regular season titles still matter that much? Do they matter more because the team that wins will likely have to win the most road games? Will only tournament success matter (B10 or NCAA)? Records about the number of bids per league will be shattered as 6 power conferences become 5. The landscape of the sport is changing. Even football is adding a 12 team playoff. Is the shine going to wither on regular season championships?

 

[Woodsa]

Regular season titles will always matter, to me anyway. But your point is valid as it is different to say "we won the 2026 B10 regular season" knowing you didn't play every team with a home/away. So the schedule will influence the records and as such, diminish the luster of the regular season title.

However, it has been said many times, you play the games on the schedule and win what you play. That is all that is in your control so whilebit may be diminished, it is still something to say "B10 Regular Season" champs. Let's hope Purdue is that this year, and next, and the year after.

 

[BoilerDaddy]

We know the Boilermakers have the most B10 Regular Season Titles. It's a place to hang our hats as we wait for the elusive National Title or at least a Final Four (since 1980). The odds Purdue adds to that total, went up last night.

Next year, USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington are going to be added to the B10. There are currently 20 conference games. With 18 teams in the league, that allows each team to have a "home and away series" with no more than 3 teams. With the B10 becoming essentially two full conferences next year, how much does that diminish any future B10 Titles for any team? We all know what it's like on the road in the Big Ten and each team will play the vast majority of conference foes only once during the regular season. Schedules will be extremely unbalanced and league titles might simply boil down to which team gets which team on the road vs. home. It might also boil down to who the three teams are that each team plays twice end up being.

If they keep traditional Rivalries as the home and away series, like Purdue/IU, USC/UCLA, MSU/ UMich, etc, there will be teams that potentially benefit or suffer for having to play another top team, or a bottom team twice.

As it stands now, the unbalanced schedule already makes it harder/easier for some teams to win it. Even moreso next year with 18 teams.

What are everyone's thoughts? Will regular season titles still matter that much? Do they matter more because the team that wins will likely have to win the most road games? Will only tournament success matter (B10 or NCAA)? Records about the number of bids per league will be shattered as 6 power conferences become 5. The landscape of the sport is changing. Even football is adding a 12 team playoff. Is the shine going to wither on regular season championships?

The way I see it, the schedule is already unbalanced so that ship has already sailed. If anything, winning a conference title with 18 teams is a bigger accomplishment than beating out 13 other teams.

 

[Boiler Buck]

We know the Boilermakers have the most B10 Regular Season Titles. It's a place to hang our hats as we wait for the elusive National Title or at least a Final Four (since 1980). The odds Purdue adds to that total, went up last night.

Next year, USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington are going to be added to the B10. There are currently 20 conference games. With 18 teams in the league, that allows each team to have a "home and away series" with no more than 3 teams. With the B10 becoming essentially two full conferences next year, how much does that diminish any future B10 Titles for any team? We all know what it's like on the road in the Big Ten and each team will play the vast majority of conference foes only once during the regular season. Schedules will be extremely unbalanced and league titles might simply boil down to which team gets which team on the road vs. home. It might also boil down to who the three teams are that each team plays twice end up being.

If they keep traditional Rivalries as the home and away series, like Purdue/IU, USC/UCLA, MSU/ UMich, etc, there will be teams that potentially benefit or suffer for having to play another top team, or a bottom team twice.

As it stands now, the unbalanced schedule already makes it harder/easier for some teams to win it. Even moreso next year with 18 teams.

What are everyone's thoughts? Will regular season titles still matter that much? Do they matter more because the team that wins will likely have to win the most road games? Will only tournament success matter (B10 or NCAA)? Records about the number of bids per league will be shattered as 6 power conferences become 5. The landscape of the sport is changing. Even football is adding a 12 team playoff. Is the shine going to wither on regular season championships?

All I know is Purdue wins fewer B10 championships under the new alignment/teams. Sad.

 

[Boilermaker427]

All I know is Purdue wins fewer B10 championships under the new alignment/teams. Sad.

It's just going to be a bummer that most championships going forward will be much more likely to be determined by the schedule than by anything else. I almost wish the Big10 would do two divisions, but then we'd basically have the PAC-10 and B10 again in all but name only. Not exactly, but feels like it.

On a side note: also still laughing that Cal and Stanford are in the Atlantic Coast Conference next year. It's like the NCAA has entered the upside down.

 

[Purdue Grad in Texas]

It's just going to be a bummer that most championships going forward will be much more likely to be determined by the schedule than by anything else. I almost wish the Big10 would do two divisions, but then we'd basically have the PAC-10 and B10 again in all but name only. Not exactly, but feels like it.

On a side note: also still laughing that Cal and Stanford are in the Atlantic Coast Conference next year. It's like the NCAA has entered the upside down.

That's the second part of the trilogy after when the Big 10 had 12, and the Big XII had 10.....haha. The conclusion to come - the Big 64! after some additional prequel antics.

 

[RDUBoiler]

All I know is Purdue wins fewer B10 championships under the new alignment/teams. Sad.

I dunno. We're pretty good. Maybe we keep winning them?

 

[DwaynePurvis00]

Just only play B1G teams the whole year. No non conf or cupckaes. Just go straight into the mugging season play in the B1G. Problem solved… e z p z

 

[Purdue Grad in Texas]

Just only play B1G teams the whole year. No non conf or cupckaes. Just go straight into the mugging season play in the B1G. Problem solved… e z p z

Updated conference trophy......

 

[Do Dah Day]

I think this is what the NET is supposed to handle??????