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Message: [QUOTE="BlazeOrange, post: 316299, member: 683"] Here's the logic: A while back, the first conference went to 12 teams and had a championship game, made extra money,... Other conferences saw that and (some more eventually than others) decided they wanted that deal too and added teams. Now, we've seen the first conference go to 14 teams (I exclude the MAC from this - I know they were the first to go >12 awhile back, but who cares), which was shortly followed by the next conference doing it and a failed attempt at one to get up to 16 . In response, the rest of the conferences would have to do their due diligence and consider what they would do if 14 or 16 became the new "thing". Especially whether they would be a Feeder Conference (BE, MW, CUSA) or an Eater Conference (Big 5) and, if the latter, what schools they could feasibly add. If a potential addition stands out from the pack, it would make sense to lock them up ahead of the curve because the options get pretty ugly at the end of the line. Here's where the logic fails: a) 14 or 16 team conferences has not become the new "thing" b) None of the schools currently available (except ND, who is not really available) have shown themselves to be enough of a difference maker to worry anyone that they would miss out if they got scooped up. c) ND is such a difference maker that nothing will happen until they join a conference (if they ever do). Conferences that hope to snag the Irish would leave as many openings as possible to allow whoever ND wants as a partner to join with them. The result is an impasse until something big happens, which could pretty much only be ND giving up their FB independence (the likelhood of which has been talked to death) or the ACC-B12 Death Match actually happening to create a Big 4. But the latter would free up a bunch more schools that are better choices for multiple surviving conferences, so there's another reason not to jump the gun now. [/QUOTE]

Verification: What is a Syracuse fan's favorite color?