225 Comments

Knowlton has two years to come up with a solution. Why take bold, timely, and aggressive action to preserve the Cal legacy when you can dawdle and spend time working on Mark Fox' extension.

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Just some rando on Reddit so take it with a grain of salt, but:

“If I were Big10 Commissioner, I would be thinking about 3 potential sets of moves:

1. ⁠If the PAC12 looks like it might fall apart, try to lure away Stanford, Berkeley and Washington. Those are all AAU schools with fantastic academics. This both: (a) effectively creates a "west" division, and (b) brings the Big10 academics to the level of the ACC - which leads to 2. Also adds San Fran and Seattle television market.”

https://www.reddit.com/r/sports/comments/voe3l7/usc_and_ucla_set_to_join_big_ten/iedrlsr/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3

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The answer remains, as always, F-CK L.A.

;-)

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Jul 1, 2022·edited Jul 1, 2022

Create a real amateur conference just for "real" academic universities., minimum 3.2 GPA, no nil, cap on coach salaries, $10 game tickets and $2 beers.... Cal, 'furd, service academies, ivy schools.

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You must be either really old and reminiscing like me or smoking something good 👍. Either way, I like the thought! Especially the part about the $2 beers 🍺! 😁

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The PAC originated in 1915 with Cal, Washington, Oregon, and Oregon State. Cardinal and WSU joined by 1918. SC arrived in 1922 and UCLA in 1928. The rivalries and traditions and memories that were forged over a century have been casually dissolved with cynical disinterest.

This is a tremendously sad day.

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sadness is my dominant emotion regarding all of this, thank you for putting it in a much more eloquent statement

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I thought it was ridiculous when Texas and OK announced their move. I really think that this is even more ridiculous, short sighted and a mistake. Yeah money is important, but it can’t and shouldn’t dictate what you do in life. Another girding that’s helped stabilize society is falling. Even pro leagues have regional groupings of their teams for god’s sake!

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"Another girding that’s helped stabilize society is falling."

Exactly.

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Maybe I'm the only one one, but isn't this insane? Kinda ruins what made sports enjoyable for Cal fans.

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Jul 1, 2022·edited Jul 1, 2022

Conference realignment is all fun in games until you’re on the outside looking in.

First they came for the Big East and I said nothing…then they came for the Big 12 and I said nothing…

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UW and Oregon have officially applied to join the Big10.

Let’s check in with Berkeley…

Tumbleweeds and crickets.

MWC here we come!!

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gonna LOL when Oregon is rejected

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Oregon will bring Nike money to seal a Big-10 deal

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Cal and Stanford should join to create a 20 team Big 10 Conference.

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Best observation about this that I saw earlier was that uclol and u$c had to do this in order to have the revenue to pay off their schools' respective pervy doctor scandals...

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jfc can this get any more depressing

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Part of me thinks this announcement was just so these teams could get some recruits to sign early or flip to them.. What a fucking mess.

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What?!?! This makes no sense.

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What do you mean. UCLA's recruiting is not going great. By saying they are moving to the Big Ten they might get some kids who think its a good thing. A lot of southern kids look down on the PAC 12.

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I see what you mean, I still think it is all about the money but I’m sure recruiting could benefit.

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When should I start panicking?

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That was about 6 hours ago.

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A live look at Cal, Stanford, Washington, Oregon, Oregon State, Wazzu, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-7pVks8avo

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Looks like it's official now.

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Yep, it is done.

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author

If the P12 collapses, I think Big10 may look at Cal/Stanford due to AAU affiliations. It's a big deal to Big10 inclusion. All P12 schools except ASU/WSU/OSU are AAU members.

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I believe that horse has left the barn. AAU affiliations? Lol.

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The reason why I don't think this is over:

UCLA needs the UC Regents' approval to move. They're not going to give their approval without bringing Cal. The UC Regents are not going to have their flagship school hanging in the wind.

And Cal won't go ANYWHERE without Stanford, so Stanford goes to the Big Ten too. Plus, the Big 10 will want two academic jewels in its crown. Oregon and Washington will complete the package.

The rest will be divided by the Big 12 (Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, Colorado), and MWC (Oregon State, Wazzu)

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Utah would be included in the invite for sure. How can you leave out the PAC12 champ?

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I’ll just note that the UC regents never voted on UCSD moving to the Big West around five years ago. Do you have any intel that this is different, or are you just speculating?

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I feel like people said the same thing about OU/OSU but OU still left for the SEC.

The fear for the Regents could be that ucla also gets left out and then you have your two premier schools left out.

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The difference between OU/OSU...the Big Ten presidents would love to get the money AND have two top academic schools in their conference in order to continue the hypocrisy that they care about academics. Plus, the UC Regents, and the politicians, can't have Cal just hanging out there. OSU was the Oregon State in the Oregon equation, not where we are, as the flagship.

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I hope you’re right but I feel like the Big10 and ucla wouldn’t have agreed to this if they hadn’t already done their homework and knew this deal would be done. Otherwise I think the announcement today would have been USC, UCLA, Stanford and Cal all going to the Big10.

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I can't see the Regents giving two thoughts about this

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Not sure if a campus needs the regents' approval for something like this. But regardless, how would you feel about Cal joining the Big10? Like others have said, it's really sad to think about the radical change from the past that that would present. But if we are left in a new PAC with smaller numbers or new schools, what would that do to our revenues (gate and TV), recruiting, competitiveness, etc.? Not just football, but BB and all sports! If I were Cal bear 49, I might suggest that someone write up some quick analyses of all of these scenarios...by Friday (tomorrow). :)

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He already did! lol

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Now I see it! LOL!!! Some people are just predictable...

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I actually don't mind going to Big 10. It's better than being left in the sad Pac. I want to see Cal play Michigan Wisconsin.

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Cal visiting here in Madison would be a dream

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If UCLA fails to go, then Big10 will just take USC and Stanford. Stanford won't care if Cal comes with them or not.

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The recent history of Cal football has felt like a controlled demolition.

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Knowlton is scrutinizing the dessert card at Chez Panisse as we speak. Not sure he's even heard about any of this yet. Not that it would matter.

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He's got bigger fish--like working out an extension for Mark Fox.

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