[Sly Fox]

The Big Ten overtures have been the source of a great deal of chuckles down here in Texas. Good luck with that attempt.

I thought it was interesting that Collin Cowherd was saying today on his show that Texas is the biggest & most valuable brand in college sports. That's why the Big Ten & Pac-10 are chasing them. I would think the latter might be a more likely suitor.

[Sly Fox]

Just try and refute it. The list of viable other viable candidates is tough to assemble.

[ALUmnus]

Let's face it, that list would change every several years. It just depends on who's winning at the time. Texas and USC were afterthoughts in the 90's.
Stamford has been down in the two bigs (football/basketball), but overall dominates the NCAAs in championships and competitiveness.

[Sly Fox]

We are talking brands. Florida would be only other contender IMHO.

[ALUmnus]

Well then what are your ingredients that makeup the brand? I would think recognition and reputation would be at the top of the list.

[Sly Fox]

Absolutely along with market penetration and longevity. Success on the field/court weighs into the equation strongly as well. But even if you have success in the field, it doesn't always translate to the brand. And sometimes your reputation goes beyond the field to the school's persona such as at Stanford, Miami (FL) and Hawaii.

[Libertine]

Absolutely along with market penetration and longevity.

If that's the criteria, then UNC jumps to #1 instantly.

[bigsmooth]

for goodness sake sly..your bias in sickening. im no UNC fan, but their brand is clearly the most recognizable. sure texas is up there, and maybe even 2nd, but its UNC everywhere you look in all parts fo the country.

[Sly Fox]

Someday some of you guys will realize there is a world west of you that is so far beyond your ACC minds. I guess I may not be the only one biased on here.

Yeah, that UNC brand is really strong in the biggest sport in the college landscape.

[LUconn]

For many years UNC was the top selling school apparel-wise. I don't know if that's still the case. I think it's really mostly Jordan-based, along with the fact that light blue is somewhat trendy. But jersey sales don't tell the whole story of a brand. Especially since they suck at football.

[Sly Fox]

Check this out.

The Tarheels gear isn't exactly a big seller these days west of the Appalachians.

[JK37]

If we're considering longevity and such - and I hate saying this - but wouldn't Notre Dame again rise to near the top of the list, if not the top?

Texas, USC, Florida, Ohio State, UNC, maybe Michigan - these are all programs with very strong footholds within their regions,and have also developed the ability to consistently penetrate other regions, establishing a national market for their brand. But I would assume ND has been present in that market the longest.

[Sly Fox]

Traditionally Notre Dame would have been the dominant brand as the only truly national fanbase. But the golden dome's shine has lost its lustre and no longer sits atop the collegiate world.

[Hold My Own]

wow, JMU made that list

[ALUmnus]

People keep mentioning Ohio State and Florida, but Michigan has always been more of a national brand than either of those. It may sound stupid, but that helmet and those colors create a lot of fans outside of the wolverine state. I would put the top brands as the following, in no particular order:

Notre Dame
Michigan
UCLA
Texas
UNC
Harvard
possibly Alabama
I think Penn State has more brand recognition than Ohio State
possibly Stanford or USC
I still don't buy Florida (especially sans Tebow), it just depends on who's winning down in the sunshine state, UF/Miami/FSU

[rueful]

seriously, has an ACC fan ever been to the west coast? in my 15 years of living on the west coast, I think the only time I saw anything UNC was when my brother was really into basketball and got a UNC hat (he also had a duke beanie, and a wake forest tshirt, wasnt that he liked one more than the other) and in all honesty, we heard a whole lot more about Miami and FSU than UNC or Duke. Why? Because no one outside of the ACC area cares.

and for the west coast Bias, I think UCLA has to be up there as well for brand, and in the last decade, USC by far is near the top

[LUconn]

no one outside of the ACC area cares.

This is something I have learned that the "ACC area" refuses to believe.

[ALUmnus]

But I would say the same applies to a school like Texas, which is still much more regional than most Texans would like to admit. That's why I think there are so few national brands out there.

[rueful]

Id say Texas is much more National than anything from the ACC

[LUconn]

http://sportales.com/football/notre-dam ... e-big-ten/

I've never heard of this site nor have I seen this any place else. So I would chalk this up as false, but I'll post it here anyway.

[LUconn]

link from that same site http://sportales.com/football/big-10-an ... n-in-2012/

I think that site is

[Sly Fox]

And in case no one noticed, UT AD DeLoss Dodds says the school never talked to Big Ten about joining. The big money alumni weren't even the slightest bit down with the idea.

[LUconn]

On Cowherd today he said he's hearing that Utah to the Pac 10 is a done deal.

And he interviewed an "inside source" who said Uconn would be the 12th Big 10 team but it's not a lock yet like the previous prediction.. Obviously ND would have to do their thing where they turn them down first.

I'm not a Cowherd fan and I wouldn't say he's an insider who would know these things for certain, but I don't recall him saying things on his show other than opinions. Just something to think about if nothing else.


edit: Never mind about Utah. It was a paraphrase gone wrong. I think he actually said "Utah would be a lock to join the Pac 10", and the sports internet world went crazy with "Utah to Pac 10 is a lock".

[Sly Fox]

The Pac 10 wants Texas badly ... and frankly I believe UT might consider it if A&M were brought along for the ride. I would expect those two schools to be a package deal in discussions with either Pac 10 or SEC.

[JK37]

Here's a good summary of Expansion talks after Day 1 of the BCS meetings:

http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/ ... s-meetings