Gonzaga of the midwest

[Shox21]

You can be a fan of more than one team. I, first and foremost, love the Shocks. Hands down, no contest. But I also cheer for KU and KState (in that order) when the outcome of cheering for them has no adverse affect on WSU.

[IlliniShocker]

They are going to the B1G arent they?

Yeah, they're moving to the B1G with Rutgers in 2014. That expansion wasn't as universally panned by the B1G fanbases, but the reaction was pretty similar to the Valley adding Loyola now.

You can be a fan of more than one team.

As my name would suggest, I'm an Illinois fan first and foremost (sorry, Alma Mater has to come first), but after that the Shockers trump any other team for me. So there are legit reasons to root for other teams, but it gets pretty dang annoying when large numbers of people pick the "sexy" team to cheer for when they have no connection to it.

[jpshocker]

Yeah, they're moving to the B1G with Rutgers in 2014. That expansion wasn't as universally panned by the B1G fanbases, but the reaction was pretty similar to the Valley adding Loyola now.



As my name would suggest, I'm an Illinois fan first and foremost (sorry, Alma Mater has to come first), but after that the Shockers trump any other team for me. So there are legit reasons to root for other teams, but it gets pretty dang annoying when large numbers of people pick the "sexy" team to cheer for when they have no connection to it.

This sums up myu feelings as well. A person should root for their Alma Mater first and foremost and everything else should follow. My frustration, and this includes many close friends, is when Wichitans that don't have a D-1 affiliation choose to be KU fans over all else. Maybe I'm just bitter and somehow connect them to the program that I perceive to give WSU no respect but it has long been a curiosity for me. I guess it's easy to root for the big dog but the victories are far sweeter when you aren't pulling for the "sexy pick".

[jdshock]

You can be a fan of more than one team. I, first and foremost, love the Shocks. Hands down, no contest. But I also cheer for KU and KState (in that order) when the outcome of cheering for them has no adverse affect on WSU.

Since this thread is already off topic, I will engage this. I'm not trying to be rude, but the way I see it, any win by KU or KSU does have an adverse affect on WSU. Recruits in Kansas and really across the nation are limited so one teams success is mutually exclusive to another team's success at a certain point. For example, take Louisville and Kentucky. If Louisville stayed dominant and Kentucky fell off the radar, that would be better for Louisville recruiting than the current situation, right? This is especially true in a situation where the teams don't play each other. Obviously, we want the MVC to be as good as possible even if that means that we compete for some of the same high level recruits. Sometimes we lost a good one to Creighton, but the benefit to our schedule was more important.

[ShockBand]

Being that I have family and close friends that are avid, die-hard KU and K-State alums/fans, I do like some others have mentioned and will usually root for them when it has no direct bearing on WSU. But there is one BIG difference. I can cheer and yell and scream with the best of them watching a KU or K-State game, but I'm not totally invested in it. Only when watching Shocker games do I get a racing heartbeat, butterflies in my stomach, crazy stupid superstitious, and tearfully emotional with big victories. It is why this video gets me every time.

But I've had some evil influence on Mrs. ShockBand. During the NCAA tournament, while watching one of KU's games, she uttered "I hope they lose. It's somebody else's turn."

I love that woman. She's a keeper.

[Rlh04d]

Yeah, they're moving to the B1G with Rutgers in 2014. That expansion wasn't as universally panned by the B1G fanbases, but the reaction was pretty similar to the Valley adding Loyola now.

The B1G is essentially a business entity now. Rutgers and Maryland were logical additions in academics (both are AAU members, which is essentially required for membership because of the CIC) and demographics (B1G TV network).

I wouldn't really compare the Loyola addition to them, though. The problem with Loyola, on top of poor sports, is that they don't add anything to the conference anytime soon, and there's no guarantee they ever will. Rutgers and Maryland both immediately benefit the B1G in the two issues that matter the most to the conference, whether they're competitive in sports or not. I'm sure there's some complaining about them not being good in either sport and people prefering teams that are good in either of the two big ones, but no one can deny they contribute overall. If Rutgers manages to get the B1G network on TV in NYC, they might be one of the biggest additions in conference realignment.

[shockmonster]

The only thing that New Yorkers agree on is the "YANKEES" and they are disappointed.

[Rlh04d]

The only thing that New Yorkers agree on is the "YANKEES" and they are disappointed.

Rutgers is never going to be "New York's college team."

All the B1G cares about is getting them on TV there, though. All they need are enough viewers in NYC for Rutgers that they can combine them with the B1G's pre-existing alumni there to get them on TV. If you can get the network on "extended-basic" cable in NYC, you're now past the level where only the people who want the network are paying for it, and you're at the level where everyone in NYC with extended basic cable is paying for it. And there are a lot of people in NYC with extended-basic cable. Way more than care about Rutgers.

No one has to care about the school for it to make boatloads of money for their network. The entire financial setup of the B1G network is to get people that don't care about the network to pay for it. Same thing ESPN does. ESPN makes more money from people that don't watch sports at all than they do from people who do. In a lot of ways, it's a giant scam.

It's the same reason I think FSU might eventually get into the B1G if they can get AAU status. FSU (+ craploads of B1G area retirees) would get the B1G network on extended cable throughout the 4th most populous state in the country. That's a lot of money. I think the next big conference realignment happens when the B1G goes after two-to-four of Georgia Tech, Virginia, Duke/UNC, and FSU. Five out of six with AAU status (and FSU doesn't seem to be far off), and all four states in the top 12 in population. And after that happens, the SEC or B12 might take more schools from the ACC, and the ACC would definitely replenish with AAC schools like Cinci and UConn -- and then the AAC replenishes, and so on and so on. Realignment armageddon.

[Steeleshocker]

Rutgers is never going to be "New York's college team."

All the B1G cares about is getting them on TV there, though. All they need are enough viewers in NYC for Rutgers that they can combine them with the B1G's pre-existing alumni there to get them on TV. If you can get the network on "extended-basic" cable in NYC, you're now past the level where only the people who want the network are paying for it, and you're at the level where everyone in NYC with extended basic cable is paying for it. And there are a lot of people in NYC with extended-basic cable. Way more than care about Rutgers.

No one has to care about the school for it to make boatloads of money for their network. The entire financial setup of the B1G network is to get people that don't care about the network to pay for it. Same thing ESPN does. ESPN makes more money from people that don't watch sports at all than they do from people who do. In a lot of ways, it's a giant scam.

It's the same reason I think FSU might eventually get into the B1G if they can get AAU status. FSU (+ craploads of B1G area retirees) would get the B1G network on extended cable throughout the 4th most populous state in the country. That's a lot of money. I think the next big conference realignment happens when the B1G goes after two-to-four of Georgia Tech, Virginia, Duke/UNC, and FSU. Five out of six with AAU status (and FSU doesn't seem to be far off), and all four states in the top 12 in population. And after that happens, the SEC or B12 might take more schools from the ACC, and the ACC would definitely replenish with AAC schools like Cinci and UConn -- and then the AAC replenishes, and so on and so on. Realignment armageddon.

That realignment scenario is a long way off when the agreement the ACC just inked.

[Rlh04d]

That realignment scenario is a long way off when the agreement the ACC just inked.

Yep. I just read about it. That just gave us 12 years of conference stability. The B12 might grab Cinci, but otherwise the moves look like they're finally done.

Don't really think that affects Wichita State, either. I don't think our chances for conference change are any better or worse with that move.

I'm really interested to see what FSU got out of that deal. No way FSU signed away their media rights without significant concessions from the ACC.