With some years to look back it got me thinking how did the expansion power 5 schools work out for each conference? The good, the bad, and the ugly.

For some context this was recently tweeted by @MattSmithCFB on the teams we’ll be looking at + Notre Dame who is kind of the ACC. 

Conference records in new leagues:

Texas A&M: 25-23
Missouri: 23-25
Nebraska: 34-24
Maryland: 10-24
Rutgers: 7-27
TCU: 32-22
West Virginia: 27-27
Utah: 28-35
Colorado: 15-48
Louisville: 21-11
Pittsburgh: 21-19
Syracuse: 11-29

— Matt Smith (@MattSmithCFB) August 10, 2018

Big 10

Maryland

The Good : 

Cable Subscribers, and a decent basketball program

The Bad :

Ask a Big 10 fan what Maryland has brought to their conference, and I think the answer is at least they aren’t Rutgers.

The Ugly : 

Maryland’s “toxic” football culture has resulted in the administrative leave of several coaches including head coach DJ Durkin this summer. They still don’t feel like a Big 10 team – Terrible geographic fit.

Rutgers

The Good : 

Cable Subscribers… I guess.

The Bad : 

A totally dysfunctional scandal ridden athletic department under former AD Julie Hermann.

The Ugly :

I’m not sure anyone actually realizes Rutgers is in the Big 10. The most invisible realignment move of the decade, and arguably the worst one. A geographically un-natural fit to the midwest based conference.

Nebraska 

The Good : 

A sleeping giant of a football program could be ready to explode under new coach Scott Frost.

The Bad : 

The Big 10 is still waiting for the Cornhuskers to be more than a middling athletics program.

The Ugly :

Nebraska has just kind of been there in the Big 10. Nebraska has been in the Big 10 since 2011 and there’s still no feel for any real rivalries.

Big 12

TCU

The Good : 

You could argue that TCU has been the 2nd best football program in the Big 12, since they joined in 2013. Located in Texas, they’ve been a perfect geographic fit. The basketball program is improving and the baseball team is top-notch.

The Bad :

I’m drawing a blank here. One of the more underrated realignment moves of this decade. Their football coach Gary Patterson is one of the 5 or 6 best in the country.

The Ugly : 

TCU didn’t bring a new a region to the Big 12 making it’s Television impact rather limited.

West Virginia

The Good : 

This didn’t seem like a good idea at the time given West Virginia’s proximity to the rest of the Big 12 schools, but the two have made it work. West Virginia has continued to field competitive football and basketball teams which has enhanced Big 12 athletics.

The Bad : 

West Virginia still feels like an East Coast island in the Big 12, but as I’ve said it’s not as bad I first expected.

The Ugly :

Athletically the fit is good. Geographically it could be better. I’m sure many West Virginia fans would prefer to be closer to conference championship events, and at least some of their road games.

ACC

Louisvlle

The Good : 

Louisville brought an athletics department that will to spend money to be better. QB Lamar Jackson won a Heisman, and the Cardinals brought a credible football program to the ACC when the conference really needed it. Basketball and Baseball are highly competitive, and potential cable subscribers in a new state.

The Bad :

The Rick Pitino scandal was not a good look for Louisville. This has been a particularly embarrassing situation for Louisville resulting in the departure of AD Tom Jurich.

The Ugly : 

Instances like the #WakeyLeaks   and Louisville donor and former PapaJohn’s CEO John Schnatter’s use of inappropriate language  have left Louisville fans cringing.

Pittsburgh

The Good : 

Northeast continuity… It was a quick fit to the ACC due to several former Big East rivalries renewed and/or maintained. A new state provides potential additional cable subscribers.

The Bad : 

Pittsburgh has had a few moments on the field. They knocked off Penn State OOC, and beat eventual 2016 national champion Clemson, but there haven’t been enough of them yet. Athletically Pittsburgh needs to be better.

The Ugly :

A once proud program, Pittsburgh basketball became a laughing stock under Kevin Stallings. Jeff Capel has quite a mess to fix.

Syracuse

The Good : 

Reached the Final 4 in 2016, and Sweet 16 in 2018 in Men’s Basketball. There was an instant basketball rivalry between Duke and Syracuse that is often must watch TV. Potential future cable subscribers in the state of New York.

The Bad : 

Syracuse football has yet to add any real depth to ACC football despite a couple of in conference upsets over Clemson and Virginia Tech. It is considered one of the bottom tier ACC football programs. Head coach Dino Babers give the program hope.

The Ugly :

2015 probation of the basketball program for violations committed during Syracuse’s Big East days. 

Notre Dame 

The Good : 

Women’s basketball won a 2018 National Title. Mike Brey’s men’s basketball program is a near annual NCAA participant. Potential additional cable subscribers in the state of Indiana.

The Bad : 

In the olympic sports Notre Dame has been fine, but there’s always the open question if and when Notre Dame will join as a full football member – leaving the ACC in a perpetual expansion holding pattern.

The Ugly :

If Notre Dame ever knocks out an ACC playoff contending team, believe me that’s going to be an ugly awkward situation.

SEC

Texas A&M

The Good : 

The Home Run of all expansion moves – Texas A&M got the SEC into the state of talent rich Texas. The Aggies had a Heisman winner in Johnny Manziel. The basketball team has been solid. Texas A&M got the SEC Network into Texas. The rivalries seem natural, and Texas A&M feels like a SEC team.

The Bad :

Texas A&M has a monster athletics budget and plenty of resources, but there’s still a sense of slight underachievement surrounding College Station especially in football. Maybe Jimbo Fisher fixes that.

The Ugly : 

Not a lot of ugly in this move…

Missouri

The Good : 

Cable Subscribers, and Missouri’s early success in the SEC East raised some eyebrows at fanbases at Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee that their programs had really fallen off the map.

The Bad : 

Doesn’t it feel like Missouri should be playing Kansas and Kansas State instead of South Carolina and Kentucky?

The Ugly :

Nothing excites you about Missouri being the SEC. The Tigers had to vacate 2013-2014 basketball wins due to NCAA violations. 

Pac 12

Utah

The Good : 

Utah has been solid in the Pac 12 with pretty strong football and basketball. There’s nothing that’s been un-natural about this partnership. Good fit all around…

The Bad :

Their inclusion hasn’t seemed to help the Pac 12 Network all that much.

The Ugly : 

Can Utah get past being just good and achieve greatness in a revenue producing sport as a Pac 12 member, and get to a Big 6 Bowl Game or reach a Final 4? I’m reaching here… I like a lot about Utah in the Pac 12.

Colorado

The Good : 

Geographically makes senses – As a former Big 12 team, fit felt quicker to the Pac 12 than say Nebraska to the Big 10. Football team reached the top 10 in late November 2016 proving there’s potential there. Men’s basketball team has reached the NCAA tournament 4 times as a Pac 12 member.

The Bad : 

A domestic violence scandal in 2017 resulting in the suspension of some Colorado athletic staffers.   

The Ugly :

48 Pac 12 losses… 48! They’ve only won more than 2 Pac 12 games once. Same situation as Utah – inclusion hasn’t really helped the Pac 12 network grow so far.

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