flair1 wrote: I'd rather stay in the ACC then play in the Big 10. If the ACC blows up I would go to the SEC 1st, Big 10 2nd, Big 12 3rd.

YouPeople wrote: Never

wolfpacksports wrote: I thought it was fairly widely publicized that the Big Ten as a conference, and by that I mean the group of university presidents that collectively make decisions, places a high value on membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU). Although NC State aspires to become a member of this organization, as yet it is not.

In the current ACC, besides Maryland, which is of course already accepted by the B10, only UNC, Duke, Georgia Tech, and Virginia are members of the AAU. Future ACC member Pittsburgh is as well. Most discussions of possible jumps to the Big Ten (12?, 14?) conference are limited to these schools as potential candidates.

direwolfpack wrote: I'd be willing to bet that if we joined the Big 10 that AAU membership would be a foregone conclusion within a couple of years. State would step up it's game and Duke and U*NC's objections would be overridden. Speaking of which has the AAU issued a statement regarding one of it's member institutions handing out degrees like tic tacs?

wolfpacksports wrote: I thought it was fairly widely publicized that the Big Ten as a conference, and by that I mean the group of university presidents that collectively make decisions, places a high value on membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU). Although NC State aspires to become a member of this organization, as yet it is not.

In the current ACC, besides Maryland, which is of course already accepted by the B10, only UNC, Duke, Georgia Tech, and Virginia are members of the AAU. Future ACC member Pittsburgh is as well. Most discussions of possible jumps to the Big Ten (12?, 14?) conference are limited to these schools as potential candidates.

lumberpack3 wrote:

direwolfpack wrote: I'd be willing to bet that if we joined the Big 10 that AAU membership would be a foregone conclusion within a couple of years. State would step up it's game and Duke and U*NC's objections would be overridden. Speaking of which has the AAU issued a statement regarding one of it's member institutions handing out degrees like tic tacs?

wolfpacksports wrote: I thought it was fairly widely publicized that the Big Ten as a conference, and by that I mean the group of university presidents that collectively make decisions, places a high value on membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU). Although NC State aspires to become a member of this organization, as yet it is not.

In the current ACC, besides Maryland, which is of course already accepted by the B10, only UNC, Duke, Georgia Tech, and Virginia are members of the AAU. Future ACC member Pittsburgh is as well. Most discussions of possible jumps to the Big Ten (12?, 14?) conference are limited to these schools as potential candidates.

When GT made it into the AAU back in 2010, NC State was also on the ballot and came up one vote shy.  The scuttlebutt has been the ole Duke blackball.  The AAU has also been in the process of changing the way they value research making it very difficult to get into the AAU or stay in the AAU without a research hospital.  Nebraska was thrown out, Syracuse left before being thrown out. 

While NC State and Va Tech are very similar to a number Big 10 universities, entering the Big 10 is no guarantee since you need a 3/4 vote to get into the AAU.

wolfpacksports wrote: University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha is considered a separate campus within the U of N system. The lack of an on-campus research hospital was a major factor in Nebraska getting the boot.

Planet Boulder wrote:

lumberpack3 wrote:

direwolfpack wrote: I'd be willing to bet that if we joined the Big 10 that AAU membership would be a foregone conclusion within a couple of years. State would step up it's game and Duke and U*NC's objections would be overridden. Speaking of which has the AAU issued a statement regarding one of it's member institutions handing out degrees like tic tacs?

wolfpacksports wrote: I thought it was fairly widely publicized that the Big Ten as a conference, and by that I mean the group of university presidents that collectively make decisions, places a high value on membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU). Although NC State aspires to become a member of this organization, as yet it is not.

In the current ACC, besides Maryland, which is of course already accepted by the B10, only UNC, Duke, Georgia Tech, and Virginia are members of the AAU. Future ACC member Pittsburgh is as well. Most discussions of possible jumps to the Big Ten (12?, 14?) conference are limited to these schools as potential candidates.

When GT made it into the AAU back in 2010, NC State was also on the ballot and came up one vote shy.  The scuttlebutt has been the ole Duke blackball.  The AAU has also been in the process of changing the way they value research making it very difficult to get into the AAU or stay in the AAU without a research hospital.  Nebraska was thrown out, Syracuse left before being thrown out. 

While NC State and Va Tech are very similar to a number Big 10 universities, entering the Big 10 is no guarantee since you need a 3/4 vote to get into the AAU.

lumber - I thought Nebraska had a really good research hospital in Omaha?

Nebraska had other problems - some attached directly to their boss man.  The AAU was at 63 members back in 2009 when they decided to change formulas and they also informally decided to shrink membership to around 60. 

The schools on the cusp at the time were NC State, GT, Rennsler, Cincy, and Boston U.  These all have more research intensive and have more research dollars than the bottom 5-8 AAU schools. 

Nebraska was kicked out in 2010 and GT voted into the AAU in 2010.  Syracuse left in 2011.  Boston U made it in last December on a very quiet, almost under the table vote.

Kansas may get voted out soon.  I think whatever chance NC State had, left with MD to the Big 10 - we needed that vote, becasue we have never had Duke's (at least, that's what I've always been told). 

There are three main constituent groups in the AAU - the California group, the Big 10 and the Boston area group.  You can't get in if any of these groups oppose you.   

Southern schools - for obvious historic reasons - are disproportionately left out of the AAU and the AAU main reason for being is to keep federal funds flowing to AAU-only schools.   

So if you look at things now, the group is still attempting to shrink to 60 and is at 62 or 63 - not sure.  Now, I think you can make a case for tossing out Toronto and McGill, but from a practical standpoint - I think you will have to see Kansas or Iowa State, or Brandies leave before NC State gets in, and with a consistent blackball, Rennsler is probably next.

The Big 10 can't manipulate the AAU to give AAU status to a target expansion school.  They can block AAU status, but they are too few give you entrance - you need around 45-48 votes depending on who all vote.

FWIW - here are their so-called admission standards: http://www.aau.edu/WorkArea/Do...t.aspx?id=10972

Now if we go by annual competitive funding alone, along with PhD production, NCSU would rank about 50-55th, so you can see this is tweaked and twisted.  USDA money is not counted the same way that other funds are counted and funding today is tied heavily to medical/pharmacuetical research.