Big Ten Expansion

[heckler]

Maybe they will add a hockey school and create a big ten hockey conference so moorhead can join und in the wcha

[siouxdgj]

Many years ago Notre Dame wanted to join the Big Ten, but I understand Michigan was among the schools violently opposed to Notre Dame's joining the Big Ten. Now, the shoe appears to be on the other foot. Notre Dame is the most logical choice from a purely geographic standpoint. Pitt would also work, considering its longtime rivalry with Penn State. From a personal preference standpoint I would prefer not to have Minnesota and Missouri in the same athletic conference. According to the Kansas City Star Missouri has not been approached by the Big Ten with any invitation thus far.

[Bison bison]

According to the Kansas City Star Missouri has not been approached by the Big Ten with any invitation thus far.

What!

20 hours into an 18 month process and they have issued an invite!

What is it university brain-o-crats...

[KC Bison]

Heard a discussion on 810 tonight with someone from CBS Sportsline and it seems to be a pecking order of the Big Ten's preferences. Notre Dame is a clear first choice but that won't happen and then comes Pitt or Rutgers but now for the first time I'm hearing that Missouri is now somewhere in the mix. It appears to have moved from no chance to a small possibility for Missouri.

[bisonmike2]

This talk of expansion by the Big Tweleven and Pac 10 reek of university presidents positioning themselves against a possible playoff proposition. I can see it now. If all the major conferences have a conference championships, the presidents will say, "We can't have a playoff, we already have too many regular season games with the conference championship game. We better just stick with the loads of money the bowl sponsors give us... I mean we better just stick with the current system."

[GOB1SON]

It's all about Dr. Pepper.

[BurroBlue]

NDB2 is probably going to be right about it being Missouri, Rutgers, or Syracuse. Of those, Rutgers is probably the most likely, but Syracuse is the best fit (from that group).

That said, ND is by far the best choice for both the Big Televen and ND. In 1999, the faculty voted in favor of joining, but the trustees said no, mostly because of their ability to schedule the big dogs across the country, their lucrative TV contract with NBC, and their single school payday from bowl games. Since 1999, these changes have happened:

1. ND sucks every year. I say this out of love because I am a huge Irish fan, but they suck. Their schedule has progressively gone from one of the toughest in the country, to one of the worst. Yes, Florida and Texas and others play one or two cupcakes every year, but ND's is littered with sub-average teams every year. A conference schedule would make their games all relevant again.
2. The Big Televen has started their own television market. I believe ND is contracted with NBC through 2015, but NBC has to be reconsidering their lifespan with ND as they watch their revenue decrease every year. ND could make about the same dollar figure through the Big 10 Network as it could through NBC.
3. Because of changes to the bowl payout system, ND doesn't get the huge dollar figure they used to. They used to be able to get up to 14 million for a BCS bowl appearance; now they'd get about 4 (if they ever got back to that level).
4. Because of their recent history (and despite the voters willingness to try to elevate their ranking), ND probably needs a conference championship to get a shot at a national title in the future. If it comes down to an undefeated SEC, undefeated Big 12, or undefeated Pac 10 schools, an undefeated ND on an independent schedule would probably not go...unless they were able to beef up their schedule to Herculean proportions.
5. ND is by far the best fit for the Big 10 mission. They are an academic school, ranked high in the nation, football first, high revenue, high profile, and offers a bigger lockdown on the Chicago media market than Illinois or Northwestern could possibly dream of.
6. Their affiliation with the Big East in other sports wouldn't be a big deal. They could easily be part of the Big Televen (I don't know how to combine 10, 11 and 12) in football and Big East in everything else. In fact, when the Big East gets pissed off about it, it would make the transition for other sports into the Big Televen even easier.

All that said, ND posted a statement today that nullified the whole argument. IMO, they're idiots for doing so. I'll continue to wear my ND stuff in public, but I'll drink even more in private.

**Don't count out Nebraska for that spot either. Despite their long history with the Big 12 (8), they are a good regional fit for the Big 10. And Colorado State could easily fill that vacancy in the Big 12 north, obviously not as competitive, but would fit the conference in other attributes.

**OR, NDSU could easily....or not.

[bisonmike2]

Many years ago Notre Dame wanted to join the Big Ten, but I understand Michigan was among the schools violently opposed to Notre Dame's joining the Big Ten. Now, the shoe appears to be on the other foot. Notre Dame is the most logical choice from a purely geographic standpoint. Pitt would also work, considering its longtime rivalry with Penn State. From a personal preference standpoint I would prefer not to have Minnesota and Missouri in the same athletic conference. According to the Kansas City Star Missouri has not been approached by the Big Ten with any invitation thus far.

what would be the benefit of Missouri joining the Big 10? They're already in a great conference with rivalries against Kansas and Nebraska built in.

[siouxdgj]

what would be the benefit of Missouri joining the Big 10? They're already in a great conference with rivalries against Kansas and Nebraska built in.

BisonMike makes an excellent point. Mizzou does have great conference rivalries as it is in the Big 12 (formerly Big Eight). Having grown up in Minnesota and having earned a master's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, I am not exactly interested in having the two schools in the same conference. Likewise, I am thankful the two schools aren't meeting in a bowl game this season. For a time it was rumored Minnesota and Mizzou would meet in the Insight Bowl. I realize there are some who question Mizzou's academic credentials to be eligible to join the Big Ten. Nonsense. Overall, the Big 12 schools have excellent credentials, depending in part what one wants to major in. Athletically, I believe in major sports such as football and basketball the Big 12 is more than equal to the Big Ten. Big Ten football isn't what it used to be a half century ago and more.

[Tatanka]

BisonMike makes an excellent point. Mizzou does have great conference rivalries as it is in the Big 12 (formerly Big Eight). Having grown up in Minnesota and having earned a master's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, I am not exactly interested in having the two schools in the same conference. Likewise, I am thankful the two schools aren't meeting in a bowl game this season. For a time it was rumored Minnesota and Mizzou would meet in the Insight Bowl. I realize there are some who question Mizzou's academic credentials to be eligible to join the Big Ten. Nonsense. Overall, the Big 12 schools have excellent credentials, depending in part what one wants to major in. Athletically, I believe in major sports such as football and basketball the Big 12 is more than equal to the Big Ten. Big Ten football isn't what it used to be a half century ago and more.

a Mizzou grad, eh? I knew eventually you'd disclose a redeeming quality!!!!