Once the Big Ten decides on the two teams to reach 16, the conference could expand into four pods or simply break into two eight team divsiions with two cross over games for a nine game conference schedule.

East: Rutgers, Maryland. Virgina?, North Carolina?, Penn State, Mich State, Michigan, Ohio State

West: Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana, Illionois, Northwestern, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska

This alignment would keep most rivals together in the same division.

Yes, that makes the most sense, but I agree with Jack Swarbrick that the B1G is going to sit with 14 for awhile. I'd like to see your suggested line up minus UNC and UVA and with Indiana in the East. Purdue-Indiana would have to be the only protected cross over game.
I was interested in how others reacted to the question via that poll.

IF they stay at 14 it will most likely just add the new guys to the "East" and move Illinois to the "West"...only Wisconsin would look out of place in that setup. But if some miracle happened and they did go strictly E/W w/ Michigan in the East, I'd think Purdue would be the school to stay East but then again it would be a stacked division so I doubt it happens.

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Fan of the Big 12 Conference, the Mountain West Conference and...

There are parity issues with the geographical split, which makes Wisconsin an odd-man-out. For Maryland and Rutgers to be of good use to the conference, they will need the games with Penn State. Do you put one new school in both divisions, and if so, does it sever PSU-UNL, a total cash-grab for the conference, and a national game?

Something's gonna have to give, and my finger is pointing at that little brown jug.

How about kansas and iowa st yuck or kansas and virginia

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The Bear may be dead but he still hates Tennessee. Roll Damn Tide

Iowa and the Big Ten have stated multiple times basically that ISU is never getting in. They have that market locked up only Mizzou/KU could really lock it down fully.

As far as Kansas to the B1G, it won't happen till 2025. The Big 12 grant of right (where the conference owns each individual schools TV rights) doesn't expire until then, so if they move the B1G would get no benefit from KU home games. The B1G/PAC12 also have GORs. Only the ACC/SEC do not in the Big 5, and the SEC may be signing one soon for their network.

The only way any team from the Big 12 can leave is if 60% of the schools vote to break the GOR, so the B1G would have to take Texas (tier 1, AAU), OU (Tier 1), KU (Tier 1 AAU), and ISU (Tier 1 AAU) plus 2 less than stellar academic schools like TXTech (Tier 2), OSU (Tier 2), WVU (Tier 3) or KSU (Tier 3) so its unlikely, the PAC12 might take TX/TT/OU/OSU/KU/KSU to get to 18 but that because they are landlocked and the B1G is not.

Also the B1G cannot work with another conference to break up the Big12 or risk a big lawsuit (anti-trust, collusion, tortuous interferance, etc.). Also if I recall correctly, KU cant leave KSU per some state law (not sure if enforcable or not).

The only immediate options for the Big 10 outside of the ACC/ND and UConn are Mizzou and Kentucky but both are considered extremely longshots at best.

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Fan of the Big 12 Conference, the Mountain West Conference and...

How about the Big Ten finally take Missouri which has long wanted in the Big Ten.

Missouri gets membership in a superior academic league compared to the SEC and makes more revenue.

Missouri is not leaving the SEC.

BTW, it takes 8 members of the Big XII to dissolve the conference. That is is the only way to eliminate the grant of rights.

Indeed. Mizzou stays put; they are in a great situation which will get even better with time. And for the B12, "8" members would have to possess firm assurances from among leagues of the B1G, PAC12, and the SEC, that each has improved options. UT and OU would be among the group. To pull that off, it would take immense coordination and a lot of changed attitudes, with-in and externally. And frankly, the B1G, which passed on Mizzou a fews years back, is not suddenly going to give chase to ISU and Kansas. Delany wants his legacy without looking foolish and entangled in an expensive legal and conspiratory mess.

And Miami was not going to join the ACC.

And Maryland was not going to ever leaave the ACC.

Less face the facts, if the Big Ten can calling for Missouri, the SEC door would not hit the a@@ of Missouri on the way out.

Tka - when I posted earlier, I had not scrolled up far enough. You made much of the similar points in an elaborative way. Certainly, collusions with break-ups can generate ramifications.

What is seen with so much of expansion and re-alignment, is taking advantage (or not taking advantage) as opportunities, with the right timing, present themselves. While certain conferences may have their wish lists, that are subject to certain revisions, I have not seen any of them put out a grand design, saying what they want to look like in 2015, or 2020, with named new aquisitions included. Can it be said the B1G had a 5 year or 10 year plan to acquire specifically Maryland and Rutgers at the exclusion of others? I don't think so, though certain names get batted about for years beforehand by all sorts of pundits. Did the SEC have a long-term plan to take Texas A&M and Mizzou? With A&M, there's enough evidence to say yes. Mizzou seemed like a short pondering time, arising from opportunity and an immediate balancing need.

While the expansion issue remains fluid, I hope the B1G and the SEC give it a rest. If they do go to 16, next so many will be talking about 18 or 20 or 24. So much is becoming pure greed surpassing practicality. Dividing up the B12 and/or the ACC to establish 4 national SECTORS of odd-shaped clusters of prime sports schools is suppose to be a great enhancement for college sports? If this stuff does not get under control, a lot of regrets shall happen. Already, bowl attendance figures are down; and putting more strain on the "have-nots" and feeding the "haves" even better, they THINK they know the ultimate outcome.

Yes, let's sit at 14 max and retain some semblance of a league. Of course, i thought 9 and then 12 was the perfect number.

While it would be great for all conferences to take a pause with expansion realignment, the conference commissioners are too busy chasing to dollars to take a break.

I see the Big Ten flexing its muscle and making more raids. The Big Ten has raided the Big 12, Big East, and ACC, why stop there and not raid you biggest rival the SEC and strike while the iron is hot.

If the Big Ten wanted to expand to 20 schools and enhance the Big Ten network, the Big Ten could raid the SEC for Missouri, Vanderbilt and Kentucky and then come back for Virginia, North Carolina and Duke to have a complete easy boundary from Missouri through Tennessee and to the shores of the Carolinas and everything north to Canada.

Ok we could then have four 5 school pods of the following.

West Pod: Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin

North Pod: Illinois, Northwestern, Purdue, Indiana, Kentucky

East Pod: Penn State, Rutgers, Ohio State, Michigan State, Michigan

South Pod: Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Duke, Vanderbilt

Shouldn't this be on the Dream Conference thread. I'll give you Missouri but Kentucky and Vanderbilt

Georgia Tech is probably more likely than luring away Vanderbilt. I also don't see Kentucky being part of a 20 member Big 10 Dream Conference---maybe Kansas or another ACC school instead.