The big question is, if the Big 10 were to expand, which team would they add to the ranks? This is just a compilation of the ones alot of people are throwing around.

Pretty good candidates:

1. Notre Dame -- Right in the heart of the Big 10 region; legendary program; only question is whether they're ready.

2. Iowa State -- Make that Cy-hawk rivalry game count towards conference standings

3. Syracuse -- Major representative of New York state; make Penn State not so out of place in the conferene

4. Kentucky -- Very close to the Big 10 footprint; not too attached to rivalries in the SEC -- Tennessee may be the only major one; Good pair-up with Indiana

Others I have some questions about:

1. Missouri -- This just seems to be the heart of the Big # (now XII) conference. The football title game is in Kansas City, and the Kansas-Mizzou rivalry is something best not split up into separate conferences -- just too much tradition involved. It would merely be a fringe member of the Big 10 anyway.

2. West Va. schools (Marshall or West Va.) -- Both have conflicts which wouldn't fit them into the league too well.

3. Pittsburg -- It just seems like it should be a package deal with WVU, but 13 's a crowd as far as conferences go. It would be a good pair with PSU though.


There are a few others, but these seem to be the most common mentions. Since there are already 11, there should be a team chosen that is kind of a "loner" in its current conference.

I think Notre Dame is a no-brainer really, due to its location and big rivalries with about half of the conference. The only problem is it's "national school" status, in which it has long running rivalries literally from coast to coast. It would be hard to fit USC, BC, Navy, and an occasional BYU, Pitt or other schools while tied into a conference schedule. OOC scheduling would pretty much have to be locked from year to year with their diverse assortment of regular rivals.

Iowa State wouldn't bring any new markets into the Big Ten...

Missouri isn't really the geographic focal point of the Big XII if you consider that the conference championship game rotates between "North" and "South" sites and that Kansas City seems to be more Jayhawk than Tiger...

The Big XII has more or less devalued "old" Big 8 rivalries such as Kansas-Missouri and Nebraska-Oklahoma...Nebraska-Oklahoma isn't played every year because there are no annual interdivisional "rivalry" games (ala the SEC and the ACC), and Kansas-Missouri has been moved all over the calendar...

While Kentucky might be closer to the Big Ten geographically, it is closer to the SEC socially...

Iowa State IS an AAU school, though and not within the Big 12 area.

I'd like to see the Big 12 add Colrado State and the Big 10 add Iowa State.

Aren't a majority of members of the "Big Five" AAU members?

All of the members of the Big XII are members of the AAU except for Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech...

Iowa St. adds nothing. Pitt adds nothing. Choices are:
1. Notre Dame
2. tie
Syracuse
Rutgers (if they get their athletic program in order)
Missouri
and maybe Boston College?

My rankings for the Big Ten's #12:

1. Missouri
2. Notre Dame
3. Pittsbugh
4. Iowa State
5. Syracuse
6. Kentucky
7. Nebraska
8. Rutgers
9. Maryland-only because they're contiguous with the footprint.
10. Louisville

_________________
Do you ahhhhh......realign?

Choices are either Iowa State or Missouri.

Missouri is out of the question. They're Big 12 country and have history with Kansas. It's a bald faced lie to suggest they'd ever think of joining the Big 10.

Iowa State, on the other hand, has the in state rival in the big 10, is an AAU member like all big 10 schools, and is north of the Big 12 area.

Notre Dame is also in the heart of Big 10 country but they want to remain independants as long as possible.

Most of the recent expansions in the I-A conferences have involved the addition of members in geographically contiguous states which did not previously feature a conference member...

The Pac-10 added Arizona and Arizona State...

The ACC added Georgia Tech and then Florida State...

The SEC added Arkansas and South Carolina...

The Big Ten added Penn State...

The Big Eight added Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech...

The BIG EAST added Cincinnati and Louisville...

The Mountain West added Texas Christian...

The MAC readmitted Marshall and Northern Illinois...

The Sun Belt admitted North Texas, New Mexico State, and Middle Tennessee State and then Utah State and Idaho...

C-USA added Central Florida and Tulsa...

The WAC added UNLV and Tulsa, then Nevada, then Boise State and Louisiana Tech, then New Mexico State and Utah State...

The Big West added New Mexico State and then North Texas...

Granted, there have been "in-state" exceptions...

Miami (note the distance from Tallahassee) and Virginia Tech (note the political pressure of the governor) to the ACC...

Air Force, Fresno State (note the distance from San Diego), the former SWC conference members (note the distance from El Paso), and Idaho (note the minimum number required for a I-A conference) and San Jose State, all to the WAC...

Nevada to the Big West...

Akron to the MAC...

Texas Christian, Rice and Southern Methodist, and then UTEP to C-USA...

There have also been instances in which a conference member was admitted despite a lack of geographic continuity (at least initially)...

San Diego State to the WAC...

Miami and then South Florida to the BIG EAST...

Marshall to C-USA...

Boston College to the ACC...

Utah State to the Big West...

Buffalo to the MAC...

"Bald faced lie?"

Missouri was practically drooling when the Big 10 was considering them about 6 or 7 years ago. Mizzou would jump in a second. If the academics didn't attract them, the $ would. Arkansas was closely tied to the SWC, but it didn't take much thought when the SEC came calling. Anybody in the Big 12 north but CU would jump immediately if the Big 10 came calling.

However, I think it is more likely the B10 will go east as they seem to want to split the "Big 3." That means they need a rival for Penn St.

I was always intrigued by the prospect of the Big Ten adding Nebraska: "the only game in town" so to speak and a "Western" program to help balance against the "Big Three"...

That's such a lie.

How dare you.

Mizzou is staying in the B12 and that's all there is to it.

Backburner list:

1. Maryland
2. Notre Dame
3. Rutgers
4. Syracuse
5. Pittsburgh
6. Missouri
7. Nebraska
8. Iowa State
9. Texas
10. Kentucky
11. Cincinatti

I seem to remember public statements made by the administration (c. 1994) lobbying for Big Ten membership...