Kansas is iffy if they get Mizzou, I think they're heading to the SEC and I doubt they'd switch after the fact since they were so publicly embarrassed by the B1G last year (even if it was their own doing). If they don't grab Mizzou then KU has no chance, they'd want KU to help them dominate KC and STL w/o Mizzou they won't be able to do that.

Honestly if it is ND/KU/MU, Pitt is not an unreasonable option, no use in only having 1 school in the North completely isolated from the rest of the conference...but then again that's why I think it'll be Syracuse, Rutgers, Boston College (or UConn).

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

Thing that needs to be factored in is that the Big Ten is in a fine position now. If the PAc16 came to be, or even an SEC 16, there still isn't anything that says the Big Ten needs to also grow to 16.

The reason being $$$. The Big Ten will only expand if it will make more money for the current members, while retaining some of the identity they prefer (academics being why they passed on Oklahoma last month). So Kansas is a fine academic school, but do they bring in enough money? Likely not.

Missouri seems like a homerun, but even with the PAc-16 about to happen last year, Missouri was left out in favor of Nebraska alone. I still think they are a fine fit, but think things need to change a bit for them to top the list for even #13.

As for Pitt, they are a school I was very familiar with growing up a football fan on the east coast. But I just don't see them ever in the Big Ten. And that reason is that money is the reason the Big Ten would expand. And Pitt is not even the top school in their own city as Penn St. still dominates. If looking to make more money, it means adding new schools that penetrate new markets or in large states with statewide and national audience. It's why the potential for Rutgers in the Big Ten has had more juice than Pitt.


I think there are a lot of fine combos that would make the Big Ten even better. But I do think that Notre Dame is really the factor. No Notre Dame, less need to expand. Meaning, would Missouri, Kansas, Pitt and a 4th make the Big Ten a stronger, richer conference? Maybe not. But in adding Notre Dame (ND would need to start the process), you do open a big door to the northeast. Even if it were just ND/Syracuse/Rutgers and Missouri, it's still 3 northeast schools, so to say, with ND. Swapping Missouri for BC is another option that would work as it really would lock up the region as "Big Ten", even if Uconn, Pitt and WVU ended up in a future ACC.


One thing is for sure, the Big Ten needs to do very little to remain at the top. And if they do make a move, by having 49% of the BTN, the move would have a proven revenue projection model as opposed to having to estimate like the Pac-10 did to get the Pac12 money.

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There's rumors heating up that Texas and Notre Dame are in discussions with the Big Ten about joining

Source?

http://northwestern.rivals.com/showmsg. ... 01&style=2

Top post. the guy was accurate about Nebraska leaving for the Big 10. I'm taking it with a grain of salt but it's interesting nonetheless.

Thanks - interesting indeed.

Article out of Mansfield discussing PBC and his latest Big Ten expansion rumor at http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/art ... /109090303

Hoops Weiss at the NY Daily News decides to also weigh in on this Big Ten expansion rumor at http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/colle ... f_maj.html

I know the academic issues involved, but if a 16 team conference were to ever exist, it is a shame that you really can't have the current 12 in the Big 10, plus ND, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas. Best of the best in all those states with Kansas as your bridge for a West division of: Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois.

Chances: 0.00000000000000000000000000000001% (even that is too generous a number)

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Hard to take someone's opinion in a printed article seriously when they refer to the Great Plains as the Great "Planes".

I got a chuckle out of that, too.

I'll cut the guy a little slack, though, since I can spell, but my horrendous typing skills often fail me.

It's all Bill Gates' fault. When he typed in "Planes", the damn spell-check didn't help him out !!!

My problem is the Y key. So many times when I write "they went to the ACC" or whatever it comes out "the went to the ACC"

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More from the Northwestern board on Texas: http://northwestern.rivals.com/showmsg. ... 01&style=2

Will the ACC's 20 million dollar exit penalty stop schools from leaving the conference for the B1G, and could the B1G technically invite Syracuse today and take them before they officially join the ACC next year or whenever and thus save them from paying the exit fee?

If the B1G feels that they can't get Cuse or BC now they may need grab Rutgers/UConn before the ACC does or Mizzou before the SEC does, or else they're stuck with Kansas and Iowa St. Personally I think the B1G with the CIC could take any school that it wants north of Virginia...no way they let the SEC/ACC go to 14 and the PAC go to 16 without making any moves themselves and yes I know this all revolves around ND...

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As of 6:00 pm cdt on 9/18, I LOVE the way this is playing out.

Geography is winning !

ACC tanks Pitt, 'Cuse, rumors have them filling out the conf. with Rutgers and UConn.
PAC may add OU, SOU, UT, TT

Let's assume the $20 million exit fee holds everyone in the ACC.
The BIG TEN has it's options limited, although in my opinion they can take the schools they SHOULD take - ND, Mizzou, Kansas, & (KSU ?).
Next: The SEC needs a #14 to go with TA&M - WVU is a great choice, as they could slide right into the SEC East.

The Big Ten needs to wake up, and block the SEC from going after Missouri and Kansas, by inviting them NOW.
This sort of forces the SEC to stay south. I see the following as their additions:
TA&M, TCU or Houston (to SEC West), WVU, Louisville (to SEC East).

After the only remaining slots are in the Big Ten, Delany goes to work on Notre Dame.

All this yammering about the Big East and the Big XII going forward seems almost laughable.
It looks like USF, Cincy, maybe TCU, maybe KSU, ISU, and Baylor will be scrambling soon.
They COULD somehow gather in the Big XII or Big East, and add some CUSA teams.
Or they could apply to CUSA.

Either way, the Big East and Big XII will cease to be BCS auto-bid conferences.
I see the BE reverting to a Catholic BB school conference (basically "the split").
We'll see.....