It doesn't get said enough that it took nearly twenty years, TWENTY YEARS for the Big Ten to go from eleven to twelve. That it took something like thirty years to even get to eleven; that eleven only got into the conference with the barest minimum number of votes. It also doesn't get said enough that the Big Ten's moves had very little to do with markets, television deals and equally as little about stellar academics. Penn State is a member of the Big Ten because its former president, Bryce Jordan, saw PSU as a Big Ten school. He found support and favor by way of presidents in Northwestern, Illinois, and Wisconsin, not ADs or coaches in Michigan or Indiana. It did not go over well the way PSU approached the conference, despite doing it in secret for almost a decade.

And with Nebraska, one only needs to read the B1G's wiki to see the Cornhuskers appear throughout the conference's formative history to see the two were on a collision-course.

I think, with the Big Ten, history goes a long way. I believe that's why Nebraska and Notre Dame are so beholden to some within the conference. I believe, personally, that it makes the Penn State acquisition, a no-brainer on paper, probably the conference's most uncharacteristic move. I have to believe that the conference WILL NOT REST until it has ND and Texas, but with the history component, I also have to wonder if there's still a place at the table for other long-standing "groupies," like Pitt, Iowa State, and Missouri, too.

Old news, but still: Delany says the B1G is not active but is still monitoring. The comment about deciding not to ramp up to 14, 16, or 20 (?!!) is a ripe little one for some gossip.

This is about whom and not how many. After seeing the flack the ACC is getting for the Pitt grab, I think this says a lot about who the B1G wants and not what fans and networks wish. Sorry, Rutgers.

I don't think Pitt and Syracuse were ever on the Big Ten's radar. The ACC grabbing them doesn't mean a thing to the B1G. Rutgers is discussed because of the market and access to the NYC market for the BTN which is the only value, outside of academics, that Rutgers has.

If the B1G were to ever expand to 16, for example, I think the schools that are on their radar are Notre Dame, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Duke, Boston College, and UConn. They would need only four out of that group and you would have to think that Notre Dame is a lock to join for fear of being left out of the playoffs.

ND could force the issue of adding Boston College because that would provide the Irish with another rival for them in the league since there would be minimal non-conference games they could schedule. It's also not like the Boston College doesn't add value. The animosity between UConn and BC is real and they enjoy not being in the same conference together so that move quite possibly eliminates UConn from consideration. The North Carolina university system would like to keep the Tarheels and NCSU in the same conference if possible. If the Big 12 adds FSU, Clemson, Miami, and Georgia Tech they could very well approach UNC and say that they would take them AND NCSU to keep them together. How does the UNC system say no? Unless they don't mind UNC and NCSU being in different athletic conferences which I don't buy.

That leaves Maryland, Virginia, and Duke. All are valuable adds but I think that Maryland and Virginia would get the nod due to access to their markets more so than Duke.

A new 16 team Big Ten could become so with the addition of Notre Dame, Boston College, Maryland, and Virginia. All depends on what happens with the Big 12 and SEC, though.

I'm not so sure this would be a problem in the future. If it truly looks like the new world is gonna be four 16 team super conferences and the ACC is not one of them, would the state government of North Carolina really risk not having any team in the game just to ensure UNC and NCSU are in the same conference? I assume they want them together but if the only way to have any team on the top level means separating them, I would like to think the North Carolina state government, or any state for that matter, would be stupid enough to keep their two schools together for better or worse.

If the four conferences that matter are the Big Ten, Pac-12, SEC, and Big 12 and the state government wouldn't let UNC join one of those conferences unless NCSU got to come along, that'd be as stupid as the Idaho state government not letting Boise State join to the Pac-12 unless Idaho got to come along. If you aren't in the four super conferences you'll fall into irrelevance. Today, getting UNC by themselves would be a problem. In the future it might not be.

I agree with everything you said and if it took UNC and NCSU being in separate elite conferences just so that both can reap the benefits then they would do that but why not have the Big12 invite both of them for a shot to get them? You screw over the SEC by inviting both of them while also getting the North Carolina market in Raleigh and Chapel Hill. Not only do you help yourself by earning favor with the UNC university system by inviting both which will probably make it easier for them to agree on a conference switch but also you get a stranglehold on the Raleigh/Durham/Fayeteville television which is 24th in the nation and bring in a solid academic university (NCSU - 101) and an elite academic university (UNC - 24) and improve your overall basketball product.

By inviting them and, say, Georgia Tech (36), Miami (38), Clemson (68), and Florida State (101 - t) the Big 12 would bring in 4 academic elite universities to pair with Texas, TCU, and Baylor with solid to great athletics and good markets. To me, it's a win/win.

If a conference wants both of them there is no reason they can't take both. There are advantages to it. I just think there are more advantages (on the money side of things) by taking only one (preferably UNC).

I think if the SEC came along and wanted more markets, it would be better to take UNC and a Virginia school (I'd personally lean toward Va-Tech over UVA at this time) because all three of those schools can carry their state if they are playing top level football. A move like that would seal the ACC's fate as a lower level conference. At that moment both state government's would be stupid to not have a team playing top level college football just so their schools can stay together.

I just don't think you need both UNC and NCSU to carry North Carolina. I think just UNC and you own that market. Possibly not in basketball but football you would. By taking only one you could gain another market with another team rather than doubling up.

Pittsburgh was a Big Ten prospect back in the 40's and 50's. Back then, they were a big deal in football, were a better university than the one in Centre County, had a slew of national championships in football (at least, they claimed), and truly fit the bill for a Big Ten-like institution. Michigan state politics intervened (seems like too much of the Big Ten's history revolves around doing what someone in Michigan says), and Michigan State replaced Chicago. What happened after that with the interest in Pitt, I don't know. I don't believe Pitt's not a member of the conference because of the "2 PA schools" thing. In case you haven't noticed, adding Notre Dame would put THREE schools in Indiana, and FIVE between IN and IL where ND's "reach" is strongest. Pitt isn't a member of the Big Ten because it's football dropped off terribly after the 80's, and it can't even give its tickets away to have people show up at the games. They're a mess, and have been for a couple of decades.

Delany talks about the need for visibility in the east, but nothing's stopped them from grabbing ANY program to give the east a reason to care about the Rust Belt. Notre Dame alone won't do it (and ND knows it can't), but what will help, according to what a Big Ten institution looks like, doesn't reside in the east...it resides on the Mid-Atlantic coast, or in the Heartland.

I think that's what Mike Slive's ultimate goal is - to bring in UNC and Virgina Tech. He'll probably settle for NCSU and VT but wants UNC. Even then, N.C. State would be attractive to the Big 12 and would fit in with Georgia Tech, Miami (if both wanted to go to the Big12), Clemson, FSU, and probably Louisville.

The Big Ten could choose to take Duke too if they wanted to try to get an in-road into the N.C. market and two of UVA, Maryland, or BC to pair with Notre Dame (likely UVA and BC, imo).

I love that Illinois put this out.



You just get more in the B1G.

The network's payout was down a bit, though...maybe this explains cutting the academic programming?

I believe North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Georgia Tech will not leave the ACC so long as there is a possibility of being invited to the Big Ten. And because the Big Ten does not appear to be in any hurry to expand, don't expect any of these schools to move anytime soon.

If they want to expand to 16, the SEC should pursue Virginia Tech and NC State, for two reasons:
1. They are arguably the two best football programs of these 6 schools
2. They are not being blocked by the backroom agreement between the universities of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Kentucky that prevents adding schools from those states

If the Big 12 wants to expand, they should target schools being blocked from the SEC, such as Florida State, Clemson, and Louisville.

I agree with you about UNC, UVA, and Maryland. I'm iffy about Georgia Tech because of the rumors associating them and the Big 12 which I just have a feeling they will go with if their border partners FSU and Clemson bolt.

It could be that the Big Ten snags UNC, UVA, Maryland, and Notre Dame or Duke should the Irish choose independence.

GT fits the mold of a B1G school. It's the location that makes them a tough sell.

True. But that said, if, and a big if, the Big 12 ever were able to pull in FSU and Clemson, and lets say there is also movement by VA Tech and NC State, with the Big 12 and SEC at 14 or 16 schools, I could see a benefit for the Big Ten TV model to look into the current ACC region.

Not sure how likely a Duke/UNC split would be...but the Big Ten could grow to a pretty good 16 with Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia Tech. You add a ton of great markets, killer recruiting access, and make that B10 TV contract even bigger with markets like Baltimore, DC, Richmond, Norfolk, Raleigh-Durham, Charlotte, and a big one...Atlanta. Just have that whole Big Ten issue with members needing to be in states connected to other Big Ten states

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Duke, too, fits the mold of a Big Ten school. It can't draw flies for football, but institutionally and administratively, it would be one of the biggest acquisitions of the conference. Like, Ivy League-level status.

I think there's the "meat" the B1G would gladly take: UVA, UNC, Duke, and GT. Of those, GT, who recently publicly committed to the ACC, looks the most approachable, if only because they are a relatively recent member and a traveler by way of the SEC.

The rest need a lot of work. UMD is good, but it's tied very closely with that NC-VA core. BC dropped off in football. Clemson isn't a cultural fit, VT needs more time to develop, and Wake is insignifcant. NCST, UMFL, FSU, Pitt, and 'Cuse needn't apply (in some cases, again).

VT would be a cool add, but it's VA's "second" school. UVA is a gem...I suspect the B1G would want nothing less, and VT, sadly, is less.

So, the PAC seems to be saying top four conference champs. The B1G is now saying the groan-inducing +1.

Don't be surprised if the Big East, ACC, and Notre Dame also don't jump on board with this one soon.