People commonly think of the Big 10 being split into an Eastern Division and Western Division format if they went to 12, with the divisional boundary either occuring at the Illinois-Indiana state line or splitting up the state of Indiana, with one team going into the east and the other into the west. With Notre Dame, the other option is a north-south divisional line up with the divisions looking like this:

North Division:

Iowa
Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
Ohio State
Wisconsin

South Division:

Illinois
Indiana
Northwestern
Notre Dame
Purdue
Penn State

and coupled with an ACC arrangement where 1 team plays another in the other division permanently as a rival, such as Michigan State-Notre Dame, Wisconsin-Illinois, Ohio State-Penn State, etc. This arrangement preserves the most rivalries.

You could do the same thing, only don't think of geographic names so much, more like Atlantic Division and Coastal Division in the ACC. It could look something like this:

Big Division:

Iowa
Minnesota
Michigan
Michigan State
Ohio State
Wisconsin

Ten Division:

Illinois
Indiana
Northwestern
Penn State
Purdue
Syracuse/Rutgers/Pittsburgh

As far as a replacement in the Big East, the usual suspects: ECU, UCF, Memphis, Marshall, UAB, and possibly even consider more strongly a UMass move-up to take on expanding into a new market (somewhat -- Western MA would be new and compete statewide with BC in Eastern Mass) in the northeast to replace Syracuse (or Rutgers or Pitt), as they would leave the northeast with one fewer teams for the BE in that market.

UMass would only be for the 9th member. Syracuse replacement would have to be from the ECU, UCF, Memphis, Marshall, UAB group, in order to have a 8th member quick and ready as much as possible to maintain the required 8 members to be a I-A conference.

With that new TV channel, would the Big Ten be more apt to host to go for a fb championship game, or less? Such a game, ESPN or another would televise. Agree, it would be Notre Dame to add or sit tight a lot longer. While new markets are sought, most conferences also want to incorporate all the very top schools within their established footprints if expansion is intended.

I think the new TV channel removes nearly all of the incentives to go to 12 teams and have a FB championship game. Before, you could make the argument that the additional money that the Big Ten would earn from a FB championship game alone would justify inviting a team other than Notre Dame. Now, however, the addition of the FB championship money probably wouldn't be enough to compensate for having to split the TV channel money with a 12th member. To me, that really means the Big Ten won't add anyone that can't add a significant amount of revenue on its own above and beyond a FB championship game, which pretty much leaves Notre Dame as the only viable candidate.

illinoisbluedemon,are you and Frank the Tank still using the $6.43 million number for NotreDame TV revenue?
Here is link back in 2003 regarding NBC deal renewal and $9 million number at http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/2003-11-13-notre-dame-conference_x.htm


Link to another 2003 article (Darren Rovell at ESPN)referencing $9 million ND/NBC number at http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-44147.html

illinibluedemon:

In to your addition to your post look at it from another direction. First how much would a championship game be worth with a 12th member and figure the split between 12 members. Next if the championship game knocks a potential conference member from a second BCS bid the conference would loose at least $8 million in additional income. Using a 2006 BCS distribution schedule sample, the first BCS representative would receive a base share from a BCS bowl of $14,866,666 and a second BCS member would receive a base BCS share of $7, 955,556 or a total base share of $22,822,222 of BCS money for an eleven member conference. Since this a base number the ending revenue would be higher. Who really needs ND under this scenario, except the BE.

By the way Nova doesn't have to move up either for the BE. They already get a share of BCS money. Using the same BCS sample Nova gets a whopping 1/12th 0f $225,000 for being in the 1-AA -Atlantic 10. Why go to the expense of a new stadium when they are already in the BIG BCS MONEY. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;) ;) ;) 8-) 8-) 8-)

_________________
SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS - SEC
RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS - BIG EAST / AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE / BIG TEN

Freaked4CollegeFB,

Thanks for the info. I will post an update using those links.