CHICAGO -- Penn State head coach Joe Paterno on Tuesday backed off his crusade for Big Ten expansion, saying league expansion should be left in the hands of commissioner Jim Delany.
Twice in recent weeks Paterno expressed his desire for the Big Ten to add a 12th team and a league championship game, which would end the regular season on the same weekend as the other five BCS conferences. He said Big Ten teams are at a competitive disadvantage by ending the regular season early, and the league loses relevancy during the long break before the bowl games.
Paterno took a less assertive position Tuesday at Big Ten meetings and expressed surprise that his initial remarks had created such a stir.
"I'm the newest guy in the league," Paterno said. "I've never been in a conference before. A guy like Delany that's been around the conference as long as he is, he's run this conference as long as he has, for me to come in here and tell him, 'Hey, Delany, this is what you've got to do,' I don't know."
Delany declared expansion a "back burner issue" in an interview with ESPN.com shortly after Paterno's original remarks and reiterated his position Tuesday. Though Big Ten coaches discussed expansion during their meetings with Delany, there remain no immediate plans to add a 12th member.
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