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Penn State coach Joe Paterno said Thursday night that he has pushed within the Big Ten conference to expand it to 12 teams as a method of leveling the playing field in college football.

"We go into hiding for six weeks," Paterno said, referring to the hiatus between the end of the Big Ten regular season and the BCS bowls. The other major FBS conferences play into the first weekend of December.

"Everybody else is playing playoffs on television," Paterno said. "You never see a Big Ten team mentioned. So I think that's a handicap.

"I've tried to talk to the Big Ten people about, 'Let's get a 12th team -- Syracuse, Rutgers, Pitt -- we could have a little bit of a playoff.'"

Paterno spoke to several college football reporters before a booster meeting at the Plaza Hotel. The comments came in response to a question on whether a team from the Northeast could win a national championship. The 1986 Nittany Lions are the last No. 1 team from the region.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4118848

never realized it, but it crazy to look at NCAA FBS champions since 1980 and the regional break down.

Northeast: 2
Southeast: 17
Southwest: 3
Midwest: 6
West: 5

dgreco wrote:never realized it, but it crazy to look at NCAA FBS champions since 1980 and the regional break down.

Northeast: 2
Southeast: 17
Southwest: 3
Midwest: 6
West: 5

Where's USC in your regionalization?

West

West teams are BYU, Colorado, USC, Washington
Northeast was only Penn State
Southwest was Oklahoma and Texas
Midwest was Notre Dame, Nebraska, Michigan and Ohio State
Southeast was Florida State, Miami, Florida, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Georgia, Alabama, LSU, and Tennessee

dgreco wrote:West

West teams are BYU, Colorado, USC, Washington
Northeast was only Penn State
Southwest was Oklahoma and Texas
Midwest was Notre Dame, Nebraska, Michigan and Ohio State
Southeast was Florida State, Miami, Florida, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Georgia, Alabama, LSU, and Tennessee

Put the Southeast this way: State of Florida - 10 Everybody else - 7

dbackjon wrote:Penn State coach Joe Paterno said Thursday night that he has pushed within the Big Ten conference to expand it to 12 teams as a method of leveling the playing field in college football.

"We go into hiding for six weeks," Paterno said, referring to the hiatus between the end of the Big Ten regular season and the BCS bowls. The other major FBS conferences play into the first weekend of December.

"Everybody else is playing playoffs on television," Paterno said. "You never see a Big Ten team mentioned. So I think that's a handicap.

"I've tried to talk to the Big Ten people about, 'Let's get a 12th team -- Syracuse, Rutgers, Pitt -- we could have a little bit of a playoff.'"

Paterno spoke to several college football reporters before a booster meeting at the Plaza Hotel. The comments came in response to a question on whether a team from the Northeast could win a national championship. The 1986 Nittany Lions are the last No. 1 team from the region.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4118848

I think Joe Pa is right. The current rules allow for a conference championship game if conferences have 12 or more teams. That is why the ACC raided the Big East and added Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College.

Notre Dame is a natural fit for the Big 10 - but at this point they have no intention of joining a conference.

Hey we already have a Big 12, would this new one become part duex?

OB55 wrote:Hey we already have a Big 12, would this new one become part duex?

Big 11

or perhaps the Bigger 12.

Syracuse
Rutgers
Missouri

Whenever the Big 11 realizes that is their list and Notre Dame isn't then the conference will be at 12.

Fresno St. Alum wrote:Syracuse
Rutgers
Missouri

Whenever the Big 11 realizes that is their list and Notre Dame isn't then the conference will be at 12.

Would like to see Missouri football wise, basketball wise Syracuse. However, as a I don't see Syracuse leaving the Big East basketball

All 3 of those schools would leave their conference for the Big 10. The whole prestige factor.

Fresno St. Alum wrote:Syracuse
Rutgers
Missouri

Whenever the Big 11 realizes that is their list and Notre Dame isn't then the conference will be at 12.

Geographically, Missouri makes the most sense of the three you listed.

I've also heard Pitt mentioned as being a possible candidate.

OB55 wrote:Hey we already have a Big 12, would this new one become part duex?

We already know they can't count over there. It'll still be called the Big Ten.

Paterno: Expand Big Ten, but no Notre Dame


Joe Paterno says he’d like to see either Rutgers, Pittsburgh or Syracuse join the Big Ten.

The Penn State coach also knows who he wants to keep out: Notre Dame.

Paterno, meeting with reporters Wednesday at an alumni event near Allentown, has long pushed for Big Ten expansion. A 12th team could ease scheduling difficulties and clear the way for a lucrative conference title game. Penn State joined as the conference’s 11th team in 1990.

Paterno said he’d like the Big Ten to add an Eastern school, especially one that plays in the New York media market. That would seem to favor Rutgers.

“If I had my choice, someone that can give us the biggest TV exposure in the East,” Paterno said, offering as possibilities “Syracuse, Pitt, Rutgers. Not in that order.”

Notre Dame rejected an invitation to join the Big Ten a decade ago.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/n ... &type=lgns

BlueHen86 wrote:

Fresno St. Alum wrote:Syracuse
Rutgers
Missouri

Whenever the Big 11 realizes that is their list and Notre Dame isn't then the conference will be at 12.

Geographically, Missouri makes the most sense of the three you listed.

I've also heard Pitt mentioned as being a possible candidate.

Don't believe any Pitt rumors you hear for 1 second. They are so far down the list especially for Paterno. He's a smart man and knows what he's doing: he plays his role of "crazy old guy" about expansion, backtracks, and comes back again. But the only reason he mentioned Pitt was because by doing so he makes Pitt a non-factor. If he omits Pitt from the list of schools, the story becomes "JoePa Against Pitt". But he clearly wants Rutgers or Syracuse as they are the only schools that fill the void he sees.