Big Ten expansion could happen soon

[Fresno St. Alum]

Super, There is this guy TexasTerror from ags who's big on conference info. He has talked about the NEW SWC but not with the Big 12 schools(Problems there are not that bad from what I hear). Its with the Texas/Louisiana schools from C-USA spliting from the Eastern schools. It probably won't happen, but has been talked about.

[CitadelGrad]

Colorado is probably a little too far east for the Pac 10. Plus the school has had lots of problems. Colorado St. vs TCU/Houston. I figure the 5 north schools would vote for Colorado St. and the 4 Texas schools would vote for TCU/Hou. If Oklahoma/Oklahoma St. want to keep their rivalry they'd vote for Colorado St. OSU should vote for CSU no matter what so they don't have to go to the north. I don't think Arkansas will leave the SEC for the B-12 but who knows.

I hope the Big 10 announces expansion by next june. If they do will the Pac 10 follow?

Colorado and Texas have both had talked to the PAC 10 in the past. When the SWC broke up, Texas even approached the Big Ten. If you Google Earth, I think you fine that Boulder isn't as far from the Oregon and Washington schools as Tempe, Tucson and L.A.

[GeauxColonels]

But if the Pac-10 DID decide to expand....would they only go after one school? Or two to give them the full 12 team spectrum. If they went for 2 more, I could see Colorado and possibly Fresno State, Boise State or Hawai'i.

[Fresno St. Alum]

If the Pac 10 went to 12 I think that Utah and UNLV would be the 2 with Fresno St. having an outside shot if the CA schools really wanted them. Boise St. would also have an outside shot, small market though

[BlazerDawg]

Other than Notre Dame, which has already turned them down, there just really isn't a team that seems automatic. Why would a Big 12 or a Big East team want to go to the Big 10 and thus get a harder road to the BCS? I know money is often the deciding factor, but would the revenue bought in by the move offset the big payday of the BCS bowls? Mizzou can barely compete in the Big 12; so, moving to the Big 10 would be a stupid move for them. Rutgers hasn't been good long enough to be considered Big 10 material, and again, why would they want to leave the Big East for the Big 10 thus getting a tougher schedule. With Rich Rodriguez at WVU, they can produce football good enough for the Big 10 and would fit geographically, but it comes back to the harder schedule. The same would go for Pitt.

Unless they can get ND, they should just leave things as they are.

[BigApp]

Syracuse

[Fresno St. Alum]

Big Ten is on a higher level than the Big East in the minds of a lot schools. Mizzou is doing well in Big 12 football. Even if the road to the top is harder the presidents of those schools would probably rather be known as a Big Ten school over a Big East/Big 12 school. I don't see the AD/Pres/Coach saying oh we can't compete with the big 10 say in the Big East where it's safe. Most schools want the challege of steping it up.

[Fresno St. Alum]

What the hell is going on? 12th member not coming to the Big 10, or just trying to hide what they already let out?

See below article from Inianapolis Star


12:46 PM July 31, 2007


Delany: No plans to expand Big Ten
By Terry Hutchens
terry.hutchens@indystar.com
July 31, 2007
The Indianpolis Star
INDY.COM


"CHICAGO — Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said today expansion is not a primary issue for the conference.

“I think expansion is always possible, but as you know we expanded in 1990 and with the exception of Notre Dame (in 1999) we haven’t had conversations with anyone, nor do we have plans to have conversations with anyone," Delany said today during the Big Ten Media Days.

In an interview last week with the Des Moines Register, Delany was quoted as having an interest in expansion. “I think we need to look at it in the next year,’’ Delany said in the interview. “The broader (the network) is distributed, the more value (expansion) has. We have eight states. With expansion, you could have nine.’’

Today, Delany was careful not to accuse the newspaper of misquoting him but felt some clarification was necessary.

Delany said he felt that the quotes in the story were accurate but that it was when others picked up the story that it took on a life of its own.

“It’s interesting when it gets out there and it gets reiterated, you might think that the Big Ten was announcing it was going to expand and really that was not the case," Delany said. “What I said was that every three to five years we look at expansion and we’ll continue to do that."

Among the other topics that Delany addressed were his views on whether the Big Ten should play a championship in football or if the conference should explore playing a ninth conference game. He said the Big Ten is not interested in a championship game. He said, “If so, we would have had one 15 years ago."

As for nine conference games, he said the coaches were unanimously opposed to that suggestion and preferred to play eight Big Ten games. He said the coaches were unanimously supportive of a bye week in the schedule, but were split over whether the conference should play games beyond Thanksgiving weekend."

[Fresno St. Alum]

same shit different paper



Journal and Courier
Lafayette - West Lafayette, Indiana

2-Minute Drills
PUBLISHED: 07-31-07 2:00 AM EST

Network sees profit in 12th Big Ten team
By TOM KUBAT
tkubat@journalandcourier.com

"Ah, the power of TV. And TV money.

Even a fledgling operation like the Big Ten Network already is flexing its muscles.

At least that would seem to be the case if what Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany says is accurate.

After being rejected by Notre Dame as a possible 12th school a few years back, Delany and other Big Ten officials said expansion would not be on the horizon in the near future.

Delany now says the Big Ten would like to grow from an eight-state league to one that might include nine states. And, that the Big Ten Network would love to be able to televise a conference championship football game.

That, of course, means adding a 12th team, splitting into two six-team divisions and having the two division winners square off in December for the league title.

Never mind that many of the current Big Ten coaches have said they would not be in favor of a Big Ten title game.

And, never mind that if the Big Ten did indeed stage a football championship game, doesn't it figure the game would be televised on ABC?

Which brings us to the Big Ten Kickoff affair in Chicago today and Wednesday, where Delany and the coaches are sure to be questioned about this.

The answers should prove to be very interesting. "