Miz, Neb, Cuse, Pitt, Rutgers to Big 10 (Article inside)

[Garret]

Detroit News says that the Big 10 will go to 16 teams.

Here's what is happening today with Big Ten expansion, which is almost certainly headed for a 16-team conference, based upon sources who can be trusted and who prefer that their names not be revealed.

The Big Ten within a couple of years will likely be one of four 16-team national super conferences, with Big 12 football and Big East football the casualties.

Missouri and Nebraska are the best bets to join the Big Ten and begin the break-up of the Big 12. Rutgers and either Syracuse or Pitt are the most likely schools to leave a dissolving Big East and join the Big Ten, although Connecticut is a possibility, as is Maryland from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Notre Dame is the wild card. It is also the most vital name the Big Ten can add to a 16-team lineup.

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100511/OPINION03/5110390/Sources--Big-Ten-headed-to-16-team-super-conference

[HB Pony Dad]

funny thing about this is that you have to apply & qualify for membership to the big 10. nebraska doesn't meet the academic standards that the big 10 requires.

Neither are Missouri or Notre Dame. Nebraska is ranked higher than Missouri, and Notre Dame isn't an AAU member. I assume those are things they are willing to overlook if there is any truth to all of this.

Unless they are only going to add Pitt and Rutgers, they don't have a lot of options that meet their current standards. However, all Nebraska would have to do is link the medical school to the UNL campus (like most of the Big 10 schools do) and its ranking won't be much of an issue. Right now the med center is its own entity in the university system.

UNL is a member of the Association of American Universities as are Pitt, Syracuse, and Rutgers ( and Rice, aTm, and UT as well) so Nebraska is ok for Big Televen on that count.

However the The Catholic University of America (1900-2002) left the AAU as a result of "institutional emphases and energies" that differed from the other AAU members.

ND, no doubt, has the same issues!

Missouri brings the whole state and TV bucks.

UNL also brings along...


Herbie Husker

What more could the Big Televen desire?

[mrydel]

Here in SEC country they floated the possibility all of this ending up with 4, 20 team conferences. 5 teams in each conference division (similar to the NFL) and having north south play each other in the east division, north south play each other in hte west division and the winners play for conference championship. then you are just a couple of more games away from a playoff for the national championship.

With this would come the 80 teams breaking off from the NCAA. They would agree to cross the line and play remaining NCAA teams as non conference games but only with the understanding that the NCAA and it teams could dictate no rules in any form or fashion to the new cartel.

[Mexmustang]

Leave them alone to play each other...every year there will be 72 coaches on the block and not enough bowl eligible teams to keep the lower 60 happy.

[Water Pony]

Sports Illustrated handicaps the field:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/w ... tes/1.html

[Water Pony]

The argument for Nebr. by Omaha paper:

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100516/S ... 05159781/0

[PoconoPony]

Re Water Pony's Omaha paper article supra.

I recall that when Penn State joined the Big 10 there were numerous media articles in PA indicating that it was the academic side of the house that demanded they join. The academic side of the house expected to receive between 110 to 118 million dollars in research funding in the first year based on some distribution/sharing formula set up by the Big 10 schools. I would expect that similar arrangements are still in place and that if any school were offered Big 10 membership that the athletic side would merely be the media focus with the research/academic side doing most of the push.

[PoconoPony]

Re Water Pony's Omaha paper article supra.

I recall that when Penn State joined the Big 10 there were numerous media articles in PA indicating that it was the academic side of the house that demanded they join. The academic side of the house expected to receive between 110 to 118 million dollars in research funding in the first year based on some distribution/sharing formula set up by the Big 10 schools. I would expect that similar arrangements are still in place and that if any school were offered Big 10 membership that the athletic side would merely be the media focus with the research/academic side doing most of the push.

[Water Pony]

Big Ten Coaches meeting starts today in Chicago:

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports ... rimer.html

[Water Pony]

Huskers see their future:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/3928 ... ker-nation

[Water Pony]

Big 12 alum/columist in Washington doesn't hold back:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... s-col-blog

Rivarlies rule!