The Big 10 Conference is again thinking about expansion and, as before, speculating on which team ought to join makes for a fun parlor game. Herewith is a by no means exhaustive list of potential candidates to join, in no particular order:
Notre Dame
Pittsburgh
Rutgers
Syracuse
Iowa State
Missouri
Nebraska
Texas
Kentucky
Vanderbilt
Kansas
So let's the play the parlor game: if you were adding one team from this list, which one would you add? And why? I have my view on the matter and I'll offer it anon, but I don't want to color the discussion. Yet.
9 comments:
Mizzou, Iowa State, Nebraska, Texas and Kansas already play in a fine 12-team conference and at an arguably higher competitive level than the Big 10(11).
How about inviting Boise State into the house? Playing in a supposedly "major" conference might get them more BCS love while sparing Ohio State the ritual end-of-year humiliation.
Interesting comments, NW. Am holding off on a response for a while, though.
Good point, NW, about not taking away from a 12 team conference just to give to the Big 10.
I always thought Penn State was a good addition.
Notre Dame would fit. Iowa already has the U of I.
Does geography matter any more? Because if it does, then some of those teams are getting pretty far afield. (Yes, I know we already stretched a bit for Happy Valley.) If it does, then Notre Dame seems like the best option.
However, if it does not, then I think the Nightwriter's idea is very intriguing.
I like Vandy and Notre Dame. My alma mater needs some easy in-conference wins.... :^)
I remember when the Big 8 expanded to be the Big 12. I was a grad student at Colorado at the time (Go Big Red!), and we were sorely disappointed that the new conference wasn't going to be called the "Dirty Dozen."
Leave ND to twist in the wind. They might be ready for soon for the Missouri Valley Conference at the rate that they are going.
I like the idea of adding Pitt. In my mind, the eastern boundary of the Midwest is Pittsburgh, and I thought Penn State was a great addition.
Kudos to NW on the out of the box thinking on Boise State. The idea is intriguing.
Rich
Cal-Poly would be a good fit for that second-rate league.
I'd suggest we delete Northwestern or add Iowa State
We have to remember this is about money, ching, dinero. When a power conference does well, all its members to well -- some of the reveune is shared. The Big 12 and SEC are doing well, their teams won't leave to join the Big 10.
Notre Dame is doing quite fine by itself, even though their football team has been a mess for most of the last 10 years.
Pittsburgh is the most likely to me -- the Big East isn't exactly a football power conference, it's teams are not playing in the high $$$ bowls like the SEC, Big 12 and Big 10(+1).
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