The Big Ten, which is actually 11, could become 12 according to an article in the Des Moines Register. Schools rumored are Rutgers and Syracuse.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs...34/1003/archive
Full Version: Big Ten Considers Expansion?
Here is what is behind Delany's expansion talk.
PANIC IN BIG TEN CHANNEL LAND
Now that the Big East has proven it is not going away from being a BCS Conference forever more.
The Big Ten is making waves to go after Notre Dame one more time. It is standing by watching Notre Dame solidify its Independence and increasing its association with Big East Scheduling as it drops Big Ten Schools.
In addition, it is clear the Big Ten Channel is having some trouble in demanding the $1.10 per household on cable and running into problems with other Networks and Congress. Consequently, why not cause some buzz to announce it is time to look to expansion. If you look at Delany quote today, it IS the exact same quote he used in 1999 and 2003 and now today in 2007?
Just a guess here but Delany is sending a shot across Notre Dame Bow right now. Once again reminding them, we cannot wait forever. The Big Ten wants Notre Dame because it fits so well for the conference in all aspects, it does not deliver a State TV Market, but a Nation TV Market. The Big Ten Channel is paying each Big Ten School $7.4 million. This is actually higher than Notre Dame whose NBC contract has been reduced to $6.5 today.
Moreover, The Big Ten is noting that Notre Dame is moving way from playing Big Ten Schools by dropping Michigan and Michigan State in the future. As it moves to play 3 Big East Schools in the near future, one game in the NY Giants Meadowlands every year. This alone hurts Big Ten TV Revenues as those games go away.
The problem is that there is no program in the nation that has less of an incentive to join a conference than Notre Dame. The Irish recently renewed their TV contract with NBC and the new BCS rules essentially guarantee that the team will receive a major bowl berth if they can get through the regular season with only two losses.
It is my opinion, nothing is going to happen for 2 to 3 years, this announcement is to bolster Big Ten attempts to keep its Big Ten Channel to be established. It also will cause some schools to contact the Big Ten and some from the Big East and Big-12 looking for that Big Ten TV Money if it can stay at $7.4 million. Should it have to be lowered as competition come son line or if cannot deliver such sums in the future, one can imagine how the Big Ten would be embarrassed, so it has to start looking at adding value to the Big Ten Channel now. Fox will take early losses if it can make gains later.
Soon you will see articles are whether the Big Ten Channel is actually being able to deliver its money, package, and excitement. Already there has been movement from Washington to Iowa to Ann Arbor to Columbus complaining that the games the Big Ten Channel is offering are awful and no one is happy that all Big Ten games will no longer be free now in totality.
Also, ESPN/ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, and NFL Networks are not happy about watching Fox partnership with the Big Ten Channel and then the Big Ten channel demanding $1.10 per household on other Cable Networks they have big stakes in with others.
Therefore, the Big Ten is smelling some competition, is looking to quell some of the panic, and decided it is time to cause some movement as it sends a message to Notre Dame and let other contemplate movements when the Big Ten makes its final move to expand. It has one more shot at Notre Dame, this is the time to push it, and doing it by letting other school contact them so they can be part of that new TV Contract if it survives at the rate it is today. If it cannot grab Notre Dame soon, it will never have them in the future.
On the other hand, Notre Dame is critical for Big East Sports. Although Big East Football is strong enough to survive any Big Ten Raid for any school now. Notre Dame is critical because it does provide the Big East with viability in all other sports and playing 3 Big East Schools every year while dumping Big Ten Schools, the Bowl Tie-Ins, Full Partners in Basketball, and other sports is a big coup for the Big East and a thorn in the Big Ten. It keeps ND Alums happy by staying Independent in Football.
Notre Dame is the only way to make the Big Ten stronger in Football and at the same time make the Big East weaker in all sports. Jim Delany has rolled the dice on the Big Ten Channel and he is using it now to bait Notre Dame by talking about expansion without Notre Dame.
Finally, Jim Delany is still rolling over how bad the Big Ten Conference was seen at the end of season with 6 of 11 schools with losing records, and Bowl massacres by USC and Florida. He attacked SEC then SEC countered and embarrassed him even more on Big Ten NCAA Violation histories.
Add this to the current Big Ten Channel troubles and you have a guy not exactly happy being a punching bag, so what better way to upset everyone talking about taking another team from somewhere.
It is interesting to watch it unfold but it will take 2 to 3 years, not 2 to 3 weeks, or moths. It was done on purpose to create the buzz, make Notre Dame re-think its positions and have any team interested in more TV money to make their Athletics Department Independent right now, "IF" they can make it work.
Saying they are looking at it is exact same quote Delany said in 1999, 2003 and today. It is ND or Wait!
PANIC IN BIG TEN CHANNEL LAND
Now that the Big East has proven it is not going away from being a BCS Conference forever more.
The Big Ten is making waves to go after Notre Dame one more time. It is standing by watching Notre Dame solidify its Independence and increasing its association with Big East Scheduling as it drops Big Ten Schools.
In addition, it is clear the Big Ten Channel is having some trouble in demanding the $1.10 per household on cable and running into problems with other Networks and Congress. Consequently, why not cause some buzz to announce it is time to look to expansion. If you look at Delany quote today, it IS the exact same quote he used in 1999 and 2003 and now today in 2007?
Just a guess here but Delany is sending a shot across Notre Dame Bow right now. Once again reminding them, we cannot wait forever. The Big Ten wants Notre Dame because it fits so well for the conference in all aspects, it does not deliver a State TV Market, but a Nation TV Market. The Big Ten Channel is paying each Big Ten School $7.4 million. This is actually higher than Notre Dame whose NBC contract has been reduced to $6.5 today.
Moreover, The Big Ten is noting that Notre Dame is moving way from playing Big Ten Schools by dropping Michigan and Michigan State in the future. As it moves to play 3 Big East Schools in the near future, one game in the NY Giants Meadowlands every year. This alone hurts Big Ten TV Revenues as those games go away.
The problem is that there is no program in the nation that has less of an incentive to join a conference than Notre Dame. The Irish recently renewed their TV contract with NBC and the new BCS rules essentially guarantee that the team will receive a major bowl berth if they can get through the regular season with only two losses.
It is my opinion, nothing is going to happen for 2 to 3 years, this announcement is to bolster Big Ten attempts to keep its Big Ten Channel to be established. It also will cause some schools to contact the Big Ten and some from the Big East and Big-12 looking for that Big Ten TV Money if it can stay at $7.4 million. Should it have to be lowered as competition come son line or if cannot deliver such sums in the future, one can imagine how the Big Ten would be embarrassed, so it has to start looking at adding value to the Big Ten Channel now. Fox will take early losses if it can make gains later.
Soon you will see articles are whether the Big Ten Channel is actually being able to deliver its money, package, and excitement. Already there has been movement from Washington to Iowa to Ann Arbor to Columbus complaining that the games the Big Ten Channel is offering are awful and no one is happy that all Big Ten games will no longer be free now in totality.
Also, ESPN/ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, and NFL Networks are not happy about watching Fox partnership with the Big Ten Channel and then the Big Ten channel demanding $1.10 per household on other Cable Networks they have big stakes in with others.
Therefore, the Big Ten is smelling some competition, is looking to quell some of the panic, and decided it is time to cause some movement as it sends a message to Notre Dame and let other contemplate movements when the Big Ten makes its final move to expand. It has one more shot at Notre Dame, this is the time to push it, and doing it by letting other school contact them so they can be part of that new TV Contract if it survives at the rate it is today. If it cannot grab Notre Dame soon, it will never have them in the future.
On the other hand, Notre Dame is critical for Big East Sports. Although Big East Football is strong enough to survive any Big Ten Raid for any school now. Notre Dame is critical because it does provide the Big East with viability in all other sports and playing 3 Big East Schools every year while dumping Big Ten Schools, the Bowl Tie-Ins, Full Partners in Basketball, and other sports is a big coup for the Big East and a thorn in the Big Ten. It keeps ND Alums happy by staying Independent in Football.
Notre Dame is the only way to make the Big Ten stronger in Football and at the same time make the Big East weaker in all sports. Jim Delany has rolled the dice on the Big Ten Channel and he is using it now to bait Notre Dame by talking about expansion without Notre Dame.
Finally, Jim Delany is still rolling over how bad the Big Ten Conference was seen at the end of season with 6 of 11 schools with losing records, and Bowl massacres by USC and Florida. He attacked SEC then SEC countered and embarrassed him even more on Big Ten NCAA Violation histories.
Add this to the current Big Ten Channel troubles and you have a guy not exactly happy being a punching bag, so what better way to upset everyone talking about taking another team from somewhere.
It is interesting to watch it unfold but it will take 2 to 3 years, not 2 to 3 weeks, or moths. It was done on purpose to create the buzz, make Notre Dame re-think its positions and have any team interested in more TV money to make their Athletics Department Independent right now, "IF" they can make it work.
Saying they are looking at it is exact same quote Delany said in 1999, 2003 and today. It is ND or Wait!
I am very disappointed in the leadership of the Big Ten and their desire to make it the Big Ten plus two due solely to financial greed and ego busting football rankings.
Way back, at the genesis of the collegiat sports world, conferences were about local schools competing for school honor and pride, NOT money. Just look at the history of the Big Ten, the Acadamies, and the Ivy League schools and the traditions and rivalries. They are wonderful and very colorful examples of the best of the NCAA and confrence pride. As a Minnesota Gopher fan, I am proud of the triditions we hold with Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Iowa, just to name few. Playing Penn State is great (even though we get our butt kicked every time), they will always be a non-confrence competitor in my mind. The Big Ten ruined the confrence once, now they want to add insult to injury.
This move, to add a 12th school to the Big Ten plus one, for financial growth and profit, not hardship or for making the confrence a better collection of schools, is one of its darkest days.
Way back, at the genesis of the collegiat sports world, conferences were about local schools competing for school honor and pride, NOT money. Just look at the history of the Big Ten, the Acadamies, and the Ivy League schools and the traditions and rivalries. They are wonderful and very colorful examples of the best of the NCAA and confrence pride. As a Minnesota Gopher fan, I am proud of the triditions we hold with Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Iowa, just to name few. Playing Penn State is great (even though we get our butt kicked every time), they will always be a non-confrence competitor in my mind. The Big Ten ruined the confrence once, now they want to add insult to injury.
This move, to add a 12th school to the Big Ten plus one, for financial growth and profit, not hardship or for making the confrence a better collection of schools, is one of its darkest days.
The Notre Dame faculty and alumni would burn the stadium down before they allowed ND to join the Big Ten. It just ain't gonna happen.
QUOTE(Munson Man @ Jul 28 2007, 06:22 PM) 
The Notre Dame faculty and alumni would burn the stadium down before they allowed ND to join the Big Ten. It just ain't gonna happen.
and that would be a bad thing?
there have been rumors since Penn State joined the darkside that the Big 10/11 would invite some more northeast teams, especially Syracuse and Pitt
with the success of the Big East, I doubt that any of our schools will be leaving anytime soon
the Big 10/11 will be looking westward if they do expand
it will be a Big 12 school if anything
QUOTE(theodoresdaddy @ Jul 29 2007, 01:45 AM)
it will be a Big 12 school if anything
I was thinkning the same thing, but who's going to jump ship for Big Ten? Each one of the Big 12 are powerhouses in their own right. Will they go for a second tier school like Montana or University of Utah? Or possibly NDSU or UND? Moorhead State in KY? At least they would be adding a different state to the mix - as the Big Ten officials have hinted at.
All talk... I cannot see them actully going through with it.
It's been an off and on rumor that if any school from the Big XII were to jump to the Big Ten, that it would be Missouri. They would bring the St. Louis and Kansas City markets in the fold and have a reasonably good academic repuation. In addition, it would provide balance (geographically) for the league to split into two divisions West (Minn, Wisc, Iowa, Mizzou, Illinois, Northwestern), East (Penn St, Ohio St, Mich, Mich St, Purdue, Indiana).
If that were to happen, I would look at the Big XII going after a school such as Wyoming, New Mexico, or Colorado State. There has been a lot of talk about the Texas schools bolting for another conference such as the Pac Ten, but I just don't see that happening. I think it's actually more plausible for BYU and Utah to make the jump to the Pac Ten simply because they are neighboring rivals and that would provide a natural 6th pair to that league.
I don't see Pitt being invited simply because Penn State already has dibs on the Pittsburgh market. The other option is Rutgers, which would give the Big Ten a foothold in the New York City market.
Just my two cents.
If that were to happen, I would look at the Big XII going after a school such as Wyoming, New Mexico, or Colorado State. There has been a lot of talk about the Texas schools bolting for another conference such as the Pac Ten, but I just don't see that happening. I think it's actually more plausible for BYU and Utah to make the jump to the Pac Ten simply because they are neighboring rivals and that would provide a natural 6th pair to that league.
I don't see Pitt being invited simply because Penn State already has dibs on the Pittsburgh market. The other option is Rutgers, which would give the Big Ten a foothold in the New York City market.
Just my two cents.
Looks like expansion is on the back burner now after the Big 10 commisioner states it's not a priority and is backpedding.
BUFFALO!!!!!! 
Too bad they never got off the ground as a 1A program, had they become a powerhouse MAC school they may have had a remote chance.
Too bad they never got off the ground as a 1A program, had they become a powerhouse MAC school they may have had a remote chance.
I always heard that Missouri would be a Big 10/11 target
but you all have to remember that the Big 10/11 conference is also an academic conference as well
each school is a member of some academic group-Association of American Universities-and to be considered for membership in the Big 10/11, a school has to be a member of that group
it's like the top 100 research universities in the nation or something
but you all have to remember that the Big 10/11 conference is also an academic conference as well
each school is a member of some academic group-Association of American Universities-and to be considered for membership in the Big 10/11, a school has to be a member of that group
it's like the top 100 research universities in the nation or something
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.