Big 10 (+2?)

[AUloggerhead 2,252]

link

I'm not sure who they'd invite. ND has it made going solo. Maybe Pitt? Or, a team from the MAC?

Lure of football title game might get Big Ten to expand to 12

Associated Press

Updated: July 26, 2007, 9:27 PM ET

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Big Ten officials will likely discuss expanding to 12 schools to accommodate the new Big Ten Network, commissioner Jim Delany said.

The network, which is scheduled to launch Aug. 30, would benefit from an additional big-name university in a large television market, Delany said.

"I think we need to look at it in the next year," he told the Des Moines Register on Wednesday. He offered no specific candidates.

"The broader [the network] is distributed, the more value [expansion] has. We have eight states. With expansion, you could have nine," he said.

In football, a 12th school could mean two divisions and a postseason playoff. That's an appealing concept to the startup network.

"Any television executive would do whatever they could to be able to air a game like the Big Ten championship," said Mark Silverman, Big Ten Network president. "It would be worth a considerable amount of value."

Coaches think otherwise, said Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz.

"I've not met anybody in coaching that really enjoys it," Ferentz said of the divisional playoff format. "There's a lot of downside to it, in my opinion."

Among the concerns are missing out on a BCS bowl by losing the conference title game.

Delany said expansion would not guarantee the Big Ten would create an extra game.

"I could live with two divisions and a championship game, but I think that has a tendency to devalue the season-ending game and have a negative impact on your losing team in season-ending games," he said.

"I don't want us to tear ourselves apart over the structure of football for the sake of expansion."

The Big Ten tried to lure Notre Dame into the conference in 1999, but the Fighting Irish chose to remain a football independent after lengthy discussions.

Delany said of Notre Dame: "There aren't many universities that produce that kind of value."

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

[Tiger1992 999]

Actually, they only need one new team. You don't think the Big 10 actually has 10 schools do you? Heck no, they have 11 schools. I guess Big 11 just doesn't sound as sexy.

Real question - If they were to expand to 12, what would they call themselves? There's already a Big 12. Do you think they'd still stick with Big 10?

And they make fun of our edumacation down south.

[AURainman 6]

Why do conferences insist on calling themselves "big"?

Big T1E1N

Big XII

Big East

lame.

Let's start calling the SEC the Big SEC.

[BamaGrad03 0]

Actually, they only need one new team. You don't think the Big 10 actually has 10 schools do you? Heck no, they have 11 schools. I guess Big 11 just doesn't sound as sexy.

Real question - If they were to expand to 12, what would they call themselves? There's already a Big 12. Do you think they'd still stick with Big 10?

And they make fun of our edumacation down south.

They'd be the Large 12.

[quietfan 233]

I know there's no way to make it happen, but I wish somehow Notre Dame could be forced to join that conference and stop being treated like a prima donna with special rules and privilages not shared by other schools (exclusive TV contract, special BCS standing, etc.).

As for the new name, a few suggestions:

The Snowbound 12

The Conceited 12

The Overated 12

Media-honked Bobo 12

or stick with:

The "We-Can't-Count" 10

[Justin5 20]

i know its not likely to happen, but if i was the big 10 i would go after rutgers - hard.

you want a new market, how about the new york/new jersey market? if they could get rutgers that would be huge. plus it makes decent geographical sense while adding 2 states to the market.

[ECEstudentUA 9]

Maybe Louisville?

That would give them a boost in Football, and will help basketball too.

[McWeagle 4]

I know there's no way to make it happen, but I wish somehow Notre Dame could be forced to join that conference and stop being treated like a prima donna with special rules and privilages not shared by other schools (exclusive TV contract, special BCS standing, etc.).

As for the new name, a few suggestions:

The Snowbound 12

The Conceited 12

The Overated 12

Media-honked Bobo 12

or stick with:

The "We-Can't-Count" 10

EDSBS offered "Off Tackle Right: The Conference"... I thought that was hysterical.

[Ryan Sanders 123]

"Among the concerns are missing out on a BCS bowl by losing the conference title game."

I don't see anybody complaining about that in the SEC. If your the better team, you shouldn't have to worry. I guess they worry because they get out of playing the best team in the conference some years.

[AUloggerhead 2,252]

Actually, they only need one new team. You don't think the Big 10 actually has 10 schools do you? Heck no, they have 11 schools. I guess Big 11 just doesn't sound as sexy.

Real question - If they were to expand to 12, what would they call themselves? There's already a Big 12. Do you think they'd still stick with Big 10?

And they make fun of our edumacation down south.

Of course they have 11. But even still, they still call themselves the Big 10. That's why I would label them the Big 10 (+2) if they expanded to 12. Pitt would be a good choice in that they are a good fit geographically. Plus, they have a natural rival in PSU.

The point is, they're considering expansion and a conference championship game. This is good news for all of us cfb fans in favor of a playoff to determine a true national championship. The conference TV network the Big 10 is starting up is another step in the right direction. I see the SEC following their lead in another year or two.

[ECEstudentUA 9]

Actually, they only need one new team. You don't think the Big 10 actually has 10 schools do you? Heck no, they have 11 schools. I guess Big 11 just doesn't sound as sexy.

Real question - If they were to expand to 12, what would they call themselves? There's already a Big 12. Do you think they'd still stick with Big 10?

And they make fun of our edumacation down south.

Your right, notice the logo

Can you imagine how much fun it would be to add a 2 into that picture.

[Tiger1992 999]

Actually, they only need one new team. You don't think the Big 10 actually has 10 schools do you? Heck no, they have 11 schools. I guess Big 11 just doesn't sound as sexy.

Real question - If they were to expand to 12, what would they call themselves? There's already a Big 12. Do you think they'd still stick with Big 10?

And they make fun of our edumacation down south.

Your right, notice the logo

Can you imagine how much fun it would be to add a 2 into that picture.

I thought you were joking with that logo until I got on the conference's website and saw that it's legit. I guess they can add. What a joke.

[ECEstudentUA 9]

Actually, they only need one new team. You don't think the Big 10 actually has 10 schools do you? Heck no, they have 11 schools. I guess Big 11 just doesn't sound as sexy.

Real question - If they were to expand to 12, what would they call themselves? There's already a Big 12. Do you think they'd still stick with Big 10?

And they make fun of our edumacation down south.

Your right, notice the logo

Can you imagine how much fun it would be to add a 2 into that picture.

I thought you were joking with that logo until I got on the conference's website and saw that it's legit. I guess they can add. What a joke.

To me, that logo is really lame. The SEC logo is so much better.

[Guest Tigrinum Major]

Conference logo smack?

God help us all.

[DCWarEagle 0]

Yeah, everybody knows the Big Ten would sell whatever soul it has to get Notre Dame, but the Irish don't need a conference b/c of the way their TV contract and the BCS are set up.

I know it won't happen, but I'd like to see the Big Ten get a Big 12 school (perhaps Mizzou or Iowa State), then Arkansas could go to the Big 12, then we take Clemson from the ACC. I always thought Clemson should be in the SEC, not that basketball conference. It would stink to have three sets of Tigers in the SEC, but aside from that would be great.

[ECEstudentUA 9]

Conference logo smack?

God help us all.

Haha, I know. Its got to be summer time.