Big Ten looking to add another team

[LoganBuck]

It is really hard for Notre Dame to enter a conference until their contract with NBC runs out, NBC has exclusive rights to broadcast their games up until 2010.

I am not sure but I think I heard recently that Notre Dame's contract has either been extended, or renewed for even longer. I think it may be tied to Wies's contract.

[camisadelgolf]

I'd kick out Michigan. There's nothing good about that school. Any time they win, it's luck.

[WVRed]

Nebraska leaving would be a blow to the big 12, don't see that happening, Kentucky would be foolish to leave the SEC, ND will never happen.

Read an article a few weeks back about how the SEC wanted Texas and A&M when they expanded in 92, both schools were receptive until Texas politics got in the way because the political leaders of the time were Baylor and Texas Tech grads.

You can probably just throw all the big east teams on the list of possibilities with the exception of Pitt, the Big East..one stop shopping for all your conference expansion needs, tell em the ACC sent you

I really don't see a reason for Kentucky not to jump to the Big Ten, unless it would be because of history.

Kentucky may view themselves as a southern team, but they are the most northern school in the Southeastern Conference.

Basketball:

Your main rival in the SEC is separated by 591 miles one way.(Florida), whereas your main rival in the Big Ten is only 133 miles away(Indiana), and there is already a decent rivalry established. If Kentucky and Indiana had something like a conference championship on the line, this rivalry could reach the likes of Duke and North Carolina.

The second closest rivalry is Tennessee, who has just started to rebound from the Buzz Peterson era. Kentucky and Ohio St however could be on par and could replace Tennessee.

There is also the added benefit in the short term of facing Tubby Smith once or twice a year, plus the overall quality of competition in the Big Ten(Michigan St, Wisconsin) really does compete with the SEC on a basketball level.

The real key however, is football. While it is nice to see Kentucky having decent success recently in the SEC, one has to realize that the win over Alabama during the Tim Couch years is likely the last time Kentucky will ever beat a national powerhouse in the SEC.

Why would Kentucky move to the Big Ten then and be decimated by Ohio St and Michigan? For the same reason that many thought that Ohio St would beat Florida into submission during the National Championship Game. The Big Ten is more of a grind it out type of conference, where the SEC primarily focuses more on speed. Because of this, Kentucky I think could rebound quicker in the Big Ten and possibly improve a lot quicker and contend easier.

Am I saying that Kentucky will come in and duplicate the success Florida had against Ohio St? Of course not, the two teams are apples and oranges. However, Kentucky would bring the SEC style of play into the Big Ten and could give some teams a decent run.

I don't think Kentucky would leave the SEC, however, due to the fact they are charter members and all of the tradition they hold. I do think though that when it comes to basketball, they are the number one powerhouse with Florida quickly closing in. If Kentucky leaves, the SEC will be reeling over the loss, not so much in football, but definitely in basketball.

Bottom line, if Kentucky leaves the SEC, it would be to benefit them in football, with a slight shot in the arm to the basketball program.

[WVPacman]

Sorry im a little behind on this subject but has anybody heard anything about the big ten wanting WVU in their conference??thanks

[AmarilloRed]

As a former resident of Ohio, I feel the point of the Big 10 is to include state colleges from Midwestern States. I realize that may not be true of all Big 10 teams though.

[LoganBuck]

Look for another public land grant institution if you are looking for the B10 to expand. Missouri, Kentucky, Nebraska, West Virginia etc....

[sonny]

I would like to see Iowa State. Just so Iowa can have a in state rival game with something on the line.

[dabvu2498]

I'd be all for getting rid of Northwestern. They're not consistently good at any sport and never will be.

Their 3 time defending national champion women's lacrosse team might disagree.

Their women's softball team that has made a few NCAA tourneys in a row might disagree as well.

I say kick Wisconsin out. They don't even have baseball as a varsity sport.

[Chip R]

Their 3 time defending national champion women's lacrosse team might disagree.

Their women's softball team that has made a few NCAA tourneys in a row might disagree as well.

I say kick Wisconsin out. They don't even have baseball as a varsity sport.

Great points. The Big 10 is not just about football and basketball. It's about all the sports they offer and the academic environment the schools have to offer. It's also about having the 3rd biggest market in the country in your conference which is where your headquarters is at.

If it weren't for basketball, I could see UK going to the Big 10. But in hoops, despite the recent success of Florida, they are the Yankees of that conference. They are everybody's #1 rival. They are the gold standard of that conference.

[Caseyfan21]

I'd think UK would be a great fit but I just can't see it happening. No way they leave the SEC at this point. Another school I have heard rumored is Colorado (why I don't know). That makes very little sense geographically.

UK and ND would be the two best fits but I just can't see either leaving their current situations.

[Red Leader]

Great points. The Big 10 is not just about football and basketball. It's about all the sports they offer and the academic environment the schools have to offer. It's also about having the 3rd biggest market in the country in your conference which is where your headquarters is at.

True, there are sports at these schools other than football, and a lot of them are very successful programs. However most D1 schools hang their hat on the major sports, Football, Basketball and Baseball with Football being the main cash cow. As with everything else these days, this is all about the almighty dollar so you can be assured that the team they end up picking is going to have not only a semi-competitive football program, but a larger market where they can draw more fans to watch their stupid channel.

Sorry im a little behind on this subject but has anybody heard anything about the big ten wanting WVU in their conference??thanks

I think WVU makes the most sense after Notre Dame. Big school, good programs in football and basketball. I think they could jump in and compete in either of those sports. Geographically, it makes sense as well. That's the school I'd be looking at if Notre Dame refused.

[joshnky]

This is just a hunch based on some news reports but I have a feeling ND will be making some decisions regarding conference affiliation when the NBC contract expires. The Big East is putting more pressure on them to become a full member (football is all that they're holding back) and are requiring ND to play 2 Big East teams a year. I'm guessing that pressure will continue to the point where ND either joins the Big East or possibly gets irritated and joins the Big Ten. The problem they're having is that they need a major conference affiliation for all of their other sports and the conference is leveraging the ND situation to get them to move towards full membership. Given that the Big East really needs ND as a football member I think the pressure will continue to intensify.

[GAC]

I don't see it being Notre Dame. It's way to advantageous for them to be an independent.

[Danny Serafini]

If I had to guess I'd say Missouri. It works geographically, it's a land grant that's decent enough academically, the athletic programs are reasonably good but won't threaten the established powers so there's no reason to run them off, and it offers entry into a couple of decent TV markets in St. Louis and Kansas City. To me they're the best fit. That said, I'd be surprised to see a 12th team anytime soon.

[pahster]

If I had to guess I'd say Missouri. It works geographically, it's a land grant that's decent enough academically, the athletic programs are reasonably good but won't threaten the established powers so there's no reason to run them off, and it offers entry into a couple of decent TV markets in St. Louis and Kansas City. To me they're the best fit. That said, I'd be surprised to see a 12th team anytime soon.

The University of Missouri (already part of the Big 12) or Missouri State? Because Missouri State is a regional school, used to be called Southwest Missouri State. It just changed it's name a couple years ago to escape the regional stigma. Unfortunately they haven't changed much of anything else about it and it's still far from a reputable academic institution. They produce next to no research and I believe have few, if any, PhD programs. I know an awful lot of people who've gone there and it sounds less than impressive. Faculty members there don't exactly come from prestigious programs. All in all, it's a fairly underwhelming school, likely less than pedestrian.

As for their sports programs, I guess they have a good baseball team. I don't really pay attention to college sports, though, so I can't say much about anything else they have to offer.