Big Ten Expansion

BIG TEN Expansion, it’s not going to happen, but still fun to talk about.

So why am I talking about expanding the Big Ten? Well a few weeks ago, SI put up an article discussing expansion, and if you know me, Big Ten expansion is always on my mind, so this is just giving me an excuse to write about it.

Now before I dive into this column there are a few things that need to be discussed about Big Ten expansion. It is a logistical nightmare. The main reason for any Big Ten expansion would be to increase revenue of the conference. I know immediately most of you are thinking I am talking about adding the Big Ten Championship game. Yes this would bring in money, but not as much ad revenue that could be generated through the Big Ten Network by adding a team in a new, large market.

Also, another major factor for the Big Ten is they hold academics in very high regard. The Big Ten is the only Division 1 Conference in which all members are members of Association of American Universities. Also, all Big Ten schools are research institutions. Lastly, all have exceptional grad school programs.

These are all outside of athletics, there could be other challenges awaiting any Big Ten expansion; but, it’s still fun to speculate.

Now that we have decided to expand, we need to find out what we are going to call this new conference. Should it remain the Big Ten? The conference already gets made fun of enough for not being able to count, so I’m going to say maybe we should change it. We can’t do Big Twelve because the Big XII already exists. The Pacific-10 sounds good so maybe the Midwestern-12, but then you shorten that to Mid-12 and that makes the conference sound like a lesser conference. Also with potential east coast teams being “considered” for expansion this might also be inaccurate. What about ditching the numbers and going with a name, like the Great Lakes Conference? Well, that would have the same problem as now. Right now it is the Big Ten +1, it would be the Great Lakes plus Iowa. Still I think I like this one the best, but I’m not overly excited about it, somebody out there, give me help with a name.

Along with the name, how would the Big Ten align the new divisions in the conference? Location wise, like East/West or North/South? Or some other random way? The biggest question facing the divisions is what to do with Michigan vs Ohio St. Do you keep them in the same division so that the winner of that game will go on to the Big Ten title game to face someone else? Or do you have them in separate divisions with the possibilities of meeting 2 games in a row? I personally like the latter of the two. There can never be too much of Go Blue and the Horseshoe.


So which team should the Big Ten look to add? The Big Ten is not in a situation like the Pac-10 where there is a school sitting on their doorstep that is associated with a Mid Major that consistently performs well in the revenue earning sports with Utah. (Also others on their doorstep include BYU and Boise St) (Not that the other sports aren’t important, but like I said before, the only reason the Big Ten would expand is for $$$$$$) Just look around the Midwestern landscape. Are there any MAC schools that have consistently competed year after year in Football or basketball? Miami (OH), Ball St, and Bowling Green have all had good years in the past, but not consistently. The Missouri Valley has been one of the most successful Mid-Major conferences in basketball, but outside of a couple of Southern Illinois Division FCS championship runs has done little to impress on the football field.

The Big Ten will need to take a school from a power conference (In Notre Dame’s case they are associate with Big East for Basketball, but the Big Ten would have to entice them not be independent in Football) to expand.

Below are candidates that I have heard, even if only once, as well as pro’s and cons against them joining the conference. Each choice will be looked at based on Additional fan base / revenue, location, rivalries (existing and potential). Most of my knowledge of fan bases and general information I got from reading SI’s writer Stewart Mandel so yes some thing are assumptions, but he has discussed this in a few of his columns/mailbags and his book.

Let’s look at teams Starting in the East and ending in the West.


Rutgers



Additional Fan Base/ Revenue: As much as New York City is a professional town, there are still plenty of Rutgers grads who live there. From this stand point adding Rutgers into the Big Ten would greatly increase the revenue of the conference. Adding a big New Jersey school would help get more fans from Philly but Penn State already has a lot of fans there.

Location: New Brunswick, NJ. It’s not too far from Penn State only about 4 hours drive away. But it’s 9 hours from the next closest Ohio State.

Opinion: Adding Rutgers would have some advantages, with having Big Ten Teams play closer to the large media markets of the East Coast, but I would not be that excited if they joined. They don’t bring much of a basketball history and the football has been mediocre after the amazing year in 2006. I do understand why the Big Ten would add them or even want to add them. Also it gives schools like Michigan or Ohio State to play in front of some recruits in the New York Area (Why do you think Notre Dame is playing Navy in Yankee Stadium)

Will They Join: If the Big Ten wanted Rutgers I have little doubt they wouldn’t join. I am just not sure if the Big Ten will ask them too. The Big Ten will enjoy a larger market, but will it affect the competitiveness of the conference, but again that wouldn’t be why they would be asked to join.

My excitement if they joined: Not very high. Outside the New York market, I don’t see too many advantages

Syracuse University



Additional Fan Base/ Revenue: The same is true for Syracuse as it was for Rutgers As much as New York City is a professional town; there are still plenty of ‘Cuse grads who live there. From this stand point adding Syracuse into the Big Ten would greatly increase the revenue of the conference.

Location: Syracuse New York. Just like Rutgers It’s not actually that far away from Penn State only being about a 4.5 hour drive. However, Penn State is already kind of far away from the rest of the conference.

Rivals: No current Rivals. As stated before the closest school is Penn State.

Opinion: If Syracuse joined I would feel pretty indifferent. I would be excited about the expansion; they have traditionally had solid Football and Basketball programs. There’s plenty of good reasons for them to join. They already considered jumping ship when the ACC took Miami (FL), Va Tech, and Boston College from the Big East. I think Syracuse would fit in nicely in the Big Ten, but I think there are better options available.

Will They Join: Not saying it’s likely, but it would not surprise me if this was the team to join. They already considered leaving the Big East for the ACC. The conference basketball schedule could be easier, but that’s not always a good thing.

My excitement if they joined: A little more excited then Rutgers because of their traditions on the football field and basketball court.

West Virginia



Additional Fan Base/ Revenue: This is the major flaw against West Virginia. West Virginia does not have any major markets that the Big Ten network would like to add to. This could be a big factor as to why West Virginia does not get in.

Location: Morgantown West Virginia. WVU is basically located half way between Penn State and Ohio State. This location is travel wise a lot more ideal for schools then some of the other East Coast schools previously discussed.

Rivals: Again Penn State would be closest, but are you telling me the WVU fans would not circle a date with Rich Rodrigez every year? Or the fact that Michigan also got John Beilein to leave WVU basketball and join them. The passion might be a little one sided coming from WVU at first but could quickly blossom into a great rivalry.

Opinion: Right behind Alabama as my favorite Non-Big Ten football team; so if they joined I would be extremely excited. I love the fact that most years WVU would get matched up against Rich Rodrigez. They have been extremely successful in Bowl games and who doesn’t love Pittsnogle.

Will they Join: As much as I feel it would make sense for WVU to join the Big Ten. I don’t see it happening. The additional revenue isn’t there, the location is just ok. The football and basketball programs have been solid and could compete in the Big Ten and the rivalry with Michigan could be amazing, but I just don’t see it happening.

My Excitement if they joined: As I said before, they are right behind Alabama as my non-Big Ten football team, so I would love to see UVW in the conference.

Pittsburgh



Additional Fan Base / revenue: Obviously adding U of Pitt would add the city of Pittsburgh as a fan base, but Penn State already has fans there.

Location: Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh is further west then Penn State, so it is already located in what could be considered Big Ten Country.

Rivals: The obvious one would be with Penn State. The less obvious would be Iowa. Pittsburgh has already had some enjoyable games with Iowa and both schools run first smash mouth style could lead to some heated exchanges on the field which could eventually turn into a rivalry even though they are not geographic rivals.

Opinion: Wanny has them playing a tough smash mouth style of football that would fit right into the Big Ten. I think they would add a presence to both the Basketball court and the Football field. I feel like they are a very logical choice and I love their basketball fans going crazy in the Zoo. They might want to get out of the meat grinder that is the Big East basketball conference but again this has benefits and set backs.

Will they Join: I don’t see the Big Ten asking Pittsburgh to join. I don’t know why I feel this way but I don’t. The on field performance and location make senses, but the additional revenue might not be there. Pittsburgh might not want to leave cause of the Big East football schedule; which one day might become a power house, but currently is pretty thin with talented teams.

My excitement if they joined. I would love to see another smash mouth football team in the conference and the Zoo makes Pitt one of the coolest places to play basketball so I would be happy if they joined.

Cincinnati



Additonal Fan Base / revenue: I am not sure how much Cincinnati would really add to the Big Ten. Ohio State is a huge draw anywhere in the state of Ohio. So they would get the Cincinnati region of Kentucky too. I not sure how much this add

Location: Cincinnati Ohio. A little South and basically right in between Indiana and Ohio State.

Rivals: The obvious rival would be Ohio State with both teams playing in the same state. I have also heard that the coach was interested and is still interested in eventually ending up at Michigan. If that was the case this could become an excellent rivalry.

Opinion: Cincinnati football has been playing well this year, but I am afraid as soon as the caoch leaves the program will go back to being just ok. Similar to what happened to Cincinnati basketball after Bob Higgins left. I don’t really see the benefit of adding Cincinnati besides their close proximity to the Big Ten Conference

Will They Join: I don’t see them joining. I don’t think the Big Ten would ask them to join and Cincinnati can enjoy a less strenuous football schedule. If they were asked I could see Cincinnati accepting having only just joined the Big East a few years ago.

My excitement level if they joined: Low, I like they way their football team is headed, but any Big Ten team playing Cincinnati doesn’t really say must see TV

Louisville



Additional fan base / revenue: Adding Louisville might allow the Big Ten to get a stronger foothold in Kentucky which is primarily a SEC state. However, Kentucky does not have that many major metropolitan areas. So adding Louisville would not have a major impact on revenue

Location: Louisville Kentucky. Only about a two hour drive from nearest current member Indiana. Also relatively close to Indianapolis where Louisville basketball fans will want to drive for the Big Ten tournament.

Rivalries: They have no current rivals but there is potential for a rivalry with Indiana. Both schools have had historically good basketball programs. Indiana is already a rivalry with Kentucky which is further away then Louisville.

Opinion: I have said for awhile I think Louisville makes a lot of sense to join the Big Ten. It is only a recent member to the Big East so it does not have strong ties there. It’s located right on the border of Big Ten country and is closer to most of the Big Ten schools then current Member Penn State. Louisville has had a lot of historic success with basketball and has had some recent success with football. They do not play the traditional smash mouth football that is associated with the Big Ten, but outside of Iowa and Wisconsin, this has been a dying form in the Big Ten.

Will They Join: I think the Revenue factor will keep Louisville out of the Big Ten which is a shame because I think they would make a fine addition to the conference

My excitement if they Joined: I would be happy if they joined.

The University of Notre Dame



This is the most popular choice people suggest while discussing Big Ten expansion.

Additional Fan Base / Revenue: Love them or hate them, people love watching, and talking about Notre Dame Football. Notre Dame would bring in big dollars to the conference. People have said that Notre Dame has too much money to gain by being independent, but I have heard rumors, and according to this article Notre Dame has now fallen behind the Big Ten and the SEC.

Location: South Bend Indiana. South Bend is in the heart of Big Ten country

Rivals: Notre Dame already plays multiple Big Ten teams every year and already has a Rivalry with fellow Northwest Indiana resident Purdue as well as Michigan.

Opinion: Makes the most logical sense of any school out there with its location and performance in revenue sports.

Will They Join: I would have to go with a maybe. Notre Dame does pride itself on being an independent but the additional revenue might be too hard to pass up. Scheduling could be an area that keeps Notre Dame from joining. It would help them by being in a conference because they would get to play traditional weak teams like Indiana every year, but wouldn’t give them the flexibility they currently have. Notre Dame will always play USC and has played Navy every year without interruption since 1927. This leaves them only 2 other games to schedule, which they like to go all over the country to help with recruiting (see the home game in San Antonio this past week).

My excitement if they joined: I would be very excited if Notre Dame joined the Big Ten. I don’t know if I would be jumping for joy like some people, but it would be interesting.


Missouri



Additional Fan Base / Revenue: Adding Missouri would give the Big Ten a very strong presence in St. Louis and add additional fan bases from the other side of the state in Kansas City. So this could bring in some potential new revenue to the Big Ten.

Location: Columbia Missouri. A little north of the middle of the state. It’s about 4.5 hours drive away from Illinois and 5 hours away from Iowa.

Rivals: Is already in a budding rivalry with Illinois which would only become more heightened if these two schools were in the same conference. Mizzou does not really have a rivalry with Iowa State so unsure if Iowa and Mizzou would be come a rivalry.

Opinion: I would love to see Mizzou join. They would probably be my top choice of schools to add. They recent surge in Football and Basketball (40 minutes of HELL!) could add some exciting games to the Big Ten. Love the coaches, love the way the play.

Will They Join: I think in a perfect world they would join, but trying to get an original Big 8 team to leave the Big XII would be a difficult situation. The theory would be, if a Big XII leaves, the Big XII would add TCU to their conference. Honestly, I don’t see them leaving the Big XII and so I will say no.

My excitement if they joined: I would be very excited if they joined, they are probably my top choice for schools to join. As I said before I love the way they play both football and basketball.

Iowa State



Additional Fan Base / Revenue: If they joined the Big Ten would control the state of Iowa, no offense, not that much extra fans or revenue.

Location: Ames Iowa: About 2 hours west of Iowa
Rivals: They play Iowa every year for the Cy-Hawk trophy. Might get a rivalry going with Minnesota

Opinion: They have never won a Big 8 or Big XII north title in football. They have had a couple decent runs in basketball but do hold the distinguished honor of being one of four second sees to lose to a 15 seed. I really don’t see the value of adding Iowa State to the Big Ten

Will they Join: No, I don’t think so. I don’t see the Big Ten extending an offer to Iowa State or, as discussed with Mizzou, I don’t see an original Big 8 team leaving the Big XII

My excitement if they joined: Low, very low actually. This is one of the teams I really really don’t want to see join the Big Ten

Nebraska



This is the most intresting one I have ever heard Stewart Mandel discussed it in one of his mailbags

Additional Fan Base / Revenue: A ton! Nebraska has a following like few other schools in the nation. Memorial stadium becomes the third biggest city in the state on game day. Nebraska has fans everywhere and the Big Ten would love to get some of that money.

Rivals: Locationwise Iowa and Minnesota make a lot of sense, but it’s hard not to imagine traditional powerhouses Michigan (who shared the 1997 title with the Huskers) Ohio State and Penn State wouldn’t become rivals.

Location: Linocln Nebraska. Lincoln is about 4.5 hours west of Iowa

Opinion: Adding Nebraska would be all about adding Football. Nebraska basketball has never really amounted to much. Adding Nebraska football would be huge. Nebraska has been down this decade after having one of the most dominating runs in the 90s (winning 3 titles in 4 years with arguably the best team ever in 95). Even with their down decade Nebraska has still went to a national title game (2001) and has produced numerous NFL stars. Nebraska fans have been audible about their lack of success, so don’t expect Nebraska football to be down long

Will they Join: Again, I am very doubtful and original Big 8 team would leave the Big XII. But, as discussed in Mandel’s article, if there is in fighting in the Big XII between Nebraska and the Texas schools, we can always dream.

My excitement if they joined: Extremely high, adding Nebraska to the Big Ten would be fun, it would create lots of exciting games and increase out of conference play as Nebraska would most likely continue to play Oklahoma every year.

So what do you think? Which of the schools listed would you like to see join the Big Ten? What other schools did I leave out that you would like to see join?