<p>Who do you think it will be?</p>
<p>If Notre Dame will go they would be the pick- I do not think they will go however.</p>
<p>The names I have seen floated as possible- Missouri, Nebraska, Texas, Rutgers, Pitt and Syracuse.</p>
<p>What do Big 10 alum think?</p>
<p>I am hoping for Rutgers.</p>
<p>I’m not a Big 10 alum, but I think it’s funny how the Big Ten(11) wants to expand to 12 teams. Most of them are highly ranked academic universities, but the conference can’t count ;)</p>
<p>There is no way Texas comes to the Big Ten. The current schools would not allow that and Texas would not leave the Big Twelve. Also, that doesn’t even make sense with travel and such. </p>
<p>I would say Missouri or Notre Dame would be the most likely candidates, but I don’t think Notre Dame would do it. It doesn’t make sense money-wise for them…</p>
<p>ND would never want to share its money from NBC. There is no reason for anyone to leave the Big 12. Most likely is someone like Cincinnati or Pitt, or perhaps 'Cuse.</p>
<p>Big 10s’ gain, Big East’s loss.</p>
<p>I agree the ND has a good thing going with the NBC contract and has no economic reason to join the Big 10.</p>
<p>They keep the Big Ten name because it is a highly valued brand name. I am pulling for Rutgers as a good fit and strategic location in the northeast.</p>
<p>Big 10 alum here.</p>
<p>I vote for Pitt or Syracuse.</p>
<p>barrons- I agree. I believe RU gives the Big 10 the NY/NJ tv/radio market. I read that the Big 10 network provides each team more revenue than ND receives from their tv package.</p>
<p>Pitt does not give the Big 10 a new market and Syracuse is a private school in a limited tv market.
The Big East should challenge ND to join for football or exit the conference for all other sports.
I do not see enough justification for any Big 12 team to leave except that the Big 10 brand generates a lot of money per team.</p>
<p>What do you think the 2 Divisions would be? Figure Ohio St, Michigan and Michigan State have to be together. Also Purdue and Indiana. Do Northwestern and Illinois have to be in the same Division or can they be split?
The additional team was always rumored to be someone that is a natural rival for Penn St and was supposedly promised to Paterno when Penn St originally joined the conference- Paterno does not want Pitt.</p>
<p>That has become a trivia question - how many teams are in the Big 10 ? </p>
<p>Seems like they would want to stick to someone geographically located in the midwest, or at least on the fringes of the midwest, like western PA.</p>
<p>I don’t know about that, tom1944–</p>
<p>“Earlier this year, Penn State coach Joe Paterno said he’d like to see Rutgers, Pittsburgh or Syracuse join the league.”</p>
<p>[Big</a> Ten evaluating expansion to 12 teams | Penn State News | Sports - Centre Daily Times](<a href=“http://www.centredaily.com/sports/story/1681655.html#ixzz0Zu7DaEPJ]Big”>http://www.centredaily.com/sports/story/1681655.html#ixzz0Zu7DaEPJ)</p>
<p>Imoremom- Hopefully that statement is for public consumption- Paterno wants an eastern school (Rutgers) but needs to be guarded. At least I hope so.
I also wonder if Pitt wants to end their rivalry with WVU.
I think the Big 10 going to 12 teams will also cause the Pac 10 to add 2 teams. Everyone wants a conference championship game.</p>
<p>There is a lot of history in the PSU/Pitt rivalry-- “Once considered one of the most important college football rivalries north of the Mason-Dixon line, and at times a game between two of top teams both regionally and nationally, this intrastate rivalry was considered the biggest annual game for both schools for a large part of their histories.” [Pitt</a> ? Penn State rivalry - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitt__Penn_State_rivalry]Pitt”>Pitt - Wikipedia_Penn_State_rivalry)</p>
<p>I’d go with Rutgers though I am an alum of one of the midwestern schools.</p>
<p>While I am not a Rutgers alum I am a NJ resident and membership in the Big 10 would be very beneficial to RU- academically as well as athletically.</p>
<p>Notre Dame won’t join. Big contenders will be Pitt or Cinci - they had such good seasons this year. Don’t think it will be Rutgers. It will be interesting to see who really joins the Big 10.</p>
<p>So, if the Big 10 adds yet another team, will they still be the Big 10, the Big 11 or the Little 12?</p>
<p>It will always be the Big Ten- the brand name has $ value</p>
<p>Interesting. You can bet your bottom dollar that the primary consideration will be a financial one; the interest in team rivalies and academic reputation are a distant second (just ask the ACC).</p>
<p>You are right about the financial incentive of TV and radio rights. Those issues make Cincinnati and Pittsburgh attractive, although Ohio State might have a fit at the thought off signing off on the Bearcats, since they don’t even deem to acknowlege or play intra-state rivals. As for Notre Dame, the Big 10 may be tired of ND. They made repeated overatures to ND over the years, only to be rebuffed. And there is still resentment about ND going it alone with the big buck NBC TV deal, even though its been years. And…at this point ND needs the Big 10 more than the Big 10 needs them. Remember, football revenue for Title IX compliance was the motivation [in great part] for the traditional independents finally deciding to join conferences about 10 years ago. The powerhouses found out that it’s tough going it alone. And the revenue sharing among conference members eases the financial demands of the football programs, somewhat. </p>
<p>In the end, I don’t think it will be Rutgers, unless Rutgers can re-commit to a new and larger football stadium. And I believe that after the raid by the ACC, the Big East established a significant financial penalty or substantial prior notice for members who defect to another league. Plus, the Big East, despite losing 3 members in recent years, does offer advantages in its current configuration. Having only 8 football members means that those schools can schedule 4 $$$ lucrative non-conference games. And the might of the Big East basketball program is bringing in $$ from multiple NCAA tournament bids. If the Big East was smart, they would have invited another Ohio college, instead of U of South Florida or U of Louisville (‘It’s the TV market, Stupid!’). The Big East has showns signs of maturing and getting smarter. The new Big East Lacrosse league is a sign of this.</p>
<p>I suggest thay ask ND to join.</p>
<p>If ND declines, require that all Big Ten schools take ND off their schedules, in particular, football. They will lose 3 games per year, Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue.</p>
<p>I’d be funny if ND keeps losing and then realize this was a mistake not to join.</p>