Big 10 Hires Firm To Explore Expansion

[MeanGreen61]

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/10329/big-ten-hires-firm-to-explore-expansion

[GrayEagle]

I see nothing wrong with the Big 10 adding a team if it's in their best interest because a twelve-team conference makes it easier to schedule events than an odd number although the Big 10 seems to have made eleven teams work for awhile now.

The interesting part is Notre Dame excluding themselves. Notre Dame is putting themselves above the national good and I personally hope that Big 10 does boycott them. Furthermore, if they do not join a conference then I hope that the Big East kicks out their other sports teams and forces them to play independent as well.

Thanks to former commissioner Delaney the Big 10 is the richest of all conferences and can afford this study and would scarcely miss the money if they choose not to accept the leading candidate of the study. My guess is that they will take either Pitt or Rutgers. They might even decide to take three and become the first 14-team conference. Should they take three that would cause a major upheaval in the FBS and the dominoes would really begin falling. Our best chance to gain from these changes is to have a huge increase in attendance.

[KRAM1]

Just a question. How does Notre Dame's intention to stay an independent in football indicate that they are "putting themselves above the national good"? How does what football conference (or not) one is in have anything at all to do the the "national good", and why shouldn't ND do what they think is best for ND, their alumni, fans, students, etc.? I know there are plenty of folks who don't like ND for one reason or another...I tend to be neutral to somewhat positive on ND, but I really don't care if they are independent or in a conference. ND football seems to me to be doing what they think is best.

Should ND or any other college/university "big enough" to go it alone join just because some see it in the "national interest" that they do so? Like I say, I am just interested in hearing from those much more "interested" in what the Big 10 and ND do or don't do than I am on this one.

[LongJim]

It's all about the $$ and advancing the brand.

Notre Dame has the best deal of any team in the nation right now. KRAM, IMO every school should do what's in their best interest, and that includes what is good for their school, students, faculty, and alumni. No, it shouldn't have anything to do with what's in anyone's "national interest".

[Mean Green 93-98]

It's all about the $$ and advancing the brand.

Notre Dame has the best deal of any team in the nation right now. KRAM, IMO every school should do what's in their best interest, and that includes what is good for their school, students, faculty, and alumni. No, it shouldn't have anything to do with what's in anyone's "national interest".

Actually, Notre Dame would make more money if they joined the Big 10 and jumped on their television gravy train. It's either a status thing or a control thing, or both, of having your own TV with a major network and having all your games on network TV.

[LongJim]

It's not only TV $. It's BCS dollars. Their BCS "agreement" is ridiculous, and they play on national TV every week, which helps their nationwide recruiting. They'd be insane to give up that deal, particularly the BCS in that they have.

[NT80]

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/10329/big-ten-hires-firm-to-explore-expansion

I would like to see this roster of 15 schools on their initial expansion list of potential candidates. Even without Texas I'm sure it includes the likely suspects of:

Rutgers

Pitt

Syracuse

Missouri

Nebraska

Kansas

Louisville

Clemson

Maryland

Boston College

UConn

Virginia

West Virginia

Kentucky

[Arkstfan]

Even with the BCS deal (which requires them to be ranked higher than non-AQ champs must be ranked to have a shot), their cut of the money plus TV generates less income than Vanderbilt receives for being a punching bag.

[LongJim]

Even with the BCS deal (which requires them to be ranked higher than non-AQ champs must be ranked to have a shot), their cut of the money plus TV generates less income than Vanderbilt receives for being a punching bag.

I would argue that ND's TV contract generates more revenue than what Vanderbilt gets based on alumni and public donations, and merchandise sales generated by the national TV contract. I don't have numbers to back that up, but ND is top 5 in merchandise, while Vandy ranks around 80.

That's no coincidence, and ND's income would shrink were they to move to the Big 10 with it's stipulation that only 2 teams go to BCS berths per year, and their TV contract's lack of exposure relative to ND's. Right now, ND doesn't have to finish 1 or 2 in the Big 10. They simply have to finish top 8 in BCS. Hasn't been easy for them recently, but it would be much more difficult were they up against PSU, tOSU, Michigan, Wisconsin, etc. every year.