quote:
I think that IF the Ten decided they wanted 14 teams, and IF Texas was one of them, that we'd be invited to join too. Our academics match up well with theirs, and politically it might be the only way to get the sips into that league.
So, who would be the 14th team?
IMO.... Notre Dame. The current Big Ten, plus us, the sips, and the Irish... WHAT A CONFERENCE.
I think you are on the something musicman.
Your scenario has several appealing attributes:
1. The new 14 team conference would be the only one of such size. I think that fact is appealing to the TV folks.
2. People in Texas are, by and large, either longhorn or aggie fans (sorry tech). Having both in the Big Ten offers a complete lock on the second most populous state in the country. This is huge for the $.
3. A&M and Texas are the only big 12 schools (maybe CU but the Big Ten wouldn't want them) that are anywhere near the level of the big ten academically.
4. The division breakdown would preserve all the rivalries:
East: Penn State
Ohio State
Michigan
Michigan State
Indiana
Purdue
Notre Dame
West: Illinois
Northwestern
Minnesota
Texas
Texas A&M
Wisconsin
Iowa
I, for one, would love to see those matchups. The $$$ would be there. The academics of both state schools would get a boost.
And as to weather. Playing football in cold weather is fun. It's living day in and day out in cold weather that sucks.