They could change the name to The Midwest 12

 

Better than being the Big 10 with 12 teams

Nah

 

It will just be the BIG TwelvEN

iowa state adds nothing athletically to the big 10. more importantly, iowa state would add nothing academically to the conference.

 

mizzou would at least bring in the st. louis market

iowa state adds nothing athletically to the big 10.  more importantly, iowa state would add nothing academically to the conference. 

 

mizzou would at least bring in the st. louis market

 

 

They don't bring anything athletically in the big sports....it's still a top 10 wreslting program....and a handful of women's sports that includes an NCAA tourney qualifier in women's soccer and a gymnastics team that made the Super Six this past year.

 

Although I'm not surprised that you said this. I don't think many Iowa State fans would want to move.

If you guys thought Baylor-Iowa State football was intense, wait til Iowa State- Illinois. Just wait.

 

 

Should that be in green? LOL, I had no idea there was an intense rivalry

They don't bring anything athletically in the big sports....it's still a top 10 wreslting program....and a handful of women's sports that includes an NCAA tourney qualifier in women's soccer and a gymnastics team that made the Super Six this past year.

 

Although I'm not surprised that you said this. I don't think many Iowa State fans would want to move.

 

 

No offense, this means you bring nothing to the table. The big 10 could care less about women's soccer, they want the meat and potatoes sports.

Theoretical New Big Ten alignment

West

Illinois

Iowa

Iowa St/Mizzou

Minnesota

Northwestern

Wisconsin

 

East

Indiana

Michigan

Michigan St

Ohio St

Penn St

Purdue

Not bad, I can see it being slightly lopsided at times, but i like it. I still think ND would be the best choice.

12 in the BIG 10 we will NEVER see

if you're going just by the name, then I think you're completely wrong.

They wouldn't have gone to 11 if that was the case.

 

 

The money they can get from a championship football game seems like a pretty good allure for the conference to expand to one more.

The question is whether they will abandon the Big 10 moniker. I like Big TwelvEN, lol

I think the what will probably happen in the next few years is Utah and another Mountain West team will probably end up in the Pac 10, TCU will move to the Big 12 moving Oklahoma to the North and either ISU or Mizzou to the Big 10. Oklahoma to the Big 12 north would set up a date with Nebraska every year, and probably the Big 12 Championship with Texas.

Should that be in green?  LOL, I had no idea there was an intense rivalry

 

 

Dripping with sarcasm.

I think the what will probably happen in the next few years is Utah and another Mountain West team will probably end up in the Pac 10, TCU will move to the Big 12 moving Oklahoma to the North and either ISU or Mizzou to the Big 10.  Oklahoma to the Big 12 north would set up a date with Nebraska every year, and probably the Big 12 Championship with Texas.

 

 

it would have to be ok state, there is way too much money invested in the red river shootout to not let it occur.

OK and OK St. moving to separate conferences?

 

Not happening.

 

They'll make one giant division of 12 before that happens.

OK and OK St. moving to separate conferences?

 

Not happening.

 

They'll make one giant division of 12 before that happens.

 

Stranger things have happened, if the conference leaders feel it will make more money they will sell out. Look at the BCS, the Rose Bowl was between the Big 10 and Pac 10 forever and now has sold out to the BCS.

Stranger things have happened, if the conference leaders feel it will make more money they will sell out.  Look at the BCS, the Rose Bowl was between the Big 10 and Pac 10 forever and now has sold out to the BCS.

 

 

I still see the Big 12 just adding 2 more teams, 1 goes in north(colorado state/utah) 1 goes in south (arkansas, tcu)

They could change the name to The Midwest 12

 

Better than being the Big 10 with 12 teams

That is a horrible, horrible name.

That is a horrible, horrible name.

 

Whys that

If they did add a team it doesn't mean they have to change their name.....10 has worked with 11 long enough.

Well for one thing, the Big 10 will probably never change its name regardless of how many teams join. The name at this point is symbolic as there are 11 teams, so I dont see why they would change it if it went to 12.

 

I really believe that there is a better chance of going back to 10, then going to 12, unless Notre Dame is the school, or if they can get a Syracuse, etc. They are not just going to add for the sake of adding, because the Big 10 is already one of the richest conferences, and the increased revenue from 1 championship game may not be enough incentive for a team like Wisconsin, who could potentially lose OSU and Michigan on its schedule every year.

Edited April 27, 200619 yr by Soxbadger

Whys that

"The Midwest 12" sounds like a boy band, not an conference of colleges.

FWIW, one of my co-workers is big into the Big 10 and has been talking about this for a while, and I think that some of his points make sense, and I do not see ISU or Mizzou making the cut.

 

The Big 10 would be trying to improve their conference with any type of addition to it. This is a link to the rankings by US News of different universities:

 

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/r...tudoc_brief.php

 

Big 10 (11 of 11 schools ranked. Avg ranking: 51)

12. Northwestern

25. Michigan

34. Wisconsin

42. Illinois

48. Penn State

60. Ohio State

60. Purdue

60. Iowa

74. Indiana

74. Michigan State

74. Minnesota

 

Big 12 (9 of 12 schools ranked. Avg ranking (of those ranked): 82)

52. Texas

60. Texas A&M

78. Baylor

78. Colorado

85. Iowa State

85. Missouri

97. Kansas

97. Nebraska

109. Oklahoma

 

For what it's worth, Utah is #120 on this list. Of course, the rankings above are only an overall score. There is much more that goes into it from an academic perspective. I am not up on all the details, but I know that there is a heavy emphasis on being a research institution (which all the big 11 schools are). Also, grad programs factor in heavily. I believe all of the Big 10 schools have Law and/or Med schools (ISU has neither for the record). For sure all the Big 10 schools have a large proportion of grad students in their student body. These reasons are also the explanation for why Notre Dame is not a serious Big 10 candidate either.

 

Just one man's opinion (and also what I have picked up from other people), but if the Big 10 added anyone I would be putting my money on Pitt (58th on this list, meets many of the above criteria as well as making sense geographically).

 

TIFWIW.

Good stuff. I do like the idea of adding Pitt.

Also, grad programs factor in heavily. I believe all of the Big 10 schools have Law and/or Med schools (ISU has neither for the record). For sure all the Big 10 schools have a large proportion of grad students in their student body. These reasons are also the explanation for why Notre Dame is not a serious Big 10 candidate either.

 

ND's undergraduate and graduate program are very prestigious. Under this ranking, ND is 18 over all. It is a very prestigious undergrad, and has a top of the line graduate program. Not to mention it has the best potential football program of any of the candidates (the most important sport in Big 10 athletics) and a good basketball program.

 

ND would be the favorite giving the Big Ten another school academically on par with the top programs. I think their preference would be 1) Notre Dame, 2) Syracuse (yes not geographically similar, but in previous years there have been talks about Syracuse moving to the Big 10), 3) Pitt.

Edited April 28, 200619 yr by Soxbadger

ND would never join the Big 10.

 

The Big 10 would want NDs football team to be in conference.

ND's undergraduate and graduate program are very prestigious. Under this ranking, ND is 18 over all. It is a very prestigious undergrad, and has a top of the line graduate program. Not to mention it has the best potential football program of any of the candidates (the most important sport in Big 10 athletics) and a good basketball program.

 

ND would be the favorite giving the Big Ten another school academically on par with the top programs.  I think their preference would be 1) Notre Dame, 2) Syracuse (yes not geographically similar, but in previous years there have been talks about Syracuse moving to the Big 10), 3) Pitt.

 

i'm pretty sure that ND's graduate programs were the sticking points last time adding ND to the b10 came around, and ND wasn't up to par. If the b10 ever chooses to expand, which i doubt it would, Syracuse, Rutgers, and Mizzou are the most likely candidates. Although Pitt is a fine school that would bring a lot academically to the conference, it doesn't add a market that the b10 doesn't already own. With Penn State, the b10 already has the pittsburgh market. With the ACC expanding north, it makes a lot more sense to bring in syracuse or rutgers in order to get more tv sets tuned into b10 games.

ND would never join the Big 10.

 

The Big 10 would want NDs football team to be in conference.

 

I don't know how many times it can be said, Notre Dame will never join the Big 10 unless they fall on very hard times.