As expected, the Big Ten conference has released a statement this afternoon confirming that the league will discuss the possibility of expanding from 11 to 12 teams over the course of the next 12 to 18 months.
Here is the full text of the statement, released through the league office on behalf of the Council of Presidents/Chancellors (COP/C):
Penn State joined the Big Ten Conference in June of 1990 and its addition has been an unqualified success. In 1993, 1998 and 2003 the COP/C, in coordination with the commissioner’s office, reviewed the issue of conference structure and expansion. The COP/C believes that the timing is right for the conference to once again conduct a thorough evaluation of options for conference structure and expansion. As a result, the commissioner was asked to provide recommendations for consideration by the COP/C over the next 12 to 18 months.
The COP/C understands that speculation about the conference is ongoing. The COP/C has asked the conference office to obtain, to the extent possible, information necessary to construct preliminary options and recommendations without engaging in formal discussions with leadership of other institutions. If and when such discussions become necessary the COP/C has instructed Commissioner James E. Delany to inform the Chair of the COP/C, Michigan State University President Lou Anna K. Simon, and then to notify the commissioner of the affected conference(s). Only after these notices have occurred will the Big Ten engage in formal expansion discussions with other institutions. This process will allow the Big Ten to evaluate options, while respecting peer conferences and their member institutions. No action by the COP/C is expected in the near term. No interim statements will be made by the Big Ten or the COP/C until after the COP/C receives the commissioner’s recommendations and the COP/C determines next steps, if any, in this area.
It seems like Pitt is the most likely candidate. It would make for some interesting new rivalries if Pittsburgh joined. They don’t suck (but still won’t kick everyone’s ass in the B10), they’re closely located, they can rival Penn State, they have good academics…sounds like a win-win.
Uhhh is it just me or is ND the ideal pick here… they aren’t on the same level anymore and soon their TV contract will be up (and there’s NO WAY NBC will resign with them). Best chance for them is to join a Big conference…. the Big 10, where teams go to be OVERRATED by the nation.
Pitt is the one I was thinking of as well.
Cincy will go back to being a basketball school now that they’ve lost their coach (and obviously the Big East is a better basketball conference) so no reason for them to move.
The only other Big East candidate I can think of is West Virginia. They’re not a world-beater, but they regularly field interesting teams. They also would be a better option geographically than teams like Rutgers. Perhaps WV could prove whether a spread-offense approach would work against the plodding farm-fed men of the Big 10.
[...] from the Big Ten should be taken with a grain of salt the size of their bank account — “over the next 12 to 18 months” ring a bell? — but it appears that the conference will not be the ones to break the [...]