Jim Delany put the kibosh last week on an accelerated timeline on Big Ten expansion after a report emerged that something could be happening sooner rather than later on that front. In other words, the time table for a decision on the issue would not come until December of this year at the earliest.
Delany’s seemingly halting of any kind of acceleration notwithstanding, Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Friday that he expects/hopes for an update on the progress being made when Big Ten ADs and coaches get convene in Chicago a couple of weeks from now
“That’s what I would anticipate,” Alvarez said. “Whether there is anything concrete that he will give us, I don’t know that.”
Alvarez was also asked if he had been following the rumor/speculation/innuendo that that’s been hanging over the expansion issue the past few weeks, and used it as an opportunity to take a jab at the rumormongers.
“No,” he said, “because it is anybody’s imagination. I keep seeing comments . . . things from three months ago being re-circulated. There is just nothing there right now.
“It is the silent period, and the league isn’t making any comments. Anything said right now is anyone’s imagination.”
Of course, it was Alvarez himself who slammed his foot on the pedal of accelerated expansion back in February.
Certainly, members of the media are partially responsible for the amount of speculation involved in this process, but Alvarez might want to take a look in a mirror before he starts casting stones regarding this particular situation.