Tony Barnhart says Big Ten to add 0, 1, or FIVE teams/Brandon doesn't like Tourney expansion
http://blogs.ajc.com/barnhart-college-football/2010/04/05/what-happens-…
So he's at the Final Four, and beyond confirming that a 96 team Tournament is all but a done deal (which Brandon just came out against, incidentally- http://www.annarbor.com/sports/um-basketball/michigan-athletic-director… ), he says the talk is either the Big Ten stands pat; adds one team (read: ND); or goes all out Super Conference to 16 teams, shattering the current conference affliations.
So the earth is going to end tomorrow... or it's not....
Thanks Tony Barnhart!
If the Big Ten adds five teams, none of which are likely to be powerful football schools--likely some combo of Big East and Big 12 North teams (but who knows)--what exactly does that do for the current members? They have to split revenue five more ways, almost certainly lose certain coveted yearly match-ups, and significantly decrease the odds of current members going to the BCS games. Conferences are currently allowed one bid for their champ and one at large bid. That may increase with realignment, but more likely in the current political climate is that the bids are shifted around some.
I think, even if it's true, is something more along the lines of the Big Ten asking a firm to examine the economic implications, along with the implications of standing still and adding a single team--nothing more.
Talking about expanding to 5 teams could just be a bluff to force ND to join.
I hope.
But since that is unlikely to happen, the idea of 5 big east/big 12 north teams is not too exciting. A 16 team super conference with the longshots (texas, ND) is an actual SUPER conference. Adding Rutgers, UCONN, Pitt, Mizzou, Syracuse, etc.. just adds a whole lot of middle tier teams to a conference that is already pegged as mediocre in the national media.
I like this Brandon fellow.
Is if both Texas and ND are part of the package. The Big 10 isn't going to expand if it means the current schools take a hit in their respective cut of the pie. For these same reasons I would not be surprised if they stayed at 11 if they can't get ND (I'm assuming that A&M is a requirement to get Texas for political reasons). HOWEVER, In the theoretical situation that Texas and A&M join to make 13, perhaps ND would reconsider to put the league at 14. That last situation is entirely theoretical, but it would not surprise me one bit.
...and considered linking to it. Then I realized that Barnhart is providing pure speculation -- and he cops to it. There is zero new info or insights contained in his copy. Move along, nothing to see here...
If the Big Ten cant get Texas or Notre Dame they should not expand.