Originally Posted by
FillyCheezeSteak
1. Notre Dame - I think there may still be too much bad blood, plus ND loves its Independent status.
2. Pittsburgh - Seems like a great fit but it doesn't really expand anything.
3. Missouri - Also seems like a great fit. How big of a market does Mizzou bring to the table?
4. Syracuse - They're a basketball school. They're probably not leaving to go to a football conference.
5. Rutgers - They somewhat have the New York market, but how much are they really followed? They're New Jersey, not NYC, and don't have as much of a pull there as people think. They've had a few good years in football but they weren't the greatest before that. Is that going to continue?
6. West Virginia - Academics. Not happening.
7. Cincinnati - See WVU. Plus, they don't bring in a new market in any way. The B10 has OSU, and most Cinci fans are hardcore OSU fans as well.
8. Texas - If it weren't for the geography, I think this one would be guaranteed. It's a perfect match. Texas has an elite football program, an elite basketball program, and even brings their ridiculous baseball program to the table. Plus, they're fantastic academically. Texas would have a huge monetary incentive and academic incentive to join the B10, as well. They actively petitioned to join the B10 in '93ish but the B10 was on a self-imposed ban from expanding, IIRC. Now's the time to make it happen.
9. Iowa State - We already have Iowa covering that market. Iowa State isn't really all that great athletically. They aren't going to bring in enough additional revenue for the B10 to seriously consider them.
10. Kentucky - I don't see why this wouldn't work from the B10's perspective. I think it's a good school academically. They have solid athletic programs. The geography works. I'm not sure how much they'd bring in B10Network expansion with OSU being fairly close, but I think it would be enough. The big question is, why would Kentucky jump to the B10?
11. Vanderbilt - I really hadn't even thought of this possibility, but it's intriguing. It expands the B10 Network into Tennessee. They have the academics. I don't see them jumping to the B10, though. Like Syracuse, they're more of a basketball school and they're in one of the top basketball conferences.
12. Virginia - Great for expansion, great for athletics, do they qualify academically? Why do they make the jump?
13. Central Michigan - B10 already has the state of Michigan locked up with MSU and UM. Central is good but not great athletically. They wouldn't bring in anywhere close to enough revenue to make them a serious candidate.
14. The entire country of Canada forming one super college - Count it!
Bookmarks