DAVID JONES – Big Ten expansion talk? Again? – Patriot-News
The Big Ten is looking at adding a 12th team again, but only over the next 12-18 months. The list of candidates is numerous but there is not another Penn State-type school out there that brings the complete package of tradition, academics, fanbase, new territory and television market to the table. Obviously, they’d love to add Notre Dame, but that seems unlikely unless NBC loses interest in broadcasting Fighting Irish home games. Jones thinks Rutgers is the best possible choice as it gets the latter two — the populous state of New Jersey as well as the gigantic New York television market. He oversells the campus (I’ve been there and it reminded me of George Mason) though. Rutgers football tradition pretty much amounts to two things, albeit great ones — birthplace of college football and Paul Robeson. I think Rutgers would be hard-pressed to do any better in the Big Ten than the Big East, so I would be surprised if they accept an invitation.
It would be nice having a natural rivalry for the Nittany Lions though.
Jones also points out why Pitt and West Virginia don’t make a lot of sense (no significant new TV markets and they don’t fit the Big Ten profile for campus or academics, respectively) to add. I don’t have strong feelings about it frankly and think in the end, the Big Ten is going to conclude that there is no ideal 12th team.
