I have been blogging in recent days about possible Big Ten expansion. I mentioned that Missouri and Nebraska would probably bolt the Big 12 to accept Big Ten offers if asked.
It seems the Big 12 is the ripe conference for picking. Colorado and Texas are other league schools often mentioned for realignment. The last major picking came from the Big East when Boston College, Miami and Virgina Tech joined the ACC.
Frankly, the Big 12 is in a state of flux. Big 12 fans want to know what's happening.
Last week, the University of Oklahoma President and its athletic director basically stated that the conference will probably remain the same. You got to believe that the Big 12 Commissioner will do all he and the conference can to prevent this possible raiding.
I understand this expansion talk on one hand, but on the other hand, I don't. We are talking the almighty dollar here and the thought that expansion is a necessary and positive step.
Although, I have said in recent posts that Nebraska and Missouri should go to the Big Ten if asked, my sullen reasoning is basically it will happen whether I want it to or not. I would actually favor the Big 12 staying the same.
Notre Dame could save everyone lots of stress. The Big Ten wants a football championship game and it needs only one team. The Irish play as an independent, but if they join nobody else gets hurt except maybe NBC. Notre Dame would join a powerful league while it still has an opportunity. Notre Dame is pretty stubborn though and is still holding out.
But if the Irish remain committed to their independence, why not seek just one team from another league. If the Big Ten does that, then it gets a title game and the other conference loses just one member.
I know I make it sound simple. And on the surface, it is. But the Big Ten should be careful with its expansion. The ripple effect might come back to haunt the conference one day. If the Big Ten expands too far, it might became to exclusive and only be able to play member schools.
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