Officials from the Big Ten, as reported by ESPN, announced that a committee has been formed to explore the addition of a twelfth team to join the conference. The committee will explore options over a 12-18 month period.  The Big Ten last expanded in 1989 when it added Penn State to the conference.  Exploratory conversations were had with Notre Dame in 1999, but their inclusion never transpired.

The call for expansion comes on the heels of the recently completed football season.  Each season, the Big Ten concludes two weeks prior to all other conference championship games.  The early season ending hurts the Big Ten visibility with recruits and can often leave the conference irrelevant when they are on hiatus.  More importantly, the Big Ten loses out on big broadcasting rights and sponsorship deals given their inability to hold a conference championship.

The question that is bouncing around is who is on the list of consideration and why?

Notre Dame

The obvious first candidate for consideration.  Everyone wants Notre Dame to join their conference.  The are a great addition due both to athletic program quality and educational prowess.   The Irish have traditionally been noted to get top recruiting classes, but the recruits are not translating into wins on the field.   Joining the Big Then would create an immediate impact in getting real blue chippers to come to South Bend.  By joining the Big East for all other sports, the Irish have seen improvements across the board in performance and success.  Given the lucrative TV contract that Notre Dame can still command, its unlikely that we’ll see Notre Dame join and give up that revenue.  They gotta cut those checks to Charlie Weis for quite a few more years.

Pittsburgh

Pitt seems like the most practical choice.  Not really one of the “Big East” notables, Pitt has flown under the radar for years in the conference despite its consistent success in basketball and football.  From a recruiting standpoint, the are right in the mix with Big Ten teams given their proximity.  More importantly, they have an instant rivalry in Penn State upon their joining the league.

Boise State

The athletic program at Boise State has probably displayed the most growth of any over the past decade.  The school puts it football, basketball and wrestling teams into the conversation every year.  With no true rivals out in Idaho, joining the Big Ten would reward this school for its progress and success across the board.  They are the feel good story of the NCAA.  And think about the fan interest it would generate on the West Coast for the Big Ten to enter the Great Northwest.  The Rose Bowl would become a much bigger bowl game draw.

Syracuse

The once great football power is limping on its way to death.  Since the departure of Miami, Boston College and Virginia Tech, the football squad has suffered from an inability to generate recruits due to the loss of its biggest rivalry matchups.  Football has historical importance to this school and becoming relevant again would happen with a jump to the Big Ten.  For the Big Ten, they get a premier basketball squad that can help make their basketball conference relevant again.  Good payoffs for both sides.

Nebraska

The Cornhuskers should be desperate to get out of the Big 12.  Since joining, they have become irrelevant in every sports and lost their annual rivalry game with Oklahoma due to the splitting of the conference into North-South.  A jump out the Big 12 would give Nebraska new life.  For football, they become the talk of the town and recruiting would go skyward.   For basketball, they are immediately playing their way into the NCAA tourney every year, both women and men.  Volleyball, gymnastics and wrestling all fit in nicely with the Big 10 as well.  You split the conference East and West with the dividing line at the Indiana border.  And when they bolt, TCU finally gets its invite to the Big 12.

If I was a betting man, I’d like my money on Nebraska.  Second choice goes to Pitt.  Notre Dame is not going to join because they want the football TV cash.  Syracuse will show its allegiance to the conference it helped form despite the devastation to its once proud football program.  Boise State, well, they are used to not being the belle at ball.  The expansion is definitely going to happen.  There is big money to be made and the Big Ten is ready to put tradition behind for the cash.

Biggest problem in front of the committee is not what team to chose, it is is what to call the conference.  The Big 12 is already trademarked and calling yourself the Big Ten when you have twelve team makes no sense.   Hope it doesn’t take them another 12-18 months to figure that one out.