Why doesnt the Big 10 grow a pair and ....

Agreed. Or KSU instead of ISU. I dont think Iowa wants ISU and i think KU\KSU would like to stick together ala OU\OSU. Kinda strange how some state schools want to stick together and others do not want to (i.e. UF\FSU, UK\Lou)

Because is took the Big 10 almost 20 years to figure out how popular the SEC championship game became and that the Big 10 shut all football down a week before Thanksgiving (marketing genius since Thanksgiving is probably the biggest football weekend outside of opening weekend)

schedule wise a lot of things have to be worked out if you go over 12 teams (as SEC fans are figuring out)

In some ways it is probably easier to schedule for 16 than 14 teams if you can get a buy in from the NCAA to do a two week playoff for the four divisions. 14 teams is just kinda ugly because you end up with 7 team divisions and issues on how often you get to play teams from the opposite division.

And of course the elephant in the room they most want to invite is Notre Dame - that is the last realistic addition IMO that they could make and further grow the Big 1G brand.

But time is ticking - there are schools right now that would be appealing additions to their conference that may end up going to somewhere like the SEC if they don't act in the near future. I would esp include teams like MU, Maryland and West Virginia in that group (esp MU and Maryland - West Va might catch heck from the academic snobs at the Big 1G)

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The big ten won't expand unless the additional schools make the pie bigger since you'd have to divide it up more.

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agree completely, plus expanding does things to scheduling that take careful consideration before you do it

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dding KU and MU might mean a smaller pie or not making the pie big enough.

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Btw - I never proposed adding KU - I don't think they bring enough to the table (because of the pie issue). I think the Big 1G should probably sit pat for now (which they are) but if they can get Notre Dame to jump they could add either two or four schools - I think they and their Big 1G TV network might do the best financially with Notre Dame, MU, Rutgers (shite program but gets them into NYC), and maybe Maryland

But the practical side of this is what the NCAA would have to say on conference playoffs (16 teams in a conference seems unmanageable unless you can do a two round conference playoff from four divisions). And frankly I don't think the Big 1G will expand in the immediate future - they don't want to expand without adding Notre Dame at this point and Notre Dame doesn't want to join a conference unless they absolutely have to

Dr D seemed to be a huge advocate for Texas joining the Big 1G

I just don't think between the geography and the details to be worked out RE: the Big 10/Longhorn networks that it would be an easy fit

Overall I just don't think that joining the Big 10 is in Texas' best interest