Big 10 To Become 12?

[ideamark]

I heard on the news this evening that the Big Ten is looking for a twelth school. The very brief story indicated that the conference would like a big school in a major media market to help boost viewership for the new Big Ten Network.

Now...
> Any idea what schools might be in the running?
> Would that school have to have a wrestling program?
> How can they incorporate a "12" into the Big Ten logo (like they snuck the "11" into the logo when Penn State came on board)?

Mark

PS Once upon a time, long, long ago, the University of Chicago was in what was then called the Western Conference.

[bluestater]

About six or seven years ago, there was talk that Missouri would join the Big 10. I'm not sure how I would feel about that-the plus side (selfishly) is that I would get to see my Tigers much more often since Chicago is ground zero for the Big Eleven. However, I like the Big 12, the rivalries, the wrestling, and messing with Texas.

As for other teams, just thinking about Illinois, Illinois State is D-IAA, so they couldn't make the jump to D-IA and the Big Ten in one year. Northern Illinois, however, is part of the MAC, has a strong football program, and a full slate of sports that the Big 10 sponsors, including wrestling. They already play Big 10 programs (NIU is opening football season against Iowa at Soldier Field, and later plays Wisconsin in Madison.) They're on television all the time, and they also have an incredible AD who could make a jump to the Big 10 happen. This is purely speculation, but Northern Illinois would make an excellent candidate.

[ODH]

The Big Ten is also very prestigous academically. I do not know much about N. Illinois academics, but I do not thinnk the rate with the rest of the Big Ten.

On the other board there were rumours of Pitt, Syracuse and Rutgers.

[ideamark]

Bluestater,

Missouri or NIU would be interesting additions to the Big Ten line-up... and both have wrestling...

On The Other Forum, there's a lengthy thread about this topic, with all sorts of speculation. Among the names mentioned most often: Pitt, Notre Dame, and Rutgers... with other speculation going to schools like Southern Illinois, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and even Cincinnati, which hasn't had wrestling since, well, a long, long, long time. (Notre Dame got rid of wrestling about a decade ago.)

Here's the link:

http://www.thematforums.com/myforum/...670&forum_id=3

[ISU2008]

For as long as I can remember, Notre Dame has been the supposed 12th Big X team should the conference expand. I just don't see that happening. I thought Pitt sounded pretty reasonable, they have pretty successful roundball and football teams, and they do have wrestling.