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Time is right to explore Big Ten expansion (ESPN)
"Contrary to popular belief, a candidate doesn't need to be a member of the Association of American Universities or be located within the Big Ten footprint or in a bordering state. Though the schools must fit what the Big Ten looks for, "there’s no prescription that you have to have 30,000 undergrads or you have to be a major research institution," a source tells me." -
Does Big Ten expansion mean BCS for Utah? (Block U)
The Big Ten is looking to expand. On its face, it doesn't appear this is a Utah story. Dig deeper, though, and you might just find it does impact the Utes.
Politi: Rutgers in the Big Ten? Do whatever you have to do to make it happen, Scarlet Knights | Rutgers University Footbal (New Jersey Star-Ledger)
"The league offered no potential candidates, of course, but Rutgers will be on the list. And, in case there’s still any debate about whether the school should pursue this, the timing couldn’t have been better. Once again, the Big East bowl tie-ins have sent the Scarlet Knights to an off-the-map destination. The game is in St. Petersburg, Fla., but it might as well be in St. Petersburg, Russia, when it comes to prestige and attention."
Momentum seems to be on side of Big Ten expansion (chicagotribune.com)
"What we don't know--Whether expansion will have the needed presidential support. Given that most presidents are loathe even to consider a college football playoff, some might balk at adding a 13th regular-season game, even if it would involve only two teams. Others will question whether the game would water down the regular season or harm rivalries."
Missouri would listen if the Big Ten came calling (ESPN)
"At least one Big 12 school would be willing to talk to the Big Ten Conference, in case the conference asked them if they would be interested in joining."
Will Rutgers be in the mix with the Big Ten seeking to add a 12th school? (New Jersey Star Ledger)
"Rutgers figures to be on the league's expansion radar -- something speculated about in the story but with no details nor any timetable -- because it fits the league's profile as a large state university and a Land Grant institution, which most of the schools in the Big Ten are. Rutgers would also give the league a foothold in the nation's largest media market"
What If...Mizzou had joined the Big Ten in 1996? (Part One) (Rock M Nation)
A look at how things would have shaken down in football if the Big Ten had looked into expanding to 12 teams at the same time the (eventual) Big 12 did, choosing Missouri as the 12th team.
Expanding to 12 teams could hurt Big Ten in BCS, pocketbook (Stewart Mandel - SI.com)
"The presidents, it should be noted, have requested a similar review nearly every five years since Penn State's arrival in 1993. The 1998 process resulted in an ultimately rejected invite to Notre Dame, while the 2003 review (which occurred at a time when several other leagues realigned) resulted in no action. But those didn't prompt the type of public campaigning currently on display."
Would Syracuse ever be seriously considered for Big Ten expansion? Please, say it ain't so. (Syracuse Post Standard
"More specifically, though -- and far beyond the romance -- there is this: As a small, private institution, SU would likely be forever mismatched against those sprawling public schools and would therefore almost certainly be relegated to the football nether regions of its projected new league. And where would be the titillation in that?"