Big Ten seeking No. 12

The Big Ten, which valued a brand name more than numerical accuracy, has decided that 11 isn't enough.

The conference announced today, in a three-paragraph statement that has all the readability of a Senate bill, that it will be seeking a 12th member. The bottom line is the bottom line, as Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports notes: a nice $5 million payday from a title game.

Already speculation has grown, with the Big 12, along with the Big East, potential candidates for a raid. And Notre Dame remains the Big Ten's Holy Grail, as enticing as it is unobtainable. Already Missouri has issued a statement indicating a willingness to listen.

Even more radical speculation has mentioned Nebraska and even Texas as possibilities to join Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State. Stay tuned. It will be an interesting next 12-18 months.

-- Chuck Carlton

Comments

[John Medrano]

Texas will never join the Big 10, they are too afraid of the competition. UT is quite happy with the less than spectacular Big 12 competition - with the only true exception (typically) being OU and now, sort of Nebraska.

[MarcMarin]

If Mizzou jumps to Big 10, that leaves a birth in the Big 12 for TCU to join. I like it. Nebraska leaving make less sense, UT leaving no sense at all. But again if any of them leave, it opens door for TCU to join BCS league and be very competitive. TCU can and has beaten several Big 12 schools (Baylor, OU, ISU, Tech) in recent years. So lets hope for this move to happen.