...because the Big 12 and Pac-10 are plotting expansion moves of their own. Even the possibility of a full on merger is in play.
Random thought: Pac-10 swallows Big 12, Big 10 swallows Big East. ACC and SEC merge? MWC and WAC merge? Gigantic national conference to follow?
UPDATE 6/5/10: Iowa State sounds like they're trying to convince themselves everything is going to be hunky dory and they'll be AOK should something go down, but I'm not so sure. If rumors of a Pac-10 raid on the Big 12 South turn out to be true, then, as the DM Register article points out, that'd leave ISU, Kansas, K-State and Baylor holding the bag. Now, they could go for some formula where they re-form the old Big 8, say inviting TCU, Utah, Boise St and someone else- like maybe Colorado St. But I think if a major raid on the Big 12 South happens, then the Big 10's best bet is to counter-raid the Big 12 North. Nebraska and Mizzou are already on the menu, so why not add Kansas, K-State and Iowa State to that as well? Geographically, it'd make more sense- traditionally, Big 12 football seems to have more a history and tradition of 'fitting in' with the Big 10 style of play than a lot of the Big East teams I've seen and Kansas City, St. Louis and Omaha will probably get you more in television ratings than what will probably be a sucker's bet on NYC if we take Rutgers.
The other problem I have is that I don't see a lot of teams from the Big East jelling that well with the Big 10. Pitt, yes. West Virginia, yes. Syracuse and Rutgers? Maybe. And at the end of the day, Notre Dame is still going to be a pipe dream. Pragmatically, Nebraska, Kansas and K-State will add a lot of money and muscle to the conference- more than Pitt or Rutgers will. Mizzou and ISU can just be bonuses to round out the bunch.
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