TEXAS HOLD 'EM, 5 Reasons For TX To Join The Big Ten!

There's been much talk about The Big Ten expanding.  Recently news has erupted that TX is a team that The Big Ten is courting to expand. Here are some implications of Texas joining the Big Ten;

1. Revenue $$:  Texas in the Big Ten just about doubles the viewing audiences of Big Ten football and basketball games.   Should the Long horns join, The Big Ten would have it's foot in the door in one of the most populous states in the nation including The Dallas Metroplex, and will draw faithful fans and viewers from Houston to San Antonio as well.  The Big Ten will likely draw viewers from MO and OK as well.

2. Recruiting:  Just as The Big Ten took down Joe Pa's fence around the key stone state when PSU joined the Big Ten in the early 90's, should TX join the Big Ten expect a surge in Big Ten recruitment in the high school rich Lone Star State.  This may have a negative impact on current Big 12 teams that feed off the TX talent pipeline.

3. Restructuring:  Not only does TX joining the Big Ten make it a new mega conference with probably East and West divisions that will make for post season college football title game, it also negatively affects the current Big 12.  With its anchor gone and while rumors fly about the PAC 10 courting Colorado, the Big 12 may have to give that name to a new Great Lakes and Great planes version of The Big 12, expanding from The Gulf and southern planes to The New Jersey line. What might happen to the current Big 12 losing Texas and Colorado?  

4. Reestablishing: Should TX join the Big Ten it will automatically pole vault The Big Ten into one of the nation's elite athletic conferences.  While the Big Ten has been stumbling in its national football perception, imagine TX in the Big Ten. For 2010 pre seaons polls the new "Big 12" will now have 4 teams ranked in the top ten; TX, OSU, WI and IA.  TX being sound in basketball will now be another solid program to join the likes of Michigan State, Indiana, Ohio State and others.  Finally, This new conference will have a say in just about every major sport, TX with its swimming and baseball swagger, PSU in women's volleyball, WI in cross country and of course IA in wrestling.

5. Redirection:  The current Big 12 is basically a 'Great Plains' conference.  So leaving it to go to the more populated Great Lakes and Mid Altantic may not be that far out of the question and can be even more attractive to TX than to 'go west' to The Pacific shores.  Let's admit it, College football and basketball are much more revered there than on the west coast!   Which way does TX wish to reach out? To The Northeast or the Southwest?  Before TX left the Southwest Conference to join 'The Big Eight,' it was courted by The Pac 10, so it leaving this conference isn't that far out of 'reach!' 

Can't say what they'll do, but it will make for interesting conversation and the rest of the nation is looking at not only what TX does, but it's reasons for staying or moving.