Notre Dame Can Quell Big Ten Expansion Chaos

Notre Dame can't stop the madness over Big Ten expansion, but they can quell it by coming out with a definitive message about their plans to either be part of, or not be part of, the new Big Ten order.

Everything would settle down greatly if Jack Swarbrick became clear.

Saying Notre Dame wants to remain independent unless a "seismic" change occurs is not clear.  The Chicago Tribune's Teddy Greenstein reminds us that, "if three schools leave, and the Big East falls apart, that would be seismic."

Greenstein, one of the most knowledgeable college football reporters in the Midwest, has been all over this story from it's inception.  He doubts Notre Dame would terminate its independent football status, but he isn't closing the door on the possibility.  He says "there's a 15 percent chance Notre Dame caves and joins the Big Ten."

Jeff Jeffers, with 30 years as the Notre Dame beat writer for WNDU radio, told ESPN's John Saunders that nothing is definite.

Jeff Rabjohns, of the "Indianapolis Star" thinks it's a long shot but reports "Notre Dame has been in commutation with the Big Ten regarding the league's expansion efforts."

We just need some clarity.  We need Jack Swarbrick to stand up and say either "yes, we're interested," or "No, you have our word, Notre Dame will not join the Big Ten."

Greenstein sheds an interesting light on Swarbrick's thinking.  He claims that Swarbrick knows about the financial rewards the Big Ten brings, but he believes that the AD doesn't want to be the one who places Notre Dame football in a conference.

Greenstein also thinks the instant revenue increase may not be worth risking a decrease in donations that angry alums could cause.

People have always compared Notre Dame to the Yankees.  This is quite similar to George Steinbrenner's decision when New Jersey was offering him the sweetest of sweetheart deals to move to the Meadowlands.  He simply didn't want to be memorialized as the man who moved the Yankees out of New York.

Everything heated up Monday when WHB radio's Kevin Kietzman wrote that the Big Ten had officially dished out invitations to Notre Dame, Missouri, Nebraska, and Rutgers.  Kietzman's blog set off a whirlwind of rumors that have infected the Internet.

Immediately after WHB released the information, denials were issued by everyone associated with the Big Ten, and by most of the top college football writers in the country. 

Long time St Louis-Post Dispatch sports writer Vahe Gregorian called Keitzman's report "another in a recent sequence of premature conclusions."

Big Ten Commissioner Delany sent emails on Tuesday to Big Ten officials assuring them that Kietzman's story was wrong.  He has also reaffirmed his intentions to notify other conference commissioners, when and if something happens, before anyone else.

Was Keitzman's blog factual or just more rumors on the subject?  It's hard to tell, but with over ten years as a sports talk show host, he's seasoned and respected.  Curtis Kitchen, a senior writer with WHB, has worked with Keitzman for four years and made certain he is not someone who just throws things out there.

Is he protecting his sources?  There's a chance we'll find out when the Big Ten AD's meet on May 17th in Chicago.

Presently it's questionable where the Big Ten will go from here.  It's difficult to believe that they themselves know what they are planning.

Sometimes it seems like the Big Ten is talking about a "football empire," and while it may be easy to conquer (expand) more territory—occupying it (making everyone financially happy) may not be so easy.

At this point the Big Ten can sweet talk just about anyone to join by pointing to the $22 million that their members made in 2009, but Ed Sherman of Crains Chicago Business says, "Somebody needs to do the math before they speculate about the Big Ten becoming the Big 16."

ACC Commissioner John Swafford, the man who invented the concept of "raid your neighboring conference" promised Virginia Tech, Miami, and especially Boston College enough to get them to defect from the Big East in 2003.  Are they happy now?  Does Boston College feel like they really belong?

While the Big Ten, who hired a Chicago research firm that supposedly gave them the green light for expansion, seems to be undecided, Notre Dame could help everyone by making their position known.

If the Irish flatly deny any intentions of joining, the Big Ten loses their biggest fish and possibly thinks the whole expansion process through again.  Without Notre Dame, expansion becomes risky.  It may not happen!

The Big Ten has made it clear that they don't know if they'll go to 12, 14, or 16 teams.  Are they in a holding pattern, waiting to see what the Irish will do?

If Notre Dame says they want in, and carves out a deal that everyone can live with, the Big Ten can get more specific on expansion and the college football world can get out of this environmental limbo it's been trapped in.

With Notre Dame as a member, the Big Ten is likely be happy with 12 teams and we can all go back to arguing about who should be ranked in the Preseason Top 25 or whether or not we need a playoff in college football.

It's up to Notre Dame to just deliver a clear message. 

So far, I haven't seen it.