Nebraska To Join the Big Ten: Who Will Be Next?

The Big Ten has made the first move in the race for conference expansion by extending a formal invitation to Nebraska, according to Fox Sports Ohio.

Nebraska’s Board of Regents agreed to the move during an informal meeting Thursday afternoon. With an even number of teams, the Big Ten now has the ability to create two divisions and a lucrative conference championship game.

That’s the worst-case scenario.

Powerful Commissioner Jim Delany would like to add at least two more institutions. The well-publicized love affair with Notre Dame hasn’t yielded any results even after years of courting. That won’t stop the Big Ten from asking the Irish to reconsider.

Notre Dame would be wise to begin seriously considering a move to the Big Ten.

The Irish are on the verge of being squeezed out of the national picture in College Football. Expansion will make non-conference games against opponents from power conferences much more difficult to schedule. 

Notre Dame’s fabled television contract with NBC yielded around $9 million last season—roughly $8 million dollars less than Indiana University earned through the Big Ten’s revenue sharing agreement.

Speaking of money, the increased size of the conference will also yield increased earnings. The Big Ten would receive several million dollars from television deals in association with a Conference Championship game in addition to revenue from ticket sales.

The expansion of the Big Ten Network to new markets would also provide a dramatic boost to money available through revenue sharing.

One of those new markets will almost certainly include the East Coast.

Aside from Penn State, the Big Ten lacks a presence in the East. Rutgers is a terrific academic institution with a relatively modest athletic program. Northwestern has been a valuable asset to the Big Ten, suggesting that the Scarlet Knights would be a nice fit.

Other possible options include Maryland, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse. Rutgers is by far the most realistic candidate.

Back in the Midwest, the Big Ten seems likely to pursue Missouri. The Tigers have until June 17 to decide if they want to remain in the Big 12 or be cast adrift from what remains of the conference.  Traditional rivalries with Nebraska and Illinois would remain intact while a geographical rivalry with Iowa would be created.

The Pac-10’s stunning raid of the Big 12 has diffused the rumors of Texas joining the Big Ten.

The next few days will be pivotal in determining the future of College Sports.  The move towards super conferences brings College Football much closer to a playoff.

It’s all about the Benjamin’s.