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Actually I don't think there needs 2 be, shoot I felt it was better that Penn State was still an independent. And about 2 or 3 teams should just give up the football program & concentrate on their stronger sports programs. But you hear a couple of fools in the media saying they should go into the 21st Century & add a 12th team for some OVERRATED CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP. And if you can think of a team, how are the 2-6team conference gonna be split up like? Could change name to Midwest 12 or MidNorth 12. Would you put Michigan & the Ohio State University in the same conference like Oklahoma & Texas is in the Big 12 or have them in opposite conferences like FSU & Miami is in the ACC?
Should they have a North/South or a West/East or a Great Lakes/Midwest or A & B? Or better yet, minus a team so it can again be officially called the Big Ten?

Notre Dame is not a viable option.

I think Rutgers might be the best choice if they really wanted to add another school. Remember academics would be a big part of their choice.

Why is Notre Dame not a viable option? Economics?

Notre Dame makes the most sense to me. But if not them, then Missouri makes the next most sense. MU is solid as an academic institution, and it offers geographic proximity, and it gives the Big Ten complete control of one sizable TV market (St. Louis) and a good-size stake in another fairly big market (Kansas City).

Of course, what should REALLY happen is that the Big 12 should dump Baylor and steal Iowa from the Big Ten.

Notre Dame is the clear choice for the conference. If Notre Dame won't join them, they shouldn't force it

Also, if and when they add a 12th team and are racking their brains to come up with a name other than the already taken "Big 12", the new name should be "Great 12" referencing the great lakes and one up-ing that johnny-come-lately great plains conference.

Notre Dame is not a viable option because there's no way in hell ND would ever do it.

They gain nothing from the partnership. The Big 10 has constantly made overtures about getting them in the conference and it's always been rejected. They recruit fine as an independant, are proud of their long history of being outside the conferences and have a lucrative TV deal with NBC that would have to go.

GYBE wrote:Notre Dame is not a viable option because there's no way in hell ND would ever do it.

They gain nothing from the partnership. The Big 10 has constantly made overtures about getting them in the conference and it's always been rejected. They recruit fine as an independant, are proud of their long history of being outside the conferences and have a lucrative TV deal with NBC that would have to go.

Solid points. At the same time, if they have a run of years like the current one, things may change.

The best Michigan blog out there, Brian's mgoblog did an article about this not to long ago.

Link

I personally liked his comment about NDNation suicide bombers (I site I frequent). It's true, that would be the reaction of Irish fans.