Big Ten Expansion - More Information

Okay, if any of you are still following along, check out the latest entry on Frank the Tank's Slant on Big Ten Expansion.

Patrick is a person with a lot of knowledge about the television industry and has provided invaluable insight into this expansion process and has no doubt revealed what many of the Big 10 universities probably already know:

Expansion is the key to riches and future revenue growth beyond their wildest dreams.

What it basically states is that the BTN and Fox are going to make boatloads of money on under televised Collegiate Athletic Sporting Events that casual fans will tune in and watch. I have often thought that if there was a live college sporting event on that I would tune in. And frankly, I'm right. I often find myself watching a college Big 10 baseball or softball game on the BTN. The lesser sports, not so much, but I am watching. And the BTN knows that people are watching and can sell that advertising.

So, where the money and power once prevailed are now shifting and the Univeristies have the product. And the only way to make that product better and more plentiful is to expand. Plain and simple.

One thing Patrick did note that Frank doesn't agree with (but I do) is that the Domers are out of the picture. I'm pretty sure of that, also, but for entirely different reasons. I have been delving deeper into the psyche of the average Domer and I believe that the President, $warbuck$, and everyone else knows that to make a decision to join the Big 10, while absolutely correct from a commercial and financial standpoint, would in essence be political suicide. And while it may in 10 or 20 years be looked at as the best decision that was ever made, there will be heads that need to roll in the interim as "those that gave up our independence", not "Visionaries that had the ability to see the future of college sports and revenue generation."

So, yes, the Domers will turn down an additional $25-$30Million annually to maintain their indepence...And they might not have anything left to show for it once it's all said and done.

So, based on the Patrick Info: Top 3 candidates for 14 Teams: Nebraska, Rutgers, Pitt....Sorry Syracuse(I know, I had them in yesterday - but that was yesterday)....
If it goes to 16: Nebraska, Rutgers, Pitt, Kansas, Missouri....