Indiana AD Fred Glass decided to stoke the expansion fire.

[B1GALUM]

http://www.insidethehall.com/2013/10/21/glass-talks-big-ten-expansion-addition-maryland-rutgers/
There’s been little news on expansion since April, when the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) announced that its members had agreed to a grant of rights, leaving the SEC as the only major conference without such an agreement.
The lack of recent movement, however, doesn’t mean that the Big Ten or the IU athletic department have moved the issue off of the radar completely.
“That’s one of the more important things we’ve been working on is expansion. Whether we continue to expand, I don’t know. I can tell you that there’s no active efforts to identify partners to expand with,” Glass said. “But having said that, I think 16 (members) might be a bit of a sweet spot and if two high caliber academic and athletic institutions applied for membership, my guess is, if they met our criteria of being academically excellent and hopefully geographically contiguous, although I’m not sure if that’s completely critical, my guess is we’d do that.”

 

[Fishy]

We accept Fred's invitation to join the Big Ten.

I believe the AAC has a 72-hour notification period, so we can be in the Big Ten by Saturday morning.

 

[billybud]

Soooo?

Academically excellent schools, with high caliber athletics, and geographically contiguous may apply....and the contiguity isn't completely critical.

Nice....Kansas is tied up in a GOR...Mizzou is riding a SEC high....that leaves?

 

[coachcap]

Paging Susan Herbst: Please send in UConn's application.

 

[UConn Dan]

We're in... we just need a partner. Susan needs to shake somebody loose from their GOR... or put pressure on Mizzou.

 

[WestHartHusk]

holy ...it's 2am, last call, and Indiana is drunk and just wandered over and asked if anyone wants to hang out later. No time for questions here, just hail a cab, flex your arms a bit and don't talk too much Susan - get it done!

 

[FAIRTIDES]

"geographically contiguous"

Do these people travel by train or bus? Enough with the "contiguous."

 

[UConn Dan]

PS - This is the best news I've heard since Susan took a commercial flight to O'Hare.

 

[WestHartHusk]

http://www.insidethehall.com/2013/10/21/glass-talks-big-ten-expansion-addition-maryland-rutgers/
There’s been little news on expansion since April, when the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) announced that its members had agreed to a grant of rights, leaving the SEC as the only major conference without such an agreement.
The lack of recent movement, however, doesn’t mean that the Big Ten or the IU athletic department have moved the issue off of the radar completely.
“That’s one of the more important things we’ve been working on is expansion. Whether we continue to expand, I don’t know. I can tell you that there’s no active efforts to identify partners to expand with,” Glass said. “But having said that, I think 16 (members) might be a bit of a sweet spot and if two high caliber academic and athletic institutions applied for membership, my guess is, if they met our criteria of being academically excellent and hopefully geographically contiguous, although I’m not sure if that’s completely critical, my guess is we’d do that.”

I also notice the use of "academically excellent" versus "AAU"...

 

[TRest]

"geographically contiguous"

Do these people travel by train or bus? Enough with the "contiguous."

You can throw a rock from New Jersey and hit Connecticut. Or at least a Jets fan in the head.

 

[hthusky74]

Soooo?

Academically excellent schools, with high caliber athletics, and geographically contiguous may apply....and the contiguity isn't completely critical.

At this point is we have to prove once again that we are high caliber in football. All the naysayers can look at this year and the previous 2 (and for that matter, probably the next 3) and say "see, I told you so."

 

[jostar1]

We are contiguous with the market that Delany wants---New York.

This is from ESPN's Big Ten Blog:

As I wrote last fall, the Big Ten's addition of Rutgers and Maryland was motivated more by its existing product than either of the new members. While Rutgers gives the Big Ten a boost in the New York/New Jersey market, the real victory is being able to showcase bigger products like Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State more often. New York has the University of Michigan's third largest concentration of alumni outside of Detroit and Chicago. Ohio State has more alumni in New York than any other out-of-state region except for Washington D.C./Northern Virginia. Penn State has nearly 30,000 alumni in the New York-New Jersey market.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/79256/take-two-b1g-acc-battle-for-new-york

 

[upstater]

I also notice the use of "academically excellent" versus "AAU"...

The AAU distinction is now obsolete. Thing is imploding. All those lobbyists on K Street are playing with their thumbs.

 

[noeynox]

Another cock tease for us.

 

[upstater]

Another rooster tease for us.

Do you live on a farm or something?

 

[noeynox]

Profanity filter strikes again.

 

[FAIRTIDES]

We jet fans are hit in the head with rocks enough, thank you.

 

[Huskyforlife]

holy did he actully say that!?

 

[Vuce]

Just when I thought I was done with the conference realignment board......it pulls me back in!!!

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Just when I thought I was done with the conference realignment board......it pulls me back in!!!

It is a disease.
The pluses are it allows for a speculative creativity that is fun.
The big minus is insanity is a prerequisite for participation.
Have no fear, if you are well adjusted insanity will overtake you soon enough.