A Big Ten Guy Weighs In

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno made some waves recently, with his suggestion that the Big Ten add a 12th team to make the league eligible to stage a conference championship football game.

The waves JoePa created crashed over the national sports media, with many pundits suggesting Notre Dame would be the natural choice to be the twelfth team.

But as former Big Ten football coach Lee Corso is noted for saying, "Not so fast, my friend."

As someone born and raised in a Big Ten state and a proud graduate of a Big Ten university, I have a vested interest. With that in mind, here's one perspective on Notre Dame:
You don't want us, and we don't want you.

Let's backtrack a bit.

Speculation over Notre Dame joining the Big Ten has risen and fallen over the years. About 10-15 years ago, it appeared that it was going to happen, but Notre Dame balked. The rumors started up again a few years ago, but the two sides wound up farther apart than before.

This time, more importantly, Notre Dame came off as dismissive, which created hostility within Big Ten Nation.

Ask many Big Ten fans, and they'll tell you -- Let Notre Dame have its national TV contract and Big East membership; if the Big Ten expands, it will bring in a team that wants to be in.

(Then again, we're talking about the Big Ten, which isn't exactly forward-thinking. Case in point: The league spent years resisting the idea of a post-season basketball tournament, effectively handing the national spotlight to the ACC, SEC, Big East and Big XII. But at least the Big Ten realized what it was missing, and now its tournament is one of the most visible in the country.)

If and when the Big Ten adds a 12th team, it won't be in South Bend.

Louisville would be an appealing candidate. Pitt would be a good fit, and would instantly be part of geographic arch-rivalries with Penn State and Ohio State. But it's hard to imagine the Panthers leaving the Big East. The same holds for Rutgers, and especially for Syracuse, which was a charter member of the Big East.

More likely possibilities to join the Big Ten are two Big XII schools: Missouri or Iowa State.

Each is a perfect geographic fit, each meets the conference's rigorous academic standards, brings in tailor-made arch-rivalries and has historically expressed an interest in joining the Big Ten.

Moreover, while they wouldn't reach into East Coast media markets, they'd be better fits for when the Big Ten goes to two divisions:
Big Ten East: Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue
Big Ten West: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Missouri/Iowa State

A football championship game will get the green light once the divisions are set. Look for it to be rotated among domed stadiums around the league -- Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis, the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Ford Field in Detroit and the Metrodome in Minneapolis.
Or, if the conference wanted to play in real football weather, the game could go outdoors to Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Soldier Field in Chicago or Browns Stadium in Cleveland.

One day, the Big Ten will have to expand. The trend toward bigger and bigger mega-conferences makes it inevitable. So it will happen.
It just won't include Notre Dame.