[Husker] Pac-10 To Invite Six Big XII Teams

[Mike Nolan]

> Northwestern likely could accommodate 15,000 Husker fans for a weekend in Chicago.  If they thought they could get more, they might move the game to Soldier Field. 

Michigan brings at least that many every other year, about the only time
that The Stadium Formerly Known As Dyche is anywhere near its 47,130 
capacity.  

Notre Dame will sell it out, in fact they used to set up bleachers to 
raise the capacity to over 50,000, though the construction of the new 
locker room in the north end zone now makes that impossible.  But according 
to multiple sources, Notre Dame has declined several offers of a home/home
schedule with Northwestern.  (I suspect Nebraska has as well.)  

As to playing in Soldier Field, apparently that's not as easy to schedule 
as it sounds.  FWIW, Northwestern is moving the Illinois game to Wrigley 
Field this year.  Wrigley hasn't hosted a football game since the Bears 
left after the 1970 season.

Don't get me wrong, I think Nebraska would be foolish not to accept an
invitation to join the Big Ten (especially if the Big XII falls apart
as rapidly as appears possible), but other than a good football program 
and a devoted football fan base (though with a small media market), 
Nebraska really doesn't bring a lot to enhance the reputation of the 
conference in athletics, and not that much in academics, either.  

The Big Ten is a strong basketball conference, our men's basketball team 
is pathetic and the recent strength of the women's team is far from the 
dynasty stage.  The best years of the men's gymnastics team are in 
the past (I don't know that the NCAA is committed to maintaining that as
a championship sport, either), and the baseball team appears to have 
returned to mediocrity.  Women's volleball might challenge Penn State's 
recent domination of the conference.  I don't know what status bowling has
in the Big Ten.  
--
Mike Nolan