[NU Sports] Expansion & Academics

[Jim Leonard]

Fellow Wildcat Faithful,

It has been mentioned several times that the decision to add another team to our conference would depend quite a bit on academics. I can why the Big Ten would not want to have a school that would embarass the conference, but really what role does academics play here? 

An athletic conference is an athletic conference. It determines who you play in softball, golf, and football. The only real 'academic' link that I'm aware of between the schools is that there is a Big Ten inter-campus library program that allows you to borrow rare books from other schools. 

I don't want to see a lower academic school like Middle Tennessee State University join the Big Ten, but I would like to better understand why the academics matter within athletic conferences.

Victory & Honor,
Jim



<<<<<<<And there you go - if it is an academic decision, then Texas will run, not walk, to the Big Ten. Other leagues have similar strength at the top (Duke, Vandy, Cal/Stanford) ... but no one comes close in depth.>>>>>>>>