[NU Sports] Interesting article ...

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

... on SI.com about the expansion.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/andy_staples/06/04/texas-expansion/index.html?xid=si_ncaaf

It focuses on how Texas - not Notre Dame - is the belle of the ball in this round of expansion talk and sorts through their options (including a rather funny look at the Longhorn's cable network proposed programming :) ).

There's also another article on SI.com about e-mails from OSU's AD about Texas mentioning a "Tech problem" and urging Delaney to be the "hare" on this and not watch as the Pac 10 snatches up the Horns.

It will be real interesting to see how Delaney maneuvers here ... I think we can snatch both of the big prizes if we play our cards right:

* Evil Empire - The reports about a Big East deal seem fairly accurate ... they give ND a "join or else" ultimatum and we leave the rest of the league alone (I really don't want Rutgers or Pitt anyway ... Syracuse maybe but no big deal). The Irish refuse and are left where they belong - with the Big Ten.

* The only two schools out east that would seem to open up new markets and make it worth it, IMO, would be Boston College and Maryland -- so the Big East has nothing to worry about from us.

* Texas - The Horns seem to want to keep the Big XII together (which they rule over anyway), so we need to take Mizzou and the Huskers to topple that league (Kansas as well - they're every bit to basketball what Nebraska is to football and more) ... then we make the case to Texas. The SEC seems the most unlikely (the Katz article mentions the league only has two AAU schools ... wow), meaning we focus on why academically, athletically, financially and location-wise, joining the Big Ten makes much more sense than the Pac 10.

This is why Delaney gets the big bucks ... play this wrong and everything crumbles and we're left with Mizzou or Rutgers. Yippee. Play it right and you have a league and network that dominates the northeast, midwest and great plains, with the finest collection of academic and athletic institutions and a lineup of schools with national followings that surpasses any other.

And if Texas has a "Tech problem" and needs to bring along some friends, my "Big Ten X2" idea still stands! :)

Big Ten North
- Penn State
- Ohio State
- Michigan State
- Michigan
- Notre Dame
- Northwestern
- Indiana
- Purdue
- Minnesota
- Wisconsin

Big Ten South
- Illinois
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Texas Tech/Colorado/Baylor/K-State/Iowa State ????
- Texas
- Texas A&M
- Oklahoma
- Oklahoma State

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog at yahoo.com
GO CATS!!! GEAUX SAINTS!!!
Super Bowl XLIV Champions!
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