10. University of Chicago – For old times sake. If Northwestern is a Big Ten school – why not let the University of Chicago back in. Positives – High quality academic institution, located in Chicago, long, storied history. Negatives – No football team, private school.
9. North Dakota – Might be too high because North Dakota is a third tier institution and a D2 football team but it seems like adding the Dakotas to the Big Ten would make sense.
8. Nebraska – Best of the Big Twelve trio that includes Kansas and Oklahoma. Big schools, Big time football programs. Weak, at best, academics.
7. Montana – I like Montana. Add the Grizzlies to Gophers, Badgers and Wolverines!
6. UCLA – Very good school, big. Location a problem, it is too LA, too Hollywood for the Big Ten but it would make for a damn good 12th team. Everyone would hate ‘em.
5. Oregon – Similar to Montana, but better school.
4. North Carolina – 1st of a top four that would make for a great addition. These four are head and shoulders above the previous six. Elite academic institution, great college town, UNC’s powder blue would be a great addition to the Big Ten.
3. Washington – Campus is beautiful. Academics strong, football team sometimes strong, a perfect Big Ten team. W on helmet might be confusing …
2. Texas – A surprise (?) at 2 but Texas is more like a Big Ten school than a Big Twelve school. Austin like Madison, Champagne-Urbana, Ann Arbor. Huge, high quality state school. Only the fact that it is in Texas is a problem – but hell, there are already teams from Indiana and Ohio in the league.
1. Cal – Completes the trio of best public institutions in America – Michigan, Wisconsin and California. Cal fits the Big Ten like a glove – Big state school, among the best academics in the country, history of social and political activism, and high quality athletics. Free Cal and bring them into the Big Ten. And while we’re at it, kick out Northwestern and bring in Texas – now that’s a conference shake up worth thinking about.
Missed the cut: Oklahoma Pitt Kansas West Virginia Colorado Rutgers Wyoming Hawai’i Virginia
Not even worth consideration: Notre Dame Iowa State Any other second class institution in a state that already has a Big Ten Team in it. Any institution with an A & M in its name.
Bad candidates: Any other Deep south school (Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, LSU, South Carolina,) Any other border state school (Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas) Any other private school (Ivy League) Any Southwest school (Arizona, New Mexico) Any New England School (Connecticut, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Delaware) Any New York School
Hey -- the realistic list was going to be another topic! But personally I think the realistic list begins and ends with the Golden Domers. As unfortunate as that is I just can't imagine the Big Ten letting anyone else in.
The criteria must be that the team be in the Midwest area. This is the Big Ten, not the Big East or the old Big 8. The school must be in, or border a Big Ten member school, but no further south than Indiana, and no further east than Ohio.
1-Iowa State (it's not even close, although I could see myself starting to hate them if they joined the conference. Stupid Iowans).
2-Notre Dame- I hate them already and we really do have enough Indiana schools as it is.
3-Mizzou The logical geographical choice, plus the TV market of the St. Louis/KC areas. I'd also get to go to the Waffle house on away games (a huge plus). They are competitive in both football and basketball, but the Gophs could still beat em'.
4-North Dakota A great choice because of location. Easy away game road trip, and a hockey power already part of the WCHA. Small market problem, but then again, Madison and Iowa City?
Maybe...Nebraska. I hate the hell out of them though.
4 comments:
10. University of Chicago – For old times sake. If Northwestern is a Big Ten school – why not let the University of Chicago back in. Positives – High quality academic institution, located in Chicago, long, storied history. Negatives – No football team, private school.
9. North Dakota – Might be too high because North Dakota is a third tier institution and a D2 football team but it seems like adding the Dakotas to the Big Ten would make sense.
8. Nebraska – Best of the Big Twelve trio that includes Kansas and Oklahoma. Big schools, Big time football programs. Weak, at best, academics.
7. Montana – I like Montana. Add the Grizzlies to Gophers, Badgers and Wolverines!
6. UCLA – Very good school, big. Location a problem, it is too LA, too Hollywood for the Big Ten but it would make for a damn good 12th team. Everyone would hate ‘em.
5. Oregon – Similar to Montana, but better school.
4. North Carolina – 1st of a top four that would make for a great addition. These four are head and shoulders above the previous six. Elite academic institution, great college town, UNC’s powder blue would be a great addition to the Big Ten.
3. Washington – Campus is beautiful. Academics strong, football team sometimes strong, a perfect Big Ten team. W on helmet might be confusing …
2. Texas – A surprise (?) at 2 but Texas is more like a Big Ten school than a Big Twelve school. Austin like Madison, Champagne-Urbana, Ann Arbor. Huge, high quality state school. Only the fact that it is in Texas is a problem – but hell, there are already teams from Indiana and Ohio in the league.
1. Cal – Completes the trio of best public institutions in America – Michigan, Wisconsin and California. Cal fits the Big Ten like a glove – Big state school, among the best academics in the country, history of social and political activism, and high quality athletics. Free Cal and bring them into the Big Ten. And while we’re at it, kick out Northwestern and bring in Texas – now that’s a conference shake up worth thinking about.
Missed the cut:
Oklahoma
Pitt
Kansas
West Virginia
Colorado
Rutgers
Wyoming
Hawai’i
Virginia
Not even worth consideration:
Notre Dame
Iowa State
Any other second class institution in a state that already has a Big Ten Team in it.
Any institution with an A & M in its name.
Bad candidates:
Any other Deep south school (Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, LSU, South Carolina,)
Any other border state school (Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas)
Any other private school (Ivy League)
Any Southwest school (Arizona, New Mexico)
Any New England School (Connecticut, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Delaware)
Any New York School
That was an entertaining read, but I'm going to give a more realist top 10.
1. Notre Dame (the obvious choice)
2. Iowa State (the sexy choice)
3. Pitt (it's closer than Penn State)
4. Missouri (geographic plus, adds the St. Louis and KC TV markets)
5. Nebraska (big name school close to IA and MN, but I hate them)
6. Ohio (the only state university in the current Big Ten region that's not in the conference...MN, IA, WI, IL, IN, MI....and now OH)
7. A school that needs to move up to I-A (North Dakota or Montana)
8. Syracuse (its a terrible addition, but one that has been talked about in the past)
9. Northern Illinois (I like them...they're between Chicago and Madison...thats all I have)
10. I'm out of ideas.
Hey -- the realistic list was going to be another topic! But personally I think the realistic list begins and ends with the Golden Domers. As unfortunate as that is I just can't imagine the Big Ten letting anyone else in.
The criteria must be that the team be in the Midwest area. This is the Big Ten, not the Big East or the old Big 8. The school must be in, or border a Big Ten member school, but no further south than Indiana, and no further east than Ohio.
1-Iowa State (it's not even close, although I could see myself starting to hate them if they joined the conference. Stupid Iowans).
2-Notre Dame- I hate them already and we really do have enough Indiana schools as it is.
3-Mizzou The logical geographical choice, plus the TV market of the St. Louis/KC areas. I'd also get to go to the Waffle house on away games (a huge plus). They are competitive in both football and basketball, but the Gophs could still beat em'.
4-North Dakota A great choice because of location. Easy away game road trip, and a hockey power already part of the WCHA. Small market problem, but then again, Madison and Iowa City?
Maybe...Nebraska. I hate the hell out of them though.
Post a Comment