[Lionhawk]

As I have an extreme distaste for the Rag called the DM Register I have to add my Three Cents (Teams) Worth to the cause (rather than the normal two cents worth column).

Expansion ends up with 3 additional teams taking the Big Ten from 11 schools to 14 and I believe 10 states (thus the Big Ten name remains).

New schools: Missouri - Pitt - Syracuse

Split conference into two divisions.

8 game conference schedule in football with two crossover games that rotate each year. That leaves each school with the current 4 OOC games currently on the schedules. Allows teams to keep home games available to continue current income stream. Conference championship game held Thanksgiving weekend and rotates annually between the domed stadiums in Indy, Detroit, possibly New York with the new Jets/Giants stadium being a retractable roof and eventually Minneapolis (if a new retractable or domed Viking stadium is ever built).

One of the issues with expanding to 14 teams is the challenge in basketball scheduling. Here is a thought but certainly not a perfect solution. Move to 19 game Big Ten conference basketball schedule. Play each team in your division twice and each team from the other division once. Every other year a team ends up with one more away game than home game but it evens up the schedule as closely as possible with 14 teams.


Division "X"
Iowa
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Northwestern
Illinois
Missouri
Penn State

Division "Y"
Purdue
Pitt
Syracuse
Michigan
Ohio State
Indiana
Michigan State


With Iowa, Penn State, Missouri, Wisconsin on one side and Michigan, Ohio State, Pitt, Michigan State on the other the conference for football could be construed to be very slightly one sided. On the other hand this setup makes the basketball split awfully one sided historically. Have looked at a number of angles but I think keeping traditional rivalries in place will win out in the end (to much money involved in those games).


Announced July 2011
As most schedules are set far enough in advance I think they wait to make it effective during the 2013/2014 school year

Being from NW Iowa and an original Cornbelt conference rival of West Bend, (Everly, yes we were the CATTLEFEEDER'S, best school mascot EVER), I'll take the lunch in Iowa City over another trip to the Grotto. Don't get me wrong, it is a very neat plac to visit but have been there multiple times while growing up. Our church youth group went there about every other year.

[Puttman]

Originally Posted by Lionhawk

As I have an extreme distaste for the Rag called the DM Register I have to add my Three Cents (Teams) Worth to the cause (rather than the normal two cents worth column).

Damn, that's the only part of the newspaper the decends on Iowa thats worth reading.

[PENNHWK]

Thanks for playing, everybody. To tell you the truth, though, for all those casting stones at GodGod, I figured a lot more would do some predicting. What's the old proverb??

[lightning1]

North division:
MINN
WIS
IOWA
MICH
MSU
NU

South division:
ILL
PITT
PUR
IND
PSU
OSU

nice and balanced in a way that I dont think can be achieved by an East and West division scenario.

[PENNHWK]

lightning1. Lowland, timberland, badland, birdland. An REM song. The Document LP.
Great name. Thanks for the input!

[IATrainMaster101]

B10 Adds Pitt, Misou, ND
Divisons

North

Min
Wisconsin
Mich
MSU
NW
PSU
Pitt

South

Missou
OSU
Indiana
Purdue
Illinois
ND
Iowa

Each Team gets a Rival from the other division
So UM / OSU, Ill / NW , Ia / Min can still be played each year.

[Lionhawk]

Originally Posted by IATrainMaster101

B10 Adds Pitt, Misou, ND
Divisons

North

Min
Wisconsin
Mich
MSU
NW
PSU
Pitt

South

Missou
OSU
Indiana
Purdue
Illinois
ND
Iowa

Each Team gets a Rival from the other division
So UM / OSU, Ill / NW , Ia / Min can still be played each year.

Have to agree on the possibilty of North/South but don't see only seven conference games given the challenges of finding OOC games. So would you suggest you have one "traditional" cross conference rivalry game then another rotating game or where does the 8th conference game come from?

[Lionhawk]

Originally Posted by Puttman

Damn, that's the only part of the newspaper the decends on Iowa thats worth reading.

Puttman - I assume you mean depends on?

And I think most of us know what Depends are. As far as I am concerned that definition pretty much explains what the DMR is good for. Good thing for them most outhouses have been demolished. The newspaper would have replaced the now defunct Sears Roebuck catalog for cleanliness purposes.

[LG210]

My prediction--no expansion. At least that is my hope.

[BA96MA99]

Here is THE BIG FOURTEEN, divided into socio-economic divisions:

The Cows and Pigs Division

Iowa
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Illinois
Indiana
Purdue
MISSOURI

The Fo Shizzle Division

tOSU
MSU
PSU
Michigan
Northwestern
SYRACUSE
RUTGERS

[PENNHWK]

I don't know, folks. the Texas rumors are heating up quick according to eSECpn.

[BA96MA99]

From the other thread...

From Adam Rittenberg's post: "Would Texas only join as part of a package deal with A&M or Oklahoma?"

The Big Fourteen:

Steers and Bulls Division
Texas
A&M
Oklahoma
Iowa
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Illinois

Rust Belt Division
tOSU
PSU
Michigan
MSU
Indiana
Purdue
Northwestern

[DuffMan]

Originally Posted by PENNHWK

Marshalltown, Shane? I do believe. There's a cajun' joint in the little town of Oxford. 20 miles west of IC. A shrimp po'boy that cannot be beat. I'll tell you what. Anyone who wins this, from that di-rection, I'll send a gift certificate. That effing good.

My wife and I ate there last weekend. It's called the Augusta. We had an appetizer and a bottle of wine along with out entres. We dropped a benny but it was damn good eats.

[DuffMan]

The Hatfields:
Mizzou
Iowa
Minny
Wisky
Ill
NW
Ind

The McCoys:
fOSU
scUM
Mich St8
Penn St8
Purdon't
Rutgers
Pitt

[PENNHWK]

Originally Posted by DuffMan

My wife and I ate there last weekend. It's called the Augusta. We had an appetizer and a bottle of wine along with out entres. We dropped a benny but it was damn good eats.

Thanks for playing, Duff. Going to Augusta's this coming Tuesday for a special Mardi Gras feast. Looking forward to it.