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Big 10+2?

According to Dr. Saturday, the Big Ten+1 is looking to expand.  I presume that the new conference would still be called the Big Ten (or, by everyone else in the world, the Big Ten+2), seeing as how the obvious moniker is taken.

What the Doc doesn't specifically say, but clearly implies, is that expansion of the Big Ten would be virtually pointless if the twelfth team is not the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.  I mean, seriously, Louisville joins the Big Ten, and then Louisville wins the Big 10 Championship (or even finishes in the top 2 or 3), will that make you think better of Louisville football or will it make you think worse of Big Ten football?

Every time Michigan or Ohio State lose to Louisville, it will be no different than the times that Minnesota, Indiana, or Illinois beat the Buckeyes or the Wolverines.  I understand that the Big Ten wants the money that comes with a conference title game, but you have to be careful that you're not matching up Northwestern vs. Minnesota or something weird like that regularly. No one thinks that a championship game without either Michigan or Ohio State would happen now, but that's also what everyone said about FSU and Miami when the ACC expanded... and only FSU has appeared in a title game (and even then, only once, and they were 8-4 and the laughingstock of the BCS when they won).

I understand the desire to expand on the part of the Big Ten, and would wonder why it hasn't occurred sooner.  Having lived in Big Ten country for a few years in the past, though, it seems to me that The Powers That Be in the Big Ten are slower to change than others.  They fear change and cling to the practices of the past by calling them "traditions..." like playing for a trophy called an "old brass spittoon" that only dates back to the 1950's.  Yeah, it's old, but it ain't like Wild Bill Hickock spit any tobacco juice into it or anything.  And even if he did, why would you want to lug around a jar with Wild Bill Hickock's old tobacco-juice stains in it?  That's just odd.

 

Anyway, my point is that the Big Ten+1 should either add Notre Dame or remain the Big Ten+1.  Adding an additional team just to get to 12 is a bad idea.

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