End game is Notre Dame to Big Ten

[Handsome Pete]

The end game in Delaney's maneuvering is Notre Dame to the Big Ten. Not to sound too conspiratorial, but Nebraska was clearly not the #1 pick to be the Big Ten's 12th and final member. It was a way to start the the water trickling through the dam. Nebraska was the first domino, then Colorado, and by this time next week (at the very latest) Texas, Texas AM, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Okla State will be in new conferences and none will join the Big Ten.

The economics of football will be divided into a geographic troika between the west, south, and midwest with the midwest requiring at least 2 more teams to stay the power broker. Notre Dame must join or die, which is exactly what Jack Swarbrick meant when he said Notre Dame would always be independent unless there was a seachange in the complexion of college football.

 

[bankonit]

what is the likelihood of Notre Dame to the Big Ten in the near future? and who else do you think joins?

 

[Handsome Pete]

what is the likelihood of Notre Dame to the Big Ten in the near future? and who else do you think joins?

I personally think the likelihood of Notre Dame to the Big Ten is 95% or better. The timing is hard to say. I want to say 1 year, but things are moving so fast it could be sooner. When you look at the demise of the Big XII it is hard not to see the same thing happening to the Big East and possibly the ACC. Both of those conferences are going to be pillaged by the Big Ten and SEC respectively and will likely merge into one much conference that is much weaker than the power base of Pac-16, Big Ten and SEC.

EDIT- sorry forgot the second question. I think Missouri joins in the next 10 days. If that does not happen, the schools will be Pitt and Syracuse. The latter scenario would crumble the Big East and cause Notre Dame to Big Ten to accelerate. If that's what Delaney wants, he is not going to offer Missouri. If Delaney is patient, he will offer Missouri.