Notre Dame Open To Big-10 Expansion

Sports News - March 9th, 2010 - Written By Bryan Cross

For weeks now, the Big-10 has considered the possibility of expanding to 12 teams in the league. This week, Notre Dame has come forward and said that they would consider an invitation if offered, given that the University likes the situation.

Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick said Tuesday that while they would rather remain as an independent, but would be open to the the option of joining the Big-10 conference.

The Fighting Irish were extended the offer to join the Big-10 in 1999, but elected to remain as they were.

Swarbrick eluded to the fact that the expansion scenarios could be "relatively small, or they could be seismic."

On Tuesday, Swarbrick told the Associated Press "You can each come up with a scenario that would force our hand."

The expansion has been met with mixed reviews amongst Big-10 officials.

"If you look at the college landscape across the country, look at television contracts that are coming up over the next 5-8 years, this is probably the right time for us to see if there is there any value in trying to add a team or teams," Ohio State director of athletics Gene Smith remarked.

Wisconsin director of athletics Barry Alvarez led the Badgers for many years as their head football coach, including the Rose Bowl. He believes that a team must earn their way into a conference like the Big-10.

"You just don't jump into the league and get a full share of what everyone else in this league has established over time," Alvarez remarked. "I think someone has to buy their way into the league."

Money remains a central issue in the expansion issue, with universities not wanting to sacrifice anything by bringing in another team.

There was even a study conducted of the profitability of bringing a new team into the Big-10, with results suggesting that it could in fact work.

Stan Ikenberry, who was President of the University of Illinois suggests that a team must meet more than monetary value, and must embrace the tradition of the conference, or don't expand.

"There's a lot of tradition and, as the Big Ten changes, that tradition gets tweaked over time," he stated. "Wise heads at the end of the day may conclude that, yes, there are a number of theoretical options out there for possible new members of the conference, but, at the end of the day, the Big Ten tradition is better preserved with the status quo."

While the college football season does not begin to September, it is never too early to place a wager on the new season on the horizon. College Football Betting Lines listed on Bodog, currently have defending champion Alabama as the betting favorite to claim the 2010-11 national title.