Paterno wants a Big East school in the Big Ten....

[SaintPaulWarrior]

...just not Notre Dame.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/sns-ap-fbc-paterno-big-ten-expansion,0,6386244.story


EDIT:  He reiterated at an alumni function yesterday.

[Skatastrophy]

Huh, odd that the Trib would pick up a story that was on ESPN a month ago

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=14699.0

[PE8983]

Who cares what Paterno thinks?  Notre Dame is their best choice, but he's looking thru some thick glasses and still bitter they got turned down before.  I don't really understand why anyone would jump from the Big East to the Big Ten.  They're talking about Pitt and Syracuse?  The Big East has the best basketball in the land, and an easier route to a BCS football game.  Doesn't make sense to me.

[reinko]

They can have their choice of South Florida, Depaul, Rutgers, and Seton Hall.

[GGGG]

Who cares what Paterno thinks?  Notre Dame is their best choice, but he's looking thru some thick glasses and still bitter they got turned down before.  I don't really understand why anyone would jump from the Big East to the Big Ten.  They're talking about Pitt and Syracuse?  The Big East has the best basketball in the land, and an easier route to a BCS football game.  Doesn't make sense to me.

Syracuse and Pitt, as well as Rutgers, West Virginia, Louisville and Cincinnati, would do backflips to get into the Big Ten.

[PE8983]

"Syracuse and Pitt, as well as Rutgers, West Virginia, Louisville and Cincinnati, would do backflips to get into the Big Ten."

Why?

[GGGG]

"Syracuse and Pitt, as well as Rutgers, West Virginia, Louisville and Cincinnati, would do backflips to get into the Big Ten."

Why?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ 

Big Ten is much, much more lucrative than the Big East.

[Tom Crean's Tanning Bed]

"Syracuse and Pitt, as well as Rutgers, West Virginia, Louisville and Cincinnati, would do backflips to get into the Big Ten."

Why?

Two words: Football $$$.

As lucrative as the Big East's TV contract with ESPN is (namely from a basketball perspective), there's piles of money to be made via football and the Big Ten Network.  Consider this:

The Big Ten received $66-million from the Big Ten Network alone in 2008, according to documents filed by News Corp., the parent company of Fox Sports, with the federal government. In the federal filings, News Corp. estimated the Big Ten would receive $2.8-billion over the course of the 25-year deal.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/pac-network-big-2409653-million-sec

That's over $6 million a school.  Toss in a 12th team, you can now have a conference title game.  Plus a 12th team for the Big 10 means greater distribution for the Big 10 Network, especially if they can poach Syracuse or Rutgers.  One of those two would give them access to NYC, which would be monsterous potentially in terms of overall revenues due to the increased distribution the Big 10 Network could now get.

As great as Big East hoops is for us, for the football programs, the Big East is not so great from a revenue persepective.  From an article about Virginia Tech in the ACC last summer:

For the 2003-04 academic year, the Hokies' last in the Big East, Virginia Tech reported $38.9 million in athletics revenue on U.S. Department of Education disclosure forms. For 2006-07, the university reported an ACC-best $65.5 million.

That's $10.9 million more than any Big East school — Louisville took in $54.6 million — and a 68-percent jump in three years. Credit, in part, the ACC.

For example, Virginia Tech's share of conference television contracts and NCAA basketball tournament appearances was $11.7 million in 2006-07. The most the Hokies ever received from the Big East, Weaver says, was $5.1 million, with the norm about $2.5 million.

http://www.dailypress.com/sports/college/vt/dp-spt_tech_0622jun22,0,1551379,full.story

Whether we like it or not, if the Big 10 offers one of the Big East schools membership, I think they are good as gone.  There's just too much money to be made outside of the Big East for football. 

[muarmy81]

Why doesn't the BEAST get more aggressive in finding another school to come into the conference?  I realize that it would probably require either some reorganization or possibly even letting go of a school but I would never want to be the party that is constantly being targeted...why don't the hunted become the hunter?  Why not have Penn State join the Big East?  I know that won't happen because of the money arguments discussed in this thread but come on...fight back a little!

[GGGG]

Why doesn't the BEAST get more aggressive in finding another school to come into the conference?  I realize that it would probably require either some reorganization or possibly even letting go of a school but I would never want to be the party that is constantly being targeted...why don't the hunted become the hunter?  Why not have Penn State join the Big East?  I know that won't happen because of the money arguments discussed in this thread but come on...fight back a little!

Like who?  I doubt Penn State or any of the ACC schools are interested because of the money.  Notre Dame certainly isn't.  East Carolina, Memphis or UCF really don't do anything for you.

The Big East had its chance in the late 80s when Penn State wanted to form a football conference with Syracuse, WVU, Va Tech, Boston College, and Rutgers.  The thought is that they could have picked Maryland from the ACC at that time.  Those schools turned them down.  That was a dumb decision on their part and now they are behind the 8 ball.

[79Warrior]

Who cares what Paterno thinks?  Notre Dame is their best choice, but he's looking thru some thick glasses and still bitter they got turned down before.  I don't really understand why anyone would jump from the Big East to the Big Ten.  They're talking about Pitt and Syracuse?  The Big East has the best basketball in the land, and an easier route to a BCS football game.  Doesn't make sense to me.

Seriously? You must really have a grudge with the Big Ten. Without question, just about every football school in the BE would jump at the chance.