But ND and Clemson are not coming to the Big 10 for another 10 to 15 years if at all. aTm nor Mizzou is going to leave the SEC when they are about to make 70 to 80 million a year from their new contracts with ESPN.
EIU fans keep making this same remark, ISU does not move the needle and the league will not expand without a team that can do it. Then you will not be expanding and get left behind by the SEC. The former Big 12 schools will not be sitting around waiting for the Big 10 hoping for seat at the table. They will be looking to move, KU to the ACC and the rest of us to the Pac 12.
Look at the current situation from the remaining Power Conferences point of view: The $EC is making moves to expand its inventory with two high, Power 5 brands. There are also eight Power 5 schools unexpectedly on the market.
If the remaining Power Conferences see the future of college football as four, 16 team super conferences,
- Would they look first to the newly available Big 12 orphans to build out their own inventory?
- Would they want to expand now to keep up with the SEC and get their pick of the Big 12 orphans before someone else does?
If the answers to the questions above are both "yes", which two of the eight Big 12 orphans make the most sense for the B1G to bring aboard now?
While an intriguing case could be made for Okie St and WVU, I propose that ISU and KU are the better fit because of their geography, cultural similarity, AAU pedigree (which seems to be important to the B1G), compelling narratives (obviously for different reasons) and modest-but-passionate fanbases. .... all at a "bargain price".