CHICAGO — We’d like to welcome Troy and South Alabama to the Big Ten.
Would you believe Vanderbilt and Miami, Fla.?
How about Texas and Texas A&M?
Pardon the blind draw. You get a little goofy after sitting in a hotel lobby for eight hours waiting for somebody to come over and hand you the story that the Big Ten is inviting Nebraska and Missouri to join the club.
That story hasn’t yet materialized. In fact, the plot thickened on Tuesday. Actually, it got downright murky.
None of the two dozen or so media types here at the Sofitel Chicago Water Tower hotel for the Big Ten spring meetings knew what to think after Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany addressed reporters. And maybe that was the idea.
What was clear is that Big Ten expansion will not be wrapped up anytime soon.
• Contrary to media reports and popular belief, Delany said, the Big Ten has not invited any schools to join — and will not vote on expansion when the league’s CEOs meet in Chicago in early June.
“We’re months away," said Delany, adding that the timetable is still “12 to 18 months” from the Big Ten’s announcement last December that it would look into expansion.
• Delany added that the Big Ten might also decide not to expand, depending on which schools apply. Wonderful. I’ll believe that when I see it. The Big Ten doesn’t put on this kind of show — and it’s quite a production — only to do nothing.
• Finally, Delany clouded the horizon with his take on the change of demographics and the long-term population flight from the Rust Belt to the Sun Belt.
“In the last 20 to 30 years, there’s been a clear shift to the Sun Belt, and that has demographic meaning long-term, with the economy, jobs, the recruitment of students and the recruitment of athletes," Delany said.
The 2010 census is expected to show that the Top 10 states in population growth from 2000 to 2010 are located in the Southeast, Southwest and West.
Delany called that the biggest factor now in Big Ten expansion, adding that “the demographic shift for any planner, whether they’re planning a medical facility or a conference, is a relevant factor. So I think you want to look forward to 2020 or 2030 and see what the impact is for our schools."
Was that a subtle hint that the Big Ten is now looking south? Last time I checked, Nebraska and Missouri aren’t in the Sun Belt. Neither are Rutgers, Syracuse or Pittsburgh.
But who makes sense? Georgia Tech? Why? LSU? Nah. Would the Big Ten want Vanderbilt?
Would it be getting ready to make a strong play for Texas and Texas A&M? Would the Big Ten be willing to let Texas start its own TV network?
It’s a stickier wicket, suddenly. And none of the athletic directors, football coaches or men’s basketball coaches passing through the lobby were willing to name names or drop hints. All except Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith, who, when asked about the Sun Belt demographic being most important, said, “You’re on track with the thought process."
Does that mean that the Big Ten is now looking south?
“I’m trying to give you a hint," Smith said.
You can look at it two ways. And we did.
The national and Big 12 media assembled here took Delany’s demographic talk to mean that Nebraska and Missouri might not fit the bill. The Big Ten media here interpreted Delany to mean the Big Ten needed to strengthen its demographic base in the north and not necessarily look south to accomplish that.
Who knows? Just get this thing over with. Please.
“We’ve been talking about this for months," Iowa Athletic Director Gary Barta said. “It’s one of the principles we talk about: Should we grow? We’re trying to look at where we’ll be in 20 years. We (Big Ten) have the largest alumni population in the country. If that’s going to continue the next 20 years, should we take a look at expansion?"
A longtime observer of college football who is attending the Big Ten meetings said, “Don’t take your eye off Texas. Don’t ever take your eye off Texas."
Maybe, but my eyes didn’t see Texas Athletic Director DeLoss Dodds walk in. Or Tom Osborne. One Big Ten official cracked, “I said that (Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack) Swarbrick was here yesterday, and all of the media jumped."
That’s because the longer this story goes on, the more you wonder who is going to pop out from behind the curtain.
For what it’s worth, Delany said any new members would have to apply — and be accepted by at least eight votes — but they would be told that they were welcome to apply. He also said the school’s current conference would get a “heads up."
“We’re not interested in embarrassing ourselves or anybody else," Delany said. “The heads-up anyone would get would be before a public announcement, but probably not months before a public announcement."
We’ll be waiting in the lobby, with bated breath.
Contact the writer:
444-1025, tom.shatel@owh.com
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