Welcome to the start of my newest series! Today I will be discussing the ramifications of the Big 10's announcement a few months back that they are examining expansion options. In this series I will be looking at all potential changes in conference alignments, beginning with those conferences likely to be the drivers of change and ending with the Sun Belt. For a look at the series, and other series ran at this site, please visit our Table of Contents.

My analysis is far from unique. Big 10 blog The Rivalry Esq. has already covered the options. In fact, I am going to use his list of teams with my personal ordering here. He presents some interesting alignments with consideration of 14 and 16 team options. By gut reaction to those larger conferences was that similar designs are not working well for the MAC and failed the WAC in the late 1990's. This is not the MAC of WAC we are talking about however. This is the Big 10.

My main interest here is to kick off the chain of dominoes.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Independent

If the Big 10 moves it is likely to move decisively into a format it plans to keep for a while. If Notre Dame wants in they are at the top of the list of candidates, but this might be their last chance for quite some time. By turning down the Big 10 now, Notre Dame could be sealing their fate as an eventual all sport Big East member.

But first their NBC dollars would need to dry out.

Missouri Tigers - Big 12

Missouri is the top media pick, largely because they have already rolled out the red carpet for Big 10 officials.

West Virginia Mountaineers - Big East

I always bring this teams up, that I would like to see move up, and Big 10 fans always shoot it down. I guess I never learn.

Stupid academic snobs.

Texas Longhorns - Big 12

The Rivalry Esq. brings up some interesting points about Texas considering the Big 10 prior to joining the Big 8. They are the same points the PAC 10 brings to the table when expansion talks turn their direction (more on that next week).

But, Texas has moved to the Big 8, now the Big 12, and is unlikely to give up that thrown.

Pittsburgh Panthers - Big East

Penn State's natural rivalry brings little else to the table.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights & Syracuse Orange - Big East

Rutgers doesn't "give the Big Ten the New York market" any more than adding Middle Tennessee State would give the league the Nashville market.

Nebraska Cornhuskers - Big 12

Uhm, I am not sure where this comes from. A solid historic football team to be sure.

Cincinnati Bearcats - Big East

Cincinnati has emerged as a solid teams on the field but does not yet have the infrastructure to bring value to the Big 10. Unless we are talking Basketball. This next batch of teams are much better suited in this conversation on the hardwood.

Louisville Cardinals - Big East

Like Cincinnati, this team is barely a BCS team in the history books.

Maryland Terrapins - ACC

Certainly this is a solid basketball add and arguments can be made for the DC recruiting market.

Iowa St. Cyclones - Big 12

Indeed, I can be silly.

How Many Teams?

This is the really interesting question. I have to admit that I had only considered adding a single teams until I read the article linked above.

In these economic times one would suspect that sponsor, and then TV revenue might get tighter and travel costs might rise with inflation. This could swing the pendulum towards reducing travel costs.

The Big 12 and Big East look to be in the targets for expansion, and a move of more than one team could be seismic to the conference landscape.

The ACC might not be immune if larger expansions are considered and Notre Dame will have first pick.

Next week, the PAC 10 chain begins...