For basketball, which should be a huge benefit for Nebraska.

Its not bad. I can think of about 5 from NJ that played at Nebraska - Mike Rozier, Irving Fryar, Jason Peter, Christian Peter, Jamaal Lord.

Maryland and Rutgers were the first piece of the puzzle. They get Washington DC, Baltimore and part of NYC in Big Ten tv pie. They help get the Big Ten network's subscribers up and double their money in those states.

Next step is to get Virginia and North Carolina. I think Virginia will be a slam dunk if they decide to leave the ACC. I don't see them heading to the SEC, North Carolina I can. If you can't get Carolina, you go after Syracuse to get a top notch basketball brand and the rest of New York for the Big Ten Network cable dollars. I don't see the Big Ten going after Duke.

This the order I see for next Big Ten expansion.
1. Virginia
2. North Carolina
3. Syracuse

That being said North Carolina will be the #1 target though for good reason.

it's all about football

(blatantly stolen from another message board)

Hi ACC? Big XII?? Anyone there?? I can see your lights are on ....

http://i.imgur.com/Ngw9e.jpg

What is that?

That is a very, very sad Bearcat

Virginia would be a terrible add. Their administration takes pride in not caring about sports.

Since the granting of tv rights has been finalized in the Big 12, I think any Texas talk is just wishful thinking.

I think if the ACC can grab UCONN and one other school (Louisville would be the best candidate, Cincy also would be a good one), then the ACC will be what it usually is, a non-factor in football except when Miami/FSU/VTech is good, and very good/elite bball conference.

North Carolina won't leave without Duke.

aTm and Texas won't split up.

While I agree that is not the primary scenario, given the landscape of things, and the complete lack of any football value of Duke, they might not have a choice.

I do not think things are anywhere close to that yet, though. I think the ACC will poach UCONN from the Big East (UCONN has been dying to get into the ACC for years), and maybe even get one other team from somewhere else. I think just adding UCONN would stop the bleeding for the moment and settle things down.

Mizzou would never leave Kansas for greener pastures.

And Rutgers is what? Virginia is and would be exponentially more valuable.

Texas A&M/Texas football is not even in the same universe as Duke-UNC basketball because 1. No one outside of Texas cares about it and 2. Texas always won.