Have read through the thoughts on the "Badger" thread, but am posting my thoughts here to keep it more on topic to the thread. Don't really have much new to add.
USC and UCLA were a solid, masterful move by the Big-10 to secure the next best options after Texas and Okla went to the SEC. Huge TV markets and solid programs. USC, assuming Lincoln Riley continues to coach and recruit as he has to this point, could very well be one of those national powerhouses similar to OSU. If they continue with an East/West alignment for now, adding USC to the west would certainly balance things out more than they have been.
Agree with Mark in his last post on the other thread and others that Notre Dame is likely the next domino to fall. The landscape is changing quickly and even Notre Dame is not immune to what's happening. The Big-10 will make a strong push for them and give them opportunities the ACC just can't.
If Notre Dame is added, I wonder if Stanford is a school the Big-10 looks at. Really hasn't been discussed much, but it's a solid overall football program that's competitive in many other sports. The university presidents would love them from an academic standpoint. Then there's the money part of it, which includes bringing some of that huge San Fran/Oakland market with them.
If they are bound and determined to continue to expand west, then Colorado, Arizona, Washington, Cal and Oregon all make sense. Not sure where they want to stop, from a conference size perspective. The first 4 of those all bring large markets with them and while Portland isn't a huge market, Oregon is a solid program, and in terms of markets you do hit a diminishing return at some point.
Out east, I don't know where you turn. The northeast doesn't exactly have a ton of great programs. Boston College is probably the best out there followed by "ho-hum" programs like Syracuse and UConn. Temple and Pitt would add some market share from a bigger state, but they're not exactly high profile programs. Further south, Va and VaTech would be decent gets in populated areas but neither of them seems a priority. NC and Duke would be great adds from a B-ball perspective as they are in a growing market and have national following, but football rules and while NC has been decent lately, neither really brings a ton to the table.
They might as well forget about the deep south and Texas. GaTech would be a nice get if the ACC starts to fall apart, but UGA is the 800lb gorilla in that state so not a priority. Similarly with Texas. Houston would be sort of intriguing, but Texas and A&M sort of rule that state and the rest of the schools including TCU and Baylor just don't seem to be priorities to me. They are more the sort of teams you "pick-off" as the whole thing starts to unravel in terms of conferences falling apart other than the SEC and Big-10.
Bottom line for me is that Notre Dame should be the next priority followed by the various schools out west that I mentioned above. They bring large markets with them in each case. I'd forget about the east unless they can get Boston College, or they think that Va/VaTech makes sense in terms of adding a solid hold on the Va/Md/DC area.
Great post, FLPack has great insight from a marketing/TV perspective but my thoughts outside of ND is this:
1. Colorado, Denver TV market plus a ton of other areas. Not great but solid programs all around. Nice fit..easy yes.
2. PITT, gives you the PITT TV market and restores some natural rivalries with Penn State, Ohio State etc.
3. VA Tech, tv market isn't as great as others but I like the fit a lot. Probably not a priority school, add in UVA in this same category but unlike Tech they completely don't fit the Big Ten culture. Kind of a daisy school to be honest.
4. Stanford, on paper it kind of looks good but not sure they bring enough $$$ to the table. Like Tech is most likely not a priority but they are an AAU school.
5.UNC, Can't agree they would ever belong in the 10, Yes the TV $ might be there but UNC is dry, and the campus is dry. The worst fit of any school mentioned for Big Ten sports is UNC.... bible-thumping, and UW or Michigan fans won't mix...ever.
6. NC State, Pack disagrees here but I think like VA TECH they fit the culture but lack some other things, still Raleigh Durham is a top 25 TV market and getting the tech triangle n the Big Ten wouldn't be a bad thing.
7. Ga Tech, Just no. For a variety of reasons too numerous to mention.
8. Iowa State, I only mention this because they keep coming up in every discussion I pulled up the past 48 hours, long shot but never say never.
Outside shots, Washington, Arizona State, Kansas , maybe Kansas State and Boston College.
