116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Home / Sports / Columns & Sports Commentary
Discussion point, not agenda item
Marc Morehouse
May. 17, 2010 9:30 pm
Officially, Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany remains cloaked in the "silent phase" of Big Ten expansion.
So, when he meets media Tuesday morning at the Hotel Sofitel in Chicago, don't expect to hear definitive expansion news. More than likely, Delany will reiterate his original plan of "12 to 18 months" for any news on conference expansion.
Or he could issue the same statement he put out a couple or so months again, re-stating the 12-to-18 month plan he's stated since expansion talks began in December 2009.
Michigan athletics director David Brandon said Monday he senses "change is in the wind." Indiana football coach Bill Lynch is comfortable with his "need to know basis" on expansion. Illinois football coach Ron Zook told ESPN.com that the Big Ten Network is "a little goldmine."
"People want to know what's going on, but nobody has any answers for them," Wisconsin athletics director Barry Alvarez told a group of reporters Monday. "None of us do, anyway."
The University of Iowa entourage includes AD Gary Barta, football coach Kirk Ferentz and men's basketball coach Fran McCaffery.
Barta told discussed with reporters Monday possible geography and population in regards to expansion.
"We've talked from 10,000 feet about the census 20 years ago and the rust belt population, the Big Ten population versus movement to the Sun Belt over the last 20 years," Iowa athletic director Gary Barta told the AP.
"More and more people have moved to the South," he said. "The Big Ten still has the largest population base of alumni, but we want to make sure years from now, if that movement continues, we're in position to say that."
The most southerly team most mentioned for expansion is Missouri. Athletics directors will be focused on travel costs, one of the bigger ticket items in an athletics budget. Iowa spent more than $5.3 million in travel during the 2009 fiscal year. It was the fifth-highest expense.
With that hovering, a TV station from Kansas City and the Kansas City Star made the trip to Big Ten country. Notre Dame, Rutgers, Syracuse and UConn have also been mentioned.
Delany and Big Ten presidents will make the final say on expansion. Delany could shed some light for ADs and coaches on the topic, but the likelihood of expansion candidates being named today is infinitesimal.
While expansion isn't part of the meeting's agenda, Delany will address reporters today, the Big Ten confirmed. Back in December, the Big Ten laid out the 12-to-18 month plan. Despite reports that indicate the choices have been made, Delany has held to the original time period.
Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany