The Blue Board

Let me get this straight. A Nebraska guy told me to look up how many Academic All-Americans their football team has had as proof to the level of academics at their school. That is so wrong on so many levels. If football players are thriving so much, maybe the academic level is worse than the rankings show.

I mean, as backwards as the rest of the country thinks the state of Alabama is (sometimes I admit it is warranted), the state has 2 schools ranked in the top 100 in the country academically (Alabama and Auburn). Both of these schools are ahead of the academic powerhouse known as Nebraska.

The athletic conferences have nothing to do with academics. When the B1G formed years and years ago, I can assure you that Toledo and Bowling Green weren't left out because of academics. The only conference that was founded on academic principles was the Ivy League. The rest was about one thing: $$$$

It does not even matter, but Nebraska is NOT a good academic school in comparison to the rest of their new conference. This has nothing to do with their football program, which is excellent with a rich history. They "feel" right for the Big 10 in my opinion and are a happy addition for all concerned.

Maryland, VA Tech and Virginia are not going anywhere. They are staying pat in the ACC now that they have expanded the league and upped the penalty to 20 million for leaving early.

The SEC has three schools (Florida, Vandy, now Texas A&M) in the AAU.

Based on what? Why is it inevitable?

If the B10 wanted to add four more schools, it could easily have done so by now. The SEC is adding TAMU because it is a good school with a good athletic program and provides access to the State of Texas. The ACC is adding Syracuse and Pitt (and maybe UConn and Rutgers) to ensure the ACC's survival and, possibly, to increase TV revenues per school. The P12 is adding schools to shift more of their games to an earlier time zone and, if it can get Texas, for the same reasons the B10 would add ND -- because it would increase TV revenues per school.

If the P12 adds Okie State and TTU, it will be doing so only to get Texas and Oklahoma. Similarly, if the B10 adds ND, it will need one more school to keep the divisions even. That team could be Missouri or it could be someone else, but I do not see the B10 going to 16 schools just to be able to say it has the same number as the ACC or P12 or even the SEC. I think it far more likely that the B10 stops at 14.