3:15 p.m.: Everybody hold your horses on the latest chatter about conference realignment, sparked by Tuesday’s announcement that the Big Ten will spend 12 to 18 months looking into possibly adding a 12th member. And I emphasize possibly.
Fans and radio blabbers immediately start playing mix and match based on how a certain school’s athletic programs fit in.
But that is one of just several factors to be considered in adding a new conference member.
Academic “fit’’ is a major part of any school changing leagues. Questions about how an institution “fits’’ in by measures of degrees offered, research grants, library strength, graduate programs and others are crucial.
When the athletic discussion comes up, two big keys are population and the size of television market a school can bring. Often, having successful programs and a small market size hurts an expansion candidate. That’s why the Big Ten likely would have little to no interest in Nebraska.
-Lee Barfknecht
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