Finally. The Big 10 has jumped. According to a report, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Nebraska, and Missouri have been approached about joining the league. The latter three will almost certainly say yes, effectively junking the Big 12 while putting the Big East in a tough spot. Should ND — a BE member for hoops — say yes the Big 10 would likely offer another BE school — figure West Virginia, Syracuse, or UConn — in order to fill out to a 16-team league. And that, friends, would kill the Big East.
In the meanwhile, the SEC would move to pick up the pieces of the Big 12. After all the Big 10’s move to Mizzou is a direct reaction to SEC popularity in the southern plains. The plum would of course be Texas, to which you add rival Oklahoma for a 14-team SEC divided into two monster divisions (Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Miss St., and Tennessee in the West and Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Vandy, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Georgia in the East.)
Texas politics being what it is, there might be an attempt to force Texas Tech and/or Texas A&M on the SEC as well. Might happen, might not.
The important thing would be how the ACC reacts to all this flux. At a minimum the ACC would face 14-team leagues in the Big 10 and SEC, possibly 16. Incidentally, the PAC-10 might jump in to grab a Big 12 member or two, along with Utah and BYU just to join the mega-conference arms race. One would think the ACC would try to add WVa and one other of the Big East refugees for a 14-team conference, if not look hard at 16 teams. The latter would probably be a stretch as then you are looking at roping in the likes of Louisville — not exactly a cultural fit for the proud ACC.
But make no mistake a 16-team Big Ten with ND and a 14-team SEC with Texas would set the clock ticking toward ACC extinction were the league try to stand pat.
