Writing in the
Huntington Herald-Dispatch,
Chuck Landon states that expansion could commence in earnest in August -- even as commissioner
Jim Delany has repeatedly stated there's been no acceleration to last December's 12-18 month timeline -- and that the Big Ten could leap well past the 14 or 16 schools that have been the center of discussion and into the virgin territory of a 20-team league.
That's right. Twenty. Teams.
According to knowledgeable industry sources, the controversial reconfiguration could commence as soon as August.
The key to the shakeup is whether the Big Ten opts to expand to 16 or become a mega-conference with 20 members. The linch-pin is Texas. If the Big Ten can entice Texas to join, it will expand to 20 and become the biggest power-broker in collegiate athletics.
With all due respect to Mr. Landon -- a long-time and well-respected member of the collegiate beat -- that scenario handed to him by a source(s) is as batsh-t crazy as anything churned out by the rumor mill in the past five months.
