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Originally Posted by sooner333
One thing is that while the Big 10 Network's subscriber base may increase (or, more specifically, the fees per subscriber in the new markets), I can't see ESPN's contract going up proportionally with the new teams. I don't see Nebraska, Missouri, and three Big East teams making the deal worth that much more--even with a championship game. This is why I think it's probably more like the Big Ten expands by one (Notre Dame first, then pick one second) than by five.
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Kind of a mixed bag of thoughts. Delaney sort of indicated that a conference championship is not a vital aspect of expansion (although he didn't shoot it down, either), but it is hard to figure out how expansion is a slam dunk for the Big Ten without adding Notre Dame or Texas. I think adding any of the discussed teams and getting to 12 w/ a championship probably pays for itself without diluting things and
maybe going to 14, if Nebraska (one of the better national brand name teams), works. Although, I think there is some risk in 14 w/o Notre Dame or Texas.