Expansion looms large as Big Ten administrators, coaches meet

Expansion looms large at Big Ten meetings

CHICAGO — Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez understands the public would like some answers. Just don’t ask him for any when it comes to the Big Ten and expansion.

Alvarez says the decision rests with school presidents, not with the league’s athletic directors. Even so, expansion was the hot-button topic as conference coaches and administrators gathered Monday in Chicago for three days of meetings.

Michigan athletic director David Brandon says “change is in the wind.”

The Big Ten is deciding whether expand from its current 11 members to extend the reach of its lucrative TV network and add a championship football game.

Last week, Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany e-mailed conference officials to squash a rumor that Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame and Rutgers had been invited to join. Texas, Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Maryland have all been mentioned as possible targets, too.