With spring practices a little more than a week away form starting for the Nittany Lions and the Blue White game about a month away we here at Nittany White Out decided we should getting back in gear with some good old-fashioned round table debating and discussing (and hopefully we will refrain from cussing).

Charlie came to us with three quick questions and with Big Ten expansion talk a hot topic this football off-season that was naturally a good starting point. I will take the liberty of starting things off with my thoughts on the subject and in time we will see if Devon or Charlie follow up with their take.

Feel free to agree or disagree with anything I say down below with a comment.

Who will join the Big Ten?

1) Expansion talk.  Instead of dividing up the pie 11 ways, expansion would increase that to 12 or more. Would it even be in the Big Ten’s best interest to even consider expansion if the incoming team(s) won’t increase current members’ financial share?

That is a good point which has not fairly been evaluated in many of the Big Ten expansion scenarios I have seen or written. I think in the grand scheme of things an expansion to 12 or 14 teams would benefit the conference in the long run enough to warrant the move. With expansion will come a Big Ten championship game which will bring in advertising and television money not available before. Growing the Big Ten into new territory will bring new TV deals to carry the Big Ten Network, and with that will come additional advertising revenue.

Imagine if expansion added Syracuse to the Big Ten. Sure, on the football field that would be small potatoes, but on the basketball court that would elevate Big Ten basketball to a new level. You can defend Big Ten basketball all you want, and there is some great history there, but to take a powerhouse basketball program from the top basketball conference would be monumental. That would be huge for Big Ten basketball on television.

2) Most likely candidate to be Big Ten’s eventual 12th member. Team you would most like to see in the Big Ten regardless of geographical and academic limitations.

If the Big Ten is going to expand to just 12 teams, throwing out the dream scenario of 14, then I would venture to say the most likely candidate is unfortunately Rutgers. The only benefit of Rutgers is access to the New York City market but the ONLY piece of evidence backing that is that ONE prime time game in which Rutgers upset Louisville. It was one of the best nights of college football I ever watched on TV, that was not a Penn State game, and the memories and images of that night should rightfully be remembered by Rutgers fans. But it was one stinking night.

The Big Ten would be a fool not to expand into the New York market, but it would just seem as though the Big Ten is using Rutgers for that possibility.

Unless they expand to 14 teams.

In my dream Big Ten expansion scenario the conference would invite Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Rutgers. This would push the conference to 14 teams and the division layout would somewhat reach the goal set out by Joe Paterno many moons ago with an all-eastern football conference. Yes, Maryland and Boston College (and Temple) would still be out of the mix, but combined with Ohio State and possibly Michigan, would that not be one of the coolest divisions in college football to watch?

If geographical and academic limitations were set aside, I would hope to see Virginia. As if you need an excuse to visit the campus, right?

3) Rumor has it that a current scholarship player on the basketball team will be leaving. Coach DeChellis hitting the recruiting trail only validates the rumor. Your call on the player is leaving the team?

Penn State has a basketball team?

I find it somewhat humorous that DeChillis still has a job as the Penn State head coach. That NIT championship was fun and all, but when you have a career winning percentage of .436 it seems pretty clear to me that you are not the right man for the job. For Penn State to have built the Bryce Jordan Center and have a lackluster basketball program is embarrassing. I know the BJC packs crowds for concerts ad other events, but shouldn’t Tim Curley realize at some point that a quality basketball program would be pretty sweet too.

Imagine a BJC crowd packed to the roof with fans eager to see a decent basketball team welcome a quality opponent like Villanova, UConn, Syracuse, Maryland etc.

Sorry. I know I don’t follow the basketball program as closely as some of you, but perhaps the striving for mediocrity is why.