Delany Shuts Down Big Ten Expansion Talk
By Adam Hoge-
ROSEMONT, Ill. (CBS) While most conferences around the country continue to juggle expansion talks, Commissioner Jim Delany reiterated Thursday that the Big Ten is not currently interested in further expansion.
"There are expansion stories all over the country, but we're not a part of any of them," Delany said Thursday at Big Ten Basketball Media Day. "What's happening out East or out West, or in the South, interests me as a college sports fan, but as a conference commissioner, not as much."
Delany opened the can on expansion a year and a half ago when the conference announced it was seeking a 12th member and then added Nebraska. But as members of the Cornhuskers' men's and women's basketball teams participated in their first-ever Big Ten Media Day, Delany went out of his way to silence further expansion talks, including any rumors about Notre Dame.
"In the 1990s, we had active discussions with Notre Dame and that was that. We acknowledged it at the time, but we haven't since," Delany said.
The commissioner admitted he did talked to Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick a few months ago, but those discussions were about hockey and scheduling issues. He added that it has been years since he talked to the Notre Dame about expansion.
