Miami, February 11, 2019.
Asssociative Press
Sources in the Athletic Director and Chancellor's Office have confirmed it.
The U is going Big. Bigger than ever.
The rumors are true. Starting with the 2021 season, the University of Miami will be lining up against Michigan, Penn State, Ohio State almost every year.
And there won't be any more cupcakes at the beginning of the schedule either. To ensure parity among what will now be 8 4-team divisions in the Big 10, each of the 32 members of the Big 10 must play at least 12 games against conference teams prior to each December's round-robin conference tournament.
General reaction across the Big 10 has been positive to the news. Joe Paterno, now in his record 70th year of coaching at Penn State, said, "We've needed this. Ever since we went to the 2 games/week format, we've needed to expand from the unwieldy uneveness of 31 teams across the divisions. And, quite frankly, with Maine, Washington, and San Diego State, we needed a southeast team to round out the "Four Corners" Division.
Publicly, both the Pac10 and Big 12 are saying all the right things. But sources close to both conferences have confirmed that each remain serious about becoming the first 40-team conference. As one Pac 10 athletic director put it, with the Big 10 going to 32 and the SEC already at 36, we really have no choice but to go to 40 teams as soon as possible."
In other football news, the University of Michigan announced today that they are indeed putting a fourth level on its stadium, bringing its game day attendance maximum once again to the biggest for any level of football. When finished, the addition ensures that the Big House will handle a live audience of 382,000, including 2311 luxury boxes, both shattering the current maximums of 320,000 (Ohio State) and 1500 (Dallas Cowboys).
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2 (NKJV)