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Pure speculation on my part but I believe Jim Delany will finalize his sixteen team B1G prior to negotiating the league's next first-tier rights contract. The two schools I see him taking are UConn and West Virginia.
UConn is the easy answer for the 15th team since the AAC buyout is low, men's & women's basketball is nationally relevant, and the school is a few years away from achieving AAU membership.
West Virginia brings strong TV interest for football and men's basketball but the academic situation would be of some concern. I believe in this case, just as it was with Nebraska, AAU membership will not be a disqualifier because of the advantages that come with 16 teams.
The Big 12 would be willing release West Virginia from its Grant of Rights due to travel concerns and limited options now in terms of expansion to the east. The Big 12 would then replace WVU with BYU as the Cougars are coming to realize that football independence isn't all it's cracked up to be. The Big 12 can do this because ESPN owns both the rights to the league's first-tier content as well as BYU's home games.
UConn is the easy answer for the 15th team since the AAC buyout is low, men's & women's basketball is nationally relevant, and the school is a few years away from achieving AAU membership.
West Virginia brings strong TV interest for football and men's basketball but the academic situation would be of some concern. I believe in this case, just as it was with Nebraska, AAU membership will not be a disqualifier because of the advantages that come with 16 teams.
The Big 12 would be willing release West Virginia from its Grant of Rights due to travel concerns and limited options now in terms of expansion to the east. The Big 12 would then replace WVU with BYU as the Cougars are coming to realize that football independence isn't all it's cracked up to be. The Big 12 can do this because ESPN owns both the rights to the league's first-tier content as well as BYU's home games.