JoePa Sees 16 Team Conference

Here are some pieces from the Big Ten Blog.

Paterno said the Big Ten is "on the verge" of a key decision and continued to advocate the need to expand the league. "The Big Ten, with the kind of programs we have, the universities we have, there’s got to be a couple of schools out there that would be an asset to us," he said. "I don’t think it’s fair for me to say which ones, but I hope we get somebody from the East. It’ll help us with the New York and the New Jersey television markets. But [commissioner] Jim Delany’s working hard on this thing and when they come up with some kind of a plan, it will be a good one."

On the potential for superconferences in college football: "I'd like to know the pros and cons if we go to 16 [teams] as opposed to go to 12. The future is probably going to be 16-team conferences. That probably will be the future because of the television markets and the chances to have meaningful conference championship games and things of that nature."

On whether he stumps for Pitt as a Big Ten expansion candidate: "I don’t think coaches have anything to say about that. The Big Ten is not a coaches’ conference as far as setting rules and goals for the conference and so forth. ... Jim Delany knows what he’s doing, he’s got a good staff and he’s working hard on trying to put the best arrangements together. Now if Pitt’s part of it, then that’s fine, but it won’t do me any good to call him and say, 'What about Pitt?' It won't hurt, but it won't do any good."