With the bowls set, buzz has been building over the past few days that the Big Ten is looking to expand to a 12th team for football, the first such expansion since Penn State was added to the conference in 1993. While there's no timetable for the expansion, Wisconsin A.D. Barry Alvarez said last week that the conference is starting to explore some possibilities: "I just think everybody feels [expansion] is the direction to go, coaches and administrators." Alvarez also pointed out a 12th team would lead to a conference split into two six-team divisions and a conference championship game (a la the SEC and Big 12). Conference commissioner Jim Delany was noncommittal about such a move earlier this year, telling ESPN it wasn't, "an obvious move." Delany hasn't responded yet to Alvarez's recent comments. Speculation is already centering on Rutgers to be poached from the Big East as the potential 12th team. Other candidates being bandied about include Syracuse, Pitt, and even the University of Cincinnati as the pipe dream of luring seems to remain just that. more ›

Chicagoist had the pleasure of attending the Big Ten conference at United Center yesterday, an activity in which we normally don't get to take part. Amongst our colleagues, much was made of the fact that no alcohol is served during the events, not even in a Budweiser-sponsored skybox. We believe one such word to describe the practice was coined as "bullshit." However, the American Medical Association couldn't disagree more. They're sending out a newspaper ad... more ›

Sometimes Chicagoist feels like we just can't watch any more college football or basketball. Yet even with ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, etc., the vast majority of collegiate athletics fails to appear on-air. Maybe we'd love to change things up and watch that Northwestern vs. Minnesota tennis meet, or that heated Purdue-Indiana volleyball rivalry, or the Big Ten Cross Country Championships. And now we'll be able to, as the Big Ten Conference has announced the launch of a television network, which will be based here in Chicago. more ›

Last week, we brought you the great news that Chicago was named the #1 Sports City by The Sporting News. TSN is holding a ceremony prior to Wednesday's White Sox - Yankees game at U.S. Cellular Field to honor our fair city. more ›