The Big Ten (really eleven) has been considering adding a twelfth team to the conference. One of the teams being considered (and the one that frankly makes the most sense) is Pittsburgh. With Pittsburgh in the Big Ten, they’d be leaving behind a slightly inferior Big East football conference in order to restore their Penn State rivalry and give birth to a new one with the Buckeyes. On the other hand, however, they’d be leaving a stellar Big East basketball conference for a traditionally “eh” Big Ten basketball conference.  The latter is why Coach Dixon isn’t exactly jacked up over the idea of a conference switch.

“I can’t see how any team would improve where they’re at by movement,” Dixon said Thursday. “Every situation, you have to look at why you’re doing it to improve yourselves. And I can’t see how moving from the best conference in college basketball history would be a good thing for anybody.”

Officials have essentially admitted that the move would be more for the benefit for Pittsburgh football than basketball, so Dixon’s lamenting is understandable, although he’s stretching the truth when he says Coach Wannstedt is better off staying in the Big East.

“We’ve got [football] bowl tie-ins greater than any other conference, as far as percentages, so what would we have to change for?” Dixon said. “This thing just keeps getting better.”

Yes, things keep getting better and better for Big East football, but the fact is Cincinnati, a Big East school, just saw their coach leave an undefeated team for a crap Notre Dame team. Big East football teams still aren’t looked at as the top of the coaching pyramid, and they won’t be for a long time. Say what you will about the Big Ten, SEC fans sure do abuse the privilege, but it’s still an elite conference. Pittsburgh football would fit in rather nicely and help revamp the struggling conference.

As per usual, however, it will come down to money. Although I don’t have the numbers, I think it’s safe to say that the Big Ten makes quite a bit of coin. They have some of the best fans in college football and will travel with their teams. If it could be determined that Pittsburgh football would make up the difference of any potentially lost money in college basketball, they should give it a go.

[via ESPN]