Big Ten realignment: You can only pick eight teams for a new conference

Despite the Big Ten being called, well, the Big Ten, there are 14 teams currently in the most recent iteration of the conference. Purists would kick the newer additions to the curb, while others may root for other forms of realignment all together. But what if it wasn’t that way anymore?

So play a game with us here. You have just been named the new commissioner of the Big Ten and due to (insert whatever reason makes your story fit here), you have to trim SIX teams out of the conference for all sports. Keep that in mind when making your selection, it is not just football or basketball. It is the totality of everything.

There might be hurt feelings here, but hey, it’s a hypothetical. Have some fun with it!

SB Nation

Here are the teams I would eliminate:

• Rutgers: Duh.
• Northwestern: Great academic school, but the big two sports don’t bring a ton to the table.
• Nebraska: Geographically it kind of makes sense for them to be here, but this has never felt right to me.
• Maryland: No disrespect to them, especially the basketball program, but they belong in the ACC.
• Iowa: Simply to never have to play at Kinnick Stadium at night ever again.
• Purdue: I needed a sixth and we do not need two teams from the state of Indiana.

Let’s hear your pitches down below and on social media @MaizenBrew on Twitter.