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Does North Carolina Have A Big Ten Offer?

InsideMDSports.com is reporting that North Carolina has an offer from the Big Ten to join the conference.

Jeremy Brevard-US PRESSWIRE

It's getting to the point where conference expansion and realignment really isn't any different than recruiting. Every day there are college coaches across the country finding talented high schoolers and offering them scholarships in hopes that they'll choose to attend that college and play football for that coach.

Replace college coaches with conferences and high schoolers with colleges, and it's pretty much the same damn thing.

Now, we've already gone over Big Ten expansion here in the past. We already know that the Big Ten is interested in schools like Virginia, Georgia Tech and North Carolina as Jim Delany continues his quest to have every television in the country sending him money. And as I've said, while I fully expect the Big Ten to add more schools, I really don't think it's going to do so before the legal battle between Maryland and the ACC about that $50 million buyout is complete.

But that doesn't mean Jimbo isn't already flirting, and according to InsideMDSports Delany has already made an offer to his alma mater.

Now, North Carolina has been mentioned in the past, but for the most part the "favorites" to leave the ACC for the Big Ten are Virginia and Georgia Tech. Not only do they provide nice television markets for the conference, but they're also the most likely to accept an offer.

But that doesn't mean North Carolina isn't the biggest prize here. And, frankly, if North Carolina did choose to leave the ACC to become the Big Ten's 15th member, Delany would have his choice of the 16th school. InsideMDSports may call North Carolina "the big domino" but in reality, as far as the ACC is concerned, it's more like that piece you remove from the Jenga tower -- remember Jenga? -- that brings the whole thing crashing down.

Virginia? Georgia Tech? Duke? Clemson? Florida State? Hell, Syracuse and Pitt? Whichever one(s) Delany wants he can go get at that point as the ACC will be dead and the Big Ten and SEC -- and possibly the Big 12 -- will be picking at its carcass.

Before you know it the Big Ten will have two divisions. One called the Big Ten Division and the other called the ACC Division.

Follow The Champaign Room on Twitter at @Champaign_Room. You can follow Tom Fornelli on Twitter at @TomFornelli.