Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

so either kick out the next weakest link (Maryland) or add a 14th that brings the $$$

Careful FF,next weakest may not be Maryland - at least this year

VTech always liked the Hokies

I've also championed Virginia Tech to move to the B1G. They are not AAU, however it's been reported they were very close to gaining membership in the the last AAU vote. VT specifically asked Big Ten Schools what they need to do to gain admittance, and have taken the advice seriously. They asked for an exemption and received it to include their medical campus in Raleigh to be included. (Part of the reason Nebraska lost AAU status is their Medical Campus in Omaha was no longer included, the other being that Ag research was deemed no longer competitive.) They have also increased their investment into the Arts, and have increased their endowment from 600 million to 1.7 Billion.

"VT is setting up for another round...they got some feedback last time from peer institutions. We were questioned about the broadness of our research, the diversity of the university and lack of relationship to the arts. Since then, VT has broadened the amount and scope of research with five research centers...look at the investment in performing arts...there is a much better case now. With the leadership with heavy Big 10 connections, we have more relationships to champion our cause."


I don't believe that AAU status is the end all be all for inclusion to the B1G, but it definitely doesn't hurt to have that feather in your cap. 
 

The Big Ten and SEC should remain divided by Civil War lines. 

Does the AAU mean anything....?   Seems more like a club than a standard.

The AAU is a nice club to be in, but I'm not clear that it is much of an advantage specifically.  They don't have much money to dole out, and money is the root of all power.

Or something like that.  Some very good schools are not AAU schools because they lack graduate school power (ND).

The B1G has some excellent graduate programs but I'd opine the ACC has better undergrad programs, aside from Laville.

The AAU is a nice club to be in, but I'm not clear that it is much of an advantage specifically.  They don't have much money to dole out, and money is the root of all power.

Or something like that.  Some very good schools are not AAU schools because they lack graduate school power (ND).

The B1G has some excellent graduate programs but I'd opine the ACC has better undergrad programs, aside from Laville.

As you indicated, it is all about the money. The B1G understands this and focuses more on graduate programs and research because that is where the money is.
Notre Dame fans are incredulous when I say this, but I do not think that ND has the requisite academics to get a B1G invite. They look at ND's undergrad rankings and argue that ND would be one of the better academic schools in the B1G.
It isn't about undergrad rankings, it is about money and money comes from research. In that arena I believe that ND would be distantly last in the B1G.

The Big Ten and SEC should remain divided by Civil War lines.

Which civil war lines?
1767 Mason Dixon line
1820 Missouri Compromise?
1850 Omnibus Compromise
1854 Kansas/Nebraska Act
1861 Civil War Start
1864 Civil War End
Missouri was a Union State do we get them from SEC? But they were a slave state do they stay South?
Virginia was a Southern State at the start of the War, but West Virginia became a state because of the War, where do we put WV?
Virginia was occupied basically the entire war, can we make them an honorary North Member?