Thanks to The Hlog for directing me to John Feinstein's blog, where the best-selling author recently sounded off on potential Big Ten expansion and, specifically, the man seemingly pulling the strings in college sports, Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany.

Feinstein opposes Big Ten expansion -- and the chain reaction that could ensue -- and points out that a 16-team Big East basketball league or a 12-team ACC football league doesn't serve the interests of competition, fans and long-standing rivalries. He notes that deciding league championships through round-robin play is practically extinct in college sports.

He also acknowledges that the Big Ten -- and subsequently Delany -- are in control of the college sports landscape right now.

"Here’s the deal: The Big Ten—unfortunately—holds all the cards here because of the success of The Big Ten TV network. That means Jim Delany, the Big Ten commissioner, is wielding most of the power and influence right now. I can tell you two things about Delany: he’s smart and he’s ruthless. He could care less about anything other than what’s best for him—and, thus, his conference—which makes him a very good commissioner if not someone you would want to trust to tell you where the sun will rise tomorrow."

Feinstein knows all about how money drives college sports (it's why his book "The Last Amateurs" is a must read), and he writes that college presidents will continue to chase dollars rather than do the right thing.

"Why would someone like Syracuse leave The Big East? Again, do the math: $22 million vs. $7 million. Those numbers will trump tradition [in] any college president’s office any day. The same is true of the other candidates for expansion.

All of this, frankly, sucks. It is also bound to happen. Because he who has the checkbook has the power. And right now, unfortunately for college athletics, no one has a bigger checkbook than Jim Delany."

While I don't share the same gloomy view about Delany or Big Ten expansion as Feinstein, he makes some good points. No matter how you organize a 14-team league or a 16-team league, you would lose the intimate feel of a conference and possibly some key rivalries to boot. Teams could go four or six years without facing each other. It's not a deal breaker for me, but it's something to think about as the expansion study continues.