CHICAGO -- For the time being, it appears the Big Ten Conference has scrapped its plans for expansion and will be sticking with 11 teams.

A little over a year ago the league was giddy at the idea of adding Notre Dame, but after discussions between the two parties, the Fighting Irish said "Thanks, but No Thanks," choosing to remain an independent.

Now, despite rumors about Syracuse, Missouri, Rutgers, Pittsburgh and even Texas possibly joining the Big Ten, Commissioner Jim Delany said Wednesday that any such rumor is just that -- a rumor.

"Since the discussions with Notre Dame ended, we have not had (expansion) on any of our agendas -- be it presidential, athletic directors, whatever," Delany said at the league's annual football kickoff luncheon. "Occasionally we get questions from the media and some of our coaches about it, but I don't see it -- at least in the short term situation -- developing."

Originally, the Big Ten had hoped to add a 12th team so it could split the league into two, six-team divisions, much like the Big 12 and SEC do now. The plan would have eliminated many of the league's scheduling quirks, while adding an all-encompassing league championship game between the division winners. As it stands now, each team plays a rotating eight-game conference schedule (meaning two league opponents are left off), and the team with the best record in those games in the Big Ten champion.

The problem with the current system was evident in 1995 and '96, when Northwestern won at least a share of the conference title without facing league powerhouse Ohio State. Both seasons finished with the Wildcats ranked below the Buckeyes, yet Northwestern the Big Ten champ.

Follow the leader
How does Barry Alvarez go about replacing college football's all-time leading rusher? Well, he could look to Texas coach Mack Brown for a little help.

It was Brown, remember, who had the seemingly insurmountable task last year of replacing Ricky Williams, the man whose record Dayne broke. Brown's answer to Williams was then-junior Hodges Mitchell, who merely became the first Longhorn running back to rush for 1,000 yards and catch for 300 yards.

Alvarez would be thrilled if junior speedster Michael Bennett, the man slated to replace Dayne, put up numbers like that. Bennett, who is lightning fast, will present more of a quicker, make-'em-miss style of running as opposed to the bowl-em-over Dayne. He's a four-time Big Ten track champion and ran an eye-popping ten second time in the 100-meters this spring. Now comes the challenge of transforming that talent to success on the football field.

"The thing we have to teach Michael is to be patient. If you remember Dayne, he would sit back there, know where the blockers were coming from, anticipate, and get to the hole," Alvarez said. "Michael, on the other hand, is so fast, we had to slow him down. He's a totally different type of runner. Not near as powerful, but yet all that speed. He just needs to learn how to use it."

Bennett saw action in all twelve Wisconsin games in 1999, rushing 57 times for 298 yards and four touchdowns. But with Wisconsin running such a run-dominated offense (they ran the ball 74% of the time in 1999) and eight games slated for artificial turf, one big question will be Bennett's durability.

Touchy subject

	Penn State's Rashard Casey is still the starting QB despite his legal troubles.

Despite being arrested in May for assaulting a police officer, Penn State quarterback Rashard Casey is still listed as the starter for the Nittany Lions' Aug. 27 season opener against USC in the Kickoff Classic.

Though formal charges against Casey aren't expected until September or October, Patrick Fitzsimmons, the officer who was beaten unconsciousness, filed a civil suit against Casey June 29. The incident occurred shortly after 2:30 a.m. in Casey's hometown of Hoboken, N.J. Casey, who has been taking summer school classes at Penn State since the incident, has been told not to speak to the media.

Penn State coach Joe Paterno made up for that Wednesday. The 73-year-old got a little testy when pressed by a reporter about Casey's status.

The reporter started his question by saying, "In the likelihood that Rashard is indicted ?"

Paterno responded, "Don't give me a likelihood question. Give me a question I'm capable of answering."

The reporter responded: "Is there a difference between being indicted and ?"

Paterno again snapped back, "I'm not a lawyer. I'm not a lawyer. Give me a question. I'm not a lawyer."

So the reporter asked, "Are you going to play Rashard if he's indicted?"

Paterno's answer: "I'm going to play Rashard until something convinces me I shouldn't. That's all there is to it."

Paterno added that there is no clear-cut way to treat players in trouble with the law and that each individual should be handled on a case-by-case basis.

"There are no rules," Paterno said. "Every situation is different. If I told you I had one hard fast rule, I think you'd be looking at a lousy human being."

Knight time
Indiana coach Cam Cameron, the first member of the Hoosier coaching staff to meet with the Big Ten media since the Bobby Knight fallout in May, had a few jokes about his Indiana co-worker. It all started with Cameron's first words as he reached the podium.

"Coach Knight asked me to make sure that each of you (the media) know that he says 'hello' and that all of you will be receiving a letter in the mail inviting you to his barbecue that he will be having at his home this summer," he joked.

The comment got a chuckle out of the crowd, but it wasn't nearly as big as the laughter when Cameron shared one of his favorite Knight stories. It involved a conversation the two had about Ohio high school football and subsequently, Paul Brown. Cameron, one of Brown's largest followers, was trying to explain to Knight how much Brown meant to him.

"I was telling Coach Knight how I'm really looking forward to getting into heaven and telling Coach Brown how much I feel about him and appreciate all he did for football," Cameron said. "So Coach Knight, right away, pipes up and says, 'Well what if he's not in heaven?'

"I said, 'Well then I guess I'll let you tell him.' "

Fight for life
Cameron wasn't nearly as jovial when discussing the status of Hoosier offensive coordinator and assistant head coach Pete Schmidt, who's in an on-going battle against lymphoma cancer.

Twice since the end of last season Schmidt has undergone treatment, only for the disease to come back. In the last eight weeks, he underwent a stem cell bone marrow transplant and is recovering well, Cameron said.

"His prognosis is good," Cameron said. "Our anticipation is that he would be completely recovered by spring of 2001 and we can get him back on the field."

Wayne Drehs is a staff writer at ESPN.com