Like most of the general public, Michigan basketball coach John Beilein is waiting to see how college conference expansion plays out.

Not only does it affect him because he’ll possibly see new opponents soon, but because he’s been through it before as a member of the Big East.

“I’ve lived this before and been on the edge, where the Big East looked like it was going on its demise and all of a sudden rebounded greatly with a new structure,” Beilein said. “But it’s very intriguing because I don’t think anybody really knows where it’ll all play out.

“A few people may know, but most of us don’t know.”

Beilein was at West Virginia when that league realigned following the departures of Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College, which left for the ACC and left the Big East searching for new schools. It survived and became a power basketball conference.

Beilein said Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon doesn’t tell him much about the goings-on.

“Just telling me that it’s very interesting and there appears to be some major movement,” Beilein said. “Which we’ve already seen.”

Besides DePauw’s exciting move to the NCAC in Division III, Colorado has shifted from
the Big 12 to the Pac 10, Nebraska is expected to officially announce a move to the Big Ten on Friday and almost every other school not firmly entrenched in a league on solid footing is rumored to be on the move.

“Everybody’s talking about it like crazy,” Beilein said. “But only the ADs and presidents really know what’s going on.

“That’s the way it should be.”

Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein