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LGHL Unpopular Opinion: Fun factor of conference expansion wears off quickly
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Unpopular Opinion: Fun factor of conference expansion wears off quickly
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
UCLA vs. Rutgers was an actual Big Ten football game in 2024. Did any fan want or need this? | Photo by Ed Mulholland/Getty Images
Super conferences are actually bad for college football.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about unpopular opinions.
You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all our “Unpopular Opinion” articles here.
As a fan and alum of a blueblood college football program that is part of one of the so-called “super conferences” (and I think we can safely stop framing what’s been happening as “realignment” now), it pains me a bit to say it, but super conferences are a bad idea and they’re bad for college football.
(Note: For the purposes of this column, I’m writing about college football and am not delving into what conference expansion means for other sports.)
New additions to the conference are fun for a while. I’m old enough to remember how novel it was when Penn State joined the Big Ten. Those first couple of meetings (home and away) with the Nittany Lions were interesting. Adding the Penn State traditions and history to the B1G was strange, but cool.
After the initial newness wore off of the Nitts becoming a Big Ten program, Penn State vs. Ohio State (and PSU vs. Michigan) has been a lot of fun over the years and has provided a lot of incredible football moments (and yes, I fought it for a while, but I am one of those weirdos who believes that they are an Ohio State rival).
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26007856/2182511614.jpg "Ohio State v Penn State")
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
Ohio State vs. Penn State is an argument for conference expansion, but it is an exception.
Nebraska joining the league was interesting but seemed less dramatic by comparison. I thought perhaps the inclusion of the Huskers in the B1G would revitalize that program. That didn’t happen, but it might be in the early stages of happening now.
Again, the Buckeyes’ first few visits to Lincoln and the Cornhuskers’ first couple of trips to Columbus were interesting. But now that series is largely the same as playing Iowa, which isn’t to say that it is an unattractive matchup, but it doesn’t spark any additional interest the way Penn State does, and that could change if Nebraska’s program can get back to the national significance it once had.
The double addition of Rutgers and Maryland still seems like a drug-induced fever dream. It was the college football equivalent to adding a new kid with a recurring catch phrase to a stagnating sitcom. It improved nothing, may have degraded the product somewhat, and just seems to annoy everyone.
The quadruple addition to the Big Ten of former Pac-12 giants USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington was an attention grabber. Oregon (in quality) and USC (in historical terms) were eye-opening, headline-generating bombshells. UCLA and Washington feel like they came along for the ride, although both football programs have rich histories and successful pasts.
It’s early, but the arrival of these four new members in the Big Ten feels weird. The conference has grown so large, that it’s tough to imagine they can develop meaningful rivalries with the teams that were already in the conference, with the possible exception of Oregon with Ohio State. That’s largely based on a history of meaningful postseason games the Buckeyes and Ducks have played in the last decade or two — particularly during and after the 2024 season.
The conference lost a bit of its sense of regional pride and uniqueness when Rutgers and Maryland joined, and the additions of the former Pac-12 schools has diluted that even more. We’re still breaking in these additions, so who knows where this is going, but for now it feels pretty meh, and it’s going to take time before all of the traditional B1G schools have even played the newcomers both home and away.
The Pac-12 arrivals are still in their “new” phase, and it might last a while because the length of the season dictates that every team plays an incomplete conference schedule.
Getting back to the fun, it was a blast seeing how the new kids on the block would fare in their first season of Big Ten football, and they had extremely mixed results. Each new environment is fun at first when conference standings are on the line, and it’s cool to learn about traditions and history one has either no prior knowledge or an incomplete understanding of.
Few would say that the OSU-PSU rivalry isn’t still fun. That has grown organically and has been helped by:
As I mentioned above, however, seeing Nebraska on the schedule doesn’t move the needle for me anymore. The Huskers are more compelling than some longtime B1G programs, but there’s still probably more juice for me in defeating a depleted Michigan State team than Nebraska. That’s not a knock on them. Old feelings linger and there is far more recent animosity with the Spartans than with the Cornhuskers.
I’ll be honest and say the weirdness of adding Rutgers and Maryland did not produce the same level of fun — even in the first couple of years — that Penn State and Nebraska did. And now, seeing those two schools on the schedule is no different than playing Purdue or Northwestern, except those feel more like Big Ten games to me than facing the Scarlet Knights or Terrapins.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26007861/1814174106.jpg "Maryland v Rutgers")
Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images
Tradition? History? Rivalry? Meh.
Unbalanced schedules, not seeing certain teams for multiple years, and having to plan around maximum time zone differences is problematic. It can dilute, rather than promote, rivalries and make existing ones disadvantageous if protected. After all, when some teams may have an easier path to a conference title, it’s a detriment to have two massive rivalry games as “protected” rivalries.
That promotes an unlevel playing field and one that can shift quickly if programs fall off or others rise, which was shown in the disparity between the two divisions when the Big Ten had them. (RIP, Leaders and Legends.)
As a fan of college football beyond my favorite team, it’s sad to see what happened to the Pac-12, and it feels like the Big XII has become an unrecognizable blob of randomness. Time moves on, but neutering tradition feels like killing the golden goose.
Conferences other than the Big Ten and SEC may provide challengers and great teams, but this sport feels like it belongs to those two entities now, and that’s largely because of all the teams/schools they’ve assimilated along the way.
And assimilated is how it feels. It’s like two giant Borg ships snapping up all the resources, or if you’re not a Star Trek nerd like me, it’s college football colonialism. It feels a bit icky to me and, if I’m being honest, less special.
What do you think of the concept of super conferences? Is it good for the sport? Bad? Does it not matter at all to you? Am I just an old, spewing his get-off-my-lawn philosophies (this is a trick question, because the obvious answer is yes, but that doesn’t invalidate the viewpoint).
Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Continue reading...
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
UCLA vs. Rutgers was an actual Big Ten football game in 2024. Did any fan want or need this? | Photo by Ed Mulholland/Getty Images
Super conferences are actually bad for college football.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about unpopular opinions.
You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all our “Unpopular Opinion” articles here.
As a fan and alum of a blueblood college football program that is part of one of the so-called “super conferences” (and I think we can safely stop framing what’s been happening as “realignment” now), it pains me a bit to say it, but super conferences are a bad idea and they’re bad for college football.
(Note: For the purposes of this column, I’m writing about college football and am not delving into what conference expansion means for other sports.)
On the one hand, I like fun
New additions to the conference are fun for a while. I’m old enough to remember how novel it was when Penn State joined the Big Ten. Those first couple of meetings (home and away) with the Nittany Lions were interesting. Adding the Penn State traditions and history to the B1G was strange, but cool.
After the initial newness wore off of the Nitts becoming a Big Ten program, Penn State vs. Ohio State (and PSU vs. Michigan) has been a lot of fun over the years and has provided a lot of incredible football moments (and yes, I fought it for a while, but I am one of those weirdos who believes that they are an Ohio State rival).
Ohio State vs. Penn State is an argument for conference expansion, but it is an exception.
Nebraska joining the league was interesting but seemed less dramatic by comparison. I thought perhaps the inclusion of the Huskers in the B1G would revitalize that program. That didn’t happen, but it might be in the early stages of happening now.
Again, the Buckeyes’ first few visits to Lincoln and the Cornhuskers’ first couple of trips to Columbus were interesting. But now that series is largely the same as playing Iowa, which isn’t to say that it is an unattractive matchup, but it doesn’t spark any additional interest the way Penn State does, and that could change if Nebraska’s program can get back to the national significance it once had.
The double addition of Rutgers and Maryland still seems like a drug-induced fever dream. It was the college football equivalent to adding a new kid with a recurring catch phrase to a stagnating sitcom. It improved nothing, may have degraded the product somewhat, and just seems to annoy everyone.
The quadruple addition to the Big Ten of former Pac-12 giants USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington was an attention grabber. Oregon (in quality) and USC (in historical terms) were eye-opening, headline-generating bombshells. UCLA and Washington feel like they came along for the ride, although both football programs have rich histories and successful pasts.
It’s early, but the arrival of these four new members in the Big Ten feels weird. The conference has grown so large, that it’s tough to imagine they can develop meaningful rivalries with the teams that were already in the conference, with the possible exception of Oregon with Ohio State. That’s largely based on a history of meaningful postseason games the Buckeyes and Ducks have played in the last decade or two — particularly during and after the 2024 season.
The conference lost a bit of its sense of regional pride and uniqueness when Rutgers and Maryland joined, and the additions of the former Pac-12 schools has diluted that even more. We’re still breaking in these additions, so who knows where this is going, but for now it feels pretty meh, and it’s going to take time before all of the traditional B1G schools have even played the newcomers both home and away.
The Pac-12 arrivals are still in their “new” phase, and it might last a while because the length of the season dictates that every team plays an incomplete conference schedule.
Getting back to the fun, it was a blast seeing how the new kids on the block would fare in their first season of Big Ten football, and they had extremely mixed results. Each new environment is fun at first when conference standings are on the line, and it’s cool to learn about traditions and history one has either no prior knowledge or an incomplete understanding of.
On the other hand, the fun can wear off
Few would say that the OSU-PSU rivalry isn’t still fun. That has grown organically and has been helped by:
- Being geographical neighbors.
- Both programs remaining relevant in the national picture.
- The teams playing such dramatic and riveting games against each other.
As I mentioned above, however, seeing Nebraska on the schedule doesn’t move the needle for me anymore. The Huskers are more compelling than some longtime B1G programs, but there’s still probably more juice for me in defeating a depleted Michigan State team than Nebraska. That’s not a knock on them. Old feelings linger and there is far more recent animosity with the Spartans than with the Cornhuskers.
I’ll be honest and say the weirdness of adding Rutgers and Maryland did not produce the same level of fun — even in the first couple of years — that Penn State and Nebraska did. And now, seeing those two schools on the schedule is no different than playing Purdue or Northwestern, except those feel more like Big Ten games to me than facing the Scarlet Knights or Terrapins.
Tradition? History? Rivalry? Meh.
Going beyond fun…
Unbalanced schedules, not seeing certain teams for multiple years, and having to plan around maximum time zone differences is problematic. It can dilute, rather than promote, rivalries and make existing ones disadvantageous if protected. After all, when some teams may have an easier path to a conference title, it’s a detriment to have two massive rivalry games as “protected” rivalries.
That promotes an unlevel playing field and one that can shift quickly if programs fall off or others rise, which was shown in the disparity between the two divisions when the Big Ten had them. (RIP, Leaders and Legends.)
As a fan of college football beyond my favorite team, it’s sad to see what happened to the Pac-12, and it feels like the Big XII has become an unrecognizable blob of randomness. Time moves on, but neutering tradition feels like killing the golden goose.
Conferences other than the Big Ten and SEC may provide challengers and great teams, but this sport feels like it belongs to those two entities now, and that’s largely because of all the teams/schools they’ve assimilated along the way.
And assimilated is how it feels. It’s like two giant Borg ships snapping up all the resources, or if you’re not a Star Trek nerd like me, it’s college football colonialism. It feels a bit icky to me and, if I’m being honest, less special.
What do you think of the concept of super conferences? Is it good for the sport? Bad? Does it not matter at all to you? Am I just an old, spewing his get-off-my-lawn philosophies (this is a trick question, because the obvious answer is yes, but that doesn’t invalidate the viewpoint).
Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Continue reading...
LGHL Former Buckeye Julian Fleming injured in fatal ATV accident
- News
- 0 Replies
Former Buckeye Julian Fleming injured in fatal ATV accident
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Brooke LaValley/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
Former Penn State, Ohio State WR Julian Fleming injured in fatal ATV crash
Steve Gardner, USA TODAY
Big Ten Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2025
Athlon Sports
Five clutch performances by Ohio State footballers over the last 25 years
Brett Ludwiczak, Land-Grant Holy Land
What past Ohio State quarterback competitions tell us about the current battle
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
With College Football Playoff Experience, Luke Montgomery Could Anchor Ohio State’s Offensive Line in 2025
Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
Here’s what fans want Ohio State’s broadcast schedule to look like
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Ohio State: Even in futile effort, Buckeyes at least did not go down easy
Austin Ward, Dotting The Eyes
You’re Nuts: If you were in charge, how would you set up Ohio State’s broadcast schedule?
Matt Tamanini and Jami Jurich, Land-Grant Holy Land
Quincy Porter Called the “Next One” at Wide Receiver for Buckeyes By Jeremiah Smith
Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
You’re Nuts: What do you expect from A’mare Bynum?
Justin Golba and Connor Lemons, Land-Grant Holy Land
Ohio State baseball adds MLB legacy Kayden Campbell to its 2026 class
Mick Walker, Lettermen Row
Not a bad day for the Buckeye Bullet
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Brooke LaValley/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
On the Gridiron
Former Penn State, Ohio State WR Julian Fleming injured in fatal ATV crash
Steve Gardner, USA TODAY
Big Ten Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2025
Athlon Sports
Five clutch performances by Ohio State footballers over the last 25 years
Brett Ludwiczak, Land-Grant Holy Land
What past Ohio State quarterback competitions tell us about the current battle
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
With College Football Playoff Experience, Luke Montgomery Could Anchor Ohio State’s Offensive Line in 2025
Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
Here’s what fans want Ohio State’s broadcast schedule to look like
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Ohio State: Even in futile effort, Buckeyes at least did not go down easy
Austin Ward, Dotting The Eyes
You’re Nuts: If you were in charge, how would you set up Ohio State’s broadcast schedule?
Matt Tamanini and Jami Jurich, Land-Grant Holy Land
Quincy Porter Called the “Next One” at Wide Receiver for Buckeyes By Jeremiah Smith
Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
On the Hardwood
You’re Nuts: What do you expect from A’mare Bynum?
Justin Golba and Connor Lemons, Land-Grant Holy Land
Outside the Shoe and Schott
Ohio State baseball adds MLB legacy Kayden Campbell to its 2026 class
Mick Walker, Lettermen Row
And now for something completely different...
Not a bad day for the Buckeye Bullet
Continue reading...
LGHL Here’s what fans want Ohio State’s broadcast schedule to look like
- News
- 0 Replies
Here’s what fans want Ohio State’s broadcast schedule to look like
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about what we would do if we were in charge of our favorite position group, team, conference, or sport. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”If I Was in Charge” articles here.
Throughout the year, we will be asking and answering questions about various Ohio State teams, the players, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33, or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.
Like you, we get annoyed with nearly every major Ohio State game being played at noon. While I personally probably have a higher tolerance for it than many other fans, even I can recognize that it has an impact on the excitement in the stadium, and even more, I realize that it can be a major detriment when it comes to recruiting.
So, this week, our fan survey asked a few questions about the Buckeyes’ current broadcast arrangements. To stick with our theme this week, we wanted to see what you would do if you were in charge.
Take a look at the consensus results below, and if you feel compelled to either agree or disagree with them, head to the comment at the bottom of the page and let us know.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26005880/OhioState_1_52025.png)
To me, answering this question with conviction requires a little more information. For me to have a fully fleshed-out rationale, I would want to know how Ohio State’s media rights deals would be impacted. Because I know that a big part of the $7+ billion that the Big Ten is currently pulling in is predicated on Fox being able to put the biggest games of the week at 12 noon ET.
While there are many upsides, one of the negatives with Ohio State being the biggest brand in college football is that their games get picked in the weekly broadcast draft pretty early, meaning that, often times, Fox is going to put them at noon.
Therefore, if we say “no noon games ever,” then it is essentially a certainty that Fox will refuse to pay out the exorbitant amount of money that it currently is. And, while it will likely be to a lesser degree, the channel will almost certainly still do so if we put a cap on the number of noon games the Buckeyes play.
So, the goal here for me is to find the balance between the number of acceptable noon games and how much money OSU would have to forfeit. I would probably be comfortable going The Game at noon, two cupcakes at noon, and one other marquee game at noon.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26006671/OhioState_2_52025.png)
Between Big Ten Network, ESPN, FS1, and Peacock, there are a lot of channels that you have to pay for if you want to be guaranteed to watch every single one of Ohio State’s football games each season. While it is relatively rare these days for a sports fan to not have some sort of cable, satellite, or live TV streaming service, by moving all of OSU’s games to broadcast channels (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, and even The CW if you want to go that far), that would mean that technically, you would not have to pay to watch a single game.
Currently, the vast majority of Buckeye games are on Fox, CBS, and NBC, but there are guaranteed games on BTN and Peacock every season. While a return to the traditional broadcast world of decades past isn’t ever going to happen, it sure would make things a lot easier.
Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about what we would do if we were in charge of our favorite position group, team, conference, or sport. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”If I Was in Charge” articles here.
Throughout the year, we will be asking and answering questions about various Ohio State teams, the players, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33, or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.
Like you, we get annoyed with nearly every major Ohio State game being played at noon. While I personally probably have a higher tolerance for it than many other fans, even I can recognize that it has an impact on the excitement in the stadium, and even more, I realize that it can be a major detriment when it comes to recruiting.
So, this week, our fan survey asked a few questions about the Buckeyes’ current broadcast arrangements. To stick with our theme this week, we wanted to see what you would do if you were in charge.
Take a look at the consensus results below, and if you feel compelled to either agree or disagree with them, head to the comment at the bottom of the page and let us know.
Question 1: If you were in charge, what would Ohio State’s Big Noon schedule look like?
To me, answering this question with conviction requires a little more information. For me to have a fully fleshed-out rationale, I would want to know how Ohio State’s media rights deals would be impacted. Because I know that a big part of the $7+ billion that the Big Ten is currently pulling in is predicated on Fox being able to put the biggest games of the week at 12 noon ET.
While there are many upsides, one of the negatives with Ohio State being the biggest brand in college football is that their games get picked in the weekly broadcast draft pretty early, meaning that, often times, Fox is going to put them at noon.
Therefore, if we say “no noon games ever,” then it is essentially a certainty that Fox will refuse to pay out the exorbitant amount of money that it currently is. And, while it will likely be to a lesser degree, the channel will almost certainly still do so if we put a cap on the number of noon games the Buckeyes play.
So, the goal here for me is to find the balance between the number of acceptable noon games and how much money OSU would have to forfeit. I would probably be comfortable going The Game at noon, two cupcakes at noon, and one other marquee game at noon.
Question 2: If you were in charge, what would the Big Ten and Ohio State’s media deal look like?
Between Big Ten Network, ESPN, FS1, and Peacock, there are a lot of channels that you have to pay for if you want to be guaranteed to watch every single one of Ohio State’s football games each season. While it is relatively rare these days for a sports fan to not have some sort of cable, satellite, or live TV streaming service, by moving all of OSU’s games to broadcast channels (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, and even The CW if you want to go that far), that would mean that technically, you would not have to pay to watch a single game.
Currently, the vast majority of Buckeye games are on Fox, CBS, and NBC, but there are guaranteed games on BTN and Peacock every season. While a return to the traditional broadcast world of decades past isn’t ever going to happen, it sure would make things a lot easier.
Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Continue reading...