Big Ten and other Conference Expansion

[muffler dragon]

Mizzou = St. Louis/Kansas City (MO) TV market. Nebraska = Omaha TV market. Compare.

w/o Texas there's not much reason to go after Nebraska.

Frank the Tank had an interesting blog a couple of weeks ago from a TV insider stating that the BTN is starting to generate more revenue through advertising than subscriptions. (Thus the real reason driving the expansion to 16 teams to load up on live programming to drive up advertising rates)

IF that is true, then that gives Nebraska a much better chance since they do generate higher ratings compared to Mizzou.

Which as I've confirmed with other people here in the PNW, Nebraska is HUGE in Seattle and quite a large following in Portland.

 

[BuckTwenty]

1. In the 90s, UT wanted in to the PAC 10, where there are bigger distance issues.
2. If we add Nebraska and/or Missouri and split into two divisions to where UT doesn't travel that often to the most eastern schools, the distance issues are MUCH less than with the PAC 10.
   [*]The primary issue with distance is with the non-revenue sports. In lacrosse, Ohio State is in a conference with at least 2 schools from Colorado.
3. Money. The added revenue, regardless of revenue sharing scheme, far outweighs extra travel for the entire athletic department, the band, the cheerleaders and Bevo.

I know there was talk earlier in the thread that Texas could potentially join the Big Ten just for football and basketball (ala ND basketball joining the Big East), leaving their non-revenue sports to compete in the Big 12 or respective small-sport conference to help reduce travel costs. That would certainly help quell the distance factor if that provision were included.

Then again, like DBB says there, adding multiple Big 12 schools in addition to Texas certainly makes the Big Ten look a whole lot more attractive from a distance perspective.

 

[DaveyBoy]

I know there was talk earlier in the thread that Texas could potentially join the Big Ten just for football and basketball (ala ND basketball joining the Big East), leaving their non-revenue sports to compete in the Big 12 or respective small-sport conference to help reduce travel costs. That would certainly help quell the distance factor if that provision were included.

Then again, like DBB says there, adding multiple Big 12 schools in addition to Texas certainly makes the Big Ten look a whole lot more attractive from a distance perspective.

there is no way that the extra revenue would cover the cost of travel for players, coaches of minor sports. Athletes' families would get to see very few if any road games. The costs, both direct and indirect, pile up rapidly for Texas.

As for lacrosse...that is one sport. And the 2 teams that we play in Colorado are done in a single trip. Denver and USAFA agree to the trip because the Great West lacrosse league is the closest competitive leage to them. Texas will have to make multiple trips to the Great Lakes region in every minor sport.

 

[scarletandgray1]

Delaney kept insisting Texas get rid of their on-campus statues of Confederate Generals. Texas kept insisting the Big-10 get rid of Delaney.

I live in the south and this is funny!

 

[Dryden]

Big Ten expansion: Making college hoops weird - College Basketball Nation Blog - ESPN

Big Ten expansion: Making college hoops weird
By Eamonn Brennan

...

Let's say the Big Ten expands to 16 teams by adding five to its current 11-team conference, and let's say those five teams are Syracuse, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Nebraska, and Missouri. There could be more teams joining from the Big East. There could be fewer. What does that give us, exactly? To be blunt, it gives us the best basketball conference in the country, hands down. Adding Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and Missouri would give the Big Ten three more marquee basketball programs while at the same time robbing the Big East of two of its best basketball schools.

Look at the combination of recently or historically successful programs in the Big Ten in this scenario: Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Missouri, Michigan State, Purdue, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Indiana. That gives the Big Ten seven elite programs and a host of teams -- Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana and the like -- that should theoretically compete for Big Ten titles every year. It's formidable.

The balance of power in college basketball would shift dramatically. No longer would the Big East's 16-team conference be able to boast of its superiority based on sheer depth. If Notre Dame or Connecticut joined instead of, say, Nebraska, that imbalance becomes even more severe. But whatever the combination, the Big Ten would become the premier basketball conference in the country. Maybe the expansion cake is baked with money and football, but for the Big Ten itself, that's some tasty icing.

The implications of this shift aren't just in sheer basketball power. The Big East is, by and large, a basketball conference. Many of its schools are basketball powerhouses when compared to their football cohorts; some, like Villanova, Georgetown and Marquette, don't even field Division I football teams. Losing that basketball cachet would cripple the Big East, something Big East officials have already admitted.

Cont'd ...

 

[chance]

SEC comish talks about expansion exploration, my guess is they are looking at possible teams left in the cold after Big Ten and Pac 10 (possible) expansions. Doesn't look too good for the Big 12 if SEC would make offer of staying in a crippled Big 12 or join the SEC. Not sure if the SEC's TV deals can be renegotiated after expansion or not, so it might not be financially feasible for them to do anything.


SEC studying expansion in case change needed - ESPN

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive says the league isn't considering adding teams but is working on a plan to keep up with other conferences if they expand just in case.
The commissioner said Monday that the 12-member SEC hasn't talked to any institutions about joining and has no plans to do so. The expansion exploration is just an internal look at the potential advantages and disadvantages in case there is a "significant shift in the conference paradigm," he said.

 

[Gatorubet]

Talking about it today a local sports show host mentioned V-Tech and Houston for the markets

 

[jwinslow]

I haven't really looked at it closely, but it seems like a very different situation for the sec tv revenue conversation.


Isn't espn and cbs already on in Houston? How many games per year are broadcasted on that ray sports or sun channel I see sometimes for florida games?

If the big ten adds Texas, they have some leverage for the next contract with espn. If they add Rutgers, I'm not sure it really helps their potential earnings - current or future - from espn.


The allure of the big ten is their own network which isn't carried by Texas cable/fios tv providers, at least not on their basic packages. Adding Texas brings in millions of new eyeballs and potential advertising for their network, which does not have the locked-in ceiling of the espn deal.


Maybe I'm missing something.

 

[Gatorubet]

Maybe I'm missing something.

I said, "local sports show".

 

[jwinslow]

True. I can't even listen to ours, it's horrendous.

In general though, was I on track? That other station isn't much of a factor is it, other than the potential for a 3rd revenue stream, albeit small?

 

[jimotis4heisman]

Lucrative Big Ten Network could be driving force for expansion - NCAA Football - CBSSports.com

while the rest of the traditional media flounders, murdoch seems to continually strike gold...

 

[Jake]

What other sports network would feature President Obama on its air? The BTN will televise the president's commencement speech May 1 at Michigan.

 

[starBUCKS]

Big Ten expansion buzz has league adding Mizzou, Nebraska, Pitt, Rutgers and Syracuse and splitting into four, four-team divisions.

The Big Ten divisions: Syra, Pitt, Rut., Penn St.--Mich., Wisc., Mich. St., Mnn.--Ohio St., Pur., IU, Ill./North.--MU, Iowa, Neb., Ill./NU

From Rival's Tom Dienhart's Twitter

 

[Dryden]

From Rival's Tom Dienhart's Twitter

I'd like to see Tom Dienhart split into four pieces.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

Georgia Tech was just elected as the 63rd member of the AAU. Funny, I would have thought they'd have been in a long time ago. Anyways, neither Fredo nor bearkitten was tapped on the shoulder.

Here's a great interactive timeline of AAU ascendency

AAU TIMELINE