Big Ten and other Conference Expansion

[DaddyBigBucks]

...Will they bring ratings? Who cares!...

As much as you've read about this, I'm sure you've come across the data that suggest that Advertising revenue is more important than cable subscriptions. Is there some reason that you're dismissing that argument that no one else seems to know?

 

[broken24]

In regards to ESPN and the SEC TV deal, I read that there is a renegotiation clause that would come into effect if something dramatic happens. But, I don't know who has the option to open up the negotiations.

In regards to Texas, If they are going to leave the Big12 the are going to go to the Big Ten. Of course, only if the Big Ten wants them. The reason being BTN and CIC. No conference can compete with that. There is too much money on the table for a research institution.

 

[BuckTwenty]

Hey Missouri... what's your take on your boys leaving the Big 12 for the Big Ten? Do you think it's pretty much a done deal if there's more than one expansion team? If the Big Ten comes calling, what would you say the odds of Mizzou switching conferences?

 

[Jaxbuck]

The notion that we end up with Nebraska and the Pac 10 gets Texas makes me sick to my fucking stomach!

Make room in the vomitorium for me.

"Fail" doesn't do this one justice if it goes down without Texas or at the very least ND.

Fucking up The Game for goddamn Rutgers and company is just wrong. 70+ years of tradition down the shitter so we can have a B10 CCG and they lay down like a .25 cent whore for a bunch of nobodies instead of holding out for Texas.

JFC

 

[Steve19]

I know that there is a long way to go with this but I would far rather forget the Big East teams and take more from the Big 12, including Texas. If the future that MissouriFan sees becomes a reality, then the PAC 10 will be the nation's premier conference and the Big Ten will be lumbered with new teams that dramatically lower its competitiveness. Losing The Game for that would be completely unacceptable to Ohio State fans.

 

[CleveBucks]

Does anybody really believe the Big Ten would add 5 teams, with neither being ND or TX? I don't see it happening. Too many sources say the same thing, and I'm betting it's because the Big Ten wants the info out there.

You tell ND you're prepared to take Pitt/Cuse/Rutgers, and that if they want to have any conference to call home in non-football sports, they better jump on board, because the Big East will cease to exist. You tell TX you're ready to take Nebraska and Mizzou. What does TX do then? SEC - no, the academic profile is not there. Pac-10 - farther travel than the Big Ten, inferior research consortium, two time zones away. Big 12 adds Houston and TCU? There goes more TV money.

 

[buckeyesin07]

"Fail" doesn't do this one justice if it goes down without Texas or at the very least ND.

[censored]ing up The Game for goddamn Rutgers and company is just wrong. 70+ years of tradition down the [censored]ter so we can have a B10 CCG and they lay down like a .25 cent whore for a bunch of nobodies instead of holding out for Texas.

JFC

I couldn't agree more. If the Big Ten brass can't get it done with ND or Texas, then just leave things alone.

 

[kn1f3party]

Relax. I don't see it happening at all without Texas or Notre Dame. Delaney is probably the best at what he does in the country. He isn't going to royally fuck the conference over and give a slice of the pie to just anybody.

 

[Piney]

As much as you've read about this, I'm sure you've come across the data that suggest that Advertising revenue is more important than cable subscriptions. Is there some reason that you're dismissing that argument that no one else seems to know?

Please re-read what I wrote...

And that is why Syracuse/Rutgers is important for NYC. Will they bring ratings? Who cares! It is all about giving the BTN a foot in the door to get it on a higher cable tier and charging a higher rate. Once you can get the BTN on NYC cable, the ratings will come from the Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan and other Big Ten alums that live there.

Ok, maybe a lil cloudy on what I meant. Will Syracuse & Rutgers in themselves bring the ratings from NYC? They will bring some, but my bet is the main ratings from NYC will be from the alums of the other Big 10 schools that live in/around NYC. Or should I say a higher percentage of the ratings will come from those alums/fans versus the Rutgers/Syracuse fans.

Not saying advertising isn't important. But you need to get on the most TV sets as possible, ie get the BTN on the most available tier it can get. (not sure where it is at now). In addition it gives you the foot in the door to tell advertisers that you will be viewed by the NYC market. Cuz right now you can't really say that, could we?

Does anybody really believe the Big Ten would add 5 teams, with neither being ND or TX? I don't see it happening. Too many sources say the same thing, and I'm betting it's because the Big Ten wants the info out there.

You tell ND you're prepared to take Pitt/Cuse/Rutgers, and that if they want to have any conference to call home in non-football sports, they better jump on board, because the Big East will cease to exist. You tell TX you're ready to take Nebraska and Mizzou. What does TX do then? SEC - no, the academic profile is not there. Pac-10 - farther travel than the Big Ten, inferior research consortium, two time zones away. Big 12 adds Houston and TCU? There goes more TV money.

While that is all fine and dandy ND ain't budging. I really think they have come up with a backup plan that keeps their football team independent and there other sports with the non-football/catholic schools of the Big East once that conference falls apart.

But the expansion without ND and/or Texas leads to one big thing. The BTN is a hungry beast that needs to be fed and once it is fed, it will create a SHITLOAD of money.

I brought this up earlier, what if adding the 5 teams being rumored doubles the TV money from $22 mil to $44 mil per year per team, even with 16 teams splitting the pie? Are we selling our souls for money???

While ND & Texas are the big time names, does ND really bring as much to the football field as Nebraska? I can live with Nebraska being the #1 choice in all of this. At least they are more like us (great fans) than the elitist pricks of Notre Dame that will drive all of us crazy with their whining when they become on par with Purdue & Michigan St.

And Texas was always a pipe dream that I am starting to think it would have been better if it never became part of this discussion. Cuz they are such a once in a century type of move that it jaded everyone's view of expansion. If we could get the genie back in the bottle... and Texas was NEVER part of this, would we be giddy about getting Nebraska? I think we would.

 

[Buckeyefrankmp]

You tell ND you're prepared to take Pitt/Cuse/Rutgers, and that if they want to have any conference to call home in non-football sports, they better jump on board, because the Big East will cease to exist. You tell TX you're ready to take Nebraska and Mizzou. What does TX do then? SEC - no, the academic profile is not there. Pac-10 - farther travel than the Big Ten, inferior research consortium, two time zones away. Big 12 adds Houston and TCU? There goes more TV money.

What would happen if the Big 12 decided to beat the Big 10 to the punch and brought ND (and another team to balance things) to the big 12. They could sell Nebraska and Mizzou to stay with the Big 12 with ND on board. ND might be getting tired of the Big Ten trying to strong arm them into the conference.

 

[DaddyBigBucks]

Please re-read what I wrote...



...

Good clarification.

So those teams won't bring higher ratings - but adding them to the conference brings the BTN to NYC where tOSU and other teams' alumni will add numbers to the ratings. I did miss that on the first read through.

To me it's not just about that though. There are other criteria at stake, and I remain a member of the (Expansion - UTandorND = Fail) crowd.

What would happen if the Big 12 decided to beat the Big 10 to the punch and brought ND (and another team to balance things) to the big 12. They could sell Nebraska and Mizzou to stay with the Big 12 with ND on board. ND might be getting tired of the Big Ten trying to strong arm them into the conference.

Without the academic cachet of the Big 10; the Big 12 has zero chance of landing ND. No way do they sell their independence that cheap.

 

[MaxBuck]

If ND goes to any football conference other than the Big Ten, it will be to the Big East (where they already are for all other sports) so they can continue to feast on weak sisters in their non-marquee games. No way they go to the Big 12, SEC or Pac-10.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

While ND & Texas are the big time names, does ND really bring as much to the football field as Nebraska? I can live with Nebraska being the #1 choice in all of this. At least they are more like us (great fans) than the elitist pricks of Notre Dame that will drive all of us crazy with their whining when they become on par with Purdue & Michigan St.

Absolutely, the domers bring more to in football to the BTN than Nebraska. They offer a stronger entry for the BTN (via decades long Catholic cultural connections) into the NYC, NJ, Philly and Boston markets than any Eastern school or even combination of Eastern schools will ever have.

Nebraska just doesn't excite me at all. Throw in their lack of institutional control, reliance on partial qualifiers, small and unexciting (road trips to Omaha!!!) market and mediocre academic profile, and they are just a lousy pick.

 

[BrutusBobcat]

I'm not quite understanding the enthusiasm suddenly for Notre Dame being a member, particularly the "Texas or ND otherwise Fail" argument. To me, an expansion where ND is the big name is a failure, regardless of what the nodding bobbleheads on the Entertainment Network might say. (BTW, anyone on this board could easily produce more coherent commentary in five minutes on xtranormal).

So why rate ND above Nebraska, Missouri or even Pitt/Rutgers/Syracuse? I mean, we already have one fanbase in this conference obsessed with 19th century football results, do we really need another? Plus, when talking about the CIC and research dollars, which is a much bigger deal than the BTN and TV dollars, they bring zilch.

One thing I think is also a hallmark of a Big Ten school is mega attendance at huge football stadiums. Sure, that doesn't apply to all schools in the conference (NU, IU as leading examples), but that also inclines me towards Nebraska. All around, I think it's a winning addition. Texas is a no-brainer...that's who we want, and I'd be fine with a big time raid on the B12, taking Texas, Nebraska, A&M and Missouri, plus the pick of the litter of the Big East.

I'm in the camp that thinks Delaney knows what he's doing, recalling the skepticism about the BTN and the caterwauling about cable systems not carrying it, etc. Look who won, and to the tune of $22M per school? Just by saying the word "expansion", he's shaken the leading candidates out. The Big Ten will not be embarrassed again by a Notre Dame fiasco. He'll either over-offer to six or seven to take five, or he'll only offer schools that have made it obvious that they'll join (eg. Missouri). So I'm not counting out Texas just yet. They'll either join or lose out in a big way.

 

[Piney]

Absolutely, the domers bring more to in football to the BTN than Nebraska. They offer a stronger entry for the BTN (via decades long Catholic cultural connections) into the NYC, NJ, Philly and Boston markets than any Eastern school or even combination of Eastern schools will ever have.

Nebraska just doesn't excite me at all. Throw in their lack of institutional control, reliance on partial qualifiers, small and unexciting (road trips to Omaha!!!) market and mediocre academic profile, and they are just a lousy pick.

Yeah, was a lil simplistic with Nebraska being better than Notre Dame. But what can the Big 10 do in regards to Notre Dame? Would you be willing to give Notre Dame special considerations to join the Big 10? Cuz I really think that is the only way those stubborn elitist pricks would be willing to come over. And by the time they would be willing to come to the Big 10 as equal partners they will be a shell of their former self.

I also believe the Big 10 will not allow the partial qualifiers that Nebraska likes taking, so they will have to conform to get in.