Big Ten and other Conference Expansion

[SloopyHangOn]

CHICAGO -- Commissioner Jim Delany expects the Big Ten to hold a championship game next season, when Nebraska joins and brings the league to 12 members.

He also said teams will likely play nine conference games instead of eight in the future to help preserve rivalries.

"I think there's a real consensus among our athletic directors to do that," Delany said Monday at the league's football media days. "How quickly we can do that? We can't do that in the next year or two. I'm hopeful we can make some progress for years three, four. Hopefully, it's not three or four, but it could be depending on the contractual commitments."

The timetable for the championship game is sooner.

Delany expects there to be one next season, although he's not sure where it would be played and if the site would rotate. He also wants to sell naming rights to the game.

Delany said he's spoken to representatives from potential host sites and Chicago is in the running. But he's not sure he'll have time in the next four months to make visits. The conference could choose one for the first game and then tour venues in the spring.

ESPN - Big ten Expects Title Game Next Season

 

[Nicknam4]

"We're not actively involved in any expansion initiatives at this point," Delany said. "But (league presidents) did make clear to me that the 12- to 18-month time period remains the time period, notwithstanding the addition of Nebraska. But all of our energies at the present time are focused on helping Nebraska transition into the conference."

One school that appears out of the expansion mix is Notre Dame.

"I don't see them as a player, really," Delany said. "I think (athletics director) Jack Swarbrick has been consistent from the beginning about their commitment to the Big East and their commitment to (football) independence."

College football: Big Ten eyes title game in 2011


Read this in the paper this morning.

 

[NJ-Buckeye]

Guess it's better to play powerhouses like Syracuse and UConn rather than losing to MSU and even scUM...

Why play in front of crowds of 109,000 when a 32,000 stadium does just as well

Has Akron signed up to be in the Big 10 yet? What are they waiting for? Charlie Frye would tear up the Big 10

 

[BigJim]

Our commissioner won't kiss their inner thigh to get them, is basically saying we're not really considering them anymore. Notre Dame is a chick that likes to play hard to get, as soon as you turn the attention off of her she gets all upset.

Sounds to me like B10's commissioner isn't trying to pass it off like it's the B10's decision that ND is out of play, rather that ND has decided they don't want to be involved (at this moment anyway). I don't see how that can be taken as an insult to domers.

 

[stowfan]

I for one still want Rutgers. I would love to have the TV dollars from that market in our coffers. As far as ND goes, I wouldn't care at all if big ten teams stopped scheduling them.

 

[TheIronColonel]

Well, if the Big Ten is going to freeze out ND, I hope they really freeze out ND. No more OOC games, just leave them twisting in the breeze. Independence is no longer viable for any school, and the Big Ten is the best option that ND has. If they're too stupid to see that, then I say fuck 'em. Let them sleep in the bed that they made.

 

[FCollinsBuckeye]

Well, if the Big Ten is going to freeze out ND, I hope they really freeze out ND. No more OOC games, just leave them twisting in the breeze.

I think that the 'nine conference games' may do just that...

 

[kn1f3party]

I think that the 'nine conference games' may do just that...

This. I can't expect Purdue and to a lesser extent Sparty wanting them on the schedule if they lose a non-conference game. I can't vouch for Weasel.

 

[buckiprof]

I think that the 'nine conference games' may do just that...

And Jim Delany mentioning the "9 conference games" may be a not so subtle hint to Swarbrick of what awaits ND.

 

[Oh8ch]

And Jim Delany mentioning the "9 conference games" may be a not so subtle hint to Swarbrick of what awaits ND.

IMO that and the statement about ND not likely to join may both be posturing.

 

[cincibuck]

This. I can't expect Purdue and to a lesser extent Sparty wanting them on the schedule if they lose a non-conference game. I can't vouch for Weasel.

Except that both Purdue and Sparty 'owe' ND for past favors. ND scheduling MSU every year broke Michigan's attempts to keep Sparty out of the Big 10. (to replace Chicago) The history that BB73 posted also spoke of a previous attempt by Michigan to freeze ND out, thwarted because Purdue wanted to honor the good relationship they had with ND.

 

[TheIronColonel]

It's hard to imagine that either of those schools really have much reason to remain loyal to ND, but I don't know the internal politics. They're both on the BTN gravy train now, so what leverage does ND have? It's not like either of them needs ND for any sport at this point; both Purdue and MSU are better in basketball.

 

[MaxBuck]

It's hard to imagine that either of those schools really have much reason to remain loyal to ND, but I don't know the internal politics. They're both on the BTN gravy train now, so what leverage does ND have? It's not like either of them needs ND for any sport at this point; both Purdue and MSU are better in basketball.

ND is really Purdue's only rival. Even though POTFH ([censored] on the [censored]ing Hoosiers) has for a long time been a rallying cry for Boilermakers, IU is so inept on the gridiron that it has become a tepid rivalry. Hoop is, of course, another matter entirely.

With respect to how you split the conference, consider this: it's been the Big One and the Little Ten functionally since Jim Tressel became head coach. So how you split the others is pretty inconsequential IMO. One can argue till the cows come home about when Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin, Iowa, or Nebraska (any other school is a joke in this discussion) will challenge for a national championship - or indeed, whether any of them ever will - but Ohio State is now and will be the Big Dog for the foreseeable future.

 

[BB73]

Time for a little housekeeping. Several good topics in this thread each deserve a separate area for discussion.

I moved the hockey discussion to its own thread.

I have also moved the recent talk about alignment into a thread that deals specifically with the division of the conference.

Any championship game location talk should also go into another separate thread which we have for that topic.

All are good topics, but it should be easier to follow them if we keep them separate from the talk of further expansion, which should be the main focus of this thread.

Big.Ten.Hockey

Possible.Divisions

Big.Ten.Championship.Game

 

[DallasHusker]

ND is really Purdue's only rival. Even though POTFH ([censored] on the [censored]ing Hoosiers) has for a long time been a rallying cry for Boilermakers, IU is so inept on the gridiron that it has become a tepid rivalry. Hoop is, of course, another matter entirely.

With respect to how you split the conference, consider this: it's been the Big One and the Little Ten functionally since Jim Tressel became head coach. So how you split the others is pretty inconsequential IMO. One can argue till the cows come home about when Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin, Iowa, or Nebraska (any other school is a joke in this discussion) will challenge for a national championship - or indeed, whether any of them ever will - but Ohio State is now and will be the Big Dog for the foreseeable future.

Hmm, as one of the Husker newcomers, I don't want to be disrespectful, but I think you go just a little overboard there. I think Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska (which of course isn't playing a Big Ten schedule this year) are preseason top 20 picks at minimum. I've seen at least one projection of Ohio State vs. Nebraska in the BCS Championship game this year (which I think would be awesome!) So while I wouldn't argue at all that Ohio State is A Big Dog for the foreseeable future, I'd argue pretty vehemently that they're not THE Big Dog for the foreseeable future - unless you can't see very far.