The first day of Big Ten Media Days proved to be a day of enlightenment regarding the future of the conference once Commissioner Jim Delany took to the podium. During his forty minute session, we found out the following:
- The league is moving quickly over the next 120 days to finalize a site for the 2011 championship game (which is no longer merely presumed and will be a reality, held in December of 2011) as well as determine the structure of divisions. The decisions on both of those fronts could come as soon as within a month, and the location of the 2011 game could just be a one year thing with the league studying locations for a longer term site afterwards (translation: See you in Indianapolis for 2011).
- The league alignment likely will differ between football and other sports.
- The name of the league won't be changing: "The Big Ten is the Big Ten regardless of number."
- Notre Dame, at least publicly, does not figure into any future expansion plans: "I don't see them as a player." Further, the conference has paused expansion plans overall, but don't be surprised to see them pick up again in the future.
- There's a push to move towards a nine-game conference schedule, within the next three to four years, though Tom Osborne did say that might have to wait until 2015.
Coming into the session, there was much uncertainty about expansion and the league's immediate plans, but Delany cleared up a lot of that.
We'll be back on hand today with more reporting, so be sure to
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Comments
I would love a 9-game conference schedule, but it makes no sense for the schools or the conference until everyone in college football adopts. Until then, you're just adding an extra loss to half of your teams, which means fewer bowl appearances and less money.
some pretty good lolz over at BSD
Pac 10 lead the way, if the Big 10 joins in, it'll keep the ball rolling, and perhaps spark certain other conferences to play the Citadel (et al) a little less often. I am 100% for it. With only a single marquee OOC game at the moment, it shouldn't be THAT hard to work out the home and home arrangements to keep 7 home games each year.
This is the perfect solution. 9 game conference schedule, 1 marquee matchup against another powerhouse and 2 against an in state smaller school. This way, the small guys still get a payday and the fans also get a big game before heading into conference play.
The Daily Gopher has a contributor named Buck Bravo, awesome.
I'm retiring. I just wanted to let you guys know first.
if this were really him i think he would find a way to spell his first name the right way
Hey, #3. you and I both know how it's properly spelled.
i love the link to the BSD post that says pryor hasn't won anything yet. my question is why doesn't the rose bowl victory count? and what about the game where he accounted for all 3 of our td's in the drubbing of penn state?
also thought i'd add this link. figured it was appropriate for the description of the link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
yeah, what about that shut out in herpe valley?
SAD PANDAAASSSSSSS!!!!
Per Jason's "(translation: See you in Indianapolis for 2011)": Why? The league's office is in Chicago - as B10 a town as there is and a world-class city, to boot. 2011 will inaugurate the event. CHI seems the best place for a kick-off.
I've read all the rationale FOR Lucas Oil. And it seems this site's predilection is toward Indy. Is it because so many of you live in and around C-Bus?
Chicago wouldn't be that bad of a drive for those that still live in or around Columbus, or a bad flight for me. For some reason I just think that since the B10 bball tournament is in Indianapolis now it has another shot to snatch the football championship game. Logistically speaking, it's an easy drive for any of the big ten team's fan bases, and playing an indoor game in December would eliminate any of the weather considerations.
Dear State Penn-
PLEASE win an OUTRIGHT conference title, before you start bashing tOSU for our FIVE, thats right, FIVE conference titles in a row.....perhaps if you could beat Iowa once, you wouldnt have to share like a "big boy"
Pryor punched your fanbase in the nuts last year. Your CB's tackle each other instead of Posey, and your self-appointed title of Linebacker U shctick is waaaay off base, Sean Lee is STILL trying to get off the field from when your FRESHMAN FB blew his ass up!!!!
Hating your team and fanbase forever,
Ski
"but but but... we want to play too"
the also ran of also rans.
I just spent 15 minutes of my life I'll never get back trying to wade through the comments on their Day 1 recap.
I don't get it. First they complain about Ohio State fans (and even some M*ch*g*n fans) coming in and posting on their board, even though at least some of the arguments were fairly rational and well thought out (thanks Sam). Then a quarter of a page later they're complaining that no Ohio State fans are coming on their website to defend Pryor's selection as pre-season POY. Those State Penners are a fickle bunch.
Jason (and I think a few others) live in Chicago already, so the drive time isn't the issue. I'd personally prefer Indianapolis because it's closer, has a newer stadium, and traffic isn't a total nightmare.
What are the odds that the Big Ten is still thinking about eastward exposure? Perhaps they're thinking about a rotation that could involve the new Meadowlands Stadium as well as Philadelphia. While technically the Meadowlands is outside of the conference's footprint getting some exposure in NYC would be huge and Philly couldn't hurt. The others in the rotation could be the ones previously discussed around these parts: Chicago, Indy, Cleveland, Detroit (they need help) and even St Louis. In the end it could be an interesting contrast to what the SEC does with one set location in Atlanta. It would provide traveling interest for fans, expand the exposure of the conference and potentially help with recruiting.
I think a rotation of Chicago, Detroit and The Meadowlands would be swell
and ratings GOLD, jerry, GOLD
I'd actually love it if it rotated all the good pro stadiums in the area.
Damn, glad to see Clifford doing well, but I wish he could have kept his behavior in line and played in the Scarlet and Gray. I think he would have been something special and Lord knows we could use him this year.
Yeah, I actually live in Chicago, so Soldier Field would be awesome on a lot of different fronts (travel, stuff to do, etc.).
I just personally think if they're going to use a site for 2011 before engaging in some longer term planning Indy is the default b/c the city already has a pretty tight relationship with the Big Ten. I also think the Big Ten doesn't want to risk anything with the first event and should a snowstorm come rolling in across the Midwest, they can close the roof, which is something they wouldn't be able to do in Chicago.
Yeah, it was funny how on BSD they said that Pryor hasn't won anything and added something to the effect of "and no, the Rose Bowl win over Oregon doesn't count." Of course, they provided no explanation for why a QB leading his team to a BCS bowl victory "doesn't count." The PSU fanbase's jealousy of Pryor and all things Ohio State, not to mention the lack of any ability to engage in a logical argument, is beyond pathetic. Those delusional fools make UM fans seem quite rational.
Play it in Ann Arbor. Last year it was half filled with Ohio State fans so they have already proven they can accommodate.
Delaney makes the 9-conf. games sound like a done deal. Did I miss something? The first I heard of it was Barry Alvarez mentioning something about it recently.
I don't think it is so hot, because
1) Will we get a guarantee that every school will keep their marquee OOC games?
2) It's a disadvantage when not everyone else is doing it. It hasn't exactly helped the Pac-10 get teams in bowls or helped them get a team to the NCG (I think it has hurt them). This will hurt Big Ten team's chances of getting more teams to bowls. Meanwhile, the SEC will go 8 games and brag about how many teams they got into bowls. Do we really want to give them more ammo for their trash talking?
3) If it forces schools to do home-and-homes instead of paying for a one-and-done, then that's what they will do. They will do what makesthe most economic sense.
4) 5 away conf. games for some and 4 for the others.
5) I'd MUCH rather see teams replacing a patsy with a home-home with an OOC team instead of this. It is more interesting and gives teams an opportunity to become bowl eligible. If you want tougher, more interesting games, just go this route. No need to beat yourself up in conference and beat your way out of bowls.
It just doesn't make sense to me. While I like the idea of adding a conf. game and getting rid of a patsy (if it can be guaranteed), I think it would be better and more interesting to give us more interesting OOC games if that's their goal.