Article about venue of Big Ten Title Game
I looked and didn't see anything recent posted about this. Just saw an article on the Michigan Daily's website quoting Chicago Tribune article about potential venues for the Big Ten football title game. Interesting quote:
"David Gilbert, president of the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, told The (Ohio) Morning Journal that he expects the game to be rotated among cities and that non-domed stadiums should not be ruled out. The game likely would be played on Dec. 3, 2011,"
Indy, Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago and mInneapolis were the five cities mentioned prominently.
Link: http://www.michigandaily.com/content/report-potential-big-ten-title-game-locations
Love to see it at Ford Field.
Ford Field is a dome
named after the great Henry
Ford. Games are played there.
Could someone please tell me why "The Real T" is always negged for his haikus?
Just wondering...
EDIT: nevermind...I saw the reason below.
I do not know why
all haikus receive some negs.
This makes me quite sad
Don't want to, but it seems inevitable.
Can't see this happening in either Minneapolis or Cleveland.
Detroit would be cool (if not completely self-serving...)
Indianapolis is centralized, as is Chicago - and both are great cities to spend a weekend, although Chicago is my preference for cities.
Let's hope this D. Gilbert of Cleveland is more competent than the other D. Gilbert of Cleveland.
I like Soldier Field because I am behind the idea of an outdoor championship game. If they wanted to rotate it with Ford Field so that it is not outdoors every year, even better.
I think this needs to be in a state like Michigan that has strong football tradition, like the basketball tournament is now in Indiana. If that means it also is played in Cleveland (ugh), so be it.
...spread the love and rotate the game among all the cities listed. Remember that the conference operates by consensus. I find it hard to believe that all 12 member institutions will accede to either a single site (Indy) or a small set of sites (Indy, Detroit, Chicago). Minny and the Mistake by the Lake will get theirs as well.
But since all 3 are NFL stadiums with home teams, I think it will have to rotate between the 3 (Chicago, Indy, Detroit)
Chicago has a huge college football appetite for a city without a power nearby (Northwestern is close in Evanston, but they haven't been good forever, the College Football featured in the papers is always ND and Illinois, both about 3 hours away) plus Chicago has a huge Michigan contingent. I haven't been to Lucas Oil, but the other two new stadiums are great. I personally think that the game should be outside... it's college football, it's played outdoors, and this is Big Ten country type stuff, but, I think they'll rotate the 3. It's good to have these (relatively) middle of the conference options
I do like the idea of an outdoor bowl game, however I wouldn't mind seeing the BTC happen in a domed stadium because the national audience may see that its feasible to have a major indoor game in Big Ten country with the hopes that in a couple decades (when im in my 40s) a major BCS-type bowl can finally be played where the Big Ten team isnt the road team. I'd love to see the 12-0 Michigan Wolverines playing the 11-1 University of Miami Hurricanes in 2035 for the National Championship at a stadium in the Big Ten footprint.
I'd like to see it held at different stadiums from within the conference. Imagine having it at the Big House. Plus, the revenue would go to the schools within the conference rather than outside sources.
Let me preface this by saying sorry that I'm chiming in on what seems like every single comment. Work is incredibly slow today, so it's either replying to mgoblog topics or reviewing the same document for the 6th time. I chose mgoblog.
Now on to my actual reply: is this a feasible idea for every stadium? I'm sure PSU and UM and OSU would be on board, but can IU really support a decent-sized crowd for the championship game? IIRC IU's stadium is only somewhere in the 60-80k range and the BTC would have 100k+ easily interested even at high ticket prices. Since IU has as much voting power as UM or OSU or PSU (this isnt the Big 12 where Texas rules and Baylor droolz) I'm not sure they would accept a system that doesnt include them as a host site (Northwestern is in a similar situation I believe, and I'm completely unsure about some of the other sites).
Is there a way to compensate in other sports to get this done -- a la a concession for more Big Ten related basketball activities in Indiana in exchange for their waived right to host any football championship games? I have no idea, I'll leave that to the politicians and bureaucrats in their smoky back rooms.
The only problem I see with Soldier Field is its small capacity (61,500). That is larger than the two smallest B10 stadiums -- Memorial Stadium (IU) is 52,692 and Ryan Field (NU) is 47,130 -- but it is still relatively small.
You're right about the smaller stadiums. It's the downfall of this idea.
I just wanted to make some new friends on mgoblog. Everybody hates me :'(
You write too many
haikus. That is why they all
keep on negging you.
There's no twist in them -- there's more to writing good haiku than getting the syllables right. If you're going to be that haiku guy, then at least learn to write decent ones, which actually take some time and effort to create.
...he started this, he and some other new poster hijacked a few threads with a constant stream of bad haikus.
I actually think being the haiku guy could have worked for him if he had gone about it a little better and if his pseudo-haikus (because that's what our "Maikus" really are) had any soul.
Spend a few days (weeks) reading the threads and the tone of them. MGoBlog is a cool community, but it has it's nuances as well.
Pay attention to those with large point values - as they are obviously doing a lot of things right.
Also know that if you are going to post - you will get negged from time to time. It happens among people with strong opinions.
Good luck!
p.s. - There's no crying in MGoBlog!!!
My point value isn't that large right now, but I've been spending most of this summer in a cold swimming pool. Damn you shrinkage!!!
Yet another haiku:
Get a new account
Cause this one's already screwed.
I want football back.
I said this to you before, but a Haiku involves nature or the seasons. Not to mention the fact that your haikus are just terrible to begin with.
You are very wrong.
my haikus are quite great! All
of you are jealous!
St.Louis may be in the mix as well being in close proximity of NE, IA and IL. I would like to see some outdoor NFL stadiums added as well. The old b12 use to play their championship game at arrowhead stadium in KC.
Can't imagine St. Louis b/c (a) too far south from the rest of schools in the big Ten plus (b) without a school in that state why would the Big Ten go there. This clearly changes if Missouri were to join but until then, it seems hard to justify St. Louis.
I wouldn't mind Lambeau either...that would make for wonderful Big Ten football. The weather would be the best part of it.
There's no reason to put a game in Cleveland. Assuming some sort of east-west division split, it will always give an advantage to the East and is not a nice enough stadium to warrant doing so. Opposite reasoning applies to putting the game in the Metrodome. Lucas Oil and Soldier Field make more sense from a location standpoint, while Ford Field could merit consideration from a facilities standpoint.
As I've said before, I want the game to be played at Lambeau, which won't happen.
While Cleveland or the Metrodome might not be the best spot for any one particular year, there is certainly a strong chance of one or both receiving the game for one year every so often to appeal the local masses. College football is about $$$ and appeasing the most people possible, not about fairness. Why else would all the major bowl games be in California or Florida?
I've heard a similar argument for Heinz Field, which seems weird since it's Pitt's home field, but it would be the best eastern analogue to the Metrodome.
Interesting that the Bengals home field hasn't come up at all.
It seems unnecessary to appeal to Cleveland or Minneapolis. Cleveland is not a huge market and viewership in Ohio is not going to be affected that much if Cleveland doesn't get a game. Meanwhile, the Metrodome is a terrible stadium in one of the smaller states in the Big Ten. Furthermore, it would be a fair distance away from everyone, thus making 10 teams (excluding Wisconsin and Minnesota) mad.
I agree that the point here is to maximize profits and appease everybody possible. As such, it seems to me that the location of a Big Ten championship game will not be located away from virtually every other team (Metrodome) or in a city that will anger a large number of teams in the Big Ten (Cleveland). If money is the goal, then going to the best indoor stadium may be the best move as there is the potential for weather issues to wreak havoc with attendance (although Cleveland's capacity makes it fair game as well). If appeasement is the goal, then choosing a centrally located stadium that won't give an obvious advantage to one of the big four is the best strategy (this move excludes Cleveland). Assuming both considerations are weighted equally, then the best moves are to either put the game at Lucas Oil Stadium or rotate between Lucas Oil Stadium, Ford Field, and Soldier Field.
Football is meant to be played outside, and why not play the title game at the most famous NFL stadium? Culturally, I think that most Big Ten fans would love this, and it would make our title game unique (cold weather, great traditional stadium).
I would also like to see the game rotated, and Solder Field would be great. I wonder if Delaney would ever consider Wrigley Field, which would be extremely unique. I know that Northwestern and Illinois are playing there next season.
If soldier Field is too small with 65k, wrigley only seats 40K, maybe 43 if you include the surrounding rooftops
Your point about seating capacity is fair. I just want to find an iconic place to play outside, and I think that sort of fits with what is great about the Big Ten. We piss excellence, and our championship venue should highlight that.
then find a permanent home. I personally think that Chicago would be an ideal location as it is a great football town, home to many Big 10 +2 alumni and it is a destination city.
I can't see the "Metrodump" hosting the title game, and if they had to host a game, I would prefer it be at the TCF Bank stadium. Whenever Minnesota do build the new stadium for the Vikings, then it will be easy to see why Minneapolis would be an attractive venue. It's a tourist town because of Mall of America.
I'm wondering why Pittsburgh is not mentioned? If we add a NY team, then there is no doubt the new Giants/Jets stadium would be a perfect venue too.
This would never happen, but I think it'd be cool if the conference champ could choose the site of the next year's game.
I'm fine with rotating the game. I don't see any particular point in holding it at the same location every year.