Big Ten Media Day Open Thread
...Delaney's comments at today's session. A must read.
- Conference championship in Dec 2011
- Will likely sign a one year deal for the 2011 game, then implement a permanent plan
- Wants to go to a 9 game schedule - knows the coaches won't like it
- ND is not going to join the Big Ten - "Not a player for future expansion."
- Reiterated previous criteria for divisional alignment: competitive balance, rivalries, geography. Will go back to '93 to determine relative strengths of schools (PSU's entry)
- The Big Ten is the Big Ten. That's the name.
- OSU - Michigan has to happen annually. Could be via same division or protected rivalry setup. Either would work.
- Divisions won't necessarily transfer to other sports. They probably don't work for basketball.
- Expansion study will continue through the fall and the conference presidents will be briefed on findings in December.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5431976
"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."
on divisions:
"The conference now has to figure out how to align into two six-team divisions while maintaining long-standing rivalries, like Michigan-Ohio State. Delany hopes to have that resolved in the next 30 to 45 days.
While geography will be considered, it's not the top priority. Competitive balance and rivalries trump that.
"I don't know that we'll be able to preserve every trophy game or every rivalry game, but I can tell you that we're going to go through great lengths to make sure the traditions and the rivalries are respected," Delany said. "I've seen other expansions where you expand your conference, you don't increase the number of games and play each other less."
more expansion?:
"Further expansion remains a possibility, although Delany said the Big Ten "is not actively involved" at the moment. He said the league will probably decide in December whether to look into it again."