Delaney: Condensed schedule a mistake, but BTT will go East again
Delaney essentially cops to this being a bad conference schedule, but says the conference tournament will be in the east again,
“I know we will be back out East. Where we will be, I don’t know. It won’t be on a regular basis. I expect that 80 percent will be in legacy territory (Chicago and Indianapolis) and probably 20 percent out East, whether it’s in D.C. or Philadelphia or New York.”
Obviously I'd like to see more rotation within the conference footprint, say to Detroit and possibly Cleveland, Milwaukee or Minneapolis. Going back to NYC without a condensed schedule would seem to rule out MSG, so you're talking Barclay's or the Meadowlands. Also, he explicitly ruled out the Palestra if it was to be held in Philly which seems stupid.
February 23rd, 2018 at 9:02 PM ^
February 23rd, 2018 at 10:12 PM ^
Maryland was indeed on a Monday night, but Wisconsin was on the weekend.
February 23rd, 2018 at 2:49 PM ^
Maybe against a team from the Valley, since their tourney ends the same weekend.
February 23rd, 2018 at 2:56 PM ^
I'm pretty sure I've read before that the Big Ten has admitted that the main reason they play the tournament championship game so late (3:00) is to have a primetime viewing window (i.e. $$$$). They could move the start time earlier in the afternoon if they wanted but then they wouldn't have that prime CBS time slot.
February 23rd, 2018 at 3:00 PM ^
is a great segway into the tournament for the BIG too. BIG basketball is fresh in everybody's mind during the selection show and that game really "headlines" the day. Too bad not this year.
February 23rd, 2018 at 4:54 PM ^
They're going to roll into the tournament at 11 mph?
February 23rd, 2018 at 2:49 PM ^
"BTT will go East again less condensed schedule. But Delaney is a mistake".
He is a moron.
February 23rd, 2018 at 2:52 PM ^
February 23rd, 2018 at 3:10 PM ^
Hey isn't Indy where the NCAA headquarters is located? Imagine that - having tournaments in their own backyard.
February 23rd, 2018 at 7:31 PM ^
February 23rd, 2018 at 2:54 PM ^
teddy greenstein can eat a bag of assholes...
February 23rd, 2018 at 2:56 PM ^
“It’s interesting,” Delany said. “Nobody has chosen to schedule a Division II or III game in that period. That’s a little indication that they don’t want that or need that. There are positives and negatives (to the gap). Teams can rest up, put new things in and practice more. If we do well (in the tournament), everyone will be OK with it.”
February 23rd, 2018 at 3:11 PM ^
Because D2 and D3 teams have their conference tournaments going on right now in their own divisions. That is the reason they did not schedule those opponents. This guy is a total douche canoe with a comment like that.
February 23rd, 2018 at 4:53 PM ^
by the second weekend of March. Teams could have scheduled a D2 or D3 game if they wanted, but they didn't for the same reason they don't schedule D2 and D3 games at any other time of the season: it does nothing. It's not going to keep the team fresh since it's a glorified scrimmage that probably doesn't even help as much as a regular practice.
February 23rd, 2018 at 4:04 PM ^
Swept out to sea in the 1st round.
(Except Michigan)
February 23rd, 2018 at 3:00 PM ^
February 24th, 2018 at 1:32 PM ^
was runnung it , Rome, Paris, London, Vienna, Barcelona.
February 23rd, 2018 at 3:01 PM ^
5 in Chicago (center of gravity of the conference).
2 in Indianapolis (they get less vs Chicago because they have the football game)
1 in a Western B1G city (Milwaukee, MSP, Omaha).
1 in a "Central" B1G city (Detroit, Cinci, Cleveland).
1 in an Eastern B1G city (NYC, DC, Philly).
February 23rd, 2018 at 3:14 PM ^
5 in Chicago might be a touch high for me but I think this is a balanced rotation. If you have to have games on the outskirts (living in Minnesota I love the idea of Minneapolis, but it's far from everything except Minnesota) you have it very rarely.
Though I think Milwaukee is too close to Chicago for that to make sense.
February 23rd, 2018 at 3:37 PM ^
"but it's far from everything except Minnesota"
Truer words have never been spoken. ;)
February 24th, 2018 at 1:34 PM ^
never know how many TV sets would tune in then. Probably both of them !
February 23rd, 2018 at 3:08 PM ^
I just hope we dont get rusty with the long lay off.
The week we had off during Christmas showed that already this year. The team looked flat and rutsty against Jacksonville after not having a game in over a week. You can get away with that against a team like Jacksonville, but not against a tournament team.
February 23rd, 2018 at 3:08 PM ^
February 23rd, 2018 at 3:14 PM ^
i think he meant the brendan byrne arena...
February 23rd, 2018 at 3:15 PM ^
The facility where the New Jersey Nets used to play is called the Meadowlands. The Final 4 was held there in 1996. It is now used for Seton Hall home games.
February 23rd, 2018 at 3:58 PM ^
The Meadowlands are a protected area of wetlands in North Jersey. The Meadowlands Sports Complex features the arena where the Nets used to play as well as MetLife Stadium and a racetrack. Seton Hall plays at the Prudential Center in Newark.
February 23rd, 2018 at 3:10 PM ^
February 23rd, 2018 at 4:59 PM ^
as always, with Delaney, it's about what is more lucrative in the short term rather than caring about the product and making fans happy such that there might be customers in the long term.
February 23rd, 2018 at 3:15 PM ^
If it's in NY the Barclays would be fine...not so much the Meadowlands
February 23rd, 2018 at 3:25 PM ^
The only other option other than Barclays would be the Prudential Center.
February 23rd, 2018 at 3:16 PM ^
is a scourge of humanity. . .
a cheap bastard who maximizes revenue while using cheap and inept referees.
February 23rd, 2018 at 3:18 PM ^
As a Big East fan this makes me happy. Delany thought he'd just add Rutgers and strongarm his way into MSG past 35 plus years of a true Northeast tradition. No one has ever or will ever give a shit about Rutgers. We may not have much of a college football tradition around here but our college basketball culture is firmly in place and it has never included Rutgers. They are a true albatross around the B1G's neck. Stay out of New York!
February 23rd, 2018 at 3:19 PM ^
February 23rd, 2018 at 3:22 PM ^
February 23rd, 2018 at 3:33 PM ^
It seems like being a conference commisioner shouldn't be as hard as they're making it.
February 23rd, 2018 at 3:38 PM ^
February 23rd, 2018 at 3:45 PM ^
I like the idea of occassional games out East.
I also think they should expand from simply Indianapolis and Chicago within the Midwest. Detroit and Minneapolis should get a turn occassionally.
February 23rd, 2018 at 3:58 PM ^
Good thing that will be greatly minimized next year with 20 conference games
February 23rd, 2018 at 4:10 PM ^
can ha ve home crowds in Indy and Ill and NW can have home crowds in Chi then UM and MSU can have home crowds in Detroit...Why do those 4 teams get a advantage all the time?
February 23rd, 2018 at 5:15 PM ^
February 23rd, 2018 at 5:57 PM ^
February 23rd, 2018 at 4:18 PM ^
I am already sick of hearing the new Quadrant 3, Quadrant 1, Quadrant 17 buzzwords. Someone please post pics of Elle Johnson for each Quadrant buzzword.
February 23rd, 2018 at 4:39 PM ^
February 23rd, 2018 at 5:16 PM ^
February 23rd, 2018 at 5:18 PM ^
How about we just stay in Chicago and Indianapolis? One of the best conference tourneys out there for a reason. Delaney just had to go and ruin it.
February 23rd, 2018 at 5:29 PM ^
Detroit should be in the rotation.
February 23rd, 2018 at 5:33 PM ^
The Big Ten Conference schedule goes to 20 games next year, with guaranteed double plays for Michigan/Michigan State, Purdue/Indiana, and Illinois/Northwestern, which I think is a "good thing."
My question is this: Was this year's "cram two conference games into early December" a testbed for trying that next year to get the 20 games into the regular 18 games from nine weeks the conference schedule is usually played in?
February 23rd, 2018 at 6:45 PM ^
How many times can a conference commissioner do completely asinine things before he has to really face the music? I mean, seriously. This guy for the past 20 years.
February 23rd, 2018 at 7:21 PM ^
I like Chicago for selfish reasons, but could see Indy, Detroit, Minneapolis and possibly Cleveland working out. But I still think Chicago is best in terms of driving distance for the most teams, and the most and cheapest options for flights. Because it is a hub for United, American, and Southwest, there are flights coming in from almost everywhere. Just look at a map: Chicago works for Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa to the west, along with Indiana, Purdue, MSU and Michigan to the east. (Obv. Northwestern.) Nebraska and OSU are a stretch, but doable. PSU, Rutgers, and Maryland are too far to easily drive, but that's because we stretched too far.
February 23rd, 2018 at 7:21 PM ^
I like Chicago for selfish reasons, but could see Indy, Detroit, Minneapolis and possibly Cleveland working out. But I still think Chicago is best in terms of driving distance for the most teams, and the most and cheapest options for flights. Because it is a hub for United, American, and Southwest, there are flights coming in from almost everywhere. Just look at a map: Chicago works for Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa to the west, along with Indiana, Purdue, MSU and Michigan to the east. (Obv. Northwestern.) Nebraska and OSU are a stretch, but doable. PSU, Rutgers, and Maryland are too far to easily drive, but that's because we stretched too far.