Looks like Maryland is on the way
An article placed at cbs sports an hour ago says Maryland will vote as early as tomorrow on their invitation to join the Big Ten. Says that university's biggest donor backs the move. Hard to imagine that this is not a twofer deal, with Rutgers right behind.
The article notes that the $50 million exit fee might be a stumbling block for Maryland. But from what I've read elsewhere the league may take all or part out of future revenue to the school.
Perhaps it's been noted elsewhere, but this gives the Big Ten access to 35% of the nation's viewers, bringing in the DC and NY areas, and extends the league across a fairly contiguous--that is, plausible--swath of the country, from Nebraska to the Atlantic coast. I realize that Rutgers and Maryland aren't the most appetizing draws in an immediate sense, but I like having the league entering NY and DC, taking in part of the South now, too. (And there's no reason why those schools cannot get better, including in football.) Obviously, the expanded TV revenue is the big draw for the league itself. Will be interesting to see if the league uses the pretext of expansion to reconfigure the divisions, which are pretty unpopular, at least here.
Link:
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/eye-on-college-football/2…
November 18th, 2012 at 8:53 PM ^
But that can't be...how am I going to remember?
November 19th, 2012 at 8:00 PM ^
But that can't be...how am I going to remember?
November 18th, 2012 at 8:11 PM ^
CRABCAKES and FOOTBALL! That's what Maryland does!
November 18th, 2012 at 8:11 PM ^
So what if the BTN is on basic cable in these areas, no one is going to watch it. No one over here really cares about Rutgers or Maryland like B1G states care about their B1G teams.
November 18th, 2012 at 8:43 PM ^
don't forget about all the BIG alums in the area who'd be watching! although most of us already pay the coupla bucks a month to get BTN on our cable package. Michigan and PSU alone probably have at least 50,000 alumni in the tristate metro area..
im not a fan of any of this btw... just playing devils advocate on this small point.
but yes, no one cares about rutgers here, not even most rutgers alums. terrible fit for the BIG. i dont know enough about maryland to comment on that.
the only upside to this turrible idea is the promise of a Michigan game in NJ every few years. selfishly, this is convenient, and that stadium would offer a pretty friendly 'road' environment similiar to Northwestern.
November 18th, 2012 at 8:48 PM ^
...but they will still pay for it.
November 18th, 2012 at 8:13 PM ^
I don't get it. What does Maryland bring to the table?
Who else are we getting to balance out the league?
Also
Will another main character die on The Walking Dead?
November 18th, 2012 at 9:18 PM ^
Spoiler dude. Spoiler. I'm getting caught up on the series now. Granted there obviously is going to be a main character that dies in this type of show, but as of Season 2 Episode 9, I hadn't given it much thought.
November 18th, 2012 at 8:13 PM ^
November 18th, 2012 at 8:13 PM ^
Might as well become the laughing stock of the east... Thanks Delaney.
November 18th, 2012 at 8:14 PM ^
FUCK. I am so goddamn sick of money dominating everything. College football is being destroyed. FUCK FUCK FUCK.
November 18th, 2012 at 8:14 PM ^
Bottomfeeding bottomfeeder teams from nearly bottomfeeding conferences. Should we just round out expansion now with Western Kentucky and Marshall? That would "expand the Big 10's footprint and bring in more states/viewers" too. Probably more than Rutgers for God's sake. It's a damn commuter school!
November 18th, 2012 at 8:14 PM ^
i cant wait for those awesome Iowa vs Maryland high scoring late october games.
November 18th, 2012 at 8:16 PM ^
There is a Dennis Dodd article stating this move may just be a single move for a long term plan to loosen the ACC's grips on the North Carolina schools (minus Wake). If the long term plan is to bring UNC and Duke and screw over Notre Dame, then Delany is an evil genius.
November 18th, 2012 at 8:28 PM ^
And who's to say that if B1G goes to war with the ACC, that the ACC couldn't poach some of your members. I bet that Sparta could be convinced to pull an Aggie...
November 18th, 2012 at 8:33 PM ^
November 18th, 2012 at 8:37 PM ^
The very soul of a Spartan is the culture and history with their rivals. There is no way they leave the B1G to make less money and lose their essence.
November 18th, 2012 at 8:39 PM ^
There's not way that if the ACC and the B1G go to war that the ACC wins. Money wins in the end, and the B1G has the most. Stop deluding yourself that NDs semi-ACC move is actually some evil genius plan. There's also a good chance it blows up in your face (football wise at least).
November 18th, 2012 at 8:17 PM ^
This is horrible for both the ACC and B1G.
November 18th, 2012 at 8:19 PM ^
Maybe I'm alone, but what is the point of conferences anymore? There is no regionality to it anymore. Boise State to the Big East? Maryland and Rutgers in the B10? Ugh.
November 18th, 2012 at 8:22 PM ^
I don't care about bringing in viewers from the east, but then again I'm not in this for the money.
November 18th, 2012 at 8:27 PM ^
I feel like the size of the fanbase is more important than the region it's located in. I would bet that Michigan has more viewers on the east coast watching Big Ten games already than Rutgers and Maryland will add combined. We already have an east coast presence between us and PSU
November 18th, 2012 at 8:23 PM ^
Did Northern Indiana State University of Pennsylvania turn us down?
November 18th, 2012 at 8:40 PM ^
No, they're replacing Rutgers in the Big East now. It makes more sense that way...
God, if this actually happens I CANNOT WAIT to see the public relations horse shit they shovel the fans' way about having increasing visibility, improving academic cooperation, increasing applications to member schools, helping non-revenue sports, beating the SEC, economies of scale, having a larger geographic footprint than the Big East, increasing government funding, lower travel costs, sharing ideas, lowering the costs of meal plans for students, increasing viewers for field hockey events, more zambonies, larger dorm rooms, warmer winters, and ending world hunger.
I'll accept Delany's drivel if he simply ends the news conference with, "You love tradition? You want tradition? FUCK TRADITION." And slams the mic on top of an 80 year old alumnus' head.
PS - Interesting that Dave Brandon is on 60 Minutes right now talking about revenue... and olny revenue.
November 18th, 2012 at 9:03 PM ^
...for laughing at your second to last paragraph because I think it would be hilarious if Delany actually had the intestinal fortitude to be so honest?
November 18th, 2012 at 8:26 PM ^
November 18th, 2012 at 8:55 PM ^
November 18th, 2012 at 9:10 PM ^
November 18th, 2012 at 8:27 PM ^
Both my fiance and two best friends are Maryland alums. They are displeased with this move. The football program actually drew pretty well when I was living in College Park, but that was during the Fridge era where they made an Orange Bowl one year, but the main concern is basketball and the "rivalries" with Duke and North Carolina.
We are moving towards 5 super conferences (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 12, SEC) and the self-named "Group of Five". My guess is Big 10 adds Maryland and Rutgers, Big 12 adds Louisville and Cincy. ACC adds UConn. Pac 12 might add BYU and another school they feel could add towards their television markets.
As far as adding Rutgers, that gets a big "meh" from me.
November 18th, 2012 at 8:28 PM ^
Red Division (teams that have red or maroon among their official colors)
OSU, WISC, NEB, RUT, IU, MINN, MARY
Not-Red Division (teams that don't)
UM, MSU, PSU, NU, PU, IA, IL
November 18th, 2012 at 8:54 PM ^
West: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State
East: Illinois, Northwestern, Indiana, Purdue, Penn State, Maryland, Rutgers
Btw, from a competitive standpoint and from a fan standpoint, this truly sucks for football in the big 10.
November 18th, 2012 at 9:03 PM ^
They couldn't make them that uneven. I think Michigan, MSU and OSU would go to the wast from what you have above and shift Illinois, NWST and Purdue to the west.
November 18th, 2012 at 9:30 PM ^
No matter what logical thing we come up with for how the divisions should be re-aligned, Jim Delaney will do the exact opposite.
November 19th, 2012 at 2:10 AM ^
you may have just drawn up the worst division alignment ive seen yet
November 18th, 2012 at 8:29 PM ^
November 18th, 2012 at 8:54 PM ^
But would you still feel okay about bringing children into such a harsh world?!
November 19th, 2012 at 2:38 AM ^
HOW CAN WE BRING FUTURE GENERATIONS INTO A WORLD WHERE THE WESTERN CONFERENCE CONTAINS OHIO STATE BUT NOT LAKE FOREST?
November 18th, 2012 at 8:31 PM ^
right before the end of the world. Mass insanity and hysteria. So I guess the Mayans were right after all. Dammit, I wanted another crack at USC.
November 18th, 2012 at 8:31 PM ^
Nebraska I was okay with. They fit right in. Maryland and Rutgers, no. The B1G is fine as is.
November 18th, 2012 at 8:31 PM ^
November 18th, 2012 at 8:37 PM ^
How does this benefit other athletes? You think it makes sense for the Nebraska women's soccer team to be playing Rutgers on some Thursday night? Ooooooh, that'll draw and it's only a five hour flight.
November 18th, 2012 at 8:31 PM ^
Jim, you did good when you created the Big Ten network. You did good when you picked up Nebraska.
You didn't do very good when you created the new logo and divisions, and this would probably be worse than that.
November 18th, 2012 at 8:41 PM ^
Really have to wait and see what other moves they have planned in addition to these. Most people thought the Big Ten Network was a terrible idea and it turned great and was in fact the wave of the future.
November 18th, 2012 at 8:32 PM ^
November 18th, 2012 at 8:34 PM ^
and the longer your dick is outside your pants being measured the greater the odds that it'll get chopped off.
November 18th, 2012 at 8:41 PM ^
Why do you think they built Michigan Stadium? It wasn't for campus aesthetics.
November 18th, 2012 at 8:32 PM ^
by the rise in ocean levels 50 years from now? Think of the children.
November 18th, 2012 at 10:32 PM ^
That was very funny, sir!