UMRecruitingFannatic

November 18th, 2012 at 4:50 PM ^

"do you find that expansion of a TV network is a good enough single motivator to expand an athletic conference?"

Not the right question.  Better: "Does Dave Brandon and do other athletic directors find that expansion of a TV network is a good enough single motivator to expand an athletic conference?"

I think we can all answer that.

Joined: 11/12/2012

MGoPoints: 140

raleighwood

November 18th, 2012 at 8:25 PM ^

I don't have actual data (although it's probably available somewhere).  I just remember reading that BTN received something like $0.88 per subscriber.  I'm not really sure how that works but it's pretty clear that's why they are exploring the markets that are involved.

I live in Raleigh and pay $5.95 per month for a "sports tier" package that includes BTN.  I don't know how much BTN gets out of this but I think that it's the primary network (along with some regional channels).

Personally, I don't think that BTN market expansion is a good enough reason to grow the conference.  I think that the B1G is fine the way that it is and I probably wouldn't expand unless it was to hit a "home run" (think Texas, ND....).  Hell, I'd rather get Kansas (fits B1G geography, Top 5 basketball program...) than any of the schools that have been mentioned but that's not the way it works.  It's all about generating revenue.

 

 

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eamus_caeruli (not verified)

November 18th, 2012 at 3:45 PM ^

I am sooooo totally against this. Sorry but I totally disagree with all this adding more schools garbage. We have a great conference lineup, it needs to perform better.

GAtech isn't enough, and in no way helps the conference overall. Look at Texas. People don't even watch their network. Espn is engrained in college football, so expanding the BiG network share isn't all that is cracked up to be. People are looking for page clicks. Just stop please and thank yous!!!

All this crap talk about adding schools is change for the sake of change. Super conferences are not what's best, people will calm down and see that in the next few years, especially if the new playoff works better than the bcs. Which it still will be controversial, always will be!! MNC's are mythical, always have, always will be.

Rutgers and Maryland talk: As former nova resident, VAtech and UVA are way more relevant to that area. Maryland is an afterthought and frankly a laughing stock. Very fine schools, but if this is based on both academics and athletics, they are too small potatoes.

Seriously folks, Rutgers is a nobody, and I am sick of hearing their damn name associated with the BiG. If we take those two schools, we ought be be made fun of as a weakass conference. I would be uncontrollably pissed. Even more so if gatech is brought on, since they have no ties to the BiG at all. Who ever plays them? Rare matchup in bball. Do they even have the athletic department to compete with us? No hockey!! F me!

We have four flagship programs in our conference and Wisconsin is no slouch, especially recently in athletics. Stand pat!! I personally think all this realignment is a fools errand and makes everyone look bad. Acc is a joke, big east is a joke. We need to be leaders and make the legends. Not follow the leaders and destroy our legend. Geesh!! I am out and off my soap box.

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eamus_caeruli (not verified)

November 18th, 2012 at 3:55 PM ^

Exactly, I get so bristly and fired up about this. We can be conservative here and wait. It's not an arms race if we already have a stocked armory.

Joined: 12/12/2017

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ScottGoBlue

November 18th, 2012 at 3:48 PM ^

So we're definitely poaching the ACC then.  I don't know what to think.  I guess our main priorities are TV markets and AAU membership.

So, add UCLA to the short list!

/ducks

Joined: 06/02/2009

MGoPoints: 201

jethro34

November 18th, 2012 at 3:49 PM ^

I would want regional divisions though.  East and West.

East:

  • Rutgers
  • Maryland
  • Georgia Tech
  • Penn State
  • Ohio State
  • Purdue
  • Indiana
  • other east/south team, like Va Tech

West:

  • Michigan
  • Michigan State
  • Illinois
  • Northwestern
  • Iowa
  • Nebraska
  • Wisconsin
  • Minnesota

Yes, I realize UM and MSU are further east than either Indiana school, but this format divides power more effectively. 

Joined: 01/28/2011

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TheTruth41

November 18th, 2012 at 4:02 PM ^

Just as ND breaks off the rivalry with Michigan to play opponents from the ACC, the Big Ten starts to go after the ACC schools.  If a few dominos fall maybe the whole conference will fall (doubtful but "To Hell with Notre Dame" it's hopeful).  Perhaps by then FSU will venture over to the Big 12, the Big Ten has raided any decent teams left and ND has several games with the bottom feeders and any other mid-major additions the ACC can get to keep a conference in tact.

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Perkis-Size Me

November 18th, 2012 at 4:05 PM ^

Ga Tech would be a decent pickup. Great school, and the football program has its moments. Not even remotely a geographic fit, but since when does that seem to matter these days?

Still, it'd give the conference some good inroads into Georgia recruiting.

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mGrowOld

November 18th, 2012 at 4:29 PM ^

That's exactly what I was thinking.  We could be the B1120G and put 60 teams east of the Mississippi in one division.  I think we should call that division the "Leaders" division.  We could the other 60 teams west of the Mississippi in another division.  I think that division should be called the "Legends" division.

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Seattle Maize

November 18th, 2012 at 4:34 PM ^

I know that they are in the SEC and may not be likely to jump but I would look at a Vanderbilt in addition to Georgia tech. Could be interesting as both could potentially be good programs. I would also look at Virginia, Virginia tech and make another run at ND - if they have any foresight they will realize that the acc is not going to be a great place to be when the conferences realign. All of these would be much better options than Maryland or Rutgers.

Joined: 03/24/2011

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thethirdcoast

November 18th, 2012 at 4:39 PM ^

...the most academically overrated school out there.

I've dealt with multiple recent GT EE grads with > 3.5 GPAs and I'm not impressed at all with their problem solving ability or critical thinking skills.

The engineering grads from UM, PSU, and several other lesser known schools I could name have all impressed me far more than GT grads.

Joined: 08/01/2008

MGoPoints: 3963

LSAClassOf2000

November 18th, 2012 at 4:56 PM ^

Dennis Dodd did an interesting piece on Big Ten expansion and his thoughts on the motives of Jim Delany and it was posted last evening - (LINK)

About two-thirds into this pieces, there is this:

"Clearly, this isn't about football. It seldom is in conference realignment. The Big Ten has enough perception problems in football. Maryland and Rutgers aren't going to improve its image. It's about new viewers for the Big Ten Network. I talked to a Big Ten AD less than two years who told me the league presidents were impressed with Georgia Tech and Maryland before settling on Nebraska. Both are AAU schools. Neither play particularly great football. But each would add a new Big Ten footprint. Sub in New Jersey for Georgia and you see the strategy hasn't changed."

I guess my first question - as there are likely people more in the know than I am on this subject - revolves around Big Ten bylaws. I had thought there was a bylaw that restriced expansion to states contiguous to the Big Ten footprint, which Georgia is not. If that is the case, it would mean changing the rules, but I assume that if they really were looking to expand revenues, that's easy enough. 

That being said, if there is any traction to this at all, I would definitely take Georgia Tech over Rutgers like others, particularly if we're talking about bringing a decent football program in addition to competitive basketball. Still, is there a reason the conference would do this other than the potential money? I have to believe that, if Maryland and Rutgers want to come to the Big Ten at all, then dollars are part of the driver for the schools as well. 

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Purkinje

November 18th, 2012 at 5:02 PM ^

Geography is the only reason I hesitate on thinking this would be awesome: there's really no way the B1G could add schools to be contiguous again. There are schools in Virginia and North Carolina that might be B1G-ish, but neither South Carolina or Tennessee has anybody that would work.

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MichiganITtoWINit

November 18th, 2012 at 5:03 PM ^

I'm not a big fan of the big ten expanding but the landscape of college athletics is heading in that direction..I feel like if we don't pull the trigger on expanding we will be behind the eight ball in a couple of years looking to add schools that are less attractive.. As aprehensive as i am about it, i still think the big ten needs to do this.

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Don

November 18th, 2012 at 5:24 PM ^

GT makes no sense whatsoever from an athletic standpoint. It would make more sense to add Syracuse and Pitt to Rutgers and Maryland; at least there would be some semblance of geographical logic, in addition to the fact that they would bring in pre-existing athletic rivalries.

But fuck it all, it's just about the $$ so those numbskulls will do whatever they want.

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MGoPoints: 148237

Paps

November 18th, 2012 at 5:28 PM ^

I've lived in Atlanta my whole life, and I just got off the phone with my borther-in-law who lives in north Jersey.  He said that in terms of TV networks, Rutgers would hardly do anything.  But from experience, GA Tech turns the Atlanta attention pretty well. UGA is still the biggest market there, but Tech has a brand spanking new basketball arena, and a nice football standium.  Small (by B1G terms), but well represented.  Personally, I would rather add teams like Iowa State, Kentucky, Kansas, or Kansas State.  But Tech would fun to see in the big ten. Better option than Rutgers/Maryland! The only problem is you risk getting mugged walking across the campus. 

Joined: 09/29/2012

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Princetonwolverine

November 18th, 2012 at 5:52 PM ^

Although I would love having Big Ten games 20 minutes from where I live I have to wonder why the Big Ten would want Rutgers when their athletic department lost $ 26.8 million last year. Nobody goes to their sporting events.

Here in Central NJ we have two choices for cable TV. Comcast has the Big Ten network as a extra fee option while Verizon Fios has it part of their basic package.

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