Around the Big Ten

[Hannibal]

They added two shit teams to the East, and they still aren't going East/West.

[Wild Hoss]

Interesting article from Nate Silver on breaking down college football fan followings in major markets, including NYC with an eye toward Rutgers, circa 2011:

http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/19/the-geography-of-college-football-fans-and-realignment-chaos/

[Hannibal]

IMHO the people enthusiastically arguing for this because of the financial aspects of it have a textbook case of Stockholm Syndrome. Deep down somewhere, they know that it sucks, so they adapt the argument that it will make the conference richer, as if that will ever make a tiny bit of difference to them. I have yet to see a single defense of this travesty from the point of view that it makes college football better.

Of all the times that I have gotten onto my feet to cheer because of Michigan football, there is not one single time that it has been because somebody announced our athletic budget. I have not once ever waited all week in anticipation to see what alumni donation revenues were. Even if I'm wrong about the financial aspects of this deal, people need to be honest with themselves. If you think this is something other than a terrible idea, then ask yourself honestly: do you think that this will have even the slightest positive impact on your enjoyment of college football? Do you look forward to smack talking with SEC foes about whose conference takes up more geographic area or makes more money? As far as the enjoyment factor goes, the best possible outcome is that it's breakeven.

[hack]

It really and truly is overreach. A good idea perhaps, but taken to a silly extreme.

[Wild Hoss]

Another NYT article touting Rutgers as the most popular team in NYC:

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2011/10/rutgers-appears-to-be-most-popular-in-new-york-city-market/1

...but as you read on, it states that one their big games netted a whopping 1.45 share for the market.

The argument circles round and round....huge market v small slice.

[SeattleLionsFan]

For the record, assuming the B1G sticks with an 8 game schedule, Michigan will only play Penn State, Wisky, Purdue, Indiana, Maryland or Rutgers once every six years unless it is the CCG or the Ohio game is no longer protected.

[Hannibal]

According to the 2011 budget numbers I could found, Rutgers operated a $62M AD, Maryland $56M. Maryland's 2012 budget was $62M (No 2012 data was available for Rutgers) due, I assume, to the inflated TV contract the ACC signed.

That would place both beneath 10 of the Big Ten schools (NW not reporting) only surpassing Indiana ($61.5M) by less than $1M, and falling more than $6M short of 9th-place Purdue ($68.7M).

Its a windfall!

Keep in mind, if I am not mistaken, that those numbers are expenses, not revenues. Both Rutgers and Maryland have been hemorraging cash and dipping into the student fund to make up for it. Their actual revenues are lower.

And the conference distribution for the Big Ten is around $25 MM per year. In other words, just from TV and bowl games, an average Big Ten team generates somewhere between one half and one third of the revenue of the entire Rutgers and Maryland athletic departments. Which shows you what an awful draw both of those programs are. Expect that $25 MM per year number to stay flat for at least a few years or decrease when these teams join the conference.

[Hannibal]

Maryland just drew 35,000 people for a game against top 10 ranked Florida State. Wooo!

[lineygoblue]

A lot of people would lose their jobs if only 35K showed up at Michigan Stadium on game day

[Wild Hoss]

Keep in mind, if I am not mistaken, that those numbers are expenses, not revenues. Both Rutgers and Maryland have been hemorraging cash and dipping into the student fund to make up for it. Their actual revenues are lower.

And the conference distribution for the Big Ten is around $25 MM per year. In other words, just from TV and bowl games, an average Big Ten team generates somewhere between one half and one third of the revenue of the entire Rutgers and Maryland athletic departments. Which shows you what an awful draw both of those programs are. Expect that $25 MM per year number to stay flat for at least a few years or decrease when these teams join the conference.

Certainly...nobody that is drawing 35K for football games is adding to anybody's coffer.

This is contractual extortion; FOX has told Delaney that they will parlay their ownership of YES into getting the BTN on basic cable in NYC. In essence, New Yorkers will be paying us a dollar a month in order to watch the Yankees.

That explains Rutgers at least...where Maryland comes in, IDK. Boston College would have been a far superior choice.

[Hannibal]

... if only 35K showed up ...

Against Top 10 Florida State

[Hannibal]

If Fox wanted to extort more money out of the New York area, they could do that now. If people have to have the Yankees on TV, why would Rutgers being on the BTN make a damn bit of difference?

[entropy]

hoss... thought of this after we talked, but BC is a catholic school. They would never be part of the BIG as a result.

[entropy]

if the money comes, is that the only reason the BIG is doing this? Is JD forcing the 16 team mega conference? I'd like to think it is about more than money as well.. seems to me when you do things just for money, they blow up in your face. I know money has to be part of the equation, but it doesn't have to be the only part of the equation.

I've had people tell me JD is really smart for this.. that the BIG will now be the richest conference and nobody will be able to compete with that... maybe. But what does that buy the conference? Money is important, but if it doesn't translate to the field, does it matter?

[hack]

I think the endgame is keeping alumni loyal and minded to donate without alienating them too much. Hannibal thinks that they've gone too far, but then again he's not alone and many here think there's already been too much damage done. Hence the student section is the emptiest part of the stadium, etc. If true, by the time anyone knows for sure it will be too late. They very well could be right. We'll see...