Around the Big Ten

[Hannibal]

I was kinda disappointed in the UConn home-at-home. I think that we could have gotten other decent opponents for the 2010 opener without giving a return trip.

[whodean]

The buyout for UConn is $2mil...M would easily make more than that by scheduling a home game...

[Jamie H]

The UConn deal was a desperation move by Brandon so that the re-dedication of the Big House would have a "good" opponent. As if anyone thinks UConn is somehow good.

[entropy]

Doc... You need to look at the full schedule

[Dr. Strangelove]

Doc... You need to look at the full schedule

Not besmirching the full schedule, just that we had mentioned tomato cans and Nebraska happened to fill in a couple empty slots with them same day. We've got two spots left for 2013 and I fully expect them both to be MAC caliber (already have Vanderbilt and @ Cal scheduled)

Depending on the MAC team, they could actually be better than Vandy

[whodean]

The UConn deal was a desperation move by Brandon so that the re-dedication of the Big House would have a "good" opponent. As if anyone thinks UConn is somehow good.

UConn was Martin's deal.

[Tom W]

UConn was Martin's deal.

For a pretty highly regarded businessman, he sure made a lot of bad deals and decisions.

[Jamie H]

UConn was Martin's deal.

Sorry, I knew that and was even thinking it when I typed it but somehow typed Brandon rather than Martin. I'm pretty sure that deal was done a long time before Brandon even came on board.

[Jamie H]

For a pretty highly regarded businessman, he sure made a lot of bad deals and decisions.

Around some things he did. But I'll tell you what--the facilities upgrades he initiated are stunning. I was just driving around Stadium & Main, and besides the fact that the football stadium still looks stunning, the new renovations of Chrisler including the player development center are going to be great. The renovation of Fisher field (baseball) is great. The new football practice building is great. Martin raised a LOT of money and managed to upgrade almost every major facility in the athletic department. That is worth at least some recognition.

[lineygoblue]

Yeah, I agree. The stadium upgrades were needed and overdue. The upgrades to the Baseball, Softball and the updates to Crisler are all due to Bill Martin's leadership.

He will always be bashed for hiring Rodriguez, but Martin wasn't all bad for Michigan. He was certainly better than Tom Goss.

[Hannibal]

Anyone can raise ticket prices.

[lineygoblue]

yeesh .. tough crowd ...

[Dr. Strangelove]

Mandel reiterates that the Big10's division names stink but he likes the non-geographical split.

I still tend to agree with him on that and think putting Michigan, OSU, MSU, and PSU in the same division would've been too lopsided.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/stewart_mandel/08/03/mailbag.big.ten.divisions/

[Dr. Strangelove]

They've made it official, gentlemen. 9 conference games beginning 2017

http://www.bigten.org/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/080411aaa.html

Not opposed but I do not like how they are doing it. Someone here mentioned that the entire division should have 5 home games one year, 4 the next. Instead the rotation is 3 from each division. That will make the divisional races unbalanced. I don't understand why the other way doesn't make much more sense

[Tom W]

Anyone can raise ticket prices.

Yep. And I'm probably in the minority, but considering the final cost on the stadium renovations, I'm not so surthe University got its money's worth.