Around the Big Ten

[Dr. Strangelove]

Yeah, Delany mentioned that earlier today. Basically means OSU, PSU, Michigan will see Nebrask, Wisconsin, & Iowa more than they see Purdue, Minnesota, and Illinois.

Everybody will play everybody at least once over four years, it sounds like, but some teams WILL be playing each other more frequently based on competitive level. So the schedules probably won't be made out too far in advance anymore.

[entropy]

Most everything announced had already been predicted but made official today

* B1G East: Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Indiana, Maryland, Rutgers
* B1G West: Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Purdue, Northwestern, Illinois
* Indiana-Purdue is the only permanent cross-division game.
* 9-game conference schedule to start in 2016.
* In even-numbered years the East teams will play 5 B1G home games. In odd-numbered years the West will play 5.
* According to Delaney, PSU, OSU, and Michigan all wanted to be in the Eastern division so there was no chance of any of these heading west.
* Also according to Delaney, for the next two decades, cross-divisional scheduling be based on parity: stronger teams will play the stronger teams. In other words, Nebraska will be playing Penn State, OSU, etc. more than they play Indiana and Rutgers.
* Strong push to encourage teams to beef up their non-conf schedules.

Delany also allowed UNL to keep road games against tenn, OU and Colorado with the odd yrs having 5 home games in the west

[Rob F]

If the provision to match top East teams with top West teams is for real, I think a B1G mistake is being made in the long run. First and foremost, I truly believe there should be a true rotation of teams---this is not the N-f'n-FL, where the schedule-makers try to create some sort of "parity" by matching up teams, this is college football!

More importantly, though, for the conference, this will make it potentially tougher to survive with a good enough record to make the 4-team playoff. I would rather see a toughened-up OOC schedule, rather than saddle U of M, ohio, and UNL with tougher schedules and give the doormats an easier road. They want an easier road???! Recruit better, hire better coaches, work harder!!!

[Rob F]

Ent: it's been nice sharing a division with you. Hope to see you fairly regularly in Indy!

[WM Wolverine]

The top teams playing the top teams is a cash grab for a big payday from ABC, ESPN, etc.

[lineygoblue]

More importantly, though, for the conference, this will make it potentially tougher to survive with a good enough record to make the 4-team playoff. I would rather see a toughened-up OOC schedule, rather than saddle U of M, ohio, and UNL with tougher schedules and give the doormats an easier road. They want an easier road???! Recruit better, hire better coaches, work harder!!!

This is a good point. The B1G doesn't need to have a Cinderella with an easy schedule sneaking into the NC playoff. We need to send our best representative.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Nah, I like the parity scheduling. You'll still play everyone, just some teams more than others. And the league should be trying to match up Nebraska/Wisconsin with the Big 3 of the East as often as possible.

BTW the difference between the total number of conference games between 2013 and 2016 will rise from 48 to 63. That's a pretty significant jump in inventory.

[Hannibal]

I don't like the cross-divisional scheduling parity. This isn't the NFL, where you can make up schedules for one season after the previous one ends. The scheduling will lag the actual teams by what -- three years? Four? Will there by an impartial way to determine what teams play each other?

Remember how when we had 11 teams, people complained about Wisconsin getting an easy schedule sometimes? Now they are intentionally creating this problem on a regular basis. The first time that Illinois has a good team, they will probably have a complete cakewalk to the CCG.

Any hope of teams like OSU, Iowa, Penn State, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Nebraska beefing up their OOC schedules is completely gone now. Get used to watching a September full of Akrons, Central Michigans, and Central Floridas every single year.

Nah, I like the parity scheduling. You'll still play everyone, just some teams more than others.

That "some more often than others" isn't insignificant. With 7 teams in the other division, you've only got three games against them. If Michigan lines up against Nebraska and one of Wisky or Iowa every single year, then that means that they can play each other team once every FOUR YEARS. If they do back-to-back home-at-home type arrangements, then that means it will be eight years.

We'll probably be playing certain MAC teams just as often. Maybe we should make Eastern Michigan an honorary member of the conference.

Reason #876 why conference expansion sucks.

[entropy]

UNL's OOC road games...

2014: Fresno State
2015: Miami
2017: Tennessee
2019: Colorado
2021: Oklahoma
2023: Colorado
2025: ?

[entropy]

new divisions..

[Hannibal]

At least they got the geographic part right this time.

[entropy]

I still wish Mich or MSU was in the same division as UNL...

[entropy]

so.. is the the BIG done expanding or is their still a dream of creating a 20 team conference?

[Hannibal]

I assume that they are still planning on getting bigger. It just doesn't make sense to stop at 14. You've already destroyed the conference's identity. Might as well go all in.

[entropy]

hanny.. agree. you either stay at 12 or you go for it

i think JD messed up on this. His plan, I believe, was to shake teams loose. Instead, he entrenched them.