Around the Big Ten

[hack]

My guess on the first ask.... Rotating BIG championship games in Dallas.

OK I'm out. That's just wrong. Unless the Big Ten wants to give me a slice of the revenue, they can no longer count on my support for this.

(Your move, Delaney.)

[lineygoblue]

Jerry Jones didn't build that place just so he could fly over it in his helicopter and admire it.

He wants every top football event in there that he can get. If he can finagle and manipulate the B1G into moving the B1G Championship Game there, he'll do it.

[WM Wolverine]

I wouldn't mind if the game was there every 5 years (provided Texas is in the B10.) I'd also like to see the game in Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, DC, etc.

[Rob F]

No. No. No.

The B1G Championship Game should NEVER be played in Dallas.

I call BLASPHEMY !!!

P.S. No Philly, either, unless you're offering a Philly Steak Sandwich. I'd go for that...

[WM Wolverine]

Maryland, Penn State & Rutgers would like a CCG played somewhere in their vicinity (that is if were moving the game around).

[entropy]

I wouldn't mind if the game was there every 5 years (provided Texas is in the B10.) I'd also like to see the game in Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, DC, etc.

and it starts before they join...

[WM Wolverine]

Texas won't have anywhere near the power in a very stable, 16-team Big Ten that they had in the Big XII.

[entropy]

but if they bring ou, ku and another friend... =)

[WM Wolverine]

Those two are fine, I don't think I'd like them bringing any other Big XII friend...

I think you grossly underestimate the stability of the current Big Ten as a voting block who've long done what is best for the Big Ten as whole.

[entropy]

I could be.. there are certainly more stronger players.. I'm guessing Mich, OSU have the strongest voices, but wisky and PSU aren't far behind. I like to think UNL is now one of those stronger voices.. I'm sure NW and Indiana are also strong at points. But i could be wrong on all of that..

when it comes to the CIC, I'm not sure and have no clue. The above was an athletic focus..

in the old big 8 it was UNL, then OU then.. whatever..

[WM Wolverine]

If this does happen (Texas), I don't think it happens for quite awhile. Big Ten doesn't want to take the hit on the GOR penalty for most of its duration.

[entropy]

I really don't know on the timing. I do think if Texas wants in, they'll be part of the BIG

[iam416]

The important date for the B10 is 2017. That's what this is angling toward.

As for B10 voices, I actually think most members are relatively equal footing. The B10 is more likely to accomodate the OSU-M rivalry than others, but that's more a money thing. Moreover, the advantage of having near uniformity in the type of school you have in the conference means significant alignment of interests. It isn't a conference with small religious schools; tier 2 ag schools and a flagship university or two. They're all flagship state universities with the exception of NW, Purdue and MSU, and the interests of those three are certainly consistent with the overall academic and athletic interets of the rest of the conference.

Texas fits right in. As would Kansas. I'd love, love, love adding those two schools. I could tolerate Oklahoma. I also would love to add Virginia. If I had to guess, I think Delaney's dream scenario is a league of 20 with 4 pods of 5 that look something like this:

Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska
Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, NW
Ohio State, Michigan, MSU, Purdue, Indiana
Maryland, Virginia, Georgia Tech, Penn State, Rutgers

Given what our beloved Husker faithful have said, I doubt UNL wants to end up paired with UT in a pod, so maybe they pull some strings and get swapped with the Goofers or something, and UNL fully embraces the upper midwest Iowa-Wisky rivalries.

What I think will actually happen? I dunno. I don't see the B12 holding unless ESPN massively props them up.

[entropy]

the big also has a similar culture across its members.. not sure of rutgers and maryland, but today, there is a similar culture, imo.

[hack]

I think the question of whether the B1G will let Texas bully it can in part be answered by its negotiations with other conferences. I know there was a lot of discussion recently about how it performed in the negotiations for the BCS successor, whatever that's called. And specifically about playing games up north. A lot of perception that the B1G in that setting went with the Michigan strategy of caring mostly about the payday and not much about a level playing field. Are there other examples like this that can help us preview these negotiations?