Around the Big Ten

[Mike]

Thanks, DSL.

Here's the nuts and bolts:

The Big Ten lineup will be:

Fox televising the league’s “A” game at noon; CBS keeping the 3:30 p.m. window it has employed with the SEC; and NBC broadcasting a prime-time game that comes on the heels of Notre Dame home contests. Fox will coordinate a game draft with the Big Ten office each year.

[THE_WIZARD_]

...we've only just begun...

CHA-CHING!

[lineygoblue]

So NBC gets to have its cake and eat it too. ND keeps a prime spot, and they get a B1G night game.

[THE_WIZARD_]

How long is the deal for?

[iam416]

7 years. Idiot.

[Dr. Strangelove]

I can't imagine that the SEC will stand by and watch the B1G make more money than them. They'll want to renegotiate, and ABC/ESPN/Disney is going to have to pay thru the nose.

The story mentions that this deal may be enough to push the SEC into adopting a 9-game conference schedule. A lot of the bottom half members of the SEC have been resisting that for years but the money on the table may be too good to resist.

[Mike]

No doubt. They need to leverage ESPN/Disney and that means offering more real games.

[Tom W]

I can't wait for all of those windfall megabuck$ to filter its way down to those of who actually invest our time, and money, into seeing those games. IOW, the fan "experience" ..

And I can't believe I actually wrote that without falling off my chair.

[lineygoblue]

I can't wait for all of those windfall megabuck$ to filter its way down to those of who actually invest our time, and money, into seeing those games. IOW, the fan "experience" ..

And I can't believe I actually wrote that without falling off my chair.

Have faith, Tom. Next time Michigan Stadium expands, they'll give you another inch of seat space to park your butt. Its the Michigan way.

[Dr. Strangelove]

I was browsing random CFB news and saw that ex-Indiana quarterback Michael Penix transferred to Washington and is expected to start. Didn't realize he had transferred out there. That poor guy can't finish a season without a horrific injury.

[Mike]

Nate Silver's analysis of future Big Ten expansion contenders is a really good read. Takes all 38 remaining FBS schools that aren't part of the BIG or SEC (or committed to join) and ranks them in 3 categories.

To nobody's surprise, Notre Dame comes out on top and he doesn't even consider geography.

The top 10 ranked by composite score:

ND - 73

UNC - 68
Oregon - 67
Florida St. - 65
Washington - 65

Clemson - 59
Utah - 54
Miami - 53
Stanford - 53
Cal - 52

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features...d-the-numbers/

For comparison, the scores for current Big Ten schools (+USC and UCLA) are:

OSU - 93
Michigan - 89
Penn St. - 82

The average BIG school scores 65. Seven schools are below 60.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Best article I've read on expansion and (Implied) the best way for the Big to navigate it's way through the expansion era. I've liked proposals advancing the relegation set-up but I can't imagine that happening. I thought Silverman's analysis that there is no way of knowing what factors are driving the expansion process for the Big. was really spot on. Its hard to ID, among the many options both in configuration and in membership, how the Big should or will end up.

[Dr. Strangelove]

I know they're virtually tied but I'd like explanation on how Utah is equal to or slightly more valuable than Miami and Stanford

[Mike]

It's due to the "fit" category. Silver did not use geography since the last 4 added are Rutgers, Maryland, USC and UCLA. Rather he uses whether the school is: public, an AAU member (which Utah is), a state's flagship university, non-religious, and has a large enrollment. The rationale being that is what the foundation of the Big Ten Midwestern schools are.

Fit was also ND's lowest ranking by far despite fitting like a glove geographically. Culturally, not so much.

[iam416]

The lithmus test for how you know if someone understands expansion is to ask them who is the next best option after ND, and if it's anything other than UNC or Oregon (and it should be UNC), then they are out to lunch.

Silver is off on Florida State, IMO. I think Clemson and FSU should be flipped.

And I do think UNC is the clear 2nd pick.