First down
Involved parties have denied the report from a Kansas City radio station that Notre Dame, Nebraska, Missouri and Rutgers were extended offers to join the Big Ten. Do you think this report was valid but premature, or is it just completely inaccurate?
Curtis: Both, I guess. When everything plays out, this report could look quite prophetic. All the schools have been mentioned as candidates and, thrown together, make an attractive stew for the Big Ten.
Will Brian Kelly's Fighting Irish become a Big Ten member some day?
My sense, though, is the Big Ten leadership still doesn't know the exact details of how it hopes this ends. It continues to research and investigate and forecast the consequences of potential schools like a high school quarterback choosing a prom date. Or, in this case, prom dates. And the prom isn't for at least another few months.
Hayes: At this point, it doesn't really matter, except that the report ? true or not ? played right into the hands of Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany. More uncertainty causes more concern and strife (read: panic) with the rest of the BCS conferences. That widespread panic forces Notre Dame to again look closely at the positives and negatives of joining the Big Ten.
The expansion talk is about landing Notre Dame, not so much growing the Big Ten Network. Only Notre Dame can give the BTN enough juice to sell sustainable, significant ads and not use infomercials for their universities as advertising. The BTN is interested in the New York City and Philadelphia markets (with 10 million television homes), but those are pro sports markets that won't spend the extra money to buy a higher-tier cable package that includes BTN ? unless the Irish are part of the package.
Second down
Nebraska has been the big name in expansion talk the past few weeks. Why now?
Curtis: Because Nebraska could add a lot to the Big Ten. It probably was an oversight not to include the Huskers as a prime candidate from the beginning of this speculation. More than any school mentioned other than Texas or Notre Dame, Nebraska brings a national brand that is valuable coast to coast, not just in local markets. The Huskers have enough history and tradition to make people from California to the Carolinas interested in the football team's fate.
Forget adding the Big Ten Network just in Lincoln or Omaha; the Huskers could help the BTN gain traction all over. The geography works, too, and all the other ancillary factors (competitive success, academics) are close enough.
Hayes: Because it's obvious Notre Dame isn't an option. The Big Ten either doesn't expand and still adds a championship game through NCAA appeal (it will pass), or it expands with Nebraska (and maybe a combination of other schools). You don't put yourself out there like Delany has in this process, and then add Missouri, Rutgers, Syracuse and Pitt.
Nothing against those fine universities, but they're not game-changers when it comes to future television deals. And they're certainly not game-changers when it comes to growing the BTN. At least Nebraska has some national clout.
This is about money, and the overriding question is this: Do you add three teams or five teams with the hope that the BTN will generate enough revenue to make up for the lost revenue of cutting an additional three or five shares of the pie?
It's just not fiscally responsible.
Third down
Notre Dame is No. 1 on the Big Ten's wish list. Who should be No. 2?
Curtis: Nebraska. For all the reasons listed above. Outside of the Fighting Irish (and discounting other ridiculous pipe dreams, like Florida and Alabama), the Huskers represent the biggest potential cash cow interested in a new home. They have the valuable combo of winning and a following that can't be matched for generations at places like Rutgers, Syracuse, Missouri and Maryland. No offense, other schools, but Nebraska should be the Big Ten's clear second choice.
Hayes: Nebraska. For all the aforementioned reasons. A return to the college football elite ? and it may just happen under coach Bo Pelini ? for the Huskers should be enough to help sell a few hundred thousand BTN subscriptions. Forget about the three- or five-team expansion. Just add Nebraska and a conference championship game.
Fourth down
Which league is in more danger right now: Big 12 or Big East?
Curtis: Tough to say, but at least we know the Big 12 has gotten creative. Talk of partnership with the Pac-10 might not be the answer ? is the synergy of the two leagues any more valuable than the leagues on their own? But the thinking is the sort of creative brainpower it will take to survive in this coming landscape.
A new philosophy is vital, especially when the north face of your conference is rumored to being leaving, and the anchors in the south someday might be bound for the SEC. So kudos to the Big 12 for trying. I'm curious to see when and how the Big East kicks into survival mode.
Hayes: Clearly the Big East. If the nuclear option is used, and the Big Ten goes to 16 teams, at least three of those teams are likely coming from the Big East ? and that will mortally wound the conference. The Big East will lose its automatic BCS bid.
LINK
Sporting News: Nebraska's the wild card in expansion talks
- Thread starter Nexus
- Start date
irieboy8
Banned
you know its nice to see an article written from a diffren point of view...... i like the tradition and brand aspect of nebraska as being important rather than just the market dollar $$$$'s (which of course factor in too)
a lot of people i read and hear see things in such a bubble (ie daffy ducky aka collin cowherd) who see's thing only in terms of money, black and white, and talking about only things that will get him high ratings)
speaking of collin.... did anyone see th game he called a few years ago at sycracus... totally BOMBED and all this 'talent' on radio was shot down by the other guys in the booth.. never seen him call a game since....
BUT back to my points.... while i dont agree with everyone i like the fact that long term Nebraska offers a lot that goes beyond the black and white of the present.........
a lot of people i read and hear see things in such a bubble (ie daffy ducky aka collin cowherd) who see's thing only in terms of money, black and white, and talking about only things that will get him high ratings)
speaking of collin.... did anyone see th game he called a few years ago at sycracus... totally BOMBED and all this 'talent' on radio was shot down by the other guys in the booth.. never seen him call a game since....
BUT back to my points.... while i dont agree with everyone i like the fact that long term Nebraska offers a lot that goes beyond the black and white of the present.........
irieboy8
Banned
I thought this statement was interesting:
I just read a Notre Dame blog the other day about this very same thing and he basically said the exact same thing I quoted above.
BTW, that ND blog article is decent. If you can get past his Irish bias throughout the article, he does make some good points. He also agrees with the Sporting News article that Nebraska should be the first team the Big Ten should go after.
:thumbs
So knapplc, with the so-called "NY market myth" that these articles cite, should they try and look elsewhere instead? They do make good points about trying to tackle the NY market in a pro sports dominated city.
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knapplc
International Man of Mystery
It's a great point. I've never been sold on the idea that Rutgers or Syracuse present great choices for Big 10 expansion. I have wondered for a while if they're not being "leaked" by Big 10 people to keep pressure on Notre Dame.
Clearly Notre Dame is the crown jewel in the Big 10's expansion plans. Money and every other consideration aside, they covet the Irish like a frat boy craves tail because of the natural kinship they feel with Notre Dame. They're geographically and institutionally similar. Their education standards are similar and their cachet is undeniable. They have a national appeal that no other school offers. So everything the Big 10 is doing is designed to 1) attract Notre Dame or 2) force them to choose membership.
Nebraska is clearly a tertiary choice, but it's a hell of a choice if the Domers turn them down. We're Miss March to Notre Dame's Playmate of the Year. We're certainly not chopped liver, and like one of those articles says, if they don't get Notre Dame, just getting Nebraska and going to 12 teams would be a huge get. We have similar, albeit lesser national appeal as Notre Dame, we have similar, albeit lesser academic credentials as Notre Dame, and we are geographically not dissimilar and we are somewhat similar institutionally. The greatest thing about Nebraska is the money we'd bring in, and they know this. I would imagine that the instant we hinted we were available that someone somewhere in some Big 10 office called Harvey and Tom. Instantly.
If the Big 10 takes Rutgers and/or Syracuse and/or Pitt, three schools with relatively low sports and eyeballs-per-television credentials, it's clearly a move to blow up the Big East and force Notre Dame to finally choose. The Domers are dependent on the Big East for their olympic sports; where are they going to go without a conference for basketball, volleyball, and the rest? This is all calculated to make the Domers look at that reality.
If the Big 10 doesn't get Notre Dame through any negotiations/shenanigans, I don't know what they do. They probably still take Nebraska, but unless they figure out a third, they're not going to take Missouri and the Huskers. They're not going to poach anyone from the SEC, and they're (most likely) not going to get anyone from the Big 12 South. Geographically it's too big of a stretch, not to mention ideologically.
Geographically, academically and philosophically, the Big 10 doesn't have a lot of options without the Big East. So I don't know. Maybe they look at ISU? That's highly unlikely.
I'm pretty much with you on all points. However I would also offer another possibility for the Big Ten as the next best alternative to the NY market and that would be trying to entice Texas. That would lock up the entire state of Texas in terms of TV markets.
While I agree that UT and A&M doesn't fit geographically among other things, it's probably the next best option if we're talking TV market power.
knapplc
International Man of Mystery
Sure, but then you have to ask yourself what Texas' motivation would be for jumping to the Big 10. In the Big 12 they're the Big Fish. They call the shots and they get all the revenue they want. In the Big 10 they'd have to share power on an equal footing with Northwestern and Indiana. I just don't see the motivation for them. The money won't be enough of an improvement (if at all, I haven't looked at their numbers) and they'd spend a lot more in travel costs. It's one thing to think about sending the football team to Ann Arbor for a big game. It's another thing to think about separately sending the wrestling team, the golf team, the tennis team, the swimming team and the volleyball team up there. That's a lot of money to spend for not much more in return.
Not disputing this at all. I was merely coming at it from an angle as it pertains to TV markets. At least that'd be the Big Ten's motivation.
knapplc
International Man of Mystery
Yeah, I think we're on the same page here. I'm playing a little devil's advocate with myself here in these posts.
I see Texas, A&M & Oklahoma as somewhat stuck here. They've built the Big XII according to their wishes, they've cowed the other schools into voting with them on major issues, and in the process they've sown discontent with their chief neighbor to the North. Let's face it - without Nebraska, the North is a joke. No other school has shown the longevity and has nearly the national following as Nebraska, not even close. If we leave, they're left with a damaged ship, and they're taking on water. They cannot replace Nebraska with TCU or Houston, and if we go that makes Colorado more likely to go to the Pac-10, and we already know Missouri will jump ship in a heartbeat if offered.
At this point I don't know what Texas, Oklahoma, et al would do if we left. Certainly they'd be captains of a much smaller ship, they'd be in a TV market not likely to command the kind of contract or subscriptions as the Big Ten Network, and their options of future profitability would be very limited. They'd almost be forced to join with the Pac-10 or the SEC in some way.
I'll say this - that statement by Beebe today seemed as much bluster as bravado to me. I think he's looking at that same future landscape of a Nebraska-less Big 12 that I'm looking at, and he doesn't like what he sees at all.
It'll be interesting to see what the Big 12 plans to do if NU and MU leaves followed by CU. :ahhhhhhhh
huKSer
All-American
Interesting that the tone of the article is roughly "Missouri who?". Would it not really piss off Tiger fans if along with their women's softball(?) team not getting picked to go to NCAA tournament, ISU and KU getting picked for higher bowl games if Nebraska gets the Big 10 invite instead of MU? :rollin :rollin :rollin