Perlman and Dr. Tom Knew in may when we were going to the big ten

[jaws]

We are a national TV brand. We've got a bazillion fans across the country through the diaspora of our people to better climes. Only us fools stay here in the heat and cold all year. Those former Nebraskans and their family tend to stay loyal to the Huskers, and thus you have very large groups across the country – in every state – of "Georgians for Nebraska" or "Arizonans for Nebraska" and the like. Larger states, or states with larger populations, have regional groups like "North Texans for Nebraska" to which my cousin belonged when he lived down in Dallas. We have a history, both long-term and recent, of high TV ratings. That's a huge attraction to the BTN.

I think what sets the Nebraska fanbase apart from many school is that the people of the state cheer for the team more than for many schools. Many schools have fanbases that are mostly made up of alums, with some secondary interest from "fans" in the home state. Nebraska has a bigger and more passionate following from these non alum fans who either live in Nebraska or have a connection to the state.

Same can be said about Michigan, Ohio State and others. The historically great college football programs (Michigan, Texas, Ohio State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Alabama....) have a national draw and a large fan base of which most have never attended a class at said university and for some never set foot on campus. You will find the above to be true throughout most of the big ten.

 

[biggie]

Outside of Notre Dame - I don't see anyone that would have been a better fit for the Big10 than Nebraska. And ND WILL be a member of the B1G within the next decade. ND plays Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue. Not a single one of those teams will be willing to play ND once B1G goes to a 9 game conference schedule. They will slowly lose their PAC12 games as the top tier teams they usually play in that conference (USC/Stanford) lose interest due to the tough conference championship game now on the horizon. (not to mention the overall strengthening of that conference). They won't be playing SEC teams as the SEC will migrate to a 9 game schedule to keep up with the Big10. Lastly, the Big12 will implode shortly, and ND will be scrambling for a spot. That leaves ND either playing a mixture of a WAC/Big8/Academy schedule - or giving up independence for the B1G.

So...IMO, getting Nebraska on board is a single phase of a multi-year expansion. Getting Nebraska on board not only brings a premier program into the Big10, but also sets things in motion for ND to join the conference. This is far from over. I wouldn't judge the addition of Nebraska as a single event, because it's just one of many to come. You can even see it in the branding changes for the conference. They aren't settled yet. Wait 5-10 years, then judge the addition of Nebraska. I think you'll be happy with the decision.

Once you get to 14 or 16 teams, it really starts becoming two conferences. You might end up with a generation of Big Ten fans longing for the old days much like Nebraska fans talk about the Big 8. Some Big Ten fans were opposed to all expansion except Notre Dame with the hope Notre Dame would settle the conference at 12.

 

[kchusker_chris]

Outside of Notre Dame - I don't see anyone that would have been a better fit for the Big10 than Nebraska. And ND WILL be a member of the B1G within the next decade. ND plays Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue. Not a single one of those teams will be willing to play ND once B1G goes to a 9 game conference schedule. They will slowly lose their PAC12 games as the top tier teams they usually play in that conference (USC/Stanford) lose interest due to the tough conference championship game now on the horizon. (not to mention the overall strengthening of that conference). They won't be playing SEC teams as the SEC will migrate to a 9 game schedule to keep up with the Big10. Lastly, the Big12 will implode shortly, and ND will be scrambling for a spot. That leaves ND either playing a mixture of a WAC/Big8/Academy schedule - or giving up independence for the B1G.

So...IMO, getting Nebraska on board is a single phase of a multi-year expansion. Getting Nebraska on board not only brings a premier program into the Big10, but also sets things in motion for ND to join the conference. This is far from over. I wouldn't judge the addition of Nebraska as a single event, because it's just one of many to come. You can even see it in the branding changes for the conference. They aren't settled yet. Wait 5-10 years, then judge the addition of Nebraska. I think you'll be happy with the decision.

Once you get to 14 or 16 teams, it really starts becoming two conferences. You might end up with a generation of Big Ten fans longing for the old days much like Nebraska fans talk about the Big 8. Some Big Ten fans were opposed to all expansion except Notre Dame with the hope Notre Dame would settle the conference at 12.

when the Big12 implodes the Big10 won't have much of a choice. It's not 1950 anymore where a conference is little beyond an affiliation with geographically and/or academically similar institutions. It's a business, and you align yourselves with the most powerful resources. If there are 14 or 16 of them so be it.

 

[biggie]

Outside of Notre Dame - I don't see anyone that would have been a better fit for the Big10 than Nebraska. And ND WILL be a member of the B1G within the next decade. ND plays Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue. Not a single one of those teams will be willing to play ND once B1G goes to a 9 game conference schedule. They will slowly lose their PAC12 games as the top tier teams they usually play in that conference (USC/Stanford) lose interest due to the tough conference championship game now on the horizon. (not to mention the overall strengthening of that conference). They won't be playing SEC teams as the SEC will migrate to a 9 game schedule to keep up with the Big10. Lastly, the Big12 will implode shortly, and ND will be scrambling for a spot. That leaves ND either playing a mixture of a WAC/Big8/Academy schedule - or giving up independence for the B1G.

So...IMO, getting Nebraska on board is a single phase of a multi-year expansion. Getting Nebraska on board not only brings a premier program into the Big10, but also sets things in motion for ND to join the conference. This is far from over. I wouldn't judge the addition of Nebraska as a single event, because it's just one of many to come. You can even see it in the branding changes for the conference. They aren't settled yet. Wait 5-10 years, then judge the addition of Nebraska. I think you'll be happy with the decision.

Once you get to 14 or 16 teams, it really starts becoming two conferences. You might end up with a generation of Big Ten fans longing for the old days much like Nebraska fans talk about the Big 8. Some Big Ten fans were opposed to all expansion except Notre Dame with the hope Notre Dame would settle the conference at 12.

when the Big12 implodes the Big10 won't have much of a choice. It's not 1950 anymore where a conference is little beyond an affiliation with geographically and/or academically similar institutions. It's a business, and you align yourselves with the most powerful resources. If there are 14 or 16 of them so be it.

I'm sure that's what the Big 8 thought. How'd that work out?

 

[TrumanBD]

when the Big12 implodes the Big10 won't have much of a choice. It's not 1950 anymore where a conference is little beyond an affiliation with geographically and/or academically similar institutions. It's a business, and you align yourselves with the most powerful resources. If there are 14 or 16 of them so be it.

I think this gets into a larger discussion of how long this type of explosion in growth in terms of $ is sustainable for college sports and whether all of this reallignment is ultimately good for colllege football. Call me nostalgic, but I part of the reason I like watching college football is because it is differnt than the pros. Also, part of what makes college football for me are the regional rivalries. With talk of paying players and expanding to superconferences, college football will start to look more and more like the NFL. I would have course loved for Mizzou to have moved to the Big 10, but here would have been some bittersweetness to it because of the traditional rivalries that would have been lost. Also, I don't think the atmosphere of a NFL game can match a college campus on gameday. During the superbowl, I heard and interesting discussion about atmosphere on sports radio. The comentator was making the argument that the superbowl has a sterile environment due to corporate seating. He made the point that NFL games in general lack the atmosphere of a great college game. The trend in professional sports has been for smaller stadiums because more people watch the games on tv. With geographically larger conference and more availability on tv, I would hate to see college sports move in this direction as well.

 

[kchusker_chris]

Outside of Notre Dame - I don't see anyone that would have been a better fit for the Big10 than Nebraska. And ND WILL be a member of the B1G within the next decade. ND plays Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue. Not a single one of those teams will be willing to play ND once B1G goes to a 9 game conference schedule. They will slowly lose their PAC12 games as the top tier teams they usually play in that conference (USC/Stanford) lose interest due to the tough conference championship game now on the horizon. (not to mention the overall strengthening of that conference). They won't be playing SEC teams as the SEC will migrate to a 9 game schedule to keep up with the Big10. Lastly, the Big12 will implode shortly, and ND will be scrambling for a spot. That leaves ND either playing a mixture of a WAC/Big8/Academy schedule - or giving up independence for the B1G.

So...IMO, getting Nebraska on board is a single phase of a multi-year expansion. Getting Nebraska on board not only brings a premier program into the Big10, but also sets things in motion for ND to join the conference. This is far from over. I wouldn't judge the addition of Nebraska as a single event, because it's just one of many to come. You can even see it in the branding changes for the conference. They aren't settled yet. Wait 5-10 years, then judge the addition of Nebraska. I think you'll be happy with the decision.

Once you get to 14 or 16 teams, it really starts becoming two conferences. You might end up with a generation of Big Ten fans longing for the old days much like Nebraska fans talk about the Big 8. Some Big Ten fans were opposed to all expansion except Notre Dame with the hope Notre Dame would settle the conference at 12.

when the Big12 implodes the Big10 won't have much of a choice. It's not 1950 anymore where a conference is little beyond an affiliation with geographically and/or academically similar institutions. It's a business, and you align yourselves with the most powerful resources. If there are 14 or 16 of them so be it.

I'm sure that's what the Big 8 thought. How'd that work out?

Well, in 1996 the Big8 was distributing somewhere in the realm of 30 million, or about 4-5 million per team. Today, the top Big12 teams (Texas) can expect to earn 22-30 million (and still maintain their individual media rights), with the mid-tier teams around 16-18 milion. 400% return on investment?

Do you think the Big8 would still be in existence had it maintained status quo? Do you feel Coloradio, Iowa State, Kansas, K-State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Okie-State could demand revenue that would excede 160 million per year? That's putting A LOT of value in Nebraska/Oklahoma. And that's making the assumption that had we not formed the Big12, no one else would have left over the next 15 years.

I'd bet my house the Big8 wouldn't have been able to maintain it's membership for another 15 years. I'd also bet my house with the formation of the BCS the Big8 would have been at a major competitive disadvantage due to SOS and other factors when competing against 12 team conferences. Is maintaining the tradition for an additional 10-15 years worth an inevitable implosion?

 

[Caven]

As long as they are smart with the scheduling a 16 team conference can be made to work - but I am not sure if they will be smart with the scheduling. Thanks Knappic for the run down on the strengths and weaknesses as you see them. That was pretty much in line with what I had in mind as an outsider for what they are.

 

[biggie]

Outside of Notre Dame - I don't see anyone that would have been a better fit for the Big10 than Nebraska. And ND WILL be a member of the B1G within the next decade. ND plays Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue. Not a single one of those teams will be willing to play ND once B1G goes to a 9 game conference schedule. They will slowly lose their PAC12 games as the top tier teams they usually play in that conference (USC/Stanford) lose interest due to the tough conference championship game now on the horizon. (not to mention the overall strengthening of that conference). They won't be playing SEC teams as the SEC will migrate to a 9 game schedule to keep up with the Big10. Lastly, the Big12 will implode shortly, and ND will be scrambling for a spot. That leaves ND either playing a mixture of a WAC/Big8/Academy schedule - or giving up independence for the B1G.

So...IMO, getting Nebraska on board is a single phase of a multi-year expansion. Getting Nebraska on board not only brings a premier program into the Big10, but also sets things in motion for ND to join the conference. This is far from over. I wouldn't judge the addition of Nebraska as a single event, because it's just one of many to come. You can even see it in the branding changes for the conference. They aren't settled yet. Wait 5-10 years, then judge the addition of Nebraska. I think you'll be happy with the decision.

Once you get to 14 or 16 teams, it really starts becoming two conferences. You might end up with a generation of Big Ten fans longing for the old days much like Nebraska fans talk about the Big 8. Some Big Ten fans were opposed to all expansion except Notre Dame with the hope Notre Dame would settle the conference at 12.

when the Big12 implodes the Big10 won't have much of a choice. It's not 1950 anymore where a conference is little beyond an affiliation with geographically and/or academically similar institutions. It's a business, and you align yourselves with the most powerful resources. If there are 14 or 16 of them so be it.

I'm sure that's what the Big 8 thought. How'd that work out?

Well, in 1996 the Big8 was distributing somewhere in the realm of 30 million, or about 4-5 million per team. Today, the top Big12 teams (Texas) can expect to earn 22-30 million (and still maintain their individual media rights), with the mid-tier teams around 16-18 milion. 400% return on investment?

Do you think the Big8 would still be in existence had it maintained status quo? Do you feel Coloradio, Iowa State, Kansas, K-State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Okie-State could demand revenue that would excede 160 million per year? That's putting A LOT of value in Nebraska/Oklahoma. And that's making the assumption that had we not formed the Big12, no one else would have left over the next 15 years.

I'd bet my house the Big8 wouldn't have been able to maintain it's membership for another 15 years. I'd also bet my house with the formation of the BCS the Big8 would have been at a major competitive disadvantage due to SOS and other factors when competing against 12 team conferences. Is maintaining the tradition for an additional 10-15 years worth an inevitable implosion?

None of that applies to Big Ten expansion. If your conference isn't in danger of imploding, is the extra money worth it?

All I'm saying is your prediction of future happiness is premature. If the Big Ten gets too big, Nebraska may lose that Big Ten stability it liked so much.

 

[bigg10]

Besides, the B10 would be sitting good, without expanding even if everything else changed. It's going to come down to the B10 and the Sec getting a very good paycheck and the rest falling behind. I think that is why Nebraska is a good program to bring in, lets just hope you all can compete a little better than Penn St did after they were bought in. If we can start going toe to toe with the SEC, which menas winning bowls and snapping that NC drought (for us anyway), the TV rights the B10 sells will be worth a fortune. All that money will only have to be split 12 ways.

It is definitly time for the B10 teams to step up a notch, before the B10 contracts expire.

 

[talaricohusker]

Any thoughts as to why that is? Probably a variety of factors in no particular order:
1) Tradition (always helps if you have history)

2) No other major sports in the state to cheer for

3) State pride (is there something that makes Nebraskan's more proud of their state compared to other states?)

4) Football is king. This is probably a chicken or an egg argument. Is football king in Nebraska because of the success of the Huskers, or is are the huskers partially successful because football is king?

It's hard to say. The easy answer is that everybody loves a winner, but we weren't winners in 1962 when our sellout streak started. I'm sure the success of Devaney and Osborne over three decades greatly aided the current situation, though.

I think football appeals on a broad level to the folks who built this state. When Lewis and Clark came through here they called this area "The Great American Desert." It's a tough place to live – too hot in the summer, too cold in the winter, barely any decent spring or fall, the soil is clay and difficult to make produce, there were (at the time) very few trees, and in general life was hard. My grandparents were poor as dirt, and I'm betting most everyone here has similar stories from their grandparents. That toughness is ingrained in the older generations from which us latter-day folks take our cues, and football is a good reflection of that culture. Probably if we were a colder-climate state we'd have embraced hockey more than we do (but hockey is rapidly gaining ground here, too).

There's also the lack of population, which means no other competing sports.

Contrast Nebraska with Missouri and Missouri has a better climate, more scenery, a much larger population, way more things to do, which probably leads to more distractions and less focus on your flagship school.

I agree with this

 

[BOJ]

If I may add in my two cents: even if what Beebe says is true, so what. A man of Osborne's integrity rarely does things for money, usually it is because of best circumstances, they weighed the options and the answer they got was Big Ten, regardless of whatever revenue sharing discussions were. The University and Dr. Tom (as you guys like to call him) had a duty to do what was best for the University, and guess what doesn't matter what Beebe said, the powers at Nebraska (the A.D. the Chancellor, and the entire Board of Trustees) said the Big Ten was the better deal for the University. That is the end of the story as far as I am concerned even if every word of Beebe's statements are true. Osborne, Perlman, and the Trustees have one job to do and they did it correctly and fiduciarily.

And of course my drunk butt will place an edit: it is funny how most of us can speak to Tom Osborne's integrity w/out blinking an eye, but so many question Tressel's I want only to remind that sometimes we view integrity in different fashions and often that changes over time.

 

[Notre Dame Joe]

Outside of Notre Dame - I don't see anyone that would have been a better fit for the Big10 than Nebraska. And ND WILL be a member of the B1G within the next decade. ND plays Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue. Not a single one of those teams will be willing to play ND once B1G goes to a 9 game conference schedule. They will slowly lose their PAC12 games as the top tier teams they usually play in that conference (USC/Stanford) lose interest due to the tough conference championship game now on the horizon. (not to mention the overall strengthening of that conference). They won't be playing SEC teams as the SEC will migrate to a 9 game schedule to keep up with the Big10. Lastly, the Big12 will implode shortly, and ND will be scrambling for a spot. That leaves ND either playing a mixture of a WAC/Big8/Academy schedule - or giving up independence for the B1G.

So...IMO, getting Nebraska on board is a single phase of a multi-year expansion. Getting Nebraska on board not only brings a premier program into the Big10, but also sets things in motion for ND to join the conference. This is far from over. I wouldn't judge the addition of Nebraska as a single event, because it's just one of many to come. You can even see it in the branding changes for the conference. They aren't settled yet. Wait 5-10 years, then judge the addition of Nebraska. I think you'll be happy with the decision.

You're assumptions are all wrong. We've increased, not lost, teams willing to play us since realignment. The two Pac schools you mentioned got an exemption for ND in the new TV contract that they can always play us. Schools like Stanford like scheduling ND because people actually buy tickets when we're in town. In any case, given the history like @um 2009, assembling any schedule is still better for us than joining the B#G.

 

[VectorVictor]

Outside of Notre Dame - I don't see anyone that would have been a better fit for the Big10 than Nebraska. And ND WILL be a member of the B1G within the next decade. ND plays Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue. Not a single one of those teams will be willing to play ND once B1G goes to a 9 game conference schedule. They will slowly lose their PAC12 games as the top tier teams they usually play in that conference (USC/Stanford) lose interest due to the tough conference championship game now on the horizon. (not to mention the overall strengthening of that conference). They won't be playing SEC teams as the SEC will migrate to a 9 game schedule to keep up with the Big10. Lastly, the Big12 will implode shortly, and ND will be scrambling for a spot. That leaves ND either playing a mixture of a WAC/Big8/Academy schedule - or giving up independence for the B1G.

So...IMO, getting Nebraska on board is a single phase of a multi-year expansion. Getting Nebraska on board not only brings a premier program into the Big10, but also sets things in motion for ND to join the conference. This is far from over. I wouldn't judge the addition of Nebraska as a single event, because it's just one of many to come. You can even see it in the branding changes for the conference. They aren't settled yet. Wait 5-10 years, then judge the addition of Nebraska. I think you'll be happy with the decision.

You're assumptions are all wrong. We've increased, not lost, teams willing to play us since realignment. The two Pac schools you mentioned got an exemption for ND in the new TV contract that they can always play us. Schools like Stanford like scheduling ND because people actually buy tickets when we're in town. In any case, given the history like @um 2009, assembling any schedule is still better for us than joining the B#G.

Problem with all of this is that the Pac-12 conference restricted OOC games to September only--a move that the B1G will replicate once they go to a nine-team schedule. While you could still play Stanford and USC every year, and continue to play two B1G teams, that still leaves you the unenviable task of scheduling eight games that don't include Pac-12 or B1G schools.

And since I don't see Notre Dame risking their potential BCS participation reward on SEC teams, that really only leaves two of the service academies, BYU, and the ACC/Big XII to concoct a quality schedule from--all while you're competing against BYU for these same teams and slots.

The assessment that it will get harder for ND to schedule teams is a fair and valid one--not now, but in the next few years. Add to that the continued talk of Texas becoming independent (other than OU and aTm, they could care less about the Big XII-II) who will be able to pay more money than either BYU or ND for opponents, and it's going to be tough sledding in the very near future for independents with BCS dreams.

---

As for the B1G coveting Notre Dame, there are only two realistic and one plausible reason for it: 1) Notre Dame commands the NY media market (better than Rutgers or any in-state NY school can), 2) Notre Dame is one of the four most valuable college football properties per Forbes--despite the incompetence of the past decade or so, and 3) the B1G simply covets what it believes it cannot have, like the geek coveting the hot (yet vapid) cheerleader in the high school hallway.

 

[badger79]

Regarding the original article, the real reason Delany's timeline was pushed up was because of Larry Scott's invitation of all the Big 12 schools, not the stupid ultimatum by Beebe. I think that forced Delany to act faster than he wanted to or anticipated. The B1G does not do things quickly -- the fact that they decided to explore expansion in December and actually expanded in June is remarkably fast for the Big Ten presidents.

Once you get to 14 or 16 teams, it really starts becoming two conferences. You might end up with a generation of Big Ten fans longing for the old days much like Nebraska fans talk about the Big 8. Some Big Ten fans were opposed to all expansion except Notre Dame with the hope Notre Dame would settle the conference at 12.

I agree with this. Everyone is pretty much thrilled with the Nebraska addition, but 14 or 16 teams would not feel like the Big Ten anymore. How often would you play teams not in your division? As it is, as a Badger fan I'm sick at not playing Iowa ever year (I'm sure Nebraska fans understand, what with the way your rivalry with Oklahoma was treated). I really hope 12 teams is it for B1G expansion.

Notre Dame continues to be all emo over being blackballed by Michigan like a hundred years ago. I doubt they'll ever be in the B1G.

 

[bigg10]

Regarding the original article, the real reason Delany's timeline was pushed up was because of Larry Scott's invitation of all the Big 12 schools, not the stupid ultimatum by Beebe. I think that forced Delany to act faster than he wanted to or anticipated. The B1G does not do things quickly -- the fact that they decided to explore expansion in December and actually expanded in June is remarkably fast for the Big Ten presidents.

Once you get to 14 or 16 teams, it really starts becoming two conferences. You might end up with a generation of Big Ten fans longing for the old days much like Nebraska fans talk about the Big 8. Some Big Ten fans were opposed to all expansion except Notre Dame with the hope Notre Dame would settle the conference at 12.

I agree with this. Everyone is pretty much thrilled with the Nebraska addition, but 14 or 16 teams would not feel like the Big Ten anymore. How often would you play teams not in your division? As it is, as a Badger fan I'm sick at not playing Iowa ever year (I'm sure Nebraska fans understand, what with the way your rivalry with Oklahoma was treated). I really hope 12 teams is it for B1G expansion.

Notre Dame continues to be all emo over being blackballed by Michigan like a hundred years ago. I doubt they'll ever be in the B1G.

100% spot on. As an Iowa fan, we already miss you as well. I love the idea of 12 teams and a ccg. I love the idea of Nebraska being that 12th team. That said if Bucky and Herky dont take out their frustration of the B10 dropping the ball on us not seeing each other each and every year on Nebraska this year, I will be very dissappointed. You guys get em first and we get em last. Hopefully we both do well and we will see you in the ccg, we want that trophy back and are not willing to wait to get a crack at it.