TAW

NU 24 UW 35 Rushing 212 Passing 58

It would be interesting to see hear what PSU thinks of the Rose Bowl, not having grown up with it as the Holy Grail (nor do I think they have ever been there, but am too lazy to look it up). For many older fans in the Big 10, the Rose Bowl was the be-all, end-all. It has the additional cache of keeping the same date/ criteria for participation, unlike the plethora of January 1 games that exist as of the 2010-2011 season. Over time, it will be interesting to see if Nebraska's opinion of the Rose Bowl changes and the "old" Big 10 team's opinion on traditional matchups v. the title game changes. I have heard reasonable arguments made on both sides.

As a Wisconsin fan, I have visited Kinnick several times, Minnesota many times, OSU twice, and PSU once (also others, but these are the significant ones for NU). With the exception of a minor incident in a bar the night before one of the OSU games, all the experiences have been positive. In my experience, if you go to hostile territory with a respectful attitude and a desire to see how that fan base experiences a game, you will be treated well. If you go in as an obnoxious SOB, you will be treated as such and not come away with any idea of what the other school is like. Part of my love of college football is experiencing the atmosphere at opposing campuses. Different does not necessarily mean worse - it is just different. Mindless chest-thumping is best left to your own campus; it is kind of rude and doesn't lead to good interaction with other fans. That being said, avoiding the rabid student sections/housing at opposing schools is generally a good idea (including in Madison).

As a Wisconsin fan, I hate both Michigan and OSU. That being said, I think they should be in the same division and play in the last regular season game, AS SHOULD WISCONSIN AND MINNESOTA. I was supremely pissed when they changed the Axe Game from the final week. Tradition is what college football is all about - just ask folks like Minnesota who are desperately trying to build tradition after having some money-hungry bastards kill a once-proud program. Wisconsin football permeates my family. We have three generations of graduates and four generations (that I have known) of fans. My 85 year old parents timed their household move for the bye week; our family Christmas evolves around probable Bowl travel schedules. Don't mess with tradition - just add to it. The Big 10 gurus are out-thinking themselves. As Frank the Tank says, don't make another "New Coke."

If the Big 10 changes their name at all, something I consider very unlikely, it would revert to its previous name of The Western Conference. Naturally, the PSU folks would get their undies in a bundle about this, too.

I have lost respect for all football teams from Texas. The whole bunch of them were like kids in a sandbox, only later you find out it's THEIR sandbox. Spoiled babies.

Of the places I have been: Minnesota - much better experience with TCF than the dreaded Metrodump, but the Gophers are still working on developing a game atmosphere; it will take time. The UW Alumni Club of the TC closes off a block in downtown Mpls for a pre-game party (in front of Rozens) which is very cool. They also had buses to TCF or you could walk. TC is a fun place to visit (of course, I lived there for three years so am a little biased). We go every year. Columbus - The Shoe is incredible. I also had no problem with the fans, but then I was in a group. Learn the alternative lyrics to the Michigan Fight Song and you will have friends everywhere. I've been here twice and would go again. Like the stadium better than PSU, but PSU fans were slightly nicer. Close call between the two. Lots of locals, some with severe dental issues, show up for the games. One guy I was talking to said "Yeah, on gameday some of these folks come down out of the hills and they scare even us." Most "southern-feeling" of the places I've been in the Big 10. Penn State - Great fans (even though someone stole Monsignor's Badger jacket from a chair outside our RV), but it's a pain in the butt to get there. We drove to a little town about half an hour away, rented an RV there, and stayed in the RV on their tailgating lots. I think you can also rent an RV already set up on the grounds and just drive up to that. We may try that next time and then fly to Harrisburg and rent a car (as I get older, comfort trumps cost). Stadium kind of looks like an erector set, but it is rocking. Would go more often except for you-can't-get-there-from-here. Northwestern - Best thing about going to a Northwestern game is that it is in Chicago. We have a friend who lives in Evanston, within walking distance of the stadium, so we have a nice spot to tailgate. Their stadium renovation a few years back made it much more fan-friendly. Local fans are apathetic, at best. Easy visiting team ticket. I kind of like the stadium in a small-liberal-arts-college kind of way. The kitty-cat roar is annoying (ditto for PSU). Pre-renovation, was named Dyche Stadium (now called stadium formerly known as Lesbo) giving rise to comments like "You'd think a place called Dyche Stadium would have more women's restrooms." Iowa City - Get hotel rooms early (like February). Nice town, have old friends who live there, kind of an old-hippie ambiance. Tailgating is scattered except for one big lot, but fun. Similar to Wisconsin, if you show up at a tailgate with a 6-pack and a decent attitude, people will be glad to talk football. Lots of stands selling those big-ass turkey legs. Stadium renovation helped women's restrooms, but now the men have a line. Concourse not laid out particularly well (this is true of upper concourse at Camp Randall too) and visiting fans get horrible seats (same at the Camp). Always enjoy IC - it's like visiting the cousins you only see every other year; hard to work up a hate. Champagna - Illinois is a basketball school, but they try. If you can, drive down and back the same day. Most hotels have two-night minimums and one night is more than sufficient in Champagna. Tailgating lot is good; people were friendly; only seemed to be a couple of downtown bars, but there were some decent restaurants. Been there twice, but would only go back for a big game. Stadium renovation was half done when I was there, but it looks like a good one. Impressive facade to the stadium. Going to Michigan this year for the first time. Haven't done any of the Indianas or MSU.

Maybe it's just me, but Camp Randall doesn't look like it seats 80K, more like 65K (maybe because it's only double-decked along one sideline). 80,000 screaming Badger fans is bad enough, 85 or 90 would be Hell. And Kinnick is arguably the most daunting stadium with a capacity of 70K and under (I think it's actually a teense north of 70, but close enough). A few more seasons like last, I have little doubt that Kinnick will expand to 80,000+ in the next decade. The lower bowl of Camp Randall is something like 70 rows high, then you add in the luxury boxes on the no-upper-deck side and the upper deck on the press box side. It is definitely of the bowl v. high-rise design.

I'm a Badger fan and my vote goes to Soldier Field, both for the logistics and for the city itself. Lambeau would be cool, but it is hard to get to and the novelty of small town America would wear off quickly if you were there frequently. I could see it as part of a rotation, however. You would also get a lot of locals to go to a game in GB, just to say they had been to Lambeau for football.

The two comments about the compatibility of Texas that kept echoing in my head during the expansion craziness were: 1) “The Big Ten is a ‘Check your ego at the door' conference" Link and 2) Texas does not play well with others. That's what it came down to. Maybe the Big 10 is socialistic, but its brand of socialism has resulted in stability and financial security.

Since you are new to the Big 10, you may not be aware that Goldy Gopher is the only Big 10 mascot who has been spayed. Just a simple Public Service Announcement...

To go back to the original question, my understanding is the Big 10 will subsidize NU to the extent it does not bring in the same money it did in the past. We'll let the accountants figure out what that means.

The Minnesota-Wisconsin rivalry gets quite heated, as does Minnesota-Iowa (they have never forgiven Iowa for taking down the goalposts in the Metrodump). Iowa-Wisconsin is pretty respectful for a long-standing rivalry, and I expect NU to be the same.