Your 4th Year in the Big Ten

[Wisconsin33]

Hello Huskers!

 

It's the off-season, and so I wanted to stop by and check on you cornheads to see how things are going for you! It's hard to believe that this coming year will mark the 4th season of Big Ten play for you guys. This year will be yet another year of change in the conference with the additions of both Rutgers and Maryland and the re-shuffling of the B1G Divisions. I'm not particularly pleased with the adding of those two schools like I was when we added Nebraska. Nebraska seemed like a great fit as a Midwestern, contiguous neighbor and as an addition that would bring the conference from 11 up to 12. I am however, really happy with the new divisions as the creation of the B1G West means that Wisconsin gets to play all the schools we don't want to ever miss (Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Northwestern and Illinois...and Purdue). Our rivalry will be sure to develop as we battle for the Division title year in and year out. It's going to be great... much better than these past 3 seasons!

 

I certainly also feel much more used to Nebraska being in the conference. It seems much more normal and the fit is really nice. I've visited Lincoln for the UW/NU football game in 2012 and had a blast. You've played in a conference championship game, you just scored a huge landmark basketball victory at one of the most storied programs in the conference, I'm sure you've won championships in other random olympic sports that I'm not aware of. A lot of you have probably traveled to other B1G cities and venues. And after this year, the new guy spotlight will be squarely off of you and redirected to the eastern schools.

 

So how are you guys feeling nowadays?

 

- Do you feel more at home in the Big Ten Conference?

- Has your pining for the old Big XII Conference been remedied at all, or do you still miss those OU/KSU/MIZZ/CU match-ups.

- If the Big XII and the Big Ten made a clean deal for you to return to the Big XII tomorrow, would you be happy about it?

- What is one perception about the conference that has changed since you've been a member?

- My least favorite school in the Big Ten is _______________, because _________________.

- How do you feel about Maryland and Rutgers joining the conference. Who would you rather have seen?

- What is your favorite B1G football stadium? What impressed you about it? What was your least favorite?

- What changes have you seen to UNL? Have there been any notable imporvements yet as far as improved academics, more infastructure, better sports teams?

- How has the move affected your brand? It's been a rough couple of years by your standards, but do you think the Nebraska brand is better off now that it would have been had you stayed in the Big XII? Are your struggles due to the new conference? The coaching? The players?

Have a great day!

 

Your local Badger

[Landlord]

- Do you feel more at home in the Big Ten Conference?

 

Overall, I would certainly say so. We're developing history and storylines with individual schools, we're having success in certain sports, and culture wise the Big Ten just seems to fit our school better and vice versa.

 

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- Has your pining for the old Big XII Conference been remedied at all, or do you still miss those OU/KSU/MIZZ/CU match-ups.

 

It's never easy to let go of things that you grew up with, you know? Our series with a lot of those schools were the longest running series in the nation - 100+ years. Personally, I don't much miss them, but I do miss some of the different opportunities like late-season night games, Thursday night conference games, etc.

 

 

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- How do you feel about Maryland and Rutgers joining the conference. Who would you rather have seen?

 

We don't like it, because athletically they are quite mediocre, but we get it, because they bring a lot of dollar signs. Such is college athletics in 2014.

 

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- What is your favorite B1G football stadium? What impressed you about it? What was your least favorite?

 

I have always loved OSU's stadium - ours was originally modeled after it, and while I don't think anywhere compares to the beauty of our stadium from the outside, I think the interior of their stadium is flawless. Love the symmetry and the cohesiveness (ours is kind of a patch job). Northwestern's is pretty lousy, if for no other reason than their crazy long high school grass field.

 

- What changes have you seen to UNL? Have there been any notable imporvements yet as far as improved academics, more infastructure, better sports teams?

 

I think our athletic department is starting to realize that "the Nebraska way" isn't some magic voodoo that makes us really good at stuff - we're starting to shell out elite levels of money in the areas that need it, and committing the necessary resources to be competitive at the highest level. Across all sports, there is no school in the country that has the same level of facilities.

 

 

I didn't answer them all but here's a few responses. Thanks for the questions!

[KazLong]

-So how are you guys feeling nowadays?

Great. The medicine seems to be working!

 

- Do you feel more at home in the Big Ten Conference?

I will once we win it.

 

- Has your pining for the old Big XII Conference been remedied at all, or do you still miss those OU/KSU/MIZZ/CU match-ups.

Miss is a strong term, maybe for OU.

 

- If the Big XII and the Big Ten made a clean deal for you to return to the Big XII tomorrow, would you be happy about it?

If we took an even / fair share.

 

- What is one perception about the conference that has changed since you've been a member?

Nothing.

 

- My least favorite school in the Big Ten is Ohio State, because its Ohio State...

 

 

- How do you feel about Maryland and Rutgers joining the conference. Who would you rather have seen?

Feel like the Big Ten does not understand the East Coast doesn't care about College football, and we are not adding viewers. Missouri, OU, UNI, Iowa State, UNO (Yes bring back there football!), Any Nebraskan High School Team.

 

- What is your favorite B1G football stadium? What impressed you about it? What was your least favorite?

Memorial Stadium, too many things to list whats impressive about it. Any stadium that is not Memorial Stadium.

 

- What changes have you seen to UNL? Have there been any notable imporvements yet as far as improved academics, more infastructure, better sports teams?

Nothing.

 

- How has the move affected your brand? It's been a rough couple of years by your standards, but do you think the Nebraska brand is better off now that it would have been had you stayed in the Big XII? Are your struggles due to the new conference? The coaching? The players?

Struggles? We will see how Wisky is this year after losing all your seniors. Bo will be out for Whisky blood Nov 15...

[StPaulHusker]

Do you feel more at home in the Big Ten Conference?-Living in Minnesota, I feel good about the B1G and like the look of the Huskers in the conference.

- Has your pining for the old Big XII Conference been remedied at all, or do you still miss those OU/KSU/MIZZ/CU match-ups.-I only miss OU. But I missed that game every year when the Big 12 was formed too.

- If the Big XII and the Big Ten made a clean deal for you to return to the Big XII tomorrow, would you be happy about it?-No.

- What is one perception about the conference that has changed since you've been a member? Slow.

- My least favorite school in the Big Ten is Ohio State, because Urban Meyer is a douchebag.

- How do you feel about Maryland and Rutgers joining the conference. Who would you rather have seen? Indifferent except that it helps grow the cable brand which can't be all bad. Would have liked to see Louisville, OU, Kansas, Missouri, Boston College, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Syracuse

- What is your favorite B1G football stadium? What impressed you about it? What was your least favorite? Only been to TCF so far. I like watching games there, though.

- What changes have you seen to UNL? Have there been any notable imporvements yet as far as improved academics, more infastructure, better sports teams? Not sure joining the B1G has helped in this instance yet since we are not still a full member.

- How has the move affected your brand? It's been a rough couple of years by your standards, but do you think the Nebraska brand is better off now that it would have been had you stayed in the Big XII? Are your struggles due to the new conference? The coaching? The players? I don't think the brand has been affected due to the move. I think it would have been the same if we were in the Big 12. I tend to wonder if the 4 years under Callahan did more damage than we thought with regards to the football program.

Have a great day! You too. Nice avatar, BTW. Very creative.

[Landlord]

Feel like the Big Ten does not understand the East Coast doesn't care about College football, and we are not adding viewers.

 

 

It doesn't matter if we're adding viewers, we are adding tv sets, whether they get viewed or not.

[Atbone95]

Your local Badger

I'm sorry to inform you that this spot is already taken... We beat up on Bucky plenty. We'll be nice though.

[StPaulHusker]

Feel like the Big Ten does not understand the East Coast doesn't care about College football, and we are not adding viewers.

 

 

It doesn't matter if we're adding viewers, we are adding tv sets, whether they get viewed or not.

In addition to that, they will be adding viewers. There is something like 15+ million people living in the main metro areas of these 2 schools. I think a few will be watching sports on B1G. Specifically football.

[KazLong]

Feel like the Big Ten does not understand the East Coast doesn't care about College football, and we are not adding viewers.

 

 

It doesn't matter if we're adding viewers, we are adding tv sets, whether they get viewed or not.

In addition to that, they will be adding viewers. There is something like 15+ million people living in the main metro areas of these 2 schools. I think a few will be watching sports on B1G. Specifically football.

Hopefully I am wrong, and it helps the conference. I just feel they were horrible adds, when at the current time the media loves to bash the big ten as schools that used to be good, and all the fan boys for the SEC. I would of liked to see the Big Ten actually add more power to the conference.

[Abdullah the Butcher]

I don't like the Big Ten West, 11 am games, lack of night games, being paired with Iowa or the general lack of respect for the conference.

 

 

I do like the Big Ten Network, nice fans at away games (until I visit Wisconsin), big city tourism, and........Chicago pizza.

[StPaulHusker]

Feel like the Big Ten does not understand the East Coast doesn't care about College football, and we are not adding viewers.

 

 

It doesn't matter if we're adding viewers, we are adding tv sets, whether they get viewed or not.

In addition to that, they will be adding viewers. There is something like 15+ million people living in the main metro areas of these 2 schools. I think a few will be watching sports on B1G. Specifically football.

Hopefully I am wrong, and it helps the conference. I just feel they were horrible adds, when at the current time the media loves to bash the big ten as schools that used to be good, and all the fan boys for the SEC. I would of liked to see the Big Ten actually add more power to the conference.

They were horrible adds as far as athletics today. But the amount of TV sets that have cable is huge. People will have BTN on their cable packages whether they watch one minute of it ever. And BTN gets paid for every cable subscription. Plus advertising dollars. This was a straight money grab.

[husker_99]

I don't like the Big Ten West, 11 am games, lack of night games, being paired with Iowa or the general lack of respect for the conference.

 

 

I do like the Big Ten Network, nice fans at away games (until I visit Wisconsin), big city tourism, and........Chicago pizza.

We wouldn't have so many 11 am games if we took care of business.

[kchusker_chris]

1) I like this B1G this time of year. Basketball, whether it was the B1G move, the arena, Miles, or whatever has been elevated as a priority at Nebraska. I'm glad to be rid of Texas, although it would have been nice to be in that conference now. We went through 10 years of some of the most dominant longhorn teams in history, then bolted (after a butt-whooping) just when they were coming down from the clouds.

2) I miss the Big12 days, because i'm from KS and this is Big12 country. No one gives a sh1t about the B1G around here. Wanna listen to a game at the bar? It's going to be a Big12 game more times than not.

3) Only if Missouri/Colorado returned at the same time. The Big12 today is a shell of what it was.

4) The conference is weaker than I thought. Watching some of these games is pretty brutal. So many games remind me of watching a Kansas/Baylor game in the early 2000's. The top half isn't as good, and the bottom half is even worse.

5) Haven't developed one yet. OSU is making a run for it though w/ the hiring of Urban.

6) Meh. Just makes it harder to get into the top 4. 9 game conference schedule should help w/ that though.

7) OSU - if you mean the "stadium experience" and not just the structure - I'll admit part of it is because of the band

8) Probably too soon to tell...some of our major projects were already in the works.

9) ...enter the 'relevant' discussion.

[Excel]

Fourth year already? Seems like expansion was just yesterday.

[True2tRA]

Personally I like the Big Ten and thought this was a more natural fit from the get go. Basing that simply off the cultural similarities and the geographical locations that effect us much the same as the rest of the Big. I hate the 11 a.m. crap. I think it's ludicrous that some Big Ten stadiums don't have lighting for night games. Those would be my only complaints though. The Wisconsin - Nebraska rivalry is probably the one thing I am most excited about now with the new alignments. I thought the groundwork for something fierce was laid in our first few meetings. It just seems like a natural thing, not forced. I love Wisconsins fans, they seem to have a blast at games and the atmosphere in that stadium seems amongst the best I've seen yet. Many Husker fans were pretty offended by Wisconsin fans, which makes sense to me. Husker fans are pretty mild. I hope the games bring out the nasty from both sides, while keeping a mutual respect. Husker fans used to have the same love hate relationship with Oklahoma. Hated them, it respected them.

 

So far, I dig it. Let's hope the addition of Maryland and Rutgers adds more competition. Right now the Big is fairly top heavy. Ohio St. Obviously quite a ways ahead of everyone else. Michigan St, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Michigan are all kind of second fiddle right now. A little more consistent dominance from any one of us will make the league more interesting, but it would be nice for each of those schools to become constant national conversation pieces. It's not that far off I think.

[Excel]

Personally I like the Big Ten and thought this was a more natural fit from the get go. Basing that simply off the cultural similarities and the geographical locations that effect us much the same as the rest of the Big. I hate the 11 a.m. crap. I think it's ludicrous that some Big Ten stadiums don't have lighting for night games. Those would be my only complaints though. The Wisconsin - Nebraska rivalry is probably the one thing I am most excited about now with the new alignments. I thought the groundwork for something fierce was laid in our first few meetings. It just seems like a natural thing, not forced. I love Wisconsins fans, they seem to have a blast at games and the atmosphere in that stadium seems amongst the best I've seen yet. Many Husker fans were pretty offended by Wisconsin fans, which makes sense to me. Husker fans are pretty mild. I hope the games bring out the nasty from both sides, while keeping a mutual respect. Husker fans used to have the same love hate relationship with Oklahoma. Hated them, it respected them.

 

So far, I dig it. Let's hope the addition of Maryland and Rutgers adds more competition. Right now the Big is fairly top heavy. Ohio St. Obviously quite a ways ahead of everyone else. Michigan St, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Michigan are all kind of second fiddle right now. A little more consistent dominance from any one of us will make the league more interesting, but it would be nice for each of those schools to become constant national conversation pieces. It's not that far off I think.

 

You're absolutely right and what sucks so bad about it is now we're both relegated to a crappy division. Sure, I like the rivalries with the two mid-powers (UI & UofM) that we have, and I enjoy the NU-UW game but for the most part the West is going to be a snoozer, the one nice thing is that it'll be easier to win for either team. I'm really going to miss playing some of the East teams more frequently. Especially MSU and OSU.