Posted on 11/06/2018 9:50:29 AM PST by C19fan
There are no take-backs when it comes to conference expansion. Once you add teams to your league, you’re stuck with them until further notice.
That’s the unfortunate reality right now for the Big Ten, which would be justified in feeling a small measure of buyer’s remorse for Maryland and Rutgers, two schools that joined the league during its last round of expansion in 2014 and have spent much of this season making the wrong kind of headlines. The additions were designed to increase the league’s TV revenue potential and expanding its footprint to the Washington D.C. and New York/New Jersey markets—a logical business move at the time, although cord-cutting threatens to erode the long-term gains. But commissioner Jim Delany took criticism for other aspects of the move back then, and the decision surely doesn’t look much better now.
(Excerpt) Read more at si.com ...
college football died years ago. espn killed it. realignment was the murder weapon. what exists in it’s place is a prostitute that pukes cash for espn, and a free farm system for the nfl.
ironically, it was the playoff system that was the final nail in it’s coffin; playoff advocate fans foolishly bought the BS that it would correct the iniquities that people saw in college football, when, in reality, it backed those iniquities into the cake permanently.
the playoff system is just another means of enforcing the status quo.
It was a money grab right from the start. Neither program is competitive or threatens to be competitive. Ever.
Cord cutting is going to take a bite out of conference revenues but I suspect, not nearly as much as lots of others like ESPN get hurt by it. People will still pay for Direct TV or Playstation Vue or Sling so they can get the conference network of the conference they’re interested in. It won’t be as much revenue as a regular cable subscription but they’ll still make pretty good money from their TV rights.
backed = baked. damn ios autocorrect **stards.
I miss the Southwest Conference.
And Nebraska never fit in the Big Ten. That’s why their program has sunk to where it is now, although they will get better with Frost, but I don’t see them back in the elite like they once were.
Maryland usually has a top 25 basketball programs. Rutgers is useless.
Well they did it strictly for money. Recordings of their deliberations prove it. They said the media markets of NYC and Atlantic Seaboard would not only make them more palatable to major media markets and networks, but also assist recruiting in the player rich regions. College football is ALL about the MONEY! And colleges spend ALL the money inside their athletic departments. Do not share with academic side, do not hire Nobel Prize winners. Say they support non-revenue producing sports like Lacrosse and women’s sports. Real racket.
Rly???
Somebody doesn't know what they are talking about.
Bad headlines are everywhere. Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan State, etc. They added those two schools in large part to gain the TV audience.
Rutgers was added primarily to get the NE TV audience.
“they will get better with Frost, but I don’t see them back in the elite like they once were.”
Very true. Frost is a great motivator, but it will take time. Sure, that’s what is always said about a new coach. But Frost will get Nebraska back to winning seasons. That is the first step. I don’t expect a return to the glory years anytime soon. Elite teams are recruiting machines with talent to spare in most positions. It’s very hard for losing teams to achieve Elite status.
How bad did they beat the Gophers? Keep ‘em. That they were added to the “Big 10” is a signal. No football program is an island.
If the B1G has a fault, it is two headed monster in establishing their TV Network. If you want the APP on your phone you have to have in addition a valid carrier like Spectrum, AT&T or Centurylink schooling can't help). Thus you need the extra sports package on many Cable providers, plus $14.95 a month for the phone APP.
Once the B1G Network recognizes that they are taking a hit on phone sales (if they even care because they do know), giving access to phone or device separate from Cable will be a boon!
Every school in the B1G is in the process of updating or replacing Basketball and Sports Centers with the state of the art due to the increased revenue from the Network.
One day both Maryland and Rutgers will get to bowl games. But they don't need a bowl game based on B1G Bowl Revenue Distribution. The B1G splits bowl revenue 15 ways. Each team gets an equal amount, but the team playing that game gets two shares. This ensures that all schools are raised yet again.
Maryland and Rutgers give the east coast and NYC markets. They wanted Oklahoma or Texas initially when expanding to 14 teams.
Further conference growth will push them to 16 schools. If they NCAA Div 1 add just a few more schools to allow for six 16 school conferences it will become a reality and post season play will breakdown along those lines. How they do a Football Post season might see expansion to an 8 school format. The NCAA and NIT Basketball tournaments will continue to thrive in that environment.
In essence, the money and lack of politics is refreshing when watching the B1G Network. The cost of just cable and internet puts them north of $100 in most markets; add the phone/device APP and $120 annual or $14.95 monthly makes them out of "league" for most for dual purchase of their Tier'd product line. Should the BiG find a way to sell their product online without the major cable providers locking them out of the Internet market, they will cause further erosion of the ESPN network (SEC Network Home). The SEC will continue to vie for less over time unless they uncouple their network from ESPN; however, the SEC benefits greatly from being the Home-Brand with the raw-raw. Imagine them hosting a Jim Harbaugh or Jim Tressel Show or any other coach from the B1G as a homer everyweek as they do with the skinny glasses Bama Guy?
“It was a pure money grab worth an estimated $50 MM a year to the Big 10 - 14. Both schools have zero football tradition. At least Maryland brought something to the table basketball wise. Nobody cares or will care about Rutgers athletics in the New York City metro area.”
Agreed. It was all about the money. I’m a University of Minnesota alum and 20+ years later, I’m still irritated about having Penn State in the Big 10.
Call me traditionalist, call me stupid, etc. but I believe that geography should always play a part in these conferences. Instead of Rutgers and Maryland, I’d have preferred to have Iowa State or Missouri join the Big 10.
It was done for one reason. To add the New York and D.C. television markets.
The Big 10 is very happy with their decision, believe me.
Well the Big Whatever had to add a couple of teams Illinois has a chance to beat.
They’re still better than the Gophers and Hoosiers.
dfwgator wrote: “And Nebraska never fit in the Big Ten. That’s why their program has sunk to where it is now, although they will get better with Frost, but I don’t see them back in the elite like they once were.”
The demise of Nebraska football was well underway prior to Nebraska joining the B10. The demise of Nebraska football was caused by Prop 48.
not better than Gopher hockey...
Hey Big Ten, you could have had UConn instead. Sure, UConn football is bad, but at least our head coach didn’t get a player to get heatstroke (Maryland) or have a player charged with murder (Rutgers, or as The-Boneyard.com (a UConn fansite) calls them RutGals)
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