Big Ten expansion talk continues, divisions should be decided in 30 days
From left: Penn State coach Joe Paterno, Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany and Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne pose for a picture during Big Ten media days on Monday in Chicago.
AP photo
CHICAGO - Illinois coach Ron Zook, like most of his Big Ten colleagues, insists he hasn’t given much thought to the league's future expansion plans.
“Why do I spend time on something I have exactly no input in?” Zook said Monday at Big Ten football media days. “They’re going to make the decision. It’s all about this.”
As Zook rubbed his thumb and forefingers together, the inference was obvious.
But before Big Ten honchos decide whether growing their league beyond 12 teams - Nebraska officially joined in June, but doesn’t begin play until next fall - makes fiscal sense, there are other things to sort.
What teams should play in what divisions? Should the Big Ten host a championship football game? And, if so, where?
Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany and conference athletic directors met for several hours Monday to discuss possible division alignments. He said “several” scenarios remain in play, and a decision on that and where to host a championship game should be made in the next 30 days.
“I can see those studies taking weeks,” Delany said. “Maybe not months, but certainly weeks. And I expect when that’s done a championship venue will be identified, a television network to televise the championship game will be identified, a new logo will have been prepared.”
Michigan’s rivalries with Ohio State and Michigan State will be preserved, but Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said no decision has been made if the Wolverines and Buckeyes will be in the same division.
Delany reiterated the same principles for division alignment he laid out in June - competitive balance, preservation of rivalries and geography - and said he’ll consider the last 17 years, since Penn State joined the league in 1993, when assessing a program’s stature.
“Once you zone in on exactly which of the priorities we need, it becomes easier to kind of look at scenarios,” Brandon said. “So we got through that work and there was tremendous commonality among the group. Very few issues as it relates to how we’re going to do that.”
As division rivals, Michigan and Ohio State would continue to play the final game of the regular season. In separate divisions, the Wolverines and Buckeyes could play the Big Ten’s marquee game twice a year, with a rematch in the championship game.
Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said he has no preference how often or in what format the teams meet, so long as they do every season.
“I think it will sell out if you play three times a week in Ann Arbor, Columbus or Chicago,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t think it’ll be any problem with that game selling out.”
As for a championship game, Delany said stadiums or sports commissions in six cities - Detroit, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Chicago, Cleveland and Green Bay - have contacted the league about being host.
Most likely, he said the Big Ten will take a cautious approach and decide where to play its inaugural game this fall, then discuss whether to rotate venues and the merits of playing at an indoor or outdoor stadium next spring.
By that time, the league will have completed its expansion study - the original 12- to 18-month timetable laid out last December remains intact - and there will be some clarity on how big the Big Ten will grow.
"Nebraska is going to be with us next year, and we don't know about the future," Delany said. "A lot of it will depend upon the direction we get from our presidents in December. So we're full-speed ahead with the transition, integration of Nebraska, the creation of divisions, the selection of a venue, the identification of a television partner, and then the scheduling of all the other sports.
"I'm not giving any thought to more expansion until we work through the establishment of divisions and football schedules next year."
Mike Rothstein contributed to this report.
Dave Birkett covers University of Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at 734-623-2552 or by e-mail at davidbirkett@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
Comments
Lokalisierung
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 4:45 p.m.
"Or, the OSU - M game may not be played at all if in separate divisions. It becomes non-existent." Absolutely 0% chance of this happeneing. It's the Big 10s biggest draw and has the most national excitment that goes along with it. college football, along with any other Business, is all about making money and they aren't gunna throw away a proven winner for any reason. Also, I wouldn't exactly agree that the game would be "subordinate" to the championship game. It may be, it may not be. OSUvUM is a nationally known game....if the championship game is OSU vs. Iowa, OSU vs. Indiana, or MSU vs. Ill.....not as many people are going to care about it. I mean standings wise of course it would be subordinate....that's the whole point.
David Vande Bunte
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 11:52 a.m.
Jaxon, the U of M/Ohio State game will ALWAYS be. They are planning on 9 conference games. That means you play everyone from your division (5 games) and 4 of the other 6 teams. Even if Michigan and Ohio State are split up, much like they have now, they will have guaranteed rivalry games, where Ohio State would be a permanent opponent from the other division. The Big Ten already has a somewhat rotating schedule, but Michigan always plays MSU and OSU as permanent rivalries. No reason to think any divisional realignment would change that.
3 And Out
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 1:43 a.m.
It would be very cool if they rotated the BT Championship game among the best and biggest venues: The Big House...Ford Field... Lambeau...Soldier Field...maybe Indianapolis... The shoe and Crappy Valley too... that would be fun and very revenue generating.
jameslucas
Mon, Aug 2, 2010 : 10:12 p.m.
The Big Ten will host a chanpionship game, it does not matter were The Big Ten Championship game is played, its the rivalries that are important. I would like to see locked in division rival games, to end the regular season every year, spread out over three days of the four day thanksgiving weekend, so all the games would be televised, without any game competing against any other games broadcast time slot. A lot of fans have a long thanksgiving weekend; this would allow fans to watch every game live on television. Scheduling the games this way would also allow you to travel to as many as three of the six games. It would do what no other conference can, put together six sold out games in the same week. I think this would create a buzz that can help with bowl invitations to the ten teams that can not play in the Big Ten Championship game. This is Thanksgiving Weekend for Big Ten Rivalries. Eastern Time Zone Division Games 3rd Day The Game Michigan Ohio State 2nd Day The Land Grant Game Pen State Michigan State 1st Day The Old Oaken Bucket Game Purdue Indiana Central Time Zone Division Games 3rd Day The Polka Game Nebraska Iowa 2nd Day The Slab of Bacon Game Minnesota Wisconsin 1st Day The Land of Lincoln Game Northwestern Illinois
truebluefan
Mon, Aug 2, 2010 : 10 p.m.
I certainly respect what those three gentlemen in the picture have accomplished in life, but, man they each take the top prize for worst dressed.
Jaxon5
Mon, Aug 2, 2010 : 8:56 p.m.
"As division rivals, Michigan and Ohio State would continue to play the final game of the regular season." But then there would be another game of more importance after the OSU M game - the conference championship. OSU M game is therefore subordinate to the conference game. "In separate divisions, the Wolverines and Buckeyes could play the Big Tens marquee game twice a year, with a rematch in the championship game." Or, the OSU - M game may not be played at all if in separate divisions. It becomes non-existent. Every year the conference championship would be the biggest game. The OSU - M game will always be second. Occasionally, they may play each other in conference championship, but likelihood is low that they would each rise to top of their separate divisions in the same year. The days of the Big 2 are over with the division structure of the Big 10.