[NU Sports] Interesting ND TV Revenue Article

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

Fascinating article and it appears to have a lot of logic in it as well.

Even more reason the Big Ten should play hardball and quit scheduling the Irish. Have you seen their 2009 schedule? Take away the tradition-rich ratings draws against Michigan and MSU (and to a lesser extent, Purdue) and you basically have NBC paying millions to broadcast the USC-ND game every two years. Wazzo in the AlamoDome ain't gonna bring in the crowds. Neither will Army, Navy, Air Force or Nevada.

The Big Ten does not need Notre Dame to survive, but if we want to vault up to this new elite stratosphere where the SEC is now (and where the Big XII is trying to get, although not everyone is leaping with OU/UT), adding Notre Dame and having the title game would be the way to do it.

But it has to be them coming to us, on our terms. 

I think most fans are fine with the way things are now. Only the talking heads on ESPN seem to be clamoring for a title game and they keep failing to realize that these so-called title games have become a joke. The Big XII title game has never matched the two best teams in its league up, and the #1 vs. #2 game last year was the exception rather than the rule in the SEC, where we've had to sit through Florida vs. Arkansas or LSU vs. Tennessee instead of LSU vs. Florida the past few years.

As for the ESPN/ABC discussion - ABC sports have all become "ESPN on ABC" the past few years anyway - pro and college - as they try and create their own brand. Just another reason for the Big Ten and Pac 10 to break away from this joke of a system called the B(C)S (aka the Big XII Championship System or Because they Come from the SEC) ... and take the Rose Bowl and its tradition apart in negotiations.

Rescue the Rose Bowl! Protect Pasadena!

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

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STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog at yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!