[NU Sports] Penn State in the Big Ten

[neonrye at aol.com]

I think, on balance, that PSU joining the Big Ten has worked out well for all concerned.  Penn State's traditional natural football rivals were really Pitt and Syracuse.  Pitt is finally back as a quasi-power, after years of mediocrity, and my daughter's alma mater, 'Cuse, has become a gridiron joke, while maintaining its hoops mojo.  When I was growing up in the NY area, and in the years that followed, including my time at NU in the early '70's (like Roy) Penn State was always getting disrespected in terms of being unable to gain the National Crown, no matter how good Joe Pa's team and record were.  I think that Happy Valley's team is now taken more seriously by the national media after butting heads year in and year outwith the likes of tOSU, Michigan (before RichRod), Wisky, Iowa and dear old NU, not to mention some of its great end-of-season games with Sparty.  Penn State has a fairly high profile in NY, and as a result, the Big Ten gets more play here than it would if the Big Ten's Eastern border stopped at the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line.  If logic (and not $$) prevailed, the 12th BT team would finally be Notre Dame (notwithstanding all the gnashing of teeth I am now hearing).  Failing that, I think Mizzou is a logical pick--good academics (including a world-class journalism program), a geographic and cultural fit, and adding the St. Louis and Kansas City television markets--plus natural border rivalries with the Hawkeyes and Illini.  I would love to see Rutgers added, from a selfish, I can now see the 'Cats more often, perspective--but I am not sure RU is a cultural fit.  It is far more Eastern than PSU.  But of all the Eastern schools mentioned ('Cuse, UConn, Pitt), it would make the most sense, and probably would not be a great loss to the Big East (certainly not in hoops, as Rutgers is truly awful in roundball).

Paul Levinson






-----Original Message-----
From: Dennis W. Brandt <tbng at comcast.net>
To: Northwestern Wildcats <nwu-sports at tssi.com>
Sent: Sat, Feb 13, 2010 8:46 pm
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Penn State in the Big Ten


I've always thought Penn State joining the Big Ten was a mistake, that from a Pennsylvanian's perspective. Their natural rivalries vanished. Ohio State provides that rivalry, but the rest of the Big Ten teams do not. Connecticut, West Virginia, Rutgers, and Pitt would and have become good teams that could provide competition. Penn State is an eastern team that should play other eastern teams. For the same reason, Texas should stay in the SWC and fight to get a lucrative TV network if it wants more money. They aren't likely to move, so it's all moot anyway.  
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