[NU Sports] FW: a view of Big Ten expansion

[Sportsbiz]

I promised myself I wasn't going to get into these expansion discussions
because I'm convinced it just isn't going to happen.  The presidents don't
want it; haven't wanted it for years and the Big Ten Network if anything has
convinced them of the propriety of that positions as there is no need to
split the money with one more member.  That said, the idea that UConn would
ever leave Big East basketball is as ludicrous as would be Michigan leaving
Big Ten football.  It just ain't gonna happen.  Not to mention that the last
time I checked a map, Connecticut didn't border a Big Ten state and I
thought any new member had to be in a state bordering an existing member
state.  Oh, and as to the NYC media market, it's a pro town and it really
doesn't matter which school you bring in, you still don't get the market
because college athletics is damn near invisible in NYC.

The Big XII option is fine with me if you have to expand, which I am
strongly against.  Mizzou is a decent program which brings 1/2 of KC and
most of St. Louis, so it's net add from a TV markets standpoint.  They have
no particularly strong sport these days, although football has been decent
lately and basketball is on the way back.  It would be better if they could
bring Nebraska and even Iowa State, since Kansas may be a reach, although
maybe not if both UNL and Mizzou were leaving.  That would bring all of KC
and a great basketball program (KU) and a restoring football program (on the
way Mike, almost there) as well as one which will be competitve for a while
with Turner Gill at the helm.  The deal only really makes the league
substantially better if you add three and all three come from the Big XII.
Mark

On Wed, Jan 20, 2010 at 11:27 PM, SjT (Stephen J. Truog)
<sjtruog at yahoo.com>wrote:

> One of the more interesting articles I've seen on the subject.
>
> I'm not advocating expansion at all (it's somewhere after the B(C)S on the
> evil list :) ) ... but he makes a point that UConn would offer more than the
> Rutgers or Syracuse names that are tossed about. And what we'd get in hoops
> prestige, they'd get in football prestige to make both somewhat happy. It's
> not much further than Piscata ... Punxataw ... wherever the heck New Jersey
> State University is :) and it doubles the megamarket with Boston and NYC.
>
> The second option with the Big XII is far less appealing, as the KU without
> KSU thing could wind up being like the UVa but not VaTech political hot
> potato ... besides, if you go that route, go with my Big Ten east/west
> one.:)
>
> Thanks for the article -- the talk was hot for awhile but quieted down
> suddenly ... either the Big Ten folks are focusing on an outstanding
> basketball season, someone in the front offices muzzled Barry Alvarez ... or
> they're up to some serious talking behind closed doors.:)
>
> GO CATS!!!
> -SjT
>
>
> * * * * * * * * *
> STEPHEN J. TRUOG
> sjtruog at yahoo.com
> GO CATS!!!
>
>
>
>
>
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