Interesting that NBC is involved with the Big Ten media rights deal, considering the only thing they've ever had in the college football space is.... Notre Dame. Rumor has it that Fox contacted ND to get them into the league and it went like this:
1. ND went to NBC to ask if they could pay more than what the Big Ten school would get...
2. NBC said no, except maybe if they were involved in a Big Ten deal...
3. Then NBC went to FOX and floated an idea of competing against ESPN
4. Now NBC and FOX may leverage the new media rights deal to show ND they are better off in the Big Ten
Very interesting. We will see what happens, but I actually would really like Notre Dame in the conference. I think they add a lot, not just for football either. They have a very rich athletics program and I would love seeing some of those rivalries back as well. Now with USC in the conference, it makes more sense than ever.
If it were to happen, that puts the Big Ten at 17 teams. I'd expect them to add 3 west coast teams at that point, most likely Stanford, Washington, and Oregon.
I'm sure the powers that be would do all they can to minimize the impact on their "favorite sons". I'd be willing to bet we still open the conference schedule, as Willie Nelson would sing, "On The Road Again". Anyway, the schedule makers would have a lotta fun with those 20 teams to pick from.
I would like to see ND in the conference but no thanks to Wash and Oregon. If they think they have to have another west coast team take Stanford and the look south for further expansion. Wash and Oregon would become as irrelevant as Maryland in the B1G.
I would like to see ND in the conference but no thanks to Wash and Oregon. If they think they have to have another west coast team take Stanford and the look south for further expansion. Wash and Oregon would become as irrelevant as Maryland in the B1G.
A team that has been to the National Title game twice in the last 10-12 years is "irrelevant"?
Not sure I'd say quite that.
All interesting fodder. I'd like to see ND in the BIG as well. As far as expansion goes I've gotten to he point I just like to see interesting matchups regardless of the Bowls or BCS. If the conference has legit teams I'm all for regular season matchups that would otherwise be exciting conference championship or top tier bowl/BCS matchups on a near weekly schedule; brutal yes, but exciting:
PSU vs: OSU, Mich, USC, WA, ND, WI, Oregon, ...
I know it won't happen but for some reason I'd like to one of the service academies in the BIG and throw in Clemson, Texas-AM, VATech, or UVa
I would like to see ND in the conference but no thanks to Wash and Oregon. If they think they have to have another west coast team take Stanford and the look south for further expansion. Wash and Oregon would become as irrelevant as Maryland in the B1G.
A team that has been to the National Title game twice in the last 10-12 years is "irrelevant"?
Not sure I'd say quite that.
I didn't mean they are they are irrelevant now, I meant they would become irrelevant in the B1G. IMO the only reason Oregon even is relevant today is because the conference they are in sucks. Put them in a competitive conference that has multiple national championship contenders and they will become nothing more than middle of the pack nobodies just like Nebraska. The luster and appeal of their ridiculous uniforms won't be enough to attract high level recruits when they're losing on the field.
Prog
Boston College, for the New England market
ND, because
Stanford, academic beast
Oregon, I like the Nike swoosh
