Post by southie on Sept 2, 2011 8:09:59 GMT -5
From the Detroit Free Press:
www.freep.com/article/20110902/COL08/109020439/Drew-Sharp-Big-Ten-can-t-hesitate-get-bigger-chance-arises?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE
Drew Sharp: Big Ten can't hesitate to get bigger if chance arises
The Big Ten (Plus Two) formally debuted Thursday night. It was a little late joining the 20th Century of college football with split divisions and conference championship games. But with Texas A&M officially announcing its intentions of leaving the Big 12, the 12-team conference will quickly become the Edsel of 2012.
The Big Ten (Plus Two) cannot be that slow in determining when it becomes a Plus Four.
The 16-team football uber-conference is coming and it's coming fast, perhaps as early as year's end. The conference's head honcho, Jim Delany, recently assured everyone that the Big Ten (Plus Two) isn't considering another expansion in the near future. It was quite happy with the 12 teams. But conference commissioners these days are like politicians in that they're trustworthy only until they open their mouths.
Delany doesn't want to come off as a corporate raider eagerly pouncing on the vulnerable. He must portray himself as politically correct and respectful of the rules of combat even though that rulebook changes on the fly. The Big Ten (Plus Two) is following the Texas A&M developments closely because if a garage sale of Big 12 teams occurs in the coming weeks, it will have to act quickly or risk getting stuck with programs that add little to nothing to the growing Big Ten Network national footprint.
Whenever there's expansion talk involving the Big Ten (Plus Two), Notre Dame will always get mentioned. The Irish would make the Big Ten Network one of the premier sports broadcasting entities in the country. It's a perfect marriage. But the truly smart move would be going after Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State and placing them in their own four-team division -- even if that means accepting Texas' independent Longhorn Network. The state of Texas remains a television gold mine.
Delany must keep them from going to the Pac-12. If he fails, then the Big Ten (Plus Two) loses even more national relevance in football.
Whoever gets Texas wins the arms race.
That was true last summer when Delany thought he pulled off a heist in snatching Nebraska from the Big 12. It's true now, especially considering how the 12-team super conference is now considered passé.
www.freep.com/article/20110902/COL08/109020439/Drew-Sharp-Big-Ten-can-t-hesitate-get-bigger-chance-arises?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE
Drew Sharp: Big Ten can't hesitate to get bigger if chance arises
The Big Ten (Plus Two) formally debuted Thursday night. It was a little late joining the 20th Century of college football with split divisions and conference championship games. But with Texas A&M officially announcing its intentions of leaving the Big 12, the 12-team conference will quickly become the Edsel of 2012.
The Big Ten (Plus Two) cannot be that slow in determining when it becomes a Plus Four.
The 16-team football uber-conference is coming and it's coming fast, perhaps as early as year's end. The conference's head honcho, Jim Delany, recently assured everyone that the Big Ten (Plus Two) isn't considering another expansion in the near future. It was quite happy with the 12 teams. But conference commissioners these days are like politicians in that they're trustworthy only until they open their mouths.
Delany doesn't want to come off as a corporate raider eagerly pouncing on the vulnerable. He must portray himself as politically correct and respectful of the rules of combat even though that rulebook changes on the fly. The Big Ten (Plus Two) is following the Texas A&M developments closely because if a garage sale of Big 12 teams occurs in the coming weeks, it will have to act quickly or risk getting stuck with programs that add little to nothing to the growing Big Ten Network national footprint.
Whenever there's expansion talk involving the Big Ten (Plus Two), Notre Dame will always get mentioned. The Irish would make the Big Ten Network one of the premier sports broadcasting entities in the country. It's a perfect marriage. But the truly smart move would be going after Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State and placing them in their own four-team division -- even if that means accepting Texas' independent Longhorn Network. The state of Texas remains a television gold mine.
Delany must keep them from going to the Pac-12. If he fails, then the Big Ten (Plus Two) loses even more national relevance in football.
Whoever gets Texas wins the arms race.
That was true last summer when Delany thought he pulled off a heist in snatching Nebraska from the Big 12. It's true now, especially considering how the 12-team super conference is now considered passé.