Category: College Football (Page 105 of 296)

      TV revenues would double if Big Ten expands

      May 16, 2010 /

      So says a report by the Chicago Tribune:

      Last year, schools received roughly $9 million each from the conference’s deal with ABC/ESPN and another $7 million to $8 million from the BTN. Add revenue from bowl games, the NCAA basketball tournament and licensing, and you arrive at the estimated $22 million-a-year distribution figure that’s the envy of every Division I school outside the Southeastern Conference.

      If the Big Ten expands and chooses the right schools, conference officials have seen estimates of television revenues doubling by 2015-16.

      If the conference could lock up the tri-state area (New York/New Jersey/Connecticut) by adding schools such as Rutgers, Syracuse and Connecticut — granted, a big “if” — it could add more than 9 million TV households. Rutgers is also an hour from Philadelphia and its 2.95 million households.

      “That’s a lot of homes,” one TV executive said, “and a lot of money.”

      As the article points out, if the Big Ten wants to maximize TV revenues, the conference could start scheduling more games during the weekday – specifically on Thursday nights. Ohio State and Indiana will host night games on Thursday, September 2, so maybe the conference is growing less apprehensive of scheduling weekday contests.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      College Football, External Sports

      What are the real reasons why Notre Dame shouldn’t join the Big Ten?

      May 12, 2010 /

      I just read an opinion piece over at Leprechaun Legion that argues that Notre Dame should not join the Big Ten. Here are the writer’s main points:

      The biggest reason why universities are considering the move to the Big 10 is to put their respective athletic programs in a place to potentially win championships. The Big 10 offers a platform to play in BCS Bowls (Rose Bowl, etc.) and in a National Title game.

      Notre Dame has their own deal with the BCS. The Irish receive an automatic birth in the BCS if they finish in the top eight.

      Notre Dame does have a sweetheart deal, but if the Irish joined the Big Ten and finished in the top eight, they’d still very likely play in a BCS game. It’s not like joining the conference would reduce Notre Dame’s chances of playing in a BCS bowl.

      The Irish are a member of the Big East in most other sports, which provides a great platform to reach the NCAA tournaments for each sport.

      Notre Dame does not need to join a conference to succeed in football, or any other sport.

      Is anyone arguing that the Irish have to join the Big Ten to succeed at football, or any other sport? Isn’t the argument that the Big Ten is better than the Big East and that Notre Dame is a much better geographic fit in the Big Ten?

      Continue reading »

      College Basketball, College Football, External Sports

      Big Ten invites four schools to join

      May 10, 2010 /

      According to 810 WHB out of Kansas City, the Big Ten has made “informal” invitations to four schools to join the conference.

      The Big Ten Conference has extended initial offers to join the league to four universities including Missouri and Nebraska from the Big 12, according to multiple sources close to the negotiations.

      While nothing can be approved until the Big Ten presidents and chancellors meet the first week of June in Chicago, the league has informed the two Big 12 schools, Notre Dame and Rutgers that it would like to have them join. It is not yet clear whether the Big Ten will expand to 14 or 16 teams but sources indicated Missouri and Nebraska are invited in either scenario. Notre Dame has repeatedly declined the opportunity to join the Big Ten. If Notre Dame remains independent, Rutgers would be the 14th team. The Big Ten would then decide whether to stop at 14 or extend offers to two other schools. If Notre Dame joins, sources say an offer will be extended to one other school making it a 16-team league.

      It’s a little frustrating that the Big Ten calls itself that even though it has 11 teams. Now they’re going to expand to 14 or 16 teams, and for what?

      It makes a lot of sense to continue to convince Notre Dame to join. Geographically, that’s the move that makes the most sense. But the Fighting Irish seem intent on keeping their football independence, so the next logical choice would be Missouri, since it borders Iowa and Illinois, but I don’t like the fact that the Big Ten is trying to pluck the Big 12 stalwart.

      And 12 teams is the perfect number. In basketball, it’s a small enough conference where a team can play every other team twice (home/away) while in football, it would allow for two divisions of six-teams each. Once you start going to 14 or 16 teams, it’s impossible for basketball to have a balanced schedule.

      Easier said than done, but the Big Ten should convince Notre Dame to join the league and then change its name to the Big Midwest. Case closed.

      Update: The Big Ten denies inviting any schools to join.

      College Basketball, College Football, External Sports

      Should Nebraska join the Big Ten?

      May 4, 2010 /

      Tom Shatel of the Omaha World-Herald thinks the Huskers should:

      Why would Nebraska want to join the Big Ten?
      Two reasons. Revenue. Security. Big Ten members already are raking in $22 million each per year, thanks in large part to the Big Ten Network. Grow the network and grow the earning potential. That’s about $15 million more than what NU gets from the Big 12. Think of what you can do with $15 more million per year.

      Then there’s long-term security. Does anyone really trust that the Big 12 will stay together or be something that NU would want to be part of? How does Nebraska vs. TCU/New Mexico/Colorado State grab you?

      Why would the Big Ten want Nebraska?
      The national profile to boost Big Ten network numbers, plain and simple. CBSsports.com reported that the Big Ten Network is getting a subscription fee of 70 cents per subscriber within the eight-state Big Ten region; outside the region it’s 10 cents per subscriber. If the Big Ten can increase the market outside its region, the subscription price would soon follow. NU may not have the TV sets in Nebraska, but they have the TV sets around the country, from Maine to Florida to California. NU also brings sizzle. Rutgers and Mizzou don’t.

      The biggest problem that Nebraska would have if it moved to the Big Ten would be recruiting. The Huskers do a ton of recruiting in the talent-rich state of Texas and if they moved to the Big Ten, they would likely have a much tougher time convincing blue chippers to play against the likes of Ohio State and Michigan every year, as opposed to UT.

      That said, Nebraska is a tradition-rich program and would fit well with a tradition-rich conference like the Big Ten. (Although I’m sorry, but there may be nothing more boring than Nebraska-Iowa every year.)

      College Football, External Sports

      Sam Bradford to command $50 million guaranteed?

      April 18, 2010 /

      An ESPN.com report by Adam Schefter says that Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford will command in the range of $50 million in guaranteed money when he signs as the No. 1 overall pick in next week’s draft.

      The contract for the No. 1 overall pick will likely be staggering. Bradford’s contract is expected to pay him an average of $13 million a season with roughly $50 million in guaranteed money. These figures are based on the past two drafts, when Matt Ryan and Matthew Stafford were the first quarterbacks picked.

      Two years ago, the Falcons’ Ryan received $34 million in guaranteed money on a deal that averages $11 million a season. Stafford, who was picked No. 1 last season by the Lions, received $42 million in guaranteed money on his deal, which averages $12 million a season.

      It’s no secret that the rookie salary structure is completely ludicrous in the NFL and it’s something that the league will eventually have to change or else it’ll keep getting worse. A player that has never once stepped on the field should never command more money than anyone on the team’s current roster. It just doesn’t make any sense.

      That said, Bradford might as well cash in when he can. If the owners and player’s union come together on a new CBA deal for next season, one of the items that might be changed is the salary structure for rookies. Commissioner Roger Goodell is on record saying that the league could make a change, but he’s going to need the approval of the player’s union first, which could prove to be a high hurdle to jump.

      College Football, NFL, NFL Draft

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