With all the talk of college conference reformations and super powers, it’s time for the Big Ten to do two things.
First, change its name.
The Big Ten is a symbol of where the conference has been, not where it is going. And we all know in due time it is going to become a 16-team conference right alongside the Southeastern Conference and the Pac-12 (soon to be 16).
If the Big Ten wants to compete in the two most important revenue sports—men’s basketball and football—and grow its lucrative Big Ten Network along the way, conference officials know they must grow the league.
In this ultra-competitive landscape for recruits, sponsors, donors and broadcast partners, the Big Ten can’t afford to stand pat. That means they need to grow beyond its current 12-school roster. And in the midst of all this change, keeping the Big Ten moniker just looks silly.
It’s time to lose the name, and while they’re at it, they need to lose all references to the number of schools in the conference, since that will likely be changing in the near-term. And at this point, who really knows what’s going to happen in the long-term.
If the Big Ten doesn’t take some deft action, it is going to find itself far behind in the arms race that is college athletics.
Which brings me to the next thing the Big Ten needs to do. Put the squeeze on Notre Dame.
If the Big Ten is going to be one of the true super conferences, it needs one more power in football and basketball. Throw in its academic prowess national draw, and Notre Dame quickly becomes the school the Big Ten has to have.
Just how to lure Notre Dame to the Big Ten is another matter. That’s where squeezing comes into play.
There are two financial points worth making here. First, people love to bring up Notre Dame’s TV contract—it’s too lucrative for ND’s football program not to be independent, and they’ll never share that NBC TV contract.
Rubbish. Most if not all the Big Ten schools will make more in the long run through the Big Ten Network than ND will make through its NBC contract. I chronicled those numbers in a previous blog post.
And the Big Ten Network would become a lot fatter cash cow if ND were in the barn with the rest of the Big Ten stock. Obviously ND’s non-football programs would be much better off in the Big Ten than the Big East.
In the short-term, the Big Ten should allow ND to keep its NBC money. Then when that contract expires, some kind of split should be worked out if NBC still wants to air Irish football games.
Here’s where the squeeze comes in. Notre Dame needs Big Ten as bad as the Big Ten needs Notre Dame. The only reason the Irish can exist as an independent is because the likes of Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue keep scheduling high-profile out-of-conference football games against them.
Stop it. The Big Ten needs to flat out boycott all Notre Dame sports, especially football. The Big Ten—and all of its schools—need to take a stand; either you’re with us or you’re against us.
Because here’s the deal. Football is the biggest money maker of all. And if these super conferences spurn the NCAA and start their own playoff system, the potential revenue from that line becomes even greater.
In that scenario, it’s important for the Big Ten to be able to stand toe-to-toe with any rival conference. Right now, the conference is chasing the SEC. For those numbers, stay tuned to a near future print issue of IBJ. The Pac-12 is poised to move up the food chain.
Texas A&M will soon make the leap to the SEC, fortifying their already substantial ranks. The Pac-12 is eyeing Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas Tech.
The serious courtship is underway. And for all the talk about the Big Ten adding Missouri, Rutgers and who knows who else, there’s only one partner the conference can’t afford not to land.
It's time the Big Ten uses a little tough love to invite Notre Dame into the family. If that doesn't work, a squeeze may be more appropriate.
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The name may need to change. the adjective and numerical moniker doesn't define it like it use to. But adding teams needs a little more thought and cooperative action to persuade anyone to want to "play ball" with you.
As to renaming the Big 10, this makes logical sense but there's an "Old School" cache to the name that transcends the number. And "Big Midwest" sounds lame to me.
I hope the Big 10 poobahs will get in the hunt now and recruit Pitt, Missouri, Rutgers and Notre Dame to make it a 16 team power conference.
Boycotting the Irish will not force them to do anything. Do you think for one second there wont be 12 more teams lined up to play the Irish? I wish it would work because I would love to see them join the Big 10 but it just wouldnt have any impact.
Even Fielding Yost back in the early 1900's quit playing them for a while...same deal...hated losing. Fact is, Notre Dame used to be a really good football team.
As to your point Anthony, they probably do need to call it something else besides the Big 10 now that it is 12 going on 16 teams...and it would likely be a great thing for both Notre Dame and the Big Ten if they could put something like that together. If Jim Delaney is half as good a Commissioner as he thinks he is (and he thinks he is mighty good), then he should be able to woo Notre Dame with all that Big Ten (or whatever we call it) network money...it does make geographical sense, it would help ND recruit...Let's face it, right now the only people who think Notre Dame is a national power are the alumni and fans...they have not been a factor in the national conversation for a really long time...this could be a win win for both parties, it could help make them relevant again...assuming Patrick can get over his hurt feelings that Michigan took their ball and went home in 1909, 1940, and 1978. Truth is, I don't really care what Notre Dame does, and the Big 10,11,12,16 will be fine if they don't come along for the ride.
I would not want to be Baylor, KU, KSU or Iowa State right now...Conference USA is calling you.
As for a new name I would lean toward The Big Ugly, which is what the rest of the country thinks of the B10 anyway based on the perceived play of football and basketball!
First, the Big Ten should absolutely not change its name. "Big Ten" as a brand has a great deal of value and, as the oldest collegiate athletic conference, 115 years of legacy. Changing the name to "Big Midwest" or something of the sort would foresake all of that history and any value currently in the brand (plus, put arbitrary restrictions--at least hypothetically--on recruiting new members). It does not matter how many teams there are, the conference will (and should) always be the Big Ten.
And as for shunning Notre Dame, they could certainly do that. Of course, that would mean foregoing any cut in the NBC revenues for playing Notre Dame. And if you think Notre Dame can't survive without the Big Ten, you're crazy. They could join any other major conference (they are already in the Big East for basketball, for example). The problem is that, if they join any conference, they would probably have to give up some of their rivalry games in football. The college football season is simply not long enough for them to squeeze in a full conference schedule of 8 games along with all of the rivalry games they currently play.
I'd love to have Notre Dame in the Big Ten... I think they'd be a great fit for the conference. But I think you'd better get use to the idea that it's not going to happen as long as they have compelling reasons not to join.
But as a replacement name for "The Big Ten" though...come on, even in the past it was The Big Ten even during the interregnum between UChicago leaving and Michigan State joining.
Let's not get hung up on numerals, everyone knows what the Big Ten is, there is no need to change the name if it goes to 14 or 16 teams.
I've heard everything from ND has open invite to the BIG (Ten) for years to ND won't join any conference in football unless it's hands were forced.
If the superconferences adds a playoff to college football, ND will have to join some conference and obviously the BIG makes sense.
Michigan and other teams did boycott ND (except Purdue and MSU which is why they still play them), which is what made ND a national team in the first place. They had to travel around to find people to play, which garnered them a large fan base in far-flung places like California, Pennsylvania, NY, NJ, etc.
ND is one of the only teams in college football (if not the only) to have a truly national fan base. The Big Ten boycotting them would not effect ND at all.
And as for money, thats silly too. While ND doesn't make as much per year from its TV contract due to profit sharing, they also don't have to share their bowl revenues. And only ND and Texas have football programs that have revenues over a $100 million dollars a year. ND gets to keep all that, and has a multi-billion dollar endowment for a small school of 8,000 students. They don't need the money.
This article proposes that ND needs the Big Ten, but the fact of the matter is that the Big Ten needs ND. The Big Ten used to be college footballs best conference, but because of demographic changes and shrinking populations in the Midwest, its now the SEC (and has been for some time). The PAC whatever is expanding and picking up top-flight programs which want to join the PAC, or the SEC. Nebraska picked the Big Ten, but you'll notice that the heavy hitters of Oklahoma and Texas haven't even considered the Big Ten.
The Big Ten needs to gain TV markets and teams to stay relevant, and their only options outside of ND are Missouri, Syracuse, Rutgers, and Pitt, while the SEC/PAC chase Texas, Oklahoma, Florida State, Clemson. Ask yourself who needs who more.
(Oklahoma next year)! There is not enough competition in the Big Ten. It is a weak conference whether local fans want to admit it or not. Michigan and Michigan State are strong but ND plays them already. Ohio State is the only other challenge. While others may deny it, there was a time when the Big Ten boycotted ND because of religion. ND will remain independent until they are denied the possibilty of playing in a BCS game because of their independence. BTW- we do not have fans all over the country because we play teams all over the country. Those other teams are rooting for their own. We have fans from all over the country because ND is a strong academic institution that draws from all over the country. Its alumni are strong everywhere.