B1G moving conf tourny to DC in 2017

[ericd7633]

According to reports. I think this is a great idea for the conference. Finally getting some forward thinking out of the conference office.

 

[ChicagoIrish]

Why would you move it out of your region though?

Doesn't make much sense to me

 

[ericd7633]

Why would you move it out of your region though?

Doesn't make much sense to me

For added exposure for the conference. By adding Rutgers and MD they clearly want an east coast foot print. This will only help see that idea through. Plus there are a ton of alumni from the conference on the east coast. Plus it's not like having it in indy or Chicago makes Iowa, Nebraska or Minnesota fans attend. This won't hurt Ohio State or the Michigan schools one bit.

 

[podsox]

the tourney was sold out the last 2 seasons months before it was played. I expect half empty arenas for most of the tourney in DC.

 

[NDHoosier101]

I don't like it. I understand the need to expand their footprint in football, but keep our bball in the Midwest.

 

[Smart]

For added exposure for the conference. By adding Rutgers and MD they clearly want an east coast foot print. This will only help see that idea through. Plus there are a ton of alumni from the conference on the east coast. Plus it's not like having it in indy or Chicago makes Iowa, Nebraska or Minnesota fans attend. This won't hurt Ohio State or the Michigan schools one bit.

But in Chicago, it does. All the B1G schools have tons of alumni there and every game sells out. There isn't as big of an alumni base in Indy, but it's also cheaper and easily driveable from Chicago and at least eight of the campuses.

Washington has neither. If they wind up doing a 4 year rotation, there might be enough vanity to get big attendance, but Washington will not be effective as a yearly host or even an ever other year host.

If it were up to me, they should do a rotation like this:

Chicago
Indy
(Third City)

with the (Third City) being a bid-based rotation between cities like Washington, New York, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Detroit, and St. Louis.

 

[The Derski]

stupid. Rutgers and Maryland should not be in the B1G either.

 

[ckhokie]

Very stupid.

You may be able to pull a few Penn State fans? But DC is hardly a UMDCP town.

 

[wildturkey]

Well this has potential to be a disaster for them. The DMV (DC-Maryland-Virginia) barely gave a rat's ass about the ACC so I can't see the Big 10 getting more fans in the seats. Basically, DC only cares about the Redskins.

 

[H2S]

I doubt they'll have any trouble filling a stadium in DC with B1G fans.
As a matter of fact, there's probably not a stadium in the country that wouldn't sell out for that goddamned worthless commercial extravaganza.
Folks have a hard time comprehending just how many millions of B1G alumni, families and supporters live outside the Midwest.

Michigan State, alone, has over 500,000 living alumni...and less than 250,000 of them live in Michigan. Ohio State, Minnesota, Michigan, etc boast similar numbers. Hell, I heard that the Penn State alumni Group here in Atlanta was larger than either the Tennessee or Alabama alumni groups.

 

[The Derski]

I doubt they'll have any trouble filling a stadium in DC with B1G fans.
As a matter of fact, there's probably not a stadium in the country that wouldn't sell out for that goddamned worthless commercial extravaganza.
Folks have a hard time comprehending just how many millions of B1G alumni, families and supporters live outside the Midwest.

Michigan State, alone, has over 500,000 living alumni...and less than 250,000 of them live in Michigan. Ohio State, Minnesota, Michigan, etc boast similar numbers. Hell, I heard that the Penn State alumni Group here in Atlanta was larger than either the Tennessee or Alabama alumni groups.

I have no doubt the arena will be packed. The problem with me is DC is in now way, shape or form, Big Ten Country. They should keep the tournament in the midwest. I was upset when Rutgers and Maryland joined...

 

[ericd7633]

I don't understand this whole concept of keeping everything tied to the Midwest. Let's be honest the B1G has been lacking in any kind of progressive thinking. The Midwest produces very little in terms of football recruiting and while it does produce a lot of players in basketball the B1G teams are losing out on all those players. Just look at the 2014 recruiting class. There were 24 players that came from B1G territory and the conference signed a whopping 5 of them. They need to have a presence on the east coast. Just look at the recruiting the ACC is doing. The B1G has been a good basketball conference the last 4 years or so, but the lack of recruiting has me thinking the conference is going to take a step back.

 

[H2S]

I don't understand this whole concept of keeping everything tied to the Midwest. Let's be honest the B1G has been lacking in any kind of progressive thinking. The Midwest produces very little in terms of football recruiting and while it does produce a lot of players in basketball the B1G teams are losing out on all those players. Just look at the 2014 recruiting class. There were 24 players that came from B1G territory and the conference signed a whopping 5 of them. They need to have a presence on the east coast. Just look at the recruiting the ACC is doing. The B1G has been a good basketball conference the last 4 years or so, but the lack of recruiting has me thinking the conference is going to take a step back.

Conferences are no longer "regional" in nature because individual schools' vast alumni bases are now "national" in scope. Conference expansion seems to follow "footprints" already in place...the B1G's "footprint" in the East already exists (in the form of millions of B1G alumni & families living there - numbers comparable to, or greater than any other conferences.)

Personally, I believe the B1G's invitations to UMD and Rutgers epitomize progressive thinking (neither will sit as a crown jewel, but both deserve a place on the crown) by dint of geo-demographic (ie: TV Households) exploitation. All schools in the conference will benefit from the vastly increased exposure they'll receive in the new Eastern markets.

As far as current recruiting and a dour conference future? meh. The B1G is the only competitor the SEC has for CFB dominance...and the B1G is the only competitor the ACC has for CBB dominance...that's not likely to change much anytime soon.

 

[Dragon]

stupid. Rutgers and Maryland should not be in the B1G either.

I agree 100%, Rutgers and Maryland do not belong. They have nothing to offer anyway.

Having it in DC is kinda like having it in San Francisco. It's really gay.

 

[wiskyisgood12]

When the B1G added Maryland and Rutgers everyone had to know Commissioner Delany was going to go all in on East Coast expansion. Good move, in my opinion.