Apologies for the delay on posting today, I had some computer problems that kept me away from all things technology. Let’s get down to business.
* There is finally a “report” out detailing Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany’s intentions for conference expansion. According to Sports Radio 810 AM in Missouri, the Big Ten has reportedly extended offers to join the conference to four schools -- Missouri, Nebraska, Rutgers and Notre Dame.
Here’s some of the particulars:
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... Sources close to the governing body say the Big Ten has told officials that Mizzou could add $1.3 million per month in revenue to the lucrative Big Ten Television Network.
First off, you’d think the Big Ten Network was printing money the way people are talking about the network. Having watched the channel since its inception, I’m shocked that people are talking about it like its the crown jewel of college football. (Have these people ever actually, well -- you know, watched the channel?) Sure, they’re getting subscriber fees from a great base of states, but the reported revenue numbers on the station sure seem like a lot of smoke and mirrors, particularly the commonly accepted fact that the Big Ten Network brings $22 million to each school.
With only a 51 percent ownership stake in the network, there’s a zero percent chance that the network is spitting out the profits to pay 11 teams $20+ million from just their half of the pie, with Fox pocketing another $220 million themselves. As Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune finally discovered, somebody might be cooking the numbers.
The Big Ten has declined to confirm the $22 million. What it has released is a figure of $220 million ($20 million per school) for 2010 that covers revenue from national television contracts, bowl games, the NCAA basketball tournament, licensing and the Big Ten Network.
Final thought on the Big Ten Network: If it’s so successful, they need to invest a bit of that money into some actual programming.
* After only four years, the NCAA is finally ready to to release their decision on penalties for the USC athletic department, as Yahoo! Sports’ Dan Wetzel reported on his Twitter account. It seems just about everybody has an opinion on what the Trojans’ punishment should be, but the Los Angeles Times’ Chris Dufresne seems to have the most logical hypothetical I’ve seen, predicting five years probation, a bowl ban for a year, and vacating 21 scholarships.
Will it be the fire and brimstone many of us think is deserved? Probably not. But it’ll effectively end the Trojan dynasty, something the Irish could never do on the football field.
* Finally, to talk a little football to close things up, add another quarterback to the list of potential signal-callers for the Irish next season. IrishSportsDaily.com reports that top dual-threat quarterback Marquise Williams has listed the Irish in his final five schools along with Michigan, Virginia Tech, LSU, and North Carolina.
“It’s time to tell the truth and not waste anyone’s time,” Williams told ISD’s Steve Wiltfong.
Wiltfong reports that all of Williams’ favorites have offered, except the Irish, but that’s likely to change come Tuesday when Notre Dame visits his high school this week.
You’ve got to like your chances with a quarterback that’s got you listed in their top five even without an offer. Williams sounds like a dynamic athlete with offers from teams like Florida and LSU, so he’d be a great get and his relationship with Brian Kelly dates back to the Cincinnati days.