Coach Tiller Thinks Maryland Doesn't Know How To Paint Their End Zones

No word on what Coach Tiller thinks of their helmets.

Mike Carmin of the Lafayette J&C has a piece up today about Joe Tiller's 20 minutes of "I can say anything I want because I'm an old man who won a lot of games here"-style comments at the National Football Foundation Dinner this week.

Tiller, when talking about the Big Ten's expansion, remarked than whenever he talked about it to Commissioner Delaney, the general rule was that any expansion had to make the conference better. Tiller clearly doesn't see how the Terps make the Big Ten better:

I’m thinking to myself, ‘Maryland?’ They don’t even know how to paint an end zone. How in the heck are they going to make the Big Ten a better conference?

I don't know if a 70-year-old former coach making such comments qualifies for the #shotsfired hashtag, but regardless of if it does, Maryland won't even have a chance to throw a punch in this one until at least 2016. (That is, unless the Boilers and Terps meet in the Big Ten Championship Game, which I think we'd all be fine with.)

Tiller also talked about his dislike of kickers, which is an interesting contrast to his successor, Danny Hope, who called one of his kickers "the most exciting kicker in America."

Tiller also discussed the future expansion of college football playoffs, disappointingly hopping on the "players should get a share of the pie" bandwagon. One assumes Coach Tiller means a bigger share of the pie than a full ride, lots of ancillary benefits, playing football on TV and being able to forever include "Division I college athlete at Purdue University" on their resumes.

Check out the rest of the always-solid Mike Carmin's article and learn more about Tiller's opinion on starting freshman quarterbacks, whether he would be part of the college football playoff selection committee, and more.

Big Money Got No Soul

In the process of reading about Danny Hope's career-best-tying two-game winning streak in conference play, you may have stumbled across this or this or this. Yes, just when you thought it was safe to buy a copy of NCAA Football, the next step in Jim Delany's master plan has nearly come to fruition ... and to be honest, he deserves credit at least for keeping this under wraps. The first I heard of it was on Saturday from a friend asking me about a comment another friend had posted on Facebook about how this might affect women's basketball in the Big Ten. (Short answer: Maryland looks good, Rutgers doesn't. Remember that for a minute.)

For those of you who've avoided the news, apparently Rutgers and Maryland are thisclose to joining the Big Ten. To be precise, Maryland is voting on Monday whether or not to join, and if they do, Rutgers will be sprinting to get in the door before it closes behind the Terrapins. I've not seen when this would take effect, but I would guess sooner rather than later, given the timing of recent moves. While the ACC did raise its exit fee to $50 million, apparently those documents haven't been signed yet (I'd ask how that happens, but a look at the ACC should answer that question), so Maryland might be able to get out relatively cheaply (especially with Connecticut lined up to get in, and don't think the ACC wouldn't like to swap out Maryland for Connecticut in basketball), and of course the Big East really can't stop anything from happening these days.

Why is this happening? Two reasons: money and money. First, because of subscriber fees, which are substantially higher within the "footprint" of the conference (states containing member schools) than outside it. Adding New Jersey and Maryland to the footprint would allow BTN to reap additional rewards from subscribers in those markets, and of course with New York City right next door, there could be additional interest in BTN in a much larger market just outside the footprint. (People seem to want to connect that to Rutgers, who obviously doesn't have much of a following anywhere right now, much less in NYC; I'd say it's more likely that Big Ten alums in New York would want BTN.) Some people estimate a potential gain of $200M, while others project something closer to $100M ... and that could mean an increase in annual payout to something like $30-$35M per school, although I haven't seen if that applies to 11, 12, or 14 schools. (Remember, Nebraska isn't getting a full share yet.) That would make a big difference for schools like Purdue: maybe we could get a real offensive coordinator next season. (Zing!)

Second, the agreement for Big Ten first-tier rights expires in 2017. Side note: first-tier rights are for national broadcasts of football and basketball. (ESPN/ABC in football, for example.) Second-tier rights are for football and basketball broadcasts by someone other than the network(s) holding first-tier rights. Third-tier rights cover everything else (remaining football and basketball games plus all non-revenue sports). See this EsPN post for details: it also shows the current rights agreement for the Big Ten. Anyway, when that comes around again, Delany would like to have more games and teams to offer, and when you consider that the Pac-12's current deals add up to just slightly more than the Big Ten's deals after the former added Utah (meh) and Colorado (whoops), you can maybe understand Delany steepling his fingers and cackling evilly as he counts the billions that some poor network will offer for those first-tier rights. (Hint: they are based in Bristol. There is no way EsPN will let those games go.) ESPN's paying $100M a year through the length of that contract. They just signed a deal with the ACC for $240M per year for rights at all tiers ... paying $125M or more for a conference that frankly whups that one across the board isn't unreasonable, and that would mean yet another boost in per-school revenue.

So you get what we have here today, which is the way Delany wants it. So, he gets it. Even if we don't like it ... at all.

That's right. I supported the expansion to 12 teams even though it stretched the Big Ten farther than perhaps it ought to have gone: we got a conference championship game out of it (and there are a lot of people really happy that it isn't going to be Northwestern-Indiana this year), we added a solid sports program (not so good for Purdue's volleyball team), and their academics are reasonable.

But this ... well, back when I was going over Directors' Cup standings (up to 10 men's and 10 women's sports count, points awarded based on national finish), Nebraska looked like a solid fit, and they pretty much came through in 2011-12: although they dropped to 40th, they were still a bottom-tier Big Ten program, and we still placed two schools in the top ten (Michigan and Ohio State). Doing the same exercise for Maryland and Rutgers, we get two surprising results, and not what you might be thinking.

Maryland's average finish from 2004-05 through 2011-12 was 32.1, solidly middle-of-the-Big-Ten pack (eighth, just behind Illinois at 31.4), and they've been better in recent years, with a 24.0 average over the last three, good enough for fifth in the 14-team superconference-to-be.

Rutgers, on the other hand, is not as good. At all. In 2007, they were 54th, ahead of Iowa in 68th. In no other season did they finish ahead of any Big Ten team, current or proposed. In most seasons, they didn't come within 40 places of a Big Ten school; in 2010-11, they were 158th. Schools finishing ahead of them include but are not limited to Maryland-Eastern Shore, Bethune-Cookman, Hofstra, and Oral Roberts.

So in return for all that money, we're not getting a Northwestern-equivalent program. (I should be careful saying that: they do better than Purdue, and I'll write more on that later.) Not an Iowa program. Not an Iowa State program. More like a top-tier MAC program ... and not an actual MAC program that would either have been within the footprint or close by, but a MAC program about as far from the other schools as you can get. (Good news for J, though: if he can't come to the Big Ten, the Big Ten can come to him.)

Sure, Rutgers and Maryland are AAU members. Sure, it's nice to get more money. But it would have been nice to make a decision that at least pretended there were other factors involved ... it's hard to see any reason for doing this except money. (It also makes you wonder if maybe they shouldn't have talked about expanding to 14 right away.) Well, OK, there is one more reason: this should get Wisconsin out of a division where it didn't belong in the first place. You can't tell me that they're going to put Rutgers or Maryland in the West. (No, don't tell me. They have to realign.)

The only other reason I can think for doing this is that Delany believes that pending litigation against the NCAA is going to succeed in the next few years, leading to some kind of requirement to pay players in revenue sports, and so this is a proactive plan to build extra revenue to account for that. (It also assumes that the market for televised college sports will be expanding, not contracting. I find that hard to believe when you see the current direction of non-live TV – I think a better direction would have been to enable BTN.com broadcasts for non-cable subscribers – but then I could be completely wrong.)

But what's almost done is what's almost done. Prepare yourself for longer breaks between certain conference opponents in football, more one-game-only opponents in basketball, and some really confusing road trips in the other sports. And who knows? Maybe we'll get a new logo. (Or maybe not. Did you ever notice how much a G looks like a 6?)

Big money got a heavy hand
Big money take control
Big money got a mean streak
Big money got no soul

The Leaders and Legends aren't on the design team.

The Commish officially named the two divisions of the new BT conference for next football season and after: the Leaders and Legends. Purdue will be a member of the Leaders division. Hated, longtime rival, Iowa will be a member of the Legends division.

While I'm not a big fan of the nomenclature, I'm really not a fan of the new marks. Here's the primary logo:

It's neither classic nor clever, in my opinion...and the color doesn't seem to make a ton of sense either. Thoughts?

Purdue was last on the corresponding promo video.

ESPN Will List Teams In Whatever Order They Feel Like It

Andy Katz went on SportsCenter a little while ago to discuss the likely divisional alignment of the new Big Ten starting next year.  Aside from it sounding like someone was making a salad on the SportsCenter set, here's my other question. Does anyone notice anything odd about this panel?

Normally when you list teams like this, there's some rhyme or reason to it. Is it in order of their 2009 records? No, because Michigan is at the top of one of them. Is it alphabetical, the usual fallback? Nope.

Communication professionals are taught that items in a list are organized in some discernable fashion. But I can't figure this one out... unless they're organized by who everyone in Bristol thinks is the.... what? Most important? Because that would be kind of obnoxious.

Anyway, tune into the Big Ten Network tonight at 7 PM, Eastern, to see this unveiled for real. And wouldn't it be absolutely awesome if it looked nothing like this? Especially since I have no doubt Katz ripped this off of a blog somewhere and is now passing it off as "FACT."

How Long Does This Band-Aid Fix the Big 12?

Not that I particularly care what the Big 12 does, but whoring themselves out to Texas is probably not the best solution to all of this. However, what choice did Dan Beebe have? Texas wasn't blinking in the staredown and was supposedly really considering bolting for the Pac 10 and -- just as importantly -- taking half the conference with them.

So Beebe acquiesced and gave in to Texas' demands, which, basically are that the Longhorns continue to be the big dog of the conference and now have the right to have their own television network.

Yes, that's right. Not a Big 12 network -- a Texas Longhorns network. Sure, sure, the new deal engineered by the Big 12 and the University of Texas' leadership reaps money for the rest of the remaining Big 12, too, but Texas stands to make the most. Of course.

Consider this: One of the primary complaints by schools like our newest Big Ten member, Nebraska, was that Texas made things all about them. They had to be the biggest, the baddest and they wanted the Big 12 to bend at their whim. Ever since the SWAC/Big 8 days, Texas has been the bully and has minimized other programs within the conference. It was thought that Nebraska was not alone in feeling this way.

Now, with Colorado (somewhat meaningless) and Nebraska (somewhat meaningful) gone from the Big 12, isn't it reasonable to assume that other schools will eventually begin to feel the way they did...if they don't already?

How long does this honeymoon last? Yes, as Orangebloods.com points out, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Missouri, Baylor, Kansas State and Iowa State will see their TV revenues double under the new deal. But Texas, Oklahoma and A&M will make 50% more than that. And then Texas will launch a Longhorns TV network, or so it appears. AND Texas, Oklahoma and A&M will reportedly get the others' share of the buyout money that Nebraska and Colorado have to pay to the conference.

So yes, everyone will be happy for a little while. But it could be a short period. Once we get to December of next year and nobody is paying attention to the Big 12 anymore because they can't have a title game with fewer than 12 teams in their conference, won't some grumbling begin? Or will they all be too busy counting their money to notice?

My point is the same thing that's been wrong with the Big 12 for years continues to be wrong with it. It's just that they've bought off the "lesser" schools for a little while. But why the pyramid with Texas at the top? Why is that okay? Are the have-nots in the Big 12 that reliant on Texas? Could they not catch on elsewhere? Perhaps that's why, but it's hard to imagine some of those schools (such as Kansas) not being appealing to a conference like the Big Ten.

I think they'll have to annex a couple of schools and get back to 12 and regain the level of significance that they had. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense. Yes, they're all making more money now, which is all that matters to them, but with a title game back in the picture, they could..... make even more money!!

This stuff sucks. Get me to football season.

The Lil' Shake-Up: Winners and Losers, so far.

So what's happened in the last day?

-Texas bullied its way into its own TV contract by taking advantage of the smartest, most-confident, most-capable league commissioner in all of the land.

-Texas A&M, after days of tough talk about not following the Longhorns, decided to follow UT and stay in the B12.

-Missouri, after being bad-mouthed and blamed for the B12's poor management, decided to play the role of the beaten spouse who can't leave...kinda fitting- they already played "the girl too-easy-to-get" for the BT a few months ago.

-Kansas, Iowa State, Baylor, KSU and Mizzou decide that they'll simply forgive and forget the fact that much of the conference was ready to bail on them and leave them for dead.

-Beebe decided to use Colorado & Nebraska's buyout funds to help leverage UT and others to stay.

Remember, this whole thing started because multiple members of the league were angry that UT got preferential treatment...Good thing that problem is solved.

Honestly, I don't fault UT for being arrogant and looking out for its own best-interest...that's its president & AD's job. I do greatly-fault the Big 12 and many of its members for bowing down to them.

-The Pac10's Larry Scott looks like a boob (and James Taylor) as he continues to promise a bright future with unicorns, rainbows and fantastic expansion plans (read as Utah coming to the P10).

-Colorado exists on an island in the Western-most collegiate conference in the US...at least for the time being.

-The Mountain West goes back to being marginally-important as the little sisters of the B12 turn their collective back on the non-BCS league.

-Jim Delany stays quiet.

-Jack Swarbrick stays quiet.

-The SEC stays put...for the time being...and no dominoes from the ACC, then the Big East fall.

-EsPN continues to report out of both sides of its mouth. I think it's OK for an entity to report what it hears from reputable sources...but EsPN clearly has made it a practice to send multiple reporters different directions in search of different expansion story lines. This way, they'll always be right.

"Various sources reporting: FIFA to join the Pac10, as soon as 2011...Steven Strasburg named commissioner of the Big East."

Some say Jim Delany is a loser in all of this- I don't think so. Delany wanted and wants to do a couple things with expansion- grow the footprint of the TV network and move toward a playoff in football...which grows the revenue base of the conference. I'd argue both have been achieved...and the BT's efforts might not yet be completed. Plus, he didn't bow down at the alter of Bevo during this process...a real positive, if you ask me.

Jim Delany kisses no one's ass...except Notre Dame's.

The biggest losers are, in a very particular order:

-The Pac 10 and its commish, Larry Scott

-The numbers 10 & 12- like Larry Scott, they no longer have any clout nor carry any weight. No one respects them for what they once were.

The biggest winners are:

-University of Texas

-University of Nebraska

-The Big Ten

The seismic changes that seemed to be upon the college sports world turned out to be little-more than a small shake beneath our feet. Now the question becomes, is Silent Jim done, or will two more teams join the BT?

Mum's the word.

Jim Delany spoke to the nation and specifically the Nebraska family yesterday saying,

"We're a better conference today than we were yesterday as a result of Nebraska..."

I think the question now is, what does the next tomorrow bring?

Well, we all know the candidates for expansion that have been out there since the get-go. Rutgers, Pitt, and Missouri have had scenarios, time-tables theories thrown around that included them...and more-recently, we've heard about Maryland...but Delany hasn't shown his hand or said anything that he hasn't needed to say. In fact, as other conferences have scrambled, he's sat back and let the others make statements without backbone (read as anything from Dan Beebe) and ambiguity-filled statements about how great the next announcement will be (read as anything from Larry Scott)...But for 10 days, as the media clamored for info and many fans waited nervously or excitedly, Delany stayed silent.

But, he's not the only one staying quiet right now. UND's AD Jack Swarbrick has clammed up a bit, and Brian Kelly isn't saying too much these days either. A few months ago, both talked regularly of how they didn't want to be part of the BT or any other conference

According to Swarbrick, one of the best parts of independence is playing all over the country. On March 9, he said,

"It’s great when you look at the schedule and see games all over; at Yankee Stadium, at USC"

Regarding that specific game versus Army in Yankee stadium, he also said, "On a personal level, the anniversary date aspect of it, with the 1913 game, would be great, but if there’s going to be college football in Yankee Stadium, I’d like to be the first one.”

So when I read this today, I couldn't help but wonder if UND is now part of Delany's recent pregnant silence. The UND v. Navy game at Yankee Stadium, that was recently regarded as historically-significance and personally-important for Swarbrick has now been canceled because it doesn't "work" for Notre Dame.

Hmmm.

Seems to me that as things have been changing in the Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac 10, UND's perspective on joining a conference may have also changed.

If nothing else, all of the silence is deafening.

Quickly Changing...

Here's your answer to the timetable of Nebraska's addition to the Big Ten:
2011.

Yee-Haw! Texas Next?

It's been debated as a possibility for a long time, and while I initially poo-poo'ed the idea of Texas coming to the Big Ten, I hadn't envisioned the Big 12 crumbling like boilerdowd's morning coffee cake.

Once that started looking possible, and there was talk of Texas going to the Pac 10, well, I laughed -- heartily -- at that. The Pac 10 is a marginal conference and if Tejas wants to make dienero, the Big Ten or the SEC are the logical choices.

And if they want their currently well-respected academics to not be muddied by joining the community-college-level academic institutions of the SEC, well, the only choice is the Big Ten.

And as per the news in Kansas City (why not?), Texas and Texas A&M are "in talks" to join the Big Ten, while Oklahoma is ready to jump to the SEC. Texas and Oklahoma in different conferences? USC banned from the postseason? It's like cats and dogs LIVING TOGETHER!

Let's all just keep in mind that they can "talk" all they want and rumormongers can spread all the rumors they want, but until they get invited somewhere, nothing's nothing. It's only logical that they'd begin discussing their options and inclinations, though, since their conference seems to be teetering on crashing down around them.

(Thanks to Phillip for the heads-up.)

Screw you, Dennis.

Today on CBSSports.com, a writer named Dennis Dodd decided to throw another sizable log on the fire of my burning disdain for the national sports media.

He made some good points...some that I agree with-

The Big Ten and Jim Delany should be pleased that Nebraska is joining the conference.
True, Dennis.

Much of Nebraska's football success is due to creative and prevalent use of walk-ons.
Neato...that's noteworthy and very good.

Nebraska has had a ton of success...from its coaches to its players, to the greater teams they played on. Lots of Cornhuskers are in the Hall of Fame.
Indeed! They'll fit in with the most-storied, longest-running conference in all of the land.
The Cornhuser mascot is goofy.
No argument here.
Nebraska has loyal fans.
I'm glad- loyalty breeds passion, passion breeds rivalry, rivalry makes a conference better.

Delany has the ability to stop some of the shaking ground under the feet of the college football world.
True, he does, to a point...but I'd argue that a seismic shake-up is exactly what college football needs. From conferences with unhappy members to a crappy post-season system, one of my favorite sports needs an overhaul. But, I'd also argue that key parts like Texas, the Pac10 and others are also very happy about moving change along...it's not solely ole Jim at the controls of this XL ship.

But, Mr. Dodd also decided to call out Purdue specifically, not once, but twice in his nearly-good article. He begs and pleads Jim Delany not to make Nebraska into a middle-of-the pack team and pretty much kiss the Cornhusker's overall-clad ass as they enter the oldest, and wealthiest conference in the college sports.

Make no mistake, Dennis, Nebraska needs the Big Ten and wants to be part of the conference. This conference isn't a damsel in distress in need of a big, strong gorilla to pick it up. The Big Ten is the gorilla. The Big Ten has a ton of great teams...and the BT has always been an innovator in college sports world...right now is no different.

When Penn State entered the conference, they brought a large satchel of trophies, a rabid fanbase and throngs of members of the college football hall of fame...and they needed to join the Big Ten. Sound familiar? Delany and co. didn't kiss the wrinkly hind quarters of JoePa, and they shouldn't do it for Pelini and Osborne.

They can and should welcome Nebraska as a member of a family that has been successful, has produced a ton of great players and better games and is comprised of good schools. The Cornhuskers should be good for the conference for a number of reasons.

But CBS' Dodd needs to understand something. Purdue isn't the only team in the conference who is in the middle. And, I'd argue that Nebraska's last two coaches did more to make Nebraska a middling team than Jim Delany ever could.
Remember, this isn't the first time Nebraska tried to join the Big Ten. But, this time, their bid to enter the conference will be successful BECAUSE of members like Purdue. So instead of the BT rolling out a red carpet for Osborne, perhaps he should bring gifts of gratitude for Delany and the charter members of the ole conference. The Big Ten has saved them from the inequitable treatment that the "Big Texas" Conference dumped upon them the last decade and one-half. The conference's newest member should be and is pleased about getting out of the sinking ship called the Big 12, which I'm sure most are, within the Nebraska family.

But Dodd and others in the media should recognize that middle of the pack football teams, like Purdue generate revenue in places that Nebraska doesn't even have places...like the hardwood. In fact, Nebraska should get to know Northwestern as they enter the BT...because both share the notable distinction of being two of only three teams in the entire NCAA to have never won an NCAA tournament game. While no one will argue football's importance to the conference, everyone knows the Big Ten is more than just a football conference.

Welcome to the Big Ten, Nebraska.


Thanks Georgia Boiler, for the heads up.

Officially Unofficial...

Cornhuskers A-OK with joining Big Ten.

Evil Genius?

I'll admit I'm not a big fan of Jim Delany...if you've been coming to the site for a while, you know that. But, I'll also admit when he does something right.

The creation of the BTN was brilliant...and he deserves credit for it. But, Delany has pissed me off time and time again with his consistent poo poo-ing of the idea of a playoff in football. He said it was tradition and academics that keeps a football playoff from becoming a reality...We all know those reasons weren't the story; it was about money. I don't fault Delany for steering the conference in a manner that makes it money, I talked about that earlier today. I don't like B.S...no, of course I'm not talking about the greatest website in all of the land.

But, some think that Delany is not only brilliant, but he's the best poker player ever and has a diabolical streak that would make Dr. Evil jealous.
I doubt Delany is as shrewd as Warren Buffett, as brilliant as Nikola Tesla or plays cards like "Jesus" Ferguson...but, if what Wetzel and others are saying is true, he's definitely one of the gods of the college sports world.

When will the first domino fall?

A few days ago, the irrelevant Big 12's Commish gave Mizzou and Nebraska until the end of the week to make their intentions with his daughter...errrrrr...the conference, public knowledge. This is important, kinda. But, what if they decided simply not to answer? Would Beebe immediately replace them with Boise State and Colorado State? Then, the next week, he could rename his conference the Big 8 after the mass-exodus to the Midwest/Pac10?

The Big 12 is dealing with the ramifications years of inequitable treatment of some of its charter members and preferential treatment for the new guys. Tom Osborn, Roy Williams and others expressed their contempt ("Big Texas") for the way the old Big 8 members were treated years ago, but nothing was done to make schools like Nebraska feel more respected by the league. No one will, or should, mind you, have pity for the soon-to-be defunct B12.

There are lots of moving parts that can make or break the new conference. From lawmakers to the public's perception, outside pressures can and will change as the new conference alliances are forged. But rumors and a few signs seem to point to UND being a pivotal part of what happens in the coming weeks, at least in the BT.

In my opinion, the public's perspective on the drive for four super conferences is not at all what Jim Delany had in mind before he started squeezing the toothpaste out of the tube. The BTN's overwhelming success coupled with a low roar of disgruntled ADs and Chancellors with their current conference affiliation brought this back to the surface. And Delany's smart-enough to understand that more revenue=happier conference members and potential growth. But there's an apple of his eye that he can't help but be smitten with: UND. They've rejected him twice, talked bad about him in public, but none of that matters...his eyes are fixed on SB and he sees UND as the key to big success for the BTN and in turn, the greater conference.

I'd go as far as to say, JD only wants UND- a 12-team conference make s a ton of sense and the proximity would make logistics simple. Plus, a third of the conference already has an athletic relationship, at least in football, with Swarbrick and co. But those inside of the Irish's athletic department, from coaches to Swarbrick have yet to give any positive nods to the idea of joining a conference...but Delany keeps driving for that. Some think that the whisper leaks by the BT were all designed to force UND to join the conference as the figurative music slows down. And while Delany seems to be an excellent negotiator, even a supreme conspiracy theorist like myself thinks that's a pretty big stretch.

Will the end of this week be significant? Perhaps. But, until one of the major conference starts making moves, it seems everything is based on conjecture, psuedo-news and tea leaves.

Friday Gumbo

Wooden
The Twitter-verse exploded with news of John Wooden's health slipping quickly. In fact, for a few hours last night, a few sources reported him to be dead. My pal and co-BSer wrote me an e-mail last night telling me that news was breaking that Wooden was in poor health. I responded that wouldn't it be news if, at 99, Wooden's health suddenly turned positive?

Wooden's ties to Purdue of course, make this one close to home, and the fact that he's so widely respected makes it very worthy sports news...but, a 99 year old being in poor health isn't buzz-worthy, in my opinion. A man coming back to life after being dead for a few hours, at any age though, is pretty large news.

Pac 10 Getting Aggressive
Good for the Pac10 and SEC. Both have pretty much said, "Suck it, Jim Delany." In so many words. They've both decided to be proactive in their handling of the BT's expansion and have figuratively urinated over large areas and universities as if to mark their territory.

But, what Rivals and others are reporting this morning is truly large. The Western 16, or "Pac 16" or whatever you'd like to give it for a working name, might include Texas, Oklahoma and a slew of other Big 12 schools. This would tidily-fit Mizzou and others into the BT idea...I don't think that's a coincidence...Keep your ears and eyes sharp...lots of news will be percolating in the coming weeks/months, regardless of what Jim Delany tells us.

On the other side of the coin, the Big East, Big 12 and ACC seem to be wilting on the imaginary vine as they've done nothing more than hire spokesmen and make limp-wristed statements about how no one should mess with their schools. What develops will surely be very interesting as the college sports world shifts and changes.

Painter Speaks
Our pal, Dan, a regular BS reader sent us a report of what he heard as Coach Painter sounded off at a recent speaking engagement. We thought there was some pretty interesting stuff divulged...so here are some highlights:

-Painter's job, and his hobby is basketball. He doesn't fish or golf...he's just a basketball junkie.
In my opinion, there are positives and negatives about it. Just like when a coach becomes too focused on, I don't know, fishing (for example), it can be a negative too. But I digress.

-Like many of you, he wishes Hale was playing for him this coming season...he thinks he'd be an immediate contributor.

-He talked about trends and personality and habits being important while recruiting, specifically regarding academics and rebounding. I think they're both similar in that getting good grades and rebounding aren't particularly fun things to do, but they're important in Painter's opinion. Hummel was both a good student and a good rebounder in HS, and it's carried over into college. He thinks Carroll will be similar in that he's always been a rebounding-minded player in his earlier basketball career...and is a pretty good student to boot.

-He talked about his respect for Keady and what he did for 25 years and how he hopes he can do the same thing.

-(Of course) He can't wait to have the Mackey renovation completed.

-He believes NCAA violation punishment/consequences should follow the coach when he leaves a school. He didn't name names, and I can't think of anybody that fits this description at this time.

The great thing I'm hearing over and over from Painter is that he understands that success and greatness breeds success and pushes the goals to higher and higher plateaus. He also understands that talent alone doesn't get the job done...and the hard work, sweat and blood is an important part of the equation. What's not to like?

Thanks a lot, Dan for the heads up and report.

Fans of Lawrence Phillips' Alma Mater Casting First Stones

Is that a corncob on your head, or are you just happy to see me?

Well, it didn't take long for Big 12 fans to begin mocking Big Ten teams. You remember the Big 12, right? That conference that Big Ten expansion will probably force to dissolve?

Well, on Saturday, Cornhole Nation (I think that's what it's called -- can't remember) put up a "profile" of Purdue. It's what you might expect from a trade school graduate: uninformed.

Some highlights:

They put up a photo of the Boilers celebrating winning the Bucket and mock the empty stands and hold that up as evidence that it will be easy to "invade" Ross-Ade. Someone may want to tell them that photo is from a road game at Bloomington. Solid reporting.

They say this:

Purdue has just a scant few bragging points with regards to their football program.

And then immediately say this:

Purdue QB's have registered more NFL starts, and accounted for more NFL touchdowns than any other school. 15 Boilermaker quarterbacks have been sent to the NFL, with the most recent and notable being Super Bowl champ Drew Brees. PU has turned 3 of these (Len Dawson, and Bob Griese) into Super Bowl MVP's...also the most from any other school.

I'm curious... when is it not "scant" anymore? Also, how is Eric Crouch's NFL career going?

Some more:

Football Games are played at Ross-Ade (like Gatorade?) Stadium. Recent renovations have reduced it's former seating capacity from 70k down to around 62k seats. So, basically only about 30k will be seeing Purdue black and gold on Husker gamedays.

Ah, I see. Because 30,000+ Husker fans will invade Ross-Ade, right? Not sure if they're aware, but the Big Ten already has football programs like OSU and UM and I'm fairly sure there aren't 30,000+ fans of those programs in R-A when the Boilers play them. But yes, Nebraska, I'm sure your fans are different. Keep in mind, though, 612 miles is a long way to drive a tractor.

The only trophy tradition I could dig up for Purdue was the Old Oaken Bucket.

Must not have dug very hard.

Under a description of our fans, they write:

Smart people. Nerds. (77% of residents hold a bachelors degree or higher).

It tickles me that having a bachelor's degree in Nebraska makes you a nerd.

To their credit, they do share this link in the hopes that Purdue fans resemble her.

Go ahead and read the whole thing and be sure to check out the comments, too, as it didn't take long for Boilermakers to begin going after them. I look forward to the day when we can welcome the Cornhuskers to West Lafayette.

(Thanks to Eric for the heads up.)

Wise Sage Speaks of Independence

When Brian Kelly talks about independence...you'd better listen

When you've been someplace as long as Brian Kelly has been at UND, you know the inner workings of that institution: The things that make that place tick. The nuances that make it special. The greatest strengths and embarrassing weaknesses.

In five months and a few days, while coaching zero games, recruiting for two long months, and doing everything to defend the tremendous honor that comes with his small coaching fraternity, a coach just knows why his program's special.

Brian Kelly gets "it".

When he talks to reporters about how there's nothing better than coaching at an independent program, you just gotta respect what he's saying. Yeah, he's seen some hard times and some great times in South Bend...but when compared to DII, the MAC and the Big East, there's no comparison- Brian Kelly knows where he belongs. He's like a cowboy, a renegade...A glorious, renegade, free-wheeling, Ross-Perot-esque, Irish-Cowboy. He personifies the great American, independent spirit...and there's nothing better than the Independent Brian Kelly coaching the Independent ghosts and echoes of great teams from 20, 30, 40-plus years ago.

Hats off to you, Coach Kelly, for standing up for something you know so much about...and keeping in stride with the long tradition of traditional traditioning at Notre Dame.

Getting Real: Big Ten Growing

Since you left work, Jim Delany got busy...I mean he was busy looking to move his plan of expansion forward. There are a couple of different scenarios that might be playing themselves out, but the one definite is that Mizzou and Nebraska have been invited to the party.

Notre Dame, sadly, has once-again been asked to join the conference, it seems. And while it makes sense as they're right in the center of the geographical conference, they play quite a few BT schools already in football, they love money just like Jim D, and their struggle for independence might get really difficult as the dominoes start falling, I say screw 'em. At this point, they need the BT a lot more than the soon-to-be Super Conference needs them. But no matter, the die is cast...again.

The Chinese Proverb, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." Is playing in my head right now...what about a third time of being fooled?

I've said this all along- I think the main parts of this equation have known for months what was coming...I think the UND portion of this plan is all based on peer pressure- I don't care if they succumb or not.

Addendum:
These reports have already been denied. I don't know if I believe that means nothing happened...it just means no one's talking (yet).
Thanks to BS reader, Michael R. for the heads up.

Less is More

Too hard to hide a 14 or 16 in the words "Big Ten"

Everybody's weighed in on this from bloggers to the big gorillas of the sports media world: What will BT be?

Who knows exactly what it'll be, but I can tell you what I'd like it to be: Simple, quick and smart.

I believe the world, and specifically, the sports world is dominated by people who are almost the opposite of me. They seem to neglect longevity and stability for a quick payoff. But, the Big Ten is the oldest conference in the land for a lot of reasons. One is it has been stable, deliberate and generally smart with the way it's grown and progressed. Sure, the old-fashioned nature of the league is sometimes infuriating, but let's look at the opposite approach: The Big East.

The Big East basketball conference went after a sizable splash a few years ago when it expanded to 16 teams. EsPN and much of the media loved the move as they lauded this conference as the strongest basketball conference that had ever been created. But, on the eve of Delany and Company's big move, many are grumbling that the Big East as we all know it might be going the way Hummer brand. Can't say I'm upset about it, but the ramifications of this mega conference folding are large.

Sports Illustrated and other sources believe that in once scenario, the Mega Conference will become the standard. The conspiracy theorist in me believes there's some merit in this idea. The NCAA infuriates me at times with their uneven hand, foolish rules and knee jerk reactions. But, I don't think throwing away the NCAA is the right approach. There's not doubt, a few changes need to be made by college sports' governing body, but circumventing the NCAA all-together simply won't work, in my opinion. Plus, four 16-team conferences leaves quite a few good programs on the outside looking in.

Here's some background to why I think the Big Ten needs to not act like a cowboy in this scenario. First off, the super-expansion scenarios for the conference almost-all include Notre Dame. I was sick and tired of kissing their ass years ago...so going back to that well makes no sense to this hombre. Everytime there are hints about UND being involved, the Swarbrick and Co. make sure to reply that they're not interested. For all I care, they can become a one-team conference that has their own set of rules...Oh wait...

The second problem with the mega-expansion, in my opinion, is that it doesn't stay true to the roots of the BT. From academics to athletics, Big Ten schools (probably minus Northwestern) have a certain feel to them...and I don't think schools like Rutgers (on one end) and Nebraska (on the other) fit that mold.

Pitt just makes sense

My solution, not unlike many others out there, fulfills a number of needs, in my opinion, and simply makes sense. Add Pitt to make the league a 12-team conference. Pitt meets the research university requirements that Delany's been talking about for months. Their facilities are on par with the other eleven teams (if not better). Their two big money-making sports generate a ton of revenue and have large, loyal fan bases. The Panthers help Penn State off of the Northeast island they're on by re-creating the old rivalry and fitting within the footprint of the current conference. Plus, this will help the strength of the BTN in the northeast as it continues to attempt to gain market share.

I think some of the same arguments can be made for Missouri...but I don't the arguments are quite as strong...so why not seek out the best-fit?

Our poll showed that most of you agree with the least-aggressive expansion plan. That's good...because it'd be pretty hard to hide a 14 or 16 in the words "Big Ten".

The conference divisions might fall into place like this:

North
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Iowa
Northwestern
Michigan State
Michigan

South
Illinois
Purdue
IU
aOSU
Pitt
Penn State

During football season, each program would be able to protect one game. This would keep rivalries like UM/aOSU alive and well. For basketball, I don't think there would be any reason or benefit to having the divisional barrier.

Sure, this is all theorizing and blue sky thinking...and not worth much at all. But to me, and many of you, a 12-team conference makes the most sense, from a number of perspectives.

So What's Going to Really Happen?
I don't think anyone outside of the conference offices really knows what's going to happen. But, I don't think Delany has his eyes set on tradition or solid, small-step growth.

My gut tells me Pitt will be a part of the plan, but I think the conference will end up being a 14-team league. The additions might be: Pitt, Rutgers and Missouri.

I think we'll not have any more reason to theorize as a new reality is upon us by mid-summer.

Wednesday Gumbo

Does Not Compute
I check out the Ken Pomeroy Rankings from time-to-time simply because I think their equation for computer rankings yields a better representation of reality than RPI...generally. One oddity I couldn't help but notice was the 8-3 Minny Golden Gophers and 6-3 (prior to tonight) Cal Golden Bears in the top-10.

Minny's biggest win to date was over the 4-loss Butler Bulldogs on a neutral court. At the same time, Cal had that awesome 5-point win over Murray State. Okie dokie.

Our Boilers are currently 5th in that poll.

Thunder Up!!!
If you're like me, you love watching the WNBA OKC Thunder play. OK, I'm kidding, but the Thunder's name is worthy to be mocked. But, they've come up with a pretty innovative cheer/tagline for their squad- "Thunder Up!!!"

That's right, the NBA and Oklahoma City's marketing department has seemingly reached their collective hands into Arnette Tiller's bag of catchy taglines to rally their fans. Well-played, OKC!!

Favre Bomb Detonated?
If you've been reading here a while, you know that I'm a huge Brett Favre fan. So I am just perplexed and saddened by the developments in the last few days out of Minnesota.
Alright, not really...Hey Childress and co.- you made your deal with the devil, it's not free. Brett seemed ageless for much of this season and the system seemed to fit perfectly. But, that perfect fit has been replaced with curse-laden heated arguments and the agelessness has been replaced with the old mistake-prone Brett Favre garbage that we all had come to expect in the last few seasons.

Expansion according to Morgan Burke
Tonight during the SIUE game, Burke was interviewed by Jim Barbar about the BT expansion topic. He had a couple of interesting points- first- proximity is not too important to the BT. Second, the BT is seeking a renowned research institution that would also help the conference gain strength athletically.

Since PSU wasn't exactly a next-door neighbor to most of the league and they rank in the top-50 of international research universities, I don't think Burke is just blowing smoke...so I've come up with a few theories of who's the next member of the BT.
University of Oxford England is a top-10 research institution and has renowned rugby and boxing clubs...so they're a solid option.
But another on the list that jumps out is the University of Texas at Austin...another top-50 research university with a ton to offer athletically. I'm beginning to think that Burke knew exactly whom he was talking about when he tip-toed around his answer during the brief courtside interview. The tealeaves might seem to be an autumn burnt orange, today.

Also on this list and spinning in the rumor mill, The State University of New Jersey...who, unlike UT, is a land-grant university...only four of the conference's 11 schools are not land-grant institutions.

Merry Christmas fellow Boilers to you and your families!!!

Playing Poker Or Pulling for a Change?

The BT expansion conversation isn't new. In fact, it seems like officially, or unofficially, it's talked about every other year. A few years ago, seemingly, Delany spoke out of turn when he intimated that a twelfth team was going to happen. A week or so later, he drastically changed his tune.

During the last few times that expansion was a possibility, things didn't line up. The ACC and Big East were shifting and other conferences were reacting by wrapping up their members with large contracts. Atop that, Delany's crush on Notre Dame probably didn't help anything...But it's different in late 2009.

No other major conferences are looking to expand...and some of the non-BCS conferences are feeling the financial pinch of the near-depression-like economic conditions. Last year, Big East members members wondered aloud if their basketball conference's size was hurting its members' chances of making the tournament. And in the Big 12, a few athletic directors have openly expressed their disgruntlement with the way the conference is being run.

But the BTN, Jim Delany , Rotel and Velveeta have combined to create a (delicious) force that is making serious noise. And while we as BT fans might not appreciate the genius that is Tim Doyle or Glen Mason, Those outside the Midwest do.

The Comcast and Time Warner "dominoes" that fell in the last two years sent tremors through the sports television world, and EsPN reacted in kind by officially crawling into bed with the SEC last year (after years of flirting and innuendo).

There was a time, not long ago, when Fox Sports dedicated much of its talent to the Big 12, Big East and Pac-10. But, the success of the BTN caused them to shift while following the sponsorship dollars and Fox Sports regional coverage has gotten weaker in the process.

Joe Tiller weighed in on the talk of expansion this week in the J & C saying, "It's all money-driven." But really, regardless of the talk from Burke and other ADs, this is all about money. I'm not faulting it, mind you, but it always has been. Granted, it wasn't to this extent at the turn of the 1900s when conferences started to form. They were merely trying to save money by playing teams that were closer together. But the conferences yield power and generate revenue. Sure, it took the BT about 70 years to stop favoring UM and aOSU in its scheduling practices, but equity was eventually achieved and the conference is stronger for it.

But as much momentum as the BT has gained the last few years, the Big 12 might have lost that much...and this is another reason why the expansion talk is so different in '09. Missouri's athletic director, Mike Alden, has started talking publicly about why joining the BT might make sense. If Alden is merely applying pressure on his conference or is seriously considering the possibility of changing alliances hasn't yet been made obvious. But, it seems this move makes logistical sense.

Obviously if Mizzou comes in to the BT, the Big 12 will need a replacement team. TCU seems to be a school that would be a good fit due to its proximity and natural rivals within the conference. I would assume that it would be pretty easy for the Big 12 to poach the Horned Frogs from the Mountain West...especially in the wake of their BCS placement following yet another undefeated season by a team within the underappreciated MWC.

So will it happen? Who knows.

Is it all about money? Yes. And that money from big time football and basketball programs drives everything from less-profitable sports to near campus businesses. Plus, it generates more dough for these schools than any academic endeavor...and puts money back into the school for what's really important, education.

Big TV contracts, advertisements and the 24/7 online scrutiny of college athletics might be viewed as out of hand by many, and the system can easily help fuel bad actors like the guy in Lexington, or boosters from Los Angeles to Columbus to Gainsville...but like everything, there are plenty of positives within the imperfect system that is college sports.

I don't think the BT necessarily needs a conference championship game in football, but instead needs to make sure its season goes into the first week of December. But, I am a fan of having either 12 or 10 teams in the league simply because even numbers create a lot more possibilities in all sports...but since contraction isn't on the table, I hope we can soon welcome another gold and black team to the BT in 2011 or '12.