Possible Big 11 Title Game locations

[Screw_Michigan]

Green Bay is interested
Chicago
Indianapolis
Detroit
Cleveland although this is very possible considering OSU's pull.

I'd say the two likeliest locations are Chicago and Indianapolis. Chicago because it's Chicago and it's a pretty neutral location unless Illinois, NW or Wisconsin miraculously happens to make the title game. Indianapolis is totally neutral and is indoors, which makes for made-for-tv production. Indy sucks, though. Cleveland would be a horrible place to host the game, but I have a feeling OSU would make it happen because of their pull. Detroit? Not a chance.

I can see the Big 11 rotating between Chicago, Indy and Cleveland, or Chicago-Cleveland.

[M Club]

i like the "cleveland but only because osu has pull" argument right before suggesting detroit has no shot. not surprising you've never been right about anything.

[indyfrisco]

I can see Indy being the sole location for it for the reasons you stated...made for TV location. And it's all about TV revenue. It is neutral (Chicago isn't), centralized and has the infrastructure to handle it. While Chicago is a much better city to visit as a tourist than Indy, I simply don't see them having the championship game in an outdoor stadium where it will possibly be brutally cold, snow, tons of wind, etc. OSU will fill the stadium no matter where the game is. I think they'd prefer the proper venue (indoors) over the concern they'd have enough fans there.

[Screw_Michigan]

It is neutral (Chicago isn't)

How is Indy any more neutral than Chicago? Only Iowa could make Soldier Field a partisan venue. Chicago doesn't have the infrastructure Indy does? Might wanna rethink your take.

I simply don't see them having the championship game in an outdoor stadium where it will possibly be brutally cold, snow, tons of wind, etc.

Why not? How is that any different from any other Big 11 game played post October? The Big 12 had its title game in KC many years.

M Cunt: I know you hate hearing it, but the Big 11, including your dogshit program, is OSU's bitch. There will be a title game in Cleveland before Detroit and I guarantee that. Maybe someday when scU-M gets its shit together and isn't getting beat by Purdue at home, it'll have the pull to get a title game in its own backyard. Until that occurs, you can get fucked.

[M Club]

...made for TV location. And it's all about TV revenue.

i don't understand the economics of tv. are more people going to watch the game if it's in indy rather than if it were played in green bay?

chicago's just as neutral of a location as indy, unless you expect the zooker to make consistent runs toward big ten titles before whoever that guy with a mustache at purdue does.

i doubt filling seats will be much of an issue regardless of who makes the championship game. all the venues under consideration are pretty small compared to michigan, ohio, and beaver stadiums, not to mention we all know here how well iowa travels.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

While Chicago is a much better city to visit as a tourist than Indy, I simply don't see them having the championship game in an outdoor stadium where it will possibly be brutally cold, snow, tons of wind, etc.

This.

I want it to be Chicago. I think it'll be Indy.

[M Club]

M Cunt: I know you hate hearing it, but the Big 11, including your dogshit program, is OSU's bitch. There will be a title game in Cleveland before Detroit and I guarantee that. Maybe someday when scU-M gets its shit together and isn't getting beat by Purdue at home, it'll have the pull to get a title game in its own backyard. Until that occurs, you can get fucked.

you're 0 for nearly every prediction you've ever made here. your guarantee only guarantees ford field will host one of the first three championship games.

i'm pretty sure big ten politics comes down to whoever had a better record in football the previous season. maybe you should find new criteria to base your predictions on. you'd be amazed to discover how it feels to not always be wrong.

[indyfrisco]

Screw,
I don't expect Northwestern to make perrenial runs to the CCG, but the fact remains Chicago is the home to Northwestern. Chicago in December vs. Chicago in October is different. Also, I never said Chicago lacked infrastructure, just that it was not neutral. My take won't change.

M Club,
My take on the TV is that Indy provides a "made for TV" location like Screw said. Are less people going to watch the game if it is in Chicago? I don't know. I do think it will more than likely be an ugly game due to the possible weather conditions. Put it this way: If I'm a fan who wants to attend the game, I'd rather go to Indy. If I'm a fan who wants to see a game that is not adversely affected by the weather, I'd rather watch it in Indy whether at the game or on my couch. As fans of CFB, yeah, we like to see a classic game in the snow/mud/rain. However, as a fan of CFB, I don't want to see the CCG affected by those same conditions.

All that being said, it is very possible that weather in Chicago on a December day (though most CCG are at night) could be perfectly fine albeit cold. It's just not something I would risk if I was running the show.

[Screw_Michigan]

Screw,
I don't expect Northwestern to make perrenial runs to the CCG, but the fact remains Chicago is the home to Northwestern.

How is that any different than Purdue and IU being within hours of Indy? NW is a small elite private school in the Chicago burbs, it's not like Chicago is home to UI.

[indyfrisco]

Within hours and in the same town are two different things. And don't get so hung up on locale of school vs. stadium. I think weight all factors such as locale, indoor/outdoor, weather, logistics for television, etc. are going to be weighed. All those things combined and Indy is more suitable. Just my opinion. We'll see if TPTB in the conference think the same. I could be way off. They may want to have a Frozen Tundra/Ice Bowl type of game. I seriously doubt it though.

[M Club]

My take on the TV is that Indy provides a "made for TV" location like Screw said. Are less people going to watch the game if it is in Chicago? I don't know. I do think it will more than likely be an ugly game due to the possible weather conditions. Put it this way: If I'm a fan who wants to attend the game, I'd rather go to Indy. If I'm a fan who wants to see a game that is not adversely affected by the weather, I'd rather watch it in Indy whether at the game or on my couch. As fans of CFB, yeah, we like to see a classic game in the snow/mud/rain. However, as a fan of CFB, I don't want to see the CCG affected by those same conditions.

i don't know, either. i'd like to see how tv ratings are affected by whether or not there's snow on the ground. i just can't imagine people sitting in their warm homes will turn the channel because the players are shivering.

as far as attendance at the actual game, midwesterners are rather hardy (read: fat). i've been to some froze ass games at michigan stadium that were sold out. if 100,000 michigan fans are willing to sit through sub-zero then i imagine nebraska or ohio state can swing 35,000 or whatever half a stadium's capacity is.

i can also see the big ten angling for an ccg in the out-of-doors just because no one else does it. part of the big ten's criticism of sec football is that they only play in favorable weather: let's see them play in the cold. a game in soldier field would be a chance for them to beat their chests.

my best guess is that the ccg will rotate locations. i'm obviously going on nothing, though.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Chicago is a neutral location. Big Ten alumni and fan bases run the gamut here. Northwestern's presence is almost completely unseen and unheard. They just don't give a shite.

[King Crimson]

i can also see the big ten angling for an ccg in the out-of-doors just because no one else does it.

the BIg XII (as it was) played the conference champ game at Arrowhead half the time i think. and in at least 01, was played in the old Cowboy Stadium. south sites, Reliant and Alamodome were inside. but, otherwise outdoors.

jus' sayin.

and to the presence of NWestern in the Chicago market, i'd wager that a very large % of NW alums aren't from Chicago and don't stay in the area. it's the nature of that size private school. using Vandy as an example, there was talk i read on some boards about the SEC dumping Vandy because it's Vandy but the rejoinder that they'd lose the Nashville market. which is absurd, since Nashville is a Tennessee market. Vandy is a local curiosity/punchline at times with the vast majority of students from out of state.

[M Club]

i can also see the big ten angling for an ccg in the out-of-doors just because no one else does it.

the BIg XII (as it was) played the conference champ game at Arrowhead half the time i think. and in at least 01, was played in the old Cowboy Stadium. south sites, Reliant and Alamodome were inside. but, otherwise outdoors.

jus' sayin.

ja, i meant outdoors to be outside in shitty weather. i realize it's cold in missouri come december, but the big ten might as well be in the arctic circle as far as people in the south are concerned.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

and to the presence of NWestern in the Chicago market, i'd wager that a very large % of NW alums aren't from Chicago and don't stay in the area.

That's safe to say. And the ones who do live here look at you funny when you mention football; funnier when it's basketball.

[Truman]

i can also see the big ten angling for an ccg in the out-of-doors just because no one else does it.

the BIg XII (as it was) played the conference champ game at Arrowhead half the time i think. and in at least 01, was played in the old Cowboy Stadium. south sites, Reliant and Alamodome were inside. but, otherwise outdoors.

jus' sayin.

ja, i meant outdoors to be outside in shitty weather. i realize it's cold in missouri come december, but the big ten might as well be in the arctic circle as far as people in the south are concerned.

The OU Invitational, aka The Big XII Conference Championship Game, has been played at Arrowhead six times in the XII's 14 years, with the Sooners going 5-1 in those games.

I can't recall weather ever being a factor for three of the games we attended (it was seasonably cold, but dry), but I liked to have froze my country ass off the year OU pimp-slapped Big Rid after my kid lost his stocking cap during the National Anthem and I gave him mine. I can only imagine what four degrees on a relatively windless December night might feel like in a place like Soldier Field where the wind doesn't stop howling....

[Screw_Michigan]

Wasn't the 00 game against K-State in freezing ass cold weather?

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

There were 10,000 empty seats at the most recent Big 12 Championship game at Arrowhead, in 32 degree temps.

http://www.big12sports.com/ViewContent. ... NT_ID=6501

But maybe watching OU/Texas triple the spread against North slappies not named Nebraska isn't such a hot ticket.

[King Crimson]

Wasn't the 00 game against K-State in freezing ass cold weather?

that one and the one Truman cites, OU-Cally's NU game in 06, are the ones i remember being very cold. ones that stand out. i wasn't there or anything.

the 00 game was a very good football game. that KSU team was for real. physical, fast. beat the crap out of Heupel then and in the regular season game. two losses to the eventual NC's and asswhipped Tennesse in their bowl game.

[Truman]

There were 10,000 empty seats at the most recent Big 12 Championship game at Arrowhead, in 32 degree temps.

71,004 paid, asshat, to watch the 7-1 Sooners steamroll a five-win Mizzou team that came up 41 points short and pretty much won the North division that year by default. Somebody had to get their ass kicked by OU...

Was that a lame attempt to smack the locals for not dropping 75 bucks on a Foregone Conclusion, or props to XII fans for displaying common sense?

But maybe watching OU/Texas triple the spread against North slappies not named Nebraska isn't such a hot ticket.

Paying to watch any Big Ten team not named Ohio State get turbo-clocked by OU or Texas wouldn’t exactly compel me to buy a ticket either, Blue....

[M Club]

71,004 paid, asshat, to watch the 7-1 Sooners steamroll a five-win Mizzou team that came up 41 points short and pretty much won the North division that year by default. Somebody had to get their ass kicked by OU...

Was that a lame attempt to smack the locals for not dropping 75 bucks on a Foregone Conclusion, or props to XII fans for displaying common sense?

it probably had to do with me saying the big ten ccg won't have any issues selling out regardless of weather. then again, just a guess.


the cold weather, outdoor ccg is now the sole domain of the big ten, if they choose to go that route. i don't see texas agreeing to anything but comfortable game conditions, and it's not like anyone in the big xii can tell them differently. it is, after all, only a matter of time before the big 12 ccg is played in austin.

[Terry in Crapchester]

the cold weather, outdoor ccg is now the sole domain of the big ten, if they choose to go that route.

True, although you apparently fail to grasp why that is. Read on.

i don't see texas agreeing to anything but comfortable game conditions, and it's not like anyone in the big xii can tell them differently. it is, after all, only a matter of time before the big 12 ccg is played in austin.

There won't be another Big XII CCG after 2012, barring expansion. They'll be at 10 teams starting in 2013. The RRSO will be the de facto CCG, most years, anyway.

As for the original topic of the thread, Chicago is the logical choice -- the nation's #3 media market, and right in the heart of the Big Ten footprint. But Indianapolis probably will be the choice based on weather conditions. And football is a sport which is supposed to be played in the elements. Further proof of the advancing corporatization/pussification (sorry for the redundancy) of sports.

[Screw_Michigan]

As much as I hate the idea of the Big 11 basketball tournament being in Indy full-time (over Chicago), I get that. But the football game? That's fucking blasphemy. Indy should NEVER, EVER get over on Chicago. EVER!

[King Crimson]

as lucky as the Big 10 is to have a team, legendary coach, and fanbase that is as virtuous and wholesome as Nebraska.....I think Omaha is the only choice. :wink:

every other place smacks of collusion, malfeasance, and a lack of moral fortitude. Let Dr. Tom heal you.

[M Club]

True, although you apparently fail to grasp why that is. Read on.

true enough. though really i was just thinking in terms of the big 10 vs sec media dick competition before the big xii people reminded me of their existence.

[At Large]

as lucky as the Big 10 is to have a team, legendary coach, and fanbase that is as virtuous and wholesome as Nebraska.....I think Omaha is the only choice. :wink:

every other place smacks of collusion, malfeasance, and a lack of moral fortitude. Let Dr. Tom heal you.

Funny enough, Bill Byrne lobbied to have Lincoln as the site of the Big 12 CCG when it was first proposed because it'd guarantee a sellout. The paper today said that it was discussed, but voted down 10-2, with Kansas being the lone supporter next to NU.

[WolverineSteve]

http://www.mlive.com/spartans/index.ssf ... _at_d.html

[Screw_Michigan]

Mayo's back on the dope. #1) Who says they will do the divisions based on geography? This isn't the 90s anymore. #2) Pass that blunt, Dave, if you think scU-M and OSU will end up in the same division. #3) Detroit is possible, but unlikely. As I've said before, they'll rotate it between Chicago and Indy and throw a bone to Cleveland/Detroit once every 10-15 years, if ever.

[WolverineSteve]

ChiTown makes the most sense in that it's centrally located and an awesome town....but I think the outside factor will hurt the chances. I think it's clearly Indy and Detroit. Like Motown or not Ford Field is a premier football venue.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

They're going to sign a one year contract with a venue for the first game, and then look into other options down the road. It'll probably be Indy as it's the "safest" pick, but the more I think about it, the more I agree that Indy and Chicago will be rotated. A Big Ten Cash Grab played outdoors is something they could market pretty easily.

[L45B]

Pass that blunt, Dave, if you think scU-M and OSU will end up in the same division.

They will be in the same division. No way either school's AD accepts the possibility of having to play each other twice in one season, let alone the last two games of the season.

But I certainly wouldn't rule out the chances of PSU and Nebraska being in the same division. Delaney has already hinted that divisions would be used for football only (i.e. he wants to keep the Big 10 BB tourney format in tact), so I doubt he will rely on just geographical location to align the teams.

[FLW Buckeye]

Big Ten FB should NEVER be played indoors! It takes away some of the atmosphere that is associated with the game. I went to the 2000 Sugar Bowl to watch the Buckeyes beat aTm. It just didn't have the right feel that a college game should have.

[King Crimson]

Big Ten FB should NEVER be played indoors! It takes away some of the atmosphere that is associated with the game. I went to the 2000 Sugar Bowl to watch the Buckeyes beat aTm. It just didn't have the right feel that a college game should have.

the Superdome sucks out loud. i've been there twice on Nokia'a dime, once for the LSU-Illinois game in 01 and OU-LSU in 03. there's carpet in the walkways....carpet, and football? no.

[PSUFAN]

Indy it is: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... 93650.html

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Seems to be a lot of rumor and chatter that Michigan and OSU will be in separate divisions, and that their game will be played earlier in the season...

[Screw_Michigan]

Probably week 4 or 5 so whoever loses the game has plenty of time to climb back up the rankings.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

A lot of talk that the divisions will be split like:

Division 1
Michigan
Michigan State
Iowa
Nebraska
Illinois
Northwestern

Division 2
Ohio State
Penn State
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Purdue
Indiana

I like it.

[Goober McTuber]

This is from a local news hack. It sorta makes sense.

Here's my entry for the Big Ten realignment pool.

North Division: Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Minnesota and Northwestern.

South Division: Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Purdue.

Points of emphasis:

1) Michigan and Ohio State are in separate divisions. The Wolverines and Buckeyes sustain their rivalry in a crossover game. The only perceived drawback is that it won't be staged in November.

2) Other natural rivalries are preserved within divisional play. Such as Michigan-Michigan State and Wisconsin-Minnesota in the North. Such as Indiana-Purdue in the South.

Here are the numbers based on the conference records since 1993 when Penn State joined the Big Ten. Plus, Nebraska's record since 1996 when the Huskers became a part of the Big 12.

1. Ohio State: 106-29-1 (.779). No. 1 seed in the South.

2. Michigan: 94-42 (.691). No. 1 seed in the North.

3. Nebraska: 75-37 (.669). No. 2 seed in the North.

4. Penn State 86-50 (.632). No. 2 seed in the South.

5. Wisconsin: 79-54-3 (.581). No. 3 seed in the North.

6. Iowa: 71-64-1 (.522). No. 3 seed in the South.

7. Purdue: 63-70-3 (.463). No. 4 seed in the South.

8. Michigan State: 63-72-1 (.463). No. 4 seed in the North.

9. Northwestern: 59-77 (.434). No. 5 seed in the North.

10. Illinois: 45-90-1 (.331). No. 5 seed in the South.

11. Minnesota: 44-92 (.324). No. 6 seed in the North.

12. Indiana: 33-103 (.243). No. 6 seed in the South.

(Note: I used only conference records because nonconference records is such a variable depending on whether a school prefers to schedule hard or soft from season-to-season.)

Every realignment plan will have unavoidable flaws.

This one does.

Question: What about Iowa's rivalries with Minnesota, Wisconsin and potentially Nebraska? Answer: crossover games.

That's my best guess.

And that would be the operative word.

Guess.

One other guess is that Wisconsin and Iowa could probably be interchanged in this plan.