[JonDMiller]

Someone emailed this to me with regards to overcoming the problem with nine-game conference schedule...as there would be years when some teams have home games and some teams have away games..its interesting, but I doubt the coaches would want to see this:

In reading about the 5/4 dilemma you mention with a nine game schedule, I got to scheming and came up with a solution that would be a cash cow for the conference.

B1G Opening Weekend
Every year conference play opens up with each division playing their first conference game at a neutral/professional field. Legends at one field Leaders at another. Each field, three games in one day with staggered starts (1030, 1200, 300, 430, 730, 900.), all aired on BTN.

Logistics would need to be figured out but it would definitely be doable. Revenue from games gets divided amongst the conference.

Imagine how pumped you would be for that weekend every year and the atmosphere at the locations and camaraderie between fan bases. It would be spectacular.


I agree that would be quite the day...could have games hosted at Ford Field, Soldier Field, Lucas Oil, Cleveland, Three Rivers, possibly Arrowhead and St Louis Dome....BUT...you'd still need to team those sites up to bring a lot of fans..you wouldn't want OSU vs NW at Ford Field. Hard to get away from overly 'home' environment.

Follow up: the person emailed me back and said that he didnt mean first game of the year, he meant first non-conference game....which throws this out then, IMO...it would have to be the first game of the year, in order to align with the NFL schedule.

[silvanthalas]

There is no remedy. It will be just as silly as having an 11 team conference playing 8 conference games.

We're finally at 12 and 8, don't muck it up now.

[Xerxes]

Its funny, it completely made sense when the B10 had 11 teams to play a 9 game conference schedule, but they didn't want to do it.

Now after 18 years, they finally add a 12th team. Now an 8 game schedule plus a championship game makes perfect sense, but they want to change it...

[hawkeyeguy85]

Originally Posted by Xerxes

Its funny, it completely made sense when the B10 had 11 teams to play a 9 game conference schedule, but they didn't want to do it.

Now after 18 years, they finally add a 12th team. Now an 8 game schedule plus a championship game makes perfect sense, but they want to change it...

It made perfect sense, except that lazy *** Delany never rewrote the laws of mathematics in such a way that would actually make and odd-numbered team league play an odd number of games mathematically possible.

[DwayneTwill]

No...

[Xerxes]

Originally Posted by hawkeyeguy85

It made perfect sense, except that lazy *** Delany never rewrote the laws of mathematics in such a way that would actually make and odd-numbered team league play an odd number of games mathematically possible.

Ahh, that is right. So I stand corrected, it made no sense to play a 9 nine game schedule with 11 teams conference. Being that it is impossible.

Then again it made no sense to have an 11 team conference.

[PhoenixHawk]

Well, I would do each game at a different pro park on the same day, with ABC/ESPN coverage as well to help finance the whole deal. There are what, 8? pro fields in B10 states?

Filling the parks would still be a bit of a problem since a lot of traveling would be involved, unless they really worked on getting teams close to a field for each particular game. That would work once, but every year would start to get tricky.

Also, since money is driving this change by letting B10 teams keep more money in conference, and by offering a more saleable product vs. non-con weenies, I'd think that having that home game every other year is the big $ attraction to the team and community and would be loss by giving it up to an NFL town.

[Hal9000]

WOW that would be a parking nightmare at most stadiums! 3 games in one day at Soldier Field? They can barley park people for 1 game. try 3 + extra people who just want to tailgate and participate in the atmosphere the closest you'd be able to park would be Skokie, Maywood or Hammond.

[DuffMan]

this would never happen at soldier field (I mean it wont happen anywhere), have you seen what that turf looks like after one game, let alone three.

[FalseMirage]

Can you imagine what shape the fans for game three will be in after tailgating through the first two games? That's assuming they actually find a place to tailgate.

[bwsmoney]

I'm down. Labor Day wknd, no NFL going on, 8 NFL stadiums (Chicago, Indy, Cincy, Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Minny, Green Bay) to pick from in Big10 country and 7 more (KC, St Louis, Philly, Baltimore, DC, Buffalo, Meadowlands) on the edge of the conf. footprint. This could work.