[JonDMiller]

Could this scandal move things to that point?

If not, and if PSU's football program goes Chernobyl, should the B1G look at a reshuffling of the divisions to maintain some competitive balance? Should they do that every 10 years anyway?

Here are my thoughts in a column I wrote for www.biggerten.com

[Section136]

Maybe, no and no.

[Ihawk209]

football strength seems to be cyclical. I can see a schools like Illinois and Purdue progressing and competing with the historically stronger teams. I hope that the B1G retains PSU and current divisions.

wouldn't want to risk losing our heated rivalry with Purdue.


oh, First!!!

[INTIMIDATORHawk]

It does seem extremely plausible that Penn State's football program goes Chernobyl, but I highly doubt that the Big Ten Parts ways with them. Good market, historically successful program, great fan base.

[burky247]

Legally speaking, is it even possible that the B10 could part ways with PSU?

[FalseMirage]

Now that Penn State is being proactive (although belatedly so) I don't think the Big Ten goes so far a to kick them out.
I would settle for a renaming of the divisions.

[ssckelley]

The fact that Delaney has already removed Paterno's name from the trophy is a sign that this might be in consideration. I have enjoyed the rivalry with Penn State but after what has happened I want nothing to do with them. No way do I want to see Penn State representing the Big Ten in anything.

[homes]

Originally Posted by JonDMiller

Could this scandal move things to that point?

If not, and if PSU's football program goes Chernobyl, should the B1G look at a reshuffling of the divisions to maintain some competitive balance? Should they do that every 10 years anyway?

This is why they should have just divided the teams by geography in the first place and called the divisions East and West, and called it a day. Re-shuffling every 10 years? That's just arbitrary. Trying to maintain competitive balance? They'll always be playing catch up, at best, and manipulating it, at worst. It should have been Iowa, Illinois, NW, Wisconsin, Minn, Neb. AND Michigan, MSU, Purdue, Indiana, OSU and PSU from the beginning. If part of this bastardization of divisions was designed to separate Michigan and OSU, then it was a bad idea from the start. It would be far more exciting to have Michigan and OSU play each other for the division title to be on the line, than to have them play each other as a "protected rival", then have to possibly playing each other again a week later. Who would want that. The Big Ten does a lot of things right, but this division alignment thing was f'ed up from the start.

Like the Paterno-Stagg trophy - they out-cuted themselves.

[JonDMiller]

Read this statement by Tom Izzo:

“I think one of you, or somebody, said to me last week, and I agreed, that certain things affect a program, scandals of any kind, in basketball or football. Some other things are big enough to affect the athletic department. Then there are some things – to be honest with you, I haven’t seen anything before – that affect, maybe, the status of the university. I think this is one that has affected the status of the university.”

I agree...I think this is something that is going to break unprecedented harm to a University.

What if Penn State's ability to land research grant dollars is affected by this? I think there many things to consider, or rather, many things that will be considered at the appropriate time.

[ssckelley]

Originally Posted by JonDMiller

What if Penn State's ability to land research grant dollars is affected by this? I think there many things to consider, or rather, many things that will be considered at the appropriate time.

I really hope it does not come down to that as there are some talented people at Penn State coming up with cures that help save lives.

[20eyes]

Originally Posted by JonDMiller

Read this statement by Tom Izzo:

“I think one of you, or somebody, said to me last week, and I agreed, that certain things affect a program, scandals of any kind, in basketball or football. Some other things are big enough to affect the athletic department. Then there are some things – to be honest with you, I haven’t seen anything before – that affect, maybe, the status of the university. I think this is one that has affected the status of the university.”

I agree...I think this is something that is going to break unprecedented harm to a University.

What if Penn State's ability to land research grant dollars is affected by this? I think there many things to consider, or rather, many things that will be considered at the appropriate time.

Speaking of Land Grant research dollars...I hear there is an AAU University with a Department of Energy lab on it's campus just east of Lincoln, west of Iowa City and south of Minneapolis. Their athletic programs are non threatening and I hear their alumni would LOVE to be in the B1G...

[silvanthalas]

Originally Posted by JonDMiller

What if Penn State's ability to land research grant dollars is affected by this?

If that is the case, then Penn State - or any other university, for that matter - should get out of athletics.

Hell, they should probably be getting out of big money athletics anyways.

Doesn't seem likely that the Big Ten would boot PSU if they couldn't even be bothered to cancel PSU's remaining games.

And the Big Ten should've never attempted the "competitive balance" divisions in the first place. It was just as foolish as the naming of the divisions.

[Section136]

Originally Posted by 20eyes

Speaking of Land Grant research dollars...I hear there is an AAU University with a Department of Energy lab on it's campus just east of Lincoln, west of Iowa City and south of Minneapolis. Their athletic programs are non threatening and I hear their alumni would LOVE to be in the B1G...

Dont hijack the thread Clownie. And is the same alumni that constantly rips on the B1G as a conference that would love to be a part of it?

[briankaldenberg]

No way does Penn State get kicked out of the Big 10.

[20eyes]

Originally Posted by Section136

Dont hijack the thread Clownie. And is the same alumni that constantly rips on the B1G as a conference that would love to be a part of it?

A few message board posters ripping B1G football =/= the vast majority of alumni recognizing the strength of the B1G academically and in research.