BTN destroyed B1G football???

I agree with both points (marginalized the national identity and hurt the appeal to national recruits), and I would add that BTN made the Big Ten Conference a direct competitor of the most powerful sports entity on the planet, ESPN.
 
I think this article is flawed. It only focuses on football; and frankly, the SEC was out-performing the Big Ten in football long before the Big Ten Network.

What about basketball? The Big Ten has been strong in basketball since the beginning of the Big Ten Network, with many Final Four teams. Maryland is a great get for basketball!

I see BTN as nothing but a positive for the Big Ten.

And oh, by the way, ESPN still shows a bunch of Big Ten games.....
 
MiniMoeHawk said:
BTN helps put games on TV that would have not been aired in the past. How does that hurt the big ten?
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Exactly. Its not like BTN is getting the showcase games. They get the games ESPN turns down. In past those games would have been on a local ESPN Plus regional audience that 2 states would see. Now with the BTN, at least those are on national television.
 
I haven't read the article, but the only good argument I think you could make is that it fractured our relationship with ESPN, which has lead to a media giant pimping the SEC and dumping on the B1G on a regular basis.
 
"The Big Ten Network is a regional network. It is on basic cable only in Big Ten country."

Bingo. If the BTN were part of the basic or extended basic package nationwide, then we're talking. But it is not. It is a premium channel outside of the conference footprint. One state line removed from the footprint, and I have to upgrade cable (hefty montly fee, BTW) to get the BTN. The point in the post about noon games on ESPN is pretty solid as well. As a B1G fan, I miss seeing some of those games as well. It does not feel like there are as many on the real national networks anymore.

I hate to think it, but B1G may need to pull a play from the MAC playbook and schedule games on a day other than Saturday - just to get on to ESPN.

The BTN was groundbreaking when it began. It now needs to be a leader again and step forward again. The conference has made a crap load of cash from the BTN, and that is good. That cash needs to translate to something better on the field.

Plus, B1G teams need to win friggin non-cons.
 
chadfrey said:
"The Big Ten Network is a regional network. It is on basic cable only in Big Ten country."

Bingo. If the BTN were part of the basic or extended basic package nationwide, then we're talking. But it is not. It is a premium channel outside of the conference footprint. One state line removed from the footprint, and I have to upgrade cable (hefty montly fee, BTW) to get the BTN. The point in the post about noon games on ESPN is pretty solid as well. As a B1G fan, I miss seeing some of those games as well. It does not feel like there are as many on the real national networks anymore.

I hate to think it, but B1G may need to pull a play from the MAC playbook and schedule games on a day other than Saturday - just to get on to ESPN.

The BTN was groundbreaking when it began. It now needs to be a leader again and step forward again. The conference has made a crap load of cash from the BTN, and that is good. That cash needs to translate to something better on the field.

Plus, B1G teams need to win friggin non-cons.
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have you watched ESPN on Saturdays? Iowa alone has played just as many, if not more games on ESPN than they have on the Big 10 network
 
" The conference has won 1 Rose Bowl game since the 2000 season. "

off the top of my head I can name 2...MSU 2014 and OSU 2010 - same year Iowa won the orange bowl. and at least 2 other BCS games PSU and Iowa won Orange Bowls, OSU won a number of other BCS games as well.
 
That article makes no sense whatsoever.

First off, the B1G never left ESPN/ABC. There are still just as many games on the ESPN/ABC family of networks now as their was before the BTN started. The only difference now is that the lower tier games are now on the BTN instead of on some regional affiliate or not on at all.

Second of all, where is the causation? Just because the slide of the B1G in football happened to coincide with the start of the BTN doesn't mean squat. I changed jobs in 2007 as well. Me changing jobs at the same time the slide of the B1G in football happened makes about as much sense as this jagaloon's article. One has nothing to do with the other. The author might want to bone up on the whole "correlation doesn't equal causation" thing we all learned years ago. Actually, a better inference would be "coincidence doesn't equal causation" since I'm fairly certain there's probably zero statistical correlation between the two.

At the end of the day, the BTN means an add'l $20-$25 million in add'l revenue to each B1G school and that's it.
 
I had to get a pretty expensive sports package to be able to get the BTN here in TN on dish network. But I have no complaints about it. I wish they'd do an a la cart deal where I can not have a bunch of the other channels I never watch but it is what it is. I think it's been good for the conference and it's given more access to the schools individually then they ever have had. Or would have had otherwise.
 
I like B1G network. But anytime you poke the bear (espn), a mauling may happen.

I guess the B1G teams need to Start winning more ooc games and bowl games, especially the high profile ones.
 
Good Lord, someone get me Pollard immediately. If a conference network can destroy a conference, the destruction of a powerhouse program starting its own channel could be earth shattering. Look at what has happened to Texas bince they started Longhorn Network. Look at ISU bince Cyclone.TV came out.
 
I'm not really buying the argument about limiting national exposure and therefore recruits aren't flocking to B10 schools. I'm afraid the opposite may be true. Since most B10 games are now on TV, they can actually watch Indiana vs Purdue or NW vs Illinois and question whether this is FCS football or something?
 
HawkeyeWalker said:
I like B1G network. But anytime you poke the bear (espn), a mauling may happen.

I guess the B1G teams need to Start winning more ooc games and bowl games, especially the high profile ones.
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Nah, it ain't poking the bear. The issue is that population in the Midwest is sinking or only staying steady due to immigration from Mexico, while the south and west continue to grow. We have a ton of teams fighting for paltry talent up in the Midwest. And weather concerns dictate a specific brand of football to be consistently successful in conference play and that brand of football seems a little antiquated.
 
I think the BTN has helped and I've enjoyed having it during basketall season. For football it seems like it isn't using what it has available to them. This fall when I look at what's scheduled on BTN and I wonder is it women's volleyball season or football season. Some Saturdays only one football game shown. Basketball they seem to let almost all the schools have games on. Off season is clearly for thebig name schools and ratings. Football is the cash cow for all colleges but it doesn't seem like they use it enough.
 
okeefe4prez said:
Good Lord, someone get me Pollard immediately. If a conference network can destroy a conference, the destruction of a powerhouse program starting its own channel could be earth shattering. Look at what has happened to Texas bince they started Longhorn Network. Look at ISU bince Cyclone.TV came out.
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Look at you bince you started posting here.
 
Even games on ESPN or ABC are still regional. A marquee night game might be national, but the Big 10 hasn't been in many of those lately. A bowl game is pretty much the best place for a team (especially a sub top 25 team) to get true national exposure.
 
B1G football destroyed B1G football.

ABC/ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU still get first dibs on games. How has that changed anything?

As for basketball, how is having Larry Morgan and Mac McCausland doing games on KDSM good for national pub?
 
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