Where to host the Big-10 Champ game?

[SDK46]

Seems to be a lot of interest as to where this thing will be initially held.... Indy, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Detroit. Now Chicago is putting in a bid...

Big Ten championship game: Soldier Field has interest in being host - chicagotribune.com

My take is the game should be in a dome, but if not, certainly not in Chicago....here are my reasons:

#1--I've gone to two Bears games in Soldier Field in early December, and let me tell you, as a fan getting to the game, and then sitting there, it sucked. Really sucked. The windchill was near zero as the wind came off the lake. It was cold enough where your eyes would water. It was brutal.

#2--And speaking of the wind, windy conditions would favor the running team and hurt the passing team. I think we want the weather, for a nationally televised championship game, to be neutral.

#3--Good luck trying to get a reasonably priced room for two nights anywhere near Soldier Field. Not possible.

#4--I went to the Iowa/North Illinois game...the park district was woefully unprepared for the event....not enough port-a-potties, not enough beer inside the stadium, not enough security, not enough trash cans, and the traffic control was non-existant. Driving to the event was a nightmare.

Continued success for any stadium hosting the Big-10 championship game means putting butts in seats. I'm afraid Soldier Field would be a big miserable one-and-done.

 

[bws258]

I am a huge Bears fan, and the idea of having the game in Chicago sounds great to me

however, if I look at it objectively, I have a hard time making any kind of case

The first problem is that there just isn't enough seating ... the idiot McCaskeys totally screwed that up

secondly, the turf sucks in December ... seriously, why can't they hire a decent groundskeeper?

more seats and greater comfort can be found in Indy or Cincy

 

[GoHawks24]

I'm gonna have to go with Indianapolis. That seems the most ideal to me. It's pretty much smack-dab in the middle of B10 country, one of the sites with a dome besides St. Louis (Indy's stadium is nicer of course), Minneapolis, but who would want to play in that ****** place? It's only good for fornicating in the restrooms & tearing down field goal posts. And then there's Detroit (doesn't even warrant an explanation as to why it shouldn't be there).

 

[Churlish79]

Big 10 CFB Championship to Indy, move the Big 10 MBB tourney back to Chicago.

(although, I've heard some shady happenings in Indy lately: Pacers Screw Indianapolis, Don't Even Kiss Them Afterward )

 

[Saginawbay]

Chicago would be a great venue for the event as well as Indy. I think you rotate between the two and embrace the elements every great NFL game in the elements is remembered for decades it is what the Big Ten is about tough football and if you get a year in which it is tough then that is just the Big Ten. Both cities are great Chicago is the best in the Big Ten and top 5 worldwide so hard too argue with for sure. Indy is a great Big Ten town as well with a great venue and great location so rotate between the two and embrace the weather and conditions it is football.

 

[HawkinGoferLand]

I think the midwest outdoor elements for beginning of Dec football is fine, just not next to Lake Michigan which really changes things. I too was at the Iowa vs NIU game and it was like they had never hosted a FB game there before. Did they expect 12k fans or what? As a Bears fan, very disappointed....

 

[clicheusername3]

Valley Stadium in West Des Moines?

 

[silvanthalas]

The field is so bad in Soldier Field.

And nobody wants to go to Detroit.

 

[big10fan]

i really like the idea of rotating it, but just don't think that would be good business. i'd prefer indy for the sake that they know how to run big events and the stadium is great.