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I knew Rutgers was a bottom tier football team when they joined the Big Ten, but I didn't think they were this bad. The fact that they lost 136-0 combined in the last 2 weeks to the 2 juggernauts of the conference (Michigan and Ohio State) just shows how big of a talent gap they have.
I know they were brought in to generate money from the NYC market and the northeast, but I have friends and family in the NYC area, and Rutgers isn't even on people's radar. They don't have a winning football or basketball tradition to bring in that market for the Big Ten.
They just seem like such a geographical and fit oddity for the Big Ten. At least Maryland contributes to basketball, and while their football isn't great, they don't really standout from the other middle to bottom teams. Rutgers has been painfully bad in both football and basketball. I still don't understand them in the conference.
They're there because they make the B1G's TV contract much more valuable. They cause the Big Ten Network to be carried on basic cable in their home territory, which is the New York City TV market (Ranked #1 in size by Nielsen) and their presence leads to B1G games being televised by ABC and ESPN there. Those facts, in themselves, are worth many millions of dollars a year to the conference.
New Jersey is also fertile recruiting territory for the B1G. Take a look at how many players from that state are on B1G rosters, both in football and basketball. Having a conference school in the state produces media exposure for conference schools. That gives coaches from conference schools a leg up in recruiting the state's top athletes.
Yeah, they don't add much other than TV revenue. But that's what is important to conferences in this day and age. I would have preferred if they had picked up Mizzou, but too late. STL and KC are two mid sized metros in the middle of the conference geographicly, but obviously aren't as big of a market as NYC, even if very few NYers are Rutgers fans.
Yeah, they don't add much other than TV revenue. But that's what is important to conferences in this day and age. I would have preferred if they had picked up Mizzou, but too late. STL and KC are two mid sized metros in the middle of the conference geographicly, but obviously aren't as big of a market as NYC, even if very few NYers are Rutgers fans.
I agree, Missouri would have been a natural fit for one of the expansion schools. In a dream scenario, if they could have found a way to get Notre Dame to join, that would have obviously been a home run, although they had been trying for decades to get ND to join and they couldn't work it out contractually (due to all of their rich independent football contracts).
Realistically, as for the second expansion school in addition to Mizzou, I would have preferred Pitt. They would have fit nicely into the B1G in terms of geography and football cultural. I even think Syracuse would have been a decent backup option if Mizzou/Pitt didn't work out, but that's all hypothetical since TV markets/revenue drive these decisions.
They're there because they make the B1G's TV contract much more valuable. They cause the Big Ten Network to be carried on basic cable in their home territory, which is the New York City TV market (Ranked #1 in size by Nielsen) and their presence leads to B1G games being televised by ABC and ESPN there. Those facts, in themselves, are worth many millions of dollars a year to the conference.
New Jersey is also fertile recruiting territory for the B1G. Take a look at how many players from that state are on B1G rosters, both in football and basketball. Having a conference school in the state produces media exposure for conference schools. That gives coaches from conference schools a leg up in recruiting the state's top athletes.
I would have liked to see Missouri and Iowa State in the Big Ten.
Rivalries and both of those two have basketball programs that could compete.
But, as others have stated, it's all about $$$$$$$$$$$$
Those would have been good. I think Pitt would have also been reasonable. Unfortunately only Mizzou expands the TV footprint. Pitt and Iowa State would not increase conference revenue, so they would never get in, even though culturally they fit in and they already they have good rivalries in the conference. Good thing Mich State got added to the conference in the 1950's, they wouldn't bring new TV territory so they'd have a tough time getting in now. I actually don't mind Maryland as much as Rutgers. At least Maryland has decent basketball and a average football team. Maryland adds the Baltimore and DC markets. Both Rutgers and Maryland have comparable academic rankings. Rutgers may have invented football, but they are far behind the rest of the country now.
Rutgers and Maryland were definitely added solely for financial reasons. They both look so lost out there in Big Ten football. I feel embarrassed for them getting smashed the way they have been. MD showed a little promise initially destroying Purdue and beating a down MSU, but losing by nearly 60 in back to back weeks??? Even if it is to Michigan and OSU, that is BAD!
And with Rutgers, there's just nothing to say: losing to a down MSU 49-0, getting blown out by OSU 58-0, and getting historically beatdown by Michigan 78-0....no words.
Last edited by personone; 11-13-2016 at 09:39 PM..
They are in the Big 10 fir 2 reasons,,,,, #1. Money and #2 They think they belong in the Big 10. They don't ...the Big 10 only let them in so that they could expand their market to the east coast/mid Atlantic . Rutgers deserves everything that is coming to them. Bully coaches in both men's and women's basketball, football players that belong in jail...and all on the taxpayer dime while the gas tax is raised and highest property taxes in the state with decrepit roads and bridges
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