Iceland12
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According to one of the aggrieved, Jim Tenopir (the executive director of the Nebraska School Activities Association, who met with Big Ten officials Monday along with executives from six other states), though, Big Ten officials have been surprised by the amount of backlash they’ve faced. Here’s what Tenopir told Land of Ten’s Sean Keeler following the meetings:
“The commissioner [Jim Delany] made the comment that Friday night games have been happening all across the country,” Tenopir, executive director of the Nebraska School Activities Association, told Land of 10 during Day One of the Big Ten Conference Joint Group Meetings.
“They did not expect the blowback that the Big Ten got on Friday nights.”
And by “blowback,” he means calls. Emails. Facebook comments. General social media hell.
Executives from seven state athletic or activities associations within the Big Ten footprint — Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, along with a representative from the National Federation of State High School Associations — met with league officials for two hours at the Big Ten’s suburban Chicago headquarters Monday to explain their concerns with the conference’s decision to play football games, including intraleague matchups, on Friday nights starting this fall.
Tenopir said Big Ten officials countered that the intent of Friday games was getting “some better prime-time coverage for some Big Ten teams that are traditionally second-tier compared to Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska.
“They downplayed the revenue. But if television’s involved, you have to know that revenue is a portion of that.”...
At the very least, though, this meeting did show Big Ten leadership there is plenty of opposition to their plans here. Will that lead to this plan being walked back? Not too likely, but it could help prevent further expansion. Keeler writes that the conference is not considering playing on any other weeknights for the time being (although they won’t rule that out indefinitely), and that they’ll be looking at how these Friday night games affect these other sports. For now, though, it’s still full speed ahead for Big Ten Friday Night Football, but those executives definitely now know that there is plenty of blowback.
http://awfulannouncing.com/ncaa/neb...ten-not-expect-blowback-got-friday-games.html
“The commissioner [Jim Delany] made the comment that Friday night games have been happening all across the country,” Tenopir, executive director of the Nebraska School Activities Association, told Land of 10 during Day One of the Big Ten Conference Joint Group Meetings.
“They did not expect the blowback that the Big Ten got on Friday nights.”
And by “blowback,” he means calls. Emails. Facebook comments. General social media hell.
Executives from seven state athletic or activities associations within the Big Ten footprint — Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, along with a representative from the National Federation of State High School Associations — met with league officials for two hours at the Big Ten’s suburban Chicago headquarters Monday to explain their concerns with the conference’s decision to play football games, including intraleague matchups, on Friday nights starting this fall.
Tenopir said Big Ten officials countered that the intent of Friday games was getting “some better prime-time coverage for some Big Ten teams that are traditionally second-tier compared to Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska.
“They downplayed the revenue. But if television’s involved, you have to know that revenue is a portion of that.”...
At the very least, though, this meeting did show Big Ten leadership there is plenty of opposition to their plans here. Will that lead to this plan being walked back? Not too likely, but it could help prevent further expansion. Keeler writes that the conference is not considering playing on any other weeknights for the time being (although they won’t rule that out indefinitely), and that they’ll be looking at how these Friday night games affect these other sports. For now, though, it’s still full speed ahead for Big Ten Friday Night Football, but those executives definitely now know that there is plenty of blowback.
http://awfulannouncing.com/ncaa/neb...ten-not-expect-blowback-got-friday-games.html