ESPN: Big Ten must tackle new scheduling; Maturi has no strong alignment preference

[BleedGopher]

although he wants to continue "our strong relationships/rivalries."

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5294165

Go Gophers!!

 

[BleedGopher]

A follow up blog from Rittenberg:

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/13239/a-few-questions-for-penn-state-fans

Go Gophers!!

 

[NateDawgUM]

I get the feeling Maturi has had little say in any of this and has been largely left in the dark.

 

[Iceland12]

I get the feeling Maturi has had little say in any of this and has been largely left in the dark.

Probably true and not a surprise. Minnesota Football hasn't been much of a revenue contributer since 1986 nor a championship contender since the sixties. One at least, may be changing.

They wouldn't be expected to be part of any high level football discussions.

 

[mplsbadger]

although he wants to continue "our strong relationships/rivalries."

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5294165

Go Gophers!!

This really ticked me off. Joel is whistling past the graveyard if he thinks gopher fans are indifferent about this. He hopes to keep old rivalries intact? Like the oldest one in all of college football?

I understand if he wants a geographic split and doesn't get it but I hope he doesn't just sit on the fence and fail to advocate for what gopher fans want.

 

[FireDaveLee]

Personally, as long as I think these core pods exist, other things can work out:
OSU/Michigan/Michigan State
Minnesota/Iowa/Wisconsin

Obviously Nebraska makes sense being with Iowa. But I don't really care if we're with Northwestern & Illinois and it's not directly "West." Purdue & Indiana together, but on either side is fine. Problem is you toss Penn State with Nebraska along with Iowa & Wisconsin & suddenly, that division is heavier than Michigan/Ohio State/Michigan State.

I'm not a huge fan of a "protected cross-over game." One division is probably going to have to be a bit heavier.

 

[2nd Degree Gopher]

I get the feeling Maturi has had little say in any of this and has been largely left in the dark.

I am sure that's true. One of my biggest concerns about how this shakes out is that Joel is our "advocate" in the process.

 

[Hates Monikers]

I love this quote from our guy:

"It may not be easy, but that is only because it is difficult and challenging."

Thank you. You've been very helpful.

 

[GreasyGopher]

With how fast Maturi makes decisions, he wont even know that the AD's met to decide the conference alignment until two weeks after it happened and he will still be on the fence.

There's a right way and a wrong way to do this and I'm not sure that Maturi is going to have a clue as to which is which.

I won't be surprised if Minnesota somehow ends up getting the short end of the stick in this deal.

I maybe jumping the gun here, but qoutes like the one above don't leave me feeling to confident above the Uof M's AD.

 

[GoGophers2005]

Probably true and not a surprise. Minnesota Football hasn't been much of a revenue contributer since 1986 nor a championship contender since the sixties. One at least, may be changing.

They wouldn't be expected to be part of any high level football discussions.

I'd like to see what the Twin Cities area generates for the Big Ten network. Double what Wisconsin and Iowa combined generates?

 

[GoGophers2005]

I noticed some of the comments from the Rittenberg article and some are wanting a PSU, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois division. I'd absolutely love that for basketball.
But how dumb would that be. It would wither be Michigan or OSU coming over to to the West if they wanted to split up some of the more successful teams.

 

[ruralgopher]

I'd like to see what the Twin Cities area generates for the Big Ten network. Double what Wisconsin and Iowa combined generates?

I really doubt it. WI has Madison and Milwaukee.

 

[Unregistered User]

I think I may have figured out Maturi's rationale. Feel free to think about my assumptions and correct me if I'm wrong. (Shouldn't be hard to find volunteers on this board).

In any given year, with the BTN contract and bowl affiliations, isn't the majority of the money that the football program can generate somewhat static? If the Gophers go to the Rose Bowl or the Insight bowl that money is divided evenly, correct? So in the grand scheme of things, from an income point of view, it doesn't really matter where any team finishes within the Big 10, the same payout for all the bowl games will be split between all the teams.

The only variable that I see is the money generated at the Stadium, etc. Although I have no idea what portion that represents, e.g. a full stadium every game, ad infinitum, with it's associated food and merchandise sales vs. a crowd of 75% or 50% capacity.

So the question is, and take this only from an income perspective: What is Maturi's motivation to better the team? You would hope that the best product is on the field for pride, press, and everything else that comes with a successful program, but if his true intention is to have as many U teams solvent as long as possible, I don't see the motivation, from strictly a dollars and cents perspective.

 

[Maverick]

I think I may have figured out Maturi's rationale. Feel free to think about my assumptions and correct me if I'm wrong. (Shouldn't be hard to find volunteers on this board).

In any given year, with the BTN contract and bowl affiliations, isn't the majority of the money that the football program can generate somewhat static? If the Gophers go to the Rose Bowl or the Insight bowl that money is divided evenly, correct? So in the grand scheme of things, from an income point of view, it doesn't really matter where any team finishes within the Big 10, the same payout for all the bowl games will be split between all the teams.

The only variable that I see is the money generated at the Stadium, etc. Although I have no idea what portion that represents, e.g. a full stadium every game, ad infinitum, with it's associated food and merchandise sales vs. a crowd of 75% or 50% capacity.

So the question is, and take this only from an income perspective: What is Maturi's motivation to better the team? You would hope that the best product is on the field for pride, press, and everything else that comes with a successful program, but if his true intention is to have as many U teams solvent as long as possible, I don't see the motivation, from strictly a dollars and cents perspective.

The only thing I think that needs adding to this is the possibility of the Big Ten getting two BCS bowl bids... that changes the money significantly.... Thus I feel they are going to try to set up the divisions to accomplish that... Foolhardy to try to manage something like that, but I believe they will try....

 

[Iceland12]

I'd like to see what the Twin Cities area generates for the Big Ten network. Double what Wisconsin and Iowa combined generates?

Don't know about BTN, only that Minnesota lags behind most places in cable penetration. I'd doubt if Nebraska is a "game changer" for that up here. We're a pretty "thrifty" state. Except for gambling maybe?

As for population ruralgopher is right, Wisconsin alone has more people then Minnesota.

July 09 estimate from the US Census Bureau

Minn - 5.26 million

Wisconsin - 5.65 million

Iowa - 3.0

http://www.census.gov/popest/states/tables/NST-EST2009-01.xls

 

[streetfighter]

I'd like to see what the Twin Cities area generates for the Big Ten network. Double what Wisconsin and Iowa combined generates?

Uhhh, no. What would make you think the Twin Cities (3.5 million residents) would generate twice the revenue of Iowa (3 million residents) and Wisconsin (5.65 million residents) combined?

 

[MrGopher]

As long as greedy-ass Texas isn't in one of the divisions, I don't see either division getting too powerful.

People need to quit thinking we are going to be like the old Big12 if the divisions aren't perfectly balanced.

Unlike the old Big12, the schools in the perceived "weak" division are way, way stronger. Strong enough to the point that the division setup could easily create equality between the divisions.

The Big12 north was basically Nebraska and 5 nobodies.... that is not what the weak BigTen West would have.

 

[jerdogg1]

The only thing I think that needs adding to this is the possibility of the Big Ten getting two BCS bowl bids... that changes the money significantly.... Thus I feel they are going to try to set up the divisions to accomplish that... Foolhardy to try to manage something like that, but I believe they will try....

This is also why I think the Big Ten isn't done expanding. A 14 or 16-team conference would have a better shot at demanding two BCS bids, thus more money.

As a side note, this also seems to be why Notre Dame would eventually be forced to join a conference, likely the Big Ten. The more automatic bids that get doled out to conferences, the less chance the Irish are going to have an easy path to getting a BCS bid (and I would argue that they currently have the easiest path to a BCS bid of any SINGLE school in the country). They can squawk all they want about independence, but if getting to a BCS bowl becomes more difficult, they'll make a move.

 

[Unregistered User]

The only thing I think that needs adding to this is the possibility of the Big Ten getting two BCS bowl bids... that changes the money significantly.... Thus I feel they are going to try to set up the divisions to accomplish that... Foolhardy to try to manage something like that, but I believe they will try....

They already often do get two teams in BCS games:

Season:
1998 Wisky-Rose OSU-Sugar
1999 Wisky-Rose Mich-Orange
2000 Purdue-Rose
2001 Illinois-Sugar
2002 Iowa-Orange OSU-Fiesta
2003 Mich-Rose OSU-Fiesta
2004 Mich-Rose
2005 OSU-Fiesta PSU-Orange
2006 Mich-Rose OSU-Tostidos BCS game
2007 Illinois-Rose OSE-Allstate BCS game
2008 PSU-Rose OSU-Fiesta
2009 OSU-Rose Iowa-Sugar

 

[Iceland12]

They already often do get two teams in BCS games:

Season:
1998 Wisky-Rose OSU-Sugar
1999 Wisky-Rose Mich-Orange
2000 Purdue-Rose
2001 Illinois-Sugar
2002 Iowa-Orange OSU-Fiesta
2003 Mich-Rose OSU-Fiesta
2004 Mich-Rose
2005 OSU-Fiesta PSU-Orange
2006 Mich-Rose OSU-Tostidos BCS game
2007 Illinois-Rose OSE-Allstate BCS game
2008 PSU-Rose OSU-Fiesta
2009 OSU-Rose Iowa-Sugar

That's before a Big Ten championship game. He may have meant that they could be trying to preserve the history that you have stated.

 

[howeda7]

I get the feeling Maturi has had little say in any of this and has been largely left in the dark.

No doubt that the other AD's probably don't care much about Joel's opinion, if he even has one. Besides, he's too busy working feverishly on Tubby's contract extension to worry about this. He's been slaving away on it since March, it should be done by the end of the year at latest.

 

[Iceland12]

No doubt that the other AD's probably don't care much about Joel's opinion, if he even has one. Besides, he's too busy working feverishly on Tubby's contract extension to worry about this. He's been slaving away on it since March, it should be done by the end of the year at latest.

Not true; Tubby went to Oregon, no Auburn, no wasn't it Maryland that he signed with? Anyway, the basketball forum made it perfectly clear that Tubby left the University last spring.

 

[eker0016]

Maturi has no strong alignment preference although he wants to continue "our strong relationships/rivalries."

God forbid the man have a strong opinion, or advocate that opinion on the University's behalf. I appreciate some of the stuff this guy does, but MAN he is limp wristed.

 

[mplsbadger]

I think I may have figured out Maturi's rationale. Feel free to think about my assumptions and correct me if I'm wrong. (Shouldn't be hard to find volunteers on this board).

In any given year, with the BTN contract and bowl affiliations, isn't the majority of the money that the football program can generate somewhat static? If the Gophers go to the Rose Bowl or the Insight bowl that money is divided evenly, correct? So in the grand scheme of things, from an income point of view, it doesn't really matter where any team finishes within the Big 10, the same payout for all the bowl games will be split between all the teams.

The only variable that I see is the money generated at the Stadium, etc. Although I have no idea what portion that represents, e.g. a full stadium every game, ad infinitum, with it's associated food and merchandise sales vs. a crowd of 75% or 50% capacity.

So the question is, and take this only from an income perspective: What is Maturi's motivation to better the team? You would hope that the best product is on the field for pride, press, and everything else that comes with a successful program, but if his true intention is to have as many U teams solvent as long as possible, I don't see the motivation, from strictly a dollars and cents perspective.

You mean why he is indifferent? I didn't totally understand your post.

One point however, filling the house, is easier if you play Nebraska, Iowa, and Wisconsin every year. Hopefully it stays sold out but you never know, we might add seats, etc.

 

[Unregistered User]

You mean why he is indifferent?

Yes...that is what I am saying.

I know I'm making a reach here, but I can see how he could justify (in his own mind) that the football program revenues will somewhat take care of themselves.

I don't know the budget numbers, so I don't know how it would affect the football budget if the stadium is full or 1/2 full. The majority of the revenues enjoyed by the U through football are somewhat set, due to the B10 network money, and revenue splitting for bowls.

What I'm saying is this: look at it from a revenue standpoint rather than an on the field success standpoint. Let's say you own 2 gas stations. One of them is on a busy corner and does a whopping business. The other one is away from a core population, but you like it, it's cute and you personally feel that it fills a necessary purpose for a specific population.

Does Maturi think it is in the best interest to work harder to ensure success on the football field if the increase in income is negligible? I want to see the program get back to it's historic level, but I'm not sure that Maturi shares that vision.

 

[Maverick]

That's before a Big Ten championship game. He may have meant that they could be trying to preserve the history that you have stated.

yes...kind of...

Whether its an automatic two bids or a second bid through the "at large" process, getting a second BCS game into the conference is probably their true goal... Money is the driving force here whether they say competition or rivalries or other languages... Money is the translation..!

 

[Unregistered User]

yes...kind of...

Whether its an automatic two bids or a second bid through the "at large" process, getting a second BCS game into the conference is probably their true goal... Money is the driving force here whether they say competition or rivalries or other languages... Money is the translation..!

Which is exactly the point I was trying to make. If two teams make a BCS bowl, in any way, shape or form, every team in the B10 benefits financially from that success.

Putting aside a desire to have your team compete for B10 or National Championships, if the true driving force behind Maturi is to have as much money to keep a larger number of teams solvent for the U, does that not remove incentive to push the football team to the top of the conference?

 

[frozengopher]

"It may not be easy, but that is only because it is difficult and challenging."

This guy is a flippin' muppet. That's all I've got.

 

[Maximus]

Does Maturi think it is in the best interest to work harder to ensure success on the football field if the increase in income is negligible? I want to see the program get back to it's historic level, but I'm not sure that Maturi shares that vision.

Why did the Gophers build TCF Bank Stadium?

Why did the Gophers pay big money for coordinators in 2007?

Why is there new turf in the indoor facility?

Why is Brew using a helicopter to travel 10 miles?

Why are the coaches flying all over the country at a greater rate than the previous regime?

Why did the coaches visit every high school in the state?

Imagine if the AD wanted them to succeed.

 

[Ole]

Honestly is there anything Maturi has a strong feeling on?
How did this guy ever get hired? He's got no fire in the belly so to speak.
Good lord. Here's one for you Joel: TRY TO GET EAST-WEST DIVISIONS BASED ON GEOGRAPHY LIKE MOST OF YOUR SUPPORTERS AND FANS WANT!!!
No strong preference? How about a limp, weak, and clammy preference? ANYTHING! Just lead as the top athletic authority of the University of Minnesota like you were hired to do!