You're listening to the back home network, presented by home
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Welcome back to Crimson kescott here with you and I am starting
to slowly come out of my summer, hibernation getting ready for
football basketball, good times. And a gal had a couple of PODS
but we're going to be starting to get things ready for football
season. I know him and I are going to
start doing our football stuff. God help us but looking for a
good season but let's be possibly optimistic will save
all the real discussion for later but excited to have Thomas
on today. From BT Powerhouse, real?
Talk about, USC UCLA, not going to break any news, but just some
thoughts on that, from Big Ten perspective and look at it from
a little more of a basketball perspective because that's what
they look at on BT Powerhouse. But before we get going, as
always, Crimson cast is part of the home network and we are
sponsored by home field apparel home field.
Apparel.com, check them out, use the promo code home to get 15%
off your first order but my gosh It is so much good stuff there.
I mean, it's we're running out of things to talk about them.
I will say this that it's it's tough timing for me because
they've come out with UCLA a little bit ago and they just
have some great UCLA stuff, a great Pauley Pavilion, sure.
And looking at it right now, UCLA hoodie, I mean, the best
hoodies in the business. No question.
Some great UCLA Bruin shirt. They have a really cool National
Championship vintage T. Also a vintage like UCLA
wordmark T, it's great stuff. Trouble is there now a big 10
team and I I almost buy everything from home.
Feel there's not a big 10 team, I love getting stuff from like
you know Marshall and West Virginia and Hawaii.
And you know, Colorado School of Mines and you get schools where
it's like, you know, India is not going to play him or not
going to play them often or if they do it's like you can deal
with not wearing home field for a couple weeks.
But like I'm not gonna buy Iowa or Michigan stuff.
And now, it's like, UCLA stuff is off the table.
So, what I would say is, you know, get it now and then you
can least wear it for, like, maybe two or three years.
I did just get it. Cal sweatshirt from then my dad
went to Cal Cal Berkeley. As I mentioned her before, just
great stuff so check them out. Check out home field apparel,
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cast and use promo, code home for 15 percent off your first
order and now our conversation with Thomas from BT Powerhouse.
All right. Well Thomas, thank you for
joining us. Thomas again.
Is from BT Powerhouse. BT power.
House.com SB Nation. One of your best places to go
for all 10News. Thomas, man.
How you doing? It's been a while.
I've been good. Yeah, thanks for having me.
I appreciate it. I know before we got on, we're
talking a little bit about craziest offseason in college
basketball. I can remember.
Yeah, definitely for the Big Ten, so we could start there.
I mean, definitely thought you'd be a good one to talk to.
We definitely hit it hard here in Crimson cast.
The the addition of USC, UCLA, I will say, if people haven't gone
to it, you guys did a really good Round Table.
Think of like and, you know, No July 18 through.
You have a lot of questions and your whole team kind of answers
them and so a lot of this might be, you know redoing some of
that. But I think some of your
thoughts might have changed also but I mean one of the questions
there which I guess you know this is almost like you know you
ask somebody to wedding will tell us how you guys met you
know. This is kind of that question
here is like tell me about, you know, what was it like that day
you heard of the UCLA USC, addition to the Big Ten and kind
of what was your initial thought process, and maybe how have
things changed over the last couple of weeks?
Now, we have some time behind it.
Well, I mean, I think I like everybody else when you first
heard it it was kind of like, is this, is this real?
I mean, this is it's just, it seems so far out of left field.
I mean, given the last few years we probably shouldn't have
thought that it was so out of left field, but it was really
surprising. But on top of that, I mean, just
kind of disappointed. I mean, I know everybody's
really excited about some of the big games that you're going to
see because of this. But really, it just To me, this
feels like the final nail in the coffin of the old conferences.
Really the sign of a new era in college sports.
And I suppose people could say, well, you know, that was that
was really in the 90s, you know when Penn State joined the Big
Ten Or oh no, that was with Nebraska and, you know, the
breakup of some of those other ones.
But this one to me was different because this is the first time
you see a power. You know, power conference major
programs like This moving to a league where it makes no
geographical sense. It makes no sense, Oracle sense.
I mean, in some ways you could say it's anti historical when
we've had the Rose Bowl for over 100 years and it's always been
Pac, PAC 10, PAC 12 versus Big Ten and that's, that's gone.
So, I mean, yeah, a lot of those initial thoughts.
Yeah, it's the fact that it was the Pac-12 or pac-10 is is
interesting to me because when you look through the history of
the conferences, It definitely always felt that, you know, and
obviously, with the Rose Bowl in the way, they kind of conducted
themselves, the pac-10 Pac-12 and the Big Ten always kind of
seemed like, the adults in the room.
So, to speak where the SEC were, just like the football brand and
they were kind of off doing their thing.
And, you know, you had other conferences kind of focus on
other things. And maybe not the academics,
where it felt like the pac-10 Pac-12 in the Big Ten were, you
know, again, just the adults in the room, kind of the ones
trying to keep order and they were running mates and then for
Kevin Warren too. Shiv the Pac-12 like that.
It is that was surprising to me. But as we've talked about on
lease on our pod like I thought it was something that had to
happen. I like you I do kind of lament
the end of it. I thought if you listen like
Ryan rasila has podcast had a really good point where he's
like I understand it all but it's like I can still not like
it and I definitely feel that Vibe all that said like it
definitely felt like after the SEC got Oklahoma and Texas.
I was nervous that the Big Ten wasn't Going to respond, but
they definitely did. Yeah, I think that's a good
point. In the sense of I think anybody
who's followed College athletics for any, any of the last 10
years or so. Knew that, this was sort of
where we were heading. You understand the logic?
I mean, when you throw out those TV numbers and those meteorites
numbers, it makes sense. I mean, if you're a conference,
the president, it's hard to say no to.
Hey, you guys want an extra hundred two million.
Two hundred million dollars. Yeah, sure.
Sure. Um I think the other side
though. Yeah.
Is a lot of tradition is going up a window with this more.
So, with the Pac-12, obviously than the Big Ten, but it's a
change and I agree. I think the Big Ten had to
respond to the Oklahoma Texas moves.
And this this does that. That's from the way that you've
read about it. I'm I'm not sure we'll ever get
an answer. But I'm curious if you seen One
side or the other. It seems like from everything
I've read that UCLA and USC, kind of, you know, came came to
Kevin Warren in the Big Ten with this.
Do you, how do you think as best you can obviously, we're not in
the room. You know, we're not the most in
the know people, but I'm, I'm curious how you think that went
down because it in the end you know the Big Ten looks like
they're the aggressor taking this on but it's like if they
were to sitting there kind of not do it much and then This was
all driven by USC UCLA. It does, I guess the end result
doesn't really change but it does kind of change the
narrative and and still gives me that concern is like this the
Big Ten really know what they need to do because I don't think
this is the end. We're definitely talk about
where we think this might go, but I'm curious if you've been
able to parse out you know who, who was it?
Who was kind of courting who? Yeah, it's funny.
You bring that up because you know, you're talking a little
bit earlier about you know, Kevin Warren, you know, started
given that the knifing the Pac-12 and yeah, based on how I
read. This seems like USC and UCLA
initiated this and if you read into it further, you look into
what they were doing in hindsight now.
Knowing what happened where you say.
Yeah, USC. And UCLA we're holding up these
meteorites negotiations for years, for the Pac-12.
Otherwise, the pack child would probably have a contract, like
the ACC, which I think goes to like 20 34 or 35, something like
that. Where it's almost impossible for
those schools to leave and join another Conference without
jumping through some really substantial legal whole loops
and Hoops to get to get out of it.
And you look back now and it's like, yeah, USC and UCLA, they
had something like this in mind for years.
They had deliberately what at least to me.
It looks like deliberately or half-heartedly sabotage.
The efforts for the Pac-12 media in a negotiation 's to set up
this move. They went to Kevin warrant.
They thought they fit better in the Big Ten in the SEC which I
kind of agree with that point that I think they're a better
fit for the Big Ten. And yeah, that's where we are
now. As I think from the Big Ten, you
know, the optimistic side. I don't want to be too negative
about about these these moves, you know, I, it's going to be
disappointing to see what, it's, what it's going to do to some of
the the conference affiliations. And just the Big Ten, we've
known for four years and years and, and the Pac-12 To, I know
we cover the Big Ten on our site, but the Pac-12 has a lot
of history of your college sports fan.
There's a lot of great. I mean, missing out on USC,
playing Oregon or some of these other rivalries in the Pac-12,
is a disappointment in my eyes. And but optimistically, there
are going to be some great games both in football and basketball.
The fact that the Big Ten is going to have late night games
Is certainly an interesting thing and BTN.
I have to imagine. It's going to have a lot more
content. Yeah, yeah.
Yeah. They are, you know, you talked
about that were and I agree with that, I would say to, to a lot
of people who are listening that I think, you know, as you were
mentioning that, you know, USC USC, or UCLA and USC.
It sounds like they approach the Big Ten and while I do agree,
there are some parts where maybe it's going to be interesting.
And, you know, I'm not sure how it's going to work out.
I do want people to think of like the counterfactual world
where, you know, this played out great for the Big Ten, but
there's a world where, let's just say the pack, you know, the
u.s. USC UCLA, they do go to the SEC
and they say, hey will you guys take us and imagine if that had
happened or imagine if they went to the Big 12 and suddenly it's
like the chessboard changes and the Big Ten is no longer in the
seat of power. And I just I would always
caution people to think of that because this move was a good
power movement. Worked out well.
But again, you know I keep on saying this like we are at war
with the SEC whether we like it or not.
And if you know let's just say those two.
You know the to La schools if they would have gone to the SEC
I think a lot of fans would be looking at this very
differently, especially Big Ten fans and always going back to
the Crimson cast side. Like especially Indiana fans
because we are a school that we need to be in a conference that
is growing and thriving. Because if not, we're going to
be like Kansas or they're kind of stuck in the wind, it's like
they're not a football school there, a basketball school.
I'll be a better basketball school than Indiana, and it
looks like they're kind of Drew me.
They, they're kind of screwed in this realignment system.
No, I think that's a good point. And I, and again, it's kind of
that. You know, perfect scenario the
the past that you long for versus reality and practically
speaking. If USC and UCLA come up to you,
it's kind of a no-brainer. It's Of obvious.
You got to add them in today's world because otherwise, as you
said, they're going to go to the SEC, I mean, maybe they would
have explored another conference if the SEC said no.
And, but in that scenario, you have to say yes and they're
great, they're great schools. I mean, they're great
academically. They're great athletically.
I mean, I think UCLA in, I know it's kind of a hot take, but in
some ways you could argue, they're the best basketball
program of all time. I mean, you can argue it, I
don't know if it's true but they're up there.
Certainly in the running USC, one of the most prestigious
football programs of all time and their basketball program
isn't a slouch either right now. So I mean, great additions from
that perspective, the historical.
And in the traditional things I think people it's going to be a
little uncomfortable but yeah, I think that's a good point.
I completely agree with it. One thing that you guys also
highlighted on your Right. After media day talking about,
you know, what, Kevin Warren, when he addressed things at the
football media day, the kind of got swept, maybe have swept
under the rug, but just so much has happened.
It didn't get. A lot of attention.
You guys called it out on one of your posts but that, you know,
USC and UCLA are going to immediately get full Revenue
shares. Whereas Nebraska Marilyn Rutgers
did not. They kind of had to scale their
way in. What are your thoughts?
I think that definitely. I think it shows that That you
know, I'm not sure what it fully shows besides that the Big Ten
obviously, you know, viewed. This as something that they had
to get done and maybe didn't feel like they were in the same
negotiating Powers when they added those other schools.
I'm just I'm curious. Do you think that's going to be
an issue with those other schools?
Or is it kind of mean for Rutgers is probably like, hey,
you just like, you won the roulette Lottery you to shut up,
but if you're Marilyn in Nebraska, there is a world where
you're like, hey, this is, you know, maybe they think that they
had there. In the same kind of cachet, to
the Big Ten, but I'm just curious your thoughts on that.
Yeah, that was an interesting development.
It was one of those things where if you don't follow college
sports, you know it really at the minutiae level, you didn't
pick up on it, you didn't appreciate it but it it's huge.
I mean if you're into Braska fan you I don't I don't even know if
they're at the full share yet. Some of those schools.
I think they're still working to get their Rutgers.
I know they had to, I think they had to take out loans at One
point to get through this point where they're not getting their
full share. Yeah I would be pretty insulted
if I was a fan or an administrator of one of those
three schools at the same time. Yeah I think they had to do it
most likely to get it done. Otherwise USC and UCLA probably
said, if you don't do it, we'll just call up the SEC and they'll
do it. So, this is your only option and
the other part of it is because of the timing of the Big Ten
media, Rights deal. They're going to make everybody
a lot of money. So in one sense, yeah, Nebraska
Rutgers and Maryland can probably be a little irritated
about it. What they're all.
All three of those schools are going to get a lot more money.
Because USC, and UCLA are in that that pot, which is going to
be way way larger at the end of the day.
I mean, the Big Ten in a lot of ways.
I mean, it's just adding Ela as a market, it's just a Antic.
Not only financially, and perception wise, but recruiting,
I mean, the fact that big ten schools are actually going to
have an argument in recruiting that La is insane.
Something I never thought I'd see.
Um, but I mean, it's big, ten country now, I suppose.
Yeah. The last thing I'll say to
Nebraska is you know everyone, everyone continues to talk about
how Rutgers got lucky in this which they did, but the thing
with Nebraska is if you and I should have added it up
beforehand. But you know you look at it from
the time. They joined the Big Ten in 2011.
You know, they probably joined at the absolute peak of what we
were expecting. And, you know, let's just again
in another world where they just stay with the big 12.
And they don't join the Big Ten in 2011.
You get to a point today. I'm not sure there are property
that a lot of people are clamoring over.
Like if they were still in the Big 12, I'm not sure the Big Ten
of vehicle we have to get Nebraska, like they really,
really sold High. I mean they did have a nice run
when they joined the Big Ten. They were in one, two, three,
four, five, six, straight bowls, which again is an Indiana fan.
Like, I can't, I can't be throwing stones at that.
That's a run. We haven't had, but since then,
they haven't made a bowl since 1016.
They haven't been over 500 since then, they've had a pretty rough
run considering, you know, I go back and look at a couple of
years there and like 2007 and 2004 they didn't make balls, but
then from 2003, they made a bowl all the way back to 1969.
So they definitely kind of came in at the absolute right time
because they may not have been a property teams.
Go conferences have would have Have wanted if they were doing
it again right now. Yeah, you do wonder about some
of these additions and moves that happened years in the past
and somebody brought this up a couple weeks ago I think it was
on a podcast or maybe an article I read and it was something that
at first I'm like huh and the more I think about it the more
I'm like you know in today's college sports I don't know if
we can rule that out which is there like you know and in a
couple years how is the Big Ten going to be looking at
Northwestern? Or, I mean Indiana or Illinois,
I don't know, because our whole look at it, traditionally and
historically has been, while you're a member, you know, you
have these Regional ties, it's been, you know, commitment for
years. You know, we all play together.
We're all kind of a group but looking forward.
I mean, it seems like the only driver is money and and that's
it. And if you're not making
everybody more money, that they're contributing to you, oh,
I don't know. And that's a scary thought to
me, but it's something that I don't know if we can fully take
it off the table. Because man, I mean, if they get
to a point where there's nobody left to add, I don't know.
I've just throwing it out there but no no it's a fair thought I
think as it as a you know as Indiana fans, we have to think
about it because I made the the term that's been used the most
this offseason you know football drives all of this which is true
but it's been. It's been Totally effed out, but
it's 100% true. And you know, if football drives
everything that's it's not a great place for the Indiana
Hoosiers. I think what I can say are a
couple of things is that one I do think you don't.
There's not a lot of precedent. There's a lot of precedent of
teams, moving conferences and going to where things are better
and conferences trying to get more.
There's not a lot of precedent of conferences.
Kicking out foundational institutional members so that
you have kind of history on your side.
Which but, you know, things are changing that said.
I also think that if your Ohio State Michigan, you know,
Wisconsin, the idea of a super conference where you just play,
Alabama and Clemson. And, you know, USC is kind of
interesting. But also, you know, those guys
looking rally wants to win games, and if he's playing in
just an absolute death knell of a conference playing Alabama,
Ohio State, you know, Oregon every single week that I should
have orgasm at the best. Not in, but, you know, if
they're if he's just playing the absolute creme de La Creme every
single week, he's gonna have a lot of 500 seasons and coaches,
don't want that. And so, you need, you need some
fodder. And so, I do think some of these
conferences Judit. Do need to have some teams that
are kind of middle to lower of the pack that are there.
So, I think there is concern about that.
If it being all completely blown up that said, I do think there's
enough institutional reasons. They're why coaches and
Programs. Just don't want to be, you know,
I don't think Ohio State wants to be playing a schedule where
they could be theoretically looking at five to six losses a
year. Even if they are having a really
good year. Yeah, I mean, it's it's I can
see that. I can see that argument.
I mean, I've been anybody who follows me on Twitter knows, I'm
a frequent advocate in the college football World of play.
Nobody because I don't think there's there's any benefit that
I see in terms of the play. For both selection excetera of.
So I'm very much of the, you know, play as many baby seals as
possible, but yeah. You almost wonder though it,
maybe it's not kicking people out.
Maybe it's, you know, five schools from the Big Ten five
schools from the SEC. Just say, oh yeah, we're going
to, we're going to just all leave together and form.
Big, big 10 2.0, a new conference, but it's just like
you said the superleague. I don't know where it's heading,
but it's Certainly driven by money.
That's the only thing. These administrators seem
interested in at all and you'll have to forgive me for a second
because I'm going to rant slightly, but I'll go for it.
I don't get it. I think it's a shame and one of
the one of the reasons you know everybody laughed 10.
What was it 10 years ago? Maybe it was less than that.
When I think Nick Saban brought up the idea of a college
football. Commissioner you know as are
like the NFL has or the like and I think it's so desperately
needed in college sports and really college football because
as you astutely point out college football drives all of
this that that's why these conferences are moving.
That's why you're no offense to Maryland and Rutgers fans, but
that's why Ohio, State Michigan Penn State season ticket
holders, have to suck it up and deal with Maryland or Rutgers
every single year at home team's.
They really you just would rather not play to be frank and
It's also that these administrators of these colleges
and nameless bureaucrats can rack up a ton of money.
And my question is for what we're always told.
You got to have money. This is the only way to keep up.
This is the only way to keep up Allah.
Well, the University of Texas has more money than any of these
schools, they have so much money, they don't even know what
to do with their money. They're building the stupid
water fountain, waterfalls and locker rooms just Lately idiotic
things with all this money and what has it gotten them?
They don't even make a ball games.
Half the time, they're basketball program gets upset by
12 seeds and stuff all the time. I don't get it to me.
I look at it and I'm like Gonzaga who doesn't have close
to as much money as any of these schools.
There they are in the final four consistently.
Now there a number one seed numerous times and that that's
in the college basketball world in the college.
Football World, Clemson has less money.
Any then every SEC school at this point because of these,
meteorites deals, same with a lot of the Big Ten schools, they
have less money, they have multiple national championships,
they're they're competing at the highest level.
They're going to the, you know, the title game.
I don't know. I just I sit back and I'm like
they're selling out their, souls their selling out their program.
What has made college football, great what's made the Big Ten
great. So that Kevin Warren can have a
bigger bonus at the end of the year.
That Jim Delaney has his yacht. I just they're telling everybody
the money we got to have the money.
We got to have the money, we don't have the money, I just I'm
struggling why? Because I just I don't see the
results and maybe it will change with these new additions.
And, you know, this is enough money but until you can pay the
players which you sort of can now.
But not through the athletic Department's, I don't get what
this money does, I just, I don't know.
I'll end my I ran out there, I'm sorry.
But I just To me, it's one of these things were being sold of
fallacy that we have to have this money to survive.
When they already have more than enough money to survive, they
just start inventing new positions at these athletic
departments. That are just pointless.
I'm, I don't know, that's I'll stop.
But that's the huh. I feel very strongly about that.
Yeah, no. It's as actually counting
something up while you were doing that I was listening
because no I I agree with you and I it goes to another point
where, you know, as we were discussing this, we start
looking at the television numbers.
You know, the SEC teams are going to bring in, you know,
anywhere between 70 to, you know, ninety million dollars a
year with the next TV rights deal.
Big, Ten teams are going to be making a hundred million a year.
But you know, Big Ten teams have been making 60 to 80 million a
year off the current deal and we know the ACC schools as part of
that you know, grantor rights with ESPN.
Are making like 25 30 million a year.
So you know a team like Maryland has been making an extra 20 to
25 million a year. More than Clemson get doesn't
seem to be affecting cleansin much.
And so, there is this weird thing where it's like, well
yeah, you know, if your UCLA and USC, you got to leave the Pac-12
cause you gotta start making money.
And on one hand, it's like, all right?
That makes sense. And you kind of view this world
like all right, in ten years, there's no way anybody compete
with the big 10 in the pack and the SEC.
But in a the in a way the SEC in the Big Ten have been making
more than everybody else for 10, you know, five or ten years that
the magnitude is going to change.
But at what I was counting up is when you look at the, you know,
the top 25 going into this year and it's just one on cbs's
polite, there's a ton of different polls and by the way,
I'm also like I'm a big sports fan.
Then college sports fan, I might be screwing up conferences at
this point and what people are in, but when you look at the top
10 going in the next year, it's Georgia, Alabama.
A Michigan, Cincinnati, Baylor, Ohio, State, Oklahoma State,
Notre, Dame, Michigan State, Oklahoma.
I have five schools from the Big 10 SEC, and five schools, that
are, you know, Cincinnati, Baylor, Oklahoma, State, Notre,
Dame, and Oklahoma are all not in what we call the power to, if
you open it up to the top 20, it gets even more schools, you have
a boldness, you know? But you know, Utah, Pittsburgh
Clemson, Wake Forest, Louisiana Houston, then you get to
Kentucky, but BYU and NC State, Tate.
So if the top 20, it looks like 13 of those schools are not in
the power to so, to your point, exactly it I'm not, I'm curious
to see when the money is going to be an advantage and when
you're going to see, you know, I'm not saying, you know,
obviously Georgia won the national championships.
You like, are you national championships BCS fits like yes.
But you know what? Half the top 10 is still outside
those power to. It does make me wonder how much
of that money is really going to affect the product on the field
and Your point where? Where the hell is the money
going? Yeah.
And and that, that is to me, that's a perfect example and
I'll even raise you college basketball, which is, yeah, it
even. Let's say you're a believer that
the big time is the best conference in college
basketball, which I think is a totally reasonable argument to
make. What's number two, it isn't the
SEC, it isn't the ACC, it's the big 12 who is not one of these
power to and I suppose you can make an argument, you know,
Texas leaving, you know, Some of the additions and musical
chairs, shall we say, might weaken the Big 12 but that is an
excellent basketball conference. They won the National
Championship this year, they're consistently putting out a ton
of fantastic top 10 level teams and to me again.
Okay, well, what is this money doing for as Nebraska in a
better place right now than they were 10 years ago?
I think you just made the argument earlier that they are
not at all. I don't think.
Ireland is, I don't think, I mean, maybe Rutgers is, they
were kind of in the same position I guess, but basketball
wise. They're in a better position but
football I think they're in a probably a weaker position than
they were when they join the conference.
There's a there's actually kind of if you look back at the
history of teams that switch conferences a lot, it's a lot of
mixed success. A lot of them struggle out of
the gate and to me it's because ultimately the money is it.
How you spend it at the end of the day?
Which I know is, is a simple thing to say, but I think so
many of these schools, they're so stupid with their money,
whether they're hiring mediocre coaches, giving them tanking,
your deal, all these insane deals.
And to me, this is just, it's just going to elevate that and
it's not really going to lead to much winning, and, you know,
maybe I'm wrong. Maybe there is a point where
it's just so much more money than the other schools that they
can't possibly compete. But if since, Eddie is making
the playoff if gonzaga's making the final four, it's hard for me
to argue that you have to have this money to win because those
schools do not have even close to as much money, you know, and
I'll one last point on this and I want to move on but I yeah
good. So you know it's a good
discussion and you wonder you know, like if you look at a
school like Indiana. So let's just say that they get
an extra you know, 20 to 30 million dollars and TV Revenue
more. Than like, you know, NC State
who is ranked this year going into the season at, you know,
and I don't follow them closely. They're ranked 20th going into
the season. You know, how does that money
affect Indiana better than NC State?
And it is a fair question because like they can hire a
better Coach but, you know, you have to still get a good coach
and so we could pay Tom Allen triple but if he ends up not
being a good coach that's what you mean.
It allows you I guess to buy out coaches and turn into kind of
the Notre Dame model where you're buying people out and
paying People for 30 years. But, you know, initially I
thought, well, I could we could just hire great assistance, but
if you're an assistant, you know, money does talk, but in
the end, it's like, assistance all want to be head coaches.
And so I think a lot of assistance you know if you're
talking a you know 10 million dollar difference, probably not.
But if it's like hey I can be the offensive coordinator at
Indiana. I can be the head coach at you
know Houston or Wake Forest. Well yeah I'm going to go be a
head coach. You don't like making less money
like I'm gonna go be a head coach and so they you know and
Schools can't directly pay their players and then, you know,
there's this facilities arms race but it's like I don't know
how many training facilities you can have and how many, you know,
indoor swimming pools. Like there comes a point where
it's like y'all kind of have pretty much the same thing and
so I'm kind of with you. Like I'm not sure how that extra
30 million dollars, you know kind of goes from the from the
gears, to the tires, to the road to make Indiana a better program
than like let's say a Wake Forest.
Hmm. Oh absolutely.
I completely agree. Night.
I think it's, as you pointed out, the assistants thing is, is
where does it sound? You almost wonder if the larger
pots of money, almost have diminishing returns for those
coaching staffs. Because it's like, you know,
it's one thing if you're making 20 grand and the other schools
offering you 60 like that, that's going to change your life
a lot. But when it's like hey we're
going to give you 800 thousand, the other schools going to give
you one point to your kind of already rich either way and You
probably just want to be a head coach as you said.
So it's yeah, you wonder if that's going to be the long
term, the, the diminishing returns.
But so far, I haven't seen it. I've seen Jim Delaney benefit.
I've seen Kevin Warren benefit. I mean, the Big Ten has won
national championships since like, 2002 and football and
basketball. None since 2000.
So I don't see the results there.
That's for sure. Yeah, it's going to be really
funny. I don't want to linger on this,
but it's going to be very funny if, you know, There's been so
much talk about the Big Ten basketball, not winning a title.
If USC, or UCLA wins it like in their first year.
And it's like then it's like and then weirdly book ended with
like a Maryland title the kind of doesn't count, you know, like
I'm Marilyn when they were the ACC and then you get like a fake
UCLA or the funny of UCLA want it like the year before they
joined the big Ten's. Like we have this, like we were
World anyway, but as we're talking about money, you know,
one of the questions that you guys talked about in your your
Roundtable, Of the questions here was you do you think
expansion ends here? And, you know, you kind of talk
about how the history of this is kind of we have these moments of
expansion and there's kind of a law and they have moments of
more expansion and so conventional wisdom does seem to
think that you're going to have a lull here, my counter argument
to. That is as you mentioned not
breaking news here. But just as you mentioned you
know the meet the Big Ten is working other meteorites deal
right now and if you know, I think it expires in 2025 but you
know that's one of those things were the those meteorites deals
don't just happen, you know, six months before it ends that those
happen, normally 12 to 18 months ahead of time.
So we're honestly we're in the window where a new meteorites
deal is going to be announced in the next six to 12 months.
I would assume somewhere in that timeline.
And you know, we can talk here at a sec about, you know, what
teams you would like to see what you think might be joining, the
Big Ten but you know if let's just the one that he's talking
about as Notre Dame, let's just say, there is a world where
Notre Dame is going to be part of the Big Ten.
If you're the Big Ten that drastically changes, your
negotiating power in a meteorite steel and if you're you know
let's just say you're you know and and these things about your
Fox and you just re up the deal and then you just add, you know,
Notre Dame. Six months later after the deal
is egged, you know, if your Fox like well we have a deal and you
know, I don't really want to go ahead and renegotiate.
Now we just spent Years negotiating, this, but if you're
the Big Ten, it's like we just added Notre Dame.
So all of that being said, you know, I kind of think that
you're going to see if more schools are added, it's going to
happen soon because I think it makes a lot of sense to have
them added before the media deal is done.
I'm curious what your what your thoughts on that are or if you
think that it's going to be a lot easier to add a school after
the meteorites deal that I make that, I'm making it out to be.
I think that's a fair point. I think.
I think that's absolutely possible.
I think the biggest question in that whole scenario is, what
does Notre Dame want to do? Because at this point, you know,
I've seen a lot of people float Oregon.
I've seen a lot of people thought, Washington, you know.
Hey let's add two more West Coast teams so then you almost
have a little division, shall we say out west?
They don't have to travel as much Etc, but those schools are
not going to up that are Bridge return because, you know, for
people who don't know the Big Ten, the way there, meteorites
work, except for these schools that are getting half shares and
stuff, is they negotiate as a group, there's a huge pot and
then they divide it up evenly, so it's the average return.
So, you know, if it's 100 million, you know, each of them
are going to get a one 14th share of that hundred million.
So effectively, long story short, the only way you make
more money is if you add a school that's going to increase
the average. Each of that.
So they need to be worth more than the average of the schools
that are in there right now. Because if you add will say
Oregon, who's there estimated that they would only bring like
they would decrease the average because they're not worth a
hundred plus million to all those schools in there.
So you would actually get a smaller payout, even though the
pot expanded because Oregon would be taking some, some of
the shares of the other schools, diminishing them a little bit.
The thing I don't want it. But I will, the thing that I
will say though is that is all true in theory.
But yet in practice, Now understand that I do know,
Maryland, Rutgers and Nebraska are taking smaller shares, but
you would look at Rutgers, you know, five ten years ago you
would have said the exact same thing.
But yet the meteorites deal in the money that has brought in by
the Big Ten, has gone up since you've added those schools.
So it's like, there is something there is something we're just
adding schools does seem to raise the number regardless of
what they can bring. I I think your All right, but I
also think that it's faulty because in the history, it's
like Rutgers and Maryland didn't bring much, but yet the number
increased more than what they want.
I think the argument for those two were Rutgers you get into
New Jersey and New York City for animals, which is pretty pretty
valuable. Yes.
They went and then DC for Maryland.
Both growing areas. High populations, where's
Oregon? I don't know if you get any of
that, you know, from there, not a super huge state, I'm sure.
Are there some media expert that could that could eat the whole
thing? But the long story short, my
view is so you need to look at a school.
Who's going to increase the average who's going to bring in
a new market? Who's going to do something like
that? And I don't see anybody in the
Pac-12 as it exists today that will that will bring that money
because I my view is the only thing they care about right now
is money. They don't care how good your
program is, they don't care about your school, they care
about money and I don't think there's anybody in the The
Pac-12 that will do that. I don't think there's anybody in
what's to become of the Big 12 after Texas and Oklahoma depart.
But there is Notre Dame Notre Dame.
Absolutely. Would that's a massive brand you
would immediately add really, really huge rivalry match ups in
conference play which is just, I mean, the money you can make off
of USC Notre Dame, Michigan Notre Dame, Michigan State.
And I mean, just Ohio State Notre Dame which I think is the
first This fall I think game day is going there, which speak
about how big that game would be.
That that is a very intriguing one, I agree.
I think if Notre Dame is interested I think the Big Ten
would add them in a second. I think the SEC would add them
in a second. I just I don't know if there's
anybody Beyond Notre Dame assuming the SEC and Big Ten Or
locked up that they're not going to swap schools or something.
I don't know if there's Anybody else, even even the acc's some
of those schools I'm like, you know, I could see maybe a Miami
or Florida State's, but a lot of those, I don't know.
I think they're on the edge of whether they would add value or
not. Yeah, I agree with you.
I think that it is that there's a funny world where you know
Notre Dame is so arrogant about the way they act toward things
and they've had this media, you've had their own deal with
NBC for a while and I just want it, you know, real quick, you
know, footnote here. Galen, my podcast partner is
much better talking about these kinds of things that I will get
4 for those Crimson Castle listeners.
I will dig into this with him later on, but it is worth noting
here, that there is kind of a background proxy battle as well.
You have to look at that. You know, Notre Dame is backed
by NBC. Fox is backed by the oh big
tennis, but his back by Fox ACC is ESPN and all of those
entities are all kind of, you know, See, who's got the biggest
dick so, to speak in the background as well, and they're
kind of using a lot of these conferences for a proxy battle.
So, it's there. There's pieces there as well
where it's not just as simple as everything.
You said, there's also like a NBC has to figure out, who do
they want to partner with? Because they've been Notre,
Dame's brand for years and they're not just going to give
it up to Fox or ESPN or make a deal with a with a program that
they want to do in a lot of more like looking at their streaming
services. There's there's a Lot of moving
pieces here, but the media companies behind this are a big
deal considering that it sounds like that was partially, why
Texas didn't go to the PAC, 12 years ago.
So anyway, sorry long footnote there but I agree with you.
No. Sorry.
What I was saying is it is they've been so arrogant.
I think, you know, I don't see a world where Independents are
going to be locked out of the National Championship in college
back in college football, in the, in the Super near future.
But I do see a world where, if again, this will be kind of my
point for a All of the things I see things are going to look
different. And I just think because things
have been the way they are. Doesn't mean that's the way
they're going to be. And I can see a world where, you
know, the Big Ten in the SEC are like look we're going to have a
you know, playoff and reaching to get to protected seeds.
So we each get a by and it's like there's a world where Notre
Dame could make their path to a national championship insanely
hard year after year just by thinking, like we can continue
to do this on our own and I just I don't think there's I think if
you're a Notre Dame. Now's the Time you have to kind
of pick one of these conferences because I can see the music
stopping at some point and they could be on the outside looking
in and like, nothing never gets the national championship, it
could be a lot harder. All that said, it makes sense
for them to go to the Big Ten. I also think again from a
counterfactual point of view, you have to look at this kind of
strategically the last thing you want.
If you're a big ten fan is for Notre Dame to go to the SEC.
Now again that makes zero sense like Notre Dame and SEC.
Schools have no. Nothing in common.
There is no partnership there but again you almost have to
throw all that out of your mind. Like it's just money and it's
just chess pieces. Like that's just a money piece
and if you're the Big Ten, that would be the worst news that I
would see. Tomorrow is like, oh, Notre Dame
is going to the SEC. It's like, well, shit.
We got to find somebody now to go with them.
So I think now would be the time that makes a lot of sense.
And I also think, you know, that Zimmerman on this pod made a
great idea, you know, Sanford would be Really nice team to
pair with Notre Dame and kind of for the academics and the
Athletics. But again I do think that things
are just going to look different.
So when people you know start talking about, you know, how are
the conference's going to look? You have an even number.
It's like I don't know if you have an even number and maybe
not everybody plays everybody and maybe you don't play anybody
like maybe Indiana, never plays Notre Dame unless they make the
conference title game. Like, I don't think that ta to
your point. It's all about money.
I also think that, you know, the idea of like well you have to
have a balanced schedule. Got to have, you're going to
have 17 teams, got of 18. She have to go to conference at
9:00. I don't think they're thinking
like this. I think it's like we get Notre
Dame. Will get Notre Dame?
And then yeah well if 17 teams and whatever who cares like what
an odd number or like, we don't need to Visions.
Like I think the idea that some of us are still stuck in from
years of college sports and Athletics and conferences and
you got to have divisions and you got at least Play Everybody
once I could see all those things changing very quickly and
a lot of them just not making any sense.
So I think there's a world where 10 could add Notre, Dame's and
not. Anybody else to just keep an odd
number. Yeah, no.
And and to me that that's one of the reasons why I brought up
that idea of teams getting you know, quote-unquote kicked out
is because I think a lot of the rules that we've we've lived
with for college sports are just gone.
And to me this is this was the game-changing one because you
know as much as you want to say, hey the SEC adding Texas and
Oklahoma that, you know, a lot of people have said that that
was the real game changer because the SEC effectively
killed the Big 12, you know, by adding them Change the whole
power structure and etc. Etc.
You know, Texas is a state that already had an SEC School adding
adding Texas. I mean, A&M was already in
there. Oklahoma borders, a sec school.
It wasn't that crazy to think that they'd add another school
that was in a state they already were in and their main rival.
USC and UCLA are on the other side of the country from
Maryland. They're not even close to the
Big Ten. I mean, I know that that yeah,
brings one of my deputies, one of my questions have a couple
Twitter questions, I also have a friend question.
Okay, so friend of mine friend neighbor, who have talked about
this pod, many times guy, Robert who's Michigan State fans.
So if, you know, if you want to say anything Pro Michigan State,
you make him very happy, but he, he was asking me in preparation
for this pod today. How do you see?
Let's talk about it, from a basketball angle because I know
you guys focus a little more on basketball and football, you
know, how do you see Big Ten dealing with the travel for
teams to to the UCLA, USC teams, and vice versa.
How do you see them dealing with travel for the California teams
out to the rest of the big tent? I think you're going to see some
really interesting scheduling. I think we got I don't want to
say, we got a preview of this because this is clearly
different than anything we've seen in the Big Ten before.
But do you remember that you're a couple years ago where they
played the Big Ten tournament in Madison Square Garden and they
had to play it a week early because the place is already
booked, you know, typically for, for the final week going to
selection Sunday and you saw some really bizarre schedules,
you know, three games in a week, weird pauses because I had to
jam it in and and tighten it up and we've seen that as well.
The last couple years with weird covid cancellations and where
they're playing games, you know, with one day's rest Michigan.
Michigan State. I remember played what two
games. It was like a Friday and a
Sunday or Thursday and Sunday, something like that, like
back-to-back really weird things.
I think you're going to see a lot of stuff like that where
they're going to play. They're going to take a trip out
west or out east. It's going to almost be like you
would see in the NBA where they do their Western tour.
I think in basketball. You know, let's say Indiana is
playing USC. If there if there Playing Road
names. Have both of them.
They're going to play both at the same time, so they might
play on Thursday and then they might play on Saturday or Sunday
and then head on home. I think.
Additionally, you're going to see a similar thing where when
those schools come out east, you know, USC and UCLA.
They're going to try to jam them together.
So they only have they can play two games and then come back
home and it'll be almost always like two Road games two home
games or maybe three and give them a little time off.
But I think you're going See weird things like that, the
schools that are really going to suffer from it, are USC, and
UCLA. I mean, they're the ones that
are half their games are going to be cross-country trips and
which is, I'm not sure how that's going to go frankly.
There's there's not a ton of history of it in college
basketball, and I do in college football, when it happens.
It usually doesn't go well for the team traveling.
So, USC and UCLA could have a little bit of a rude.
Awakening in the big tent. That's at least what I see
coming. Yeah, I it's I said something
similar to Robert when I was answering this question to him.
Kind of pre pod was that? I think, you know, we look at
the Pacers and the MBA which I'm a fan of you know when they do a
West Coast trip they don't very rarely do they just like play
the Lakers and then come back. Like they normally play the
Lakers play, the Clippers play, the Trailblazers play the Jazz,
and then come back and that's with an NBA team on, you know,
private Charters and stuff. Although College basketball's.
There. But yeah, I think you're going
to see like, you know, Wednesday Saturday playing UCLA USC and I
said the exact same thing. It's really not a big deal for
Indiana. It's like you do your one West
Coast trip, you're done. It's kind of fun.
If you're used to USC, you can't just do one one road trip and
then be done with road games. Like you're gonna have to do
like, Marilyn Rutgers come back, Indiana Illinois, come back.
Like, you're gonna and also, when you look at the schedule,
like I don't see a lot of situations outside of Nebraska.
Go, where you could theoretically just schedule USC,
playing Maryland. And then back home and then
Rutgers like they're probably going to have a lot of
back-to-back Road games. Where's the big?
You know, normally the Big Ten, you don't, you see a little more
like you two home games, one road to you have a little more
parity. I'm with you.
I think it's going to be tough on them and, you know, on one
hand, I think the travel is both understated and overstated.
I think it's overstated in that, you know, most of these teams
are they're not flying commercial.
So the flying on, you know, chartered Jets by the team, so
it's going to be pretty easy travel.
That's said, you know, one of the things I listen to like, you
know, the Bill Simmons Cousin, Sal NFL, you know, picks podcast
every week. They always bet against teams
that are going west to east, you know, and that's an NFL team
that has a definitely has chartered flights and has the
highest class of travel as an NFL team that has trouble, you
know, you see teams having trouble with the time.
I'm zones and they're going west to east, or east to west.
So, you know, no matter what USC or UCLA is providing for their
basketball teams. I don't think it's going to be
as nice as like, what the LA Rams provide their team and you
still see issues with teams going west to east.
So I do think it's going to be interesting and I think you're
going to see some phenomenon where, you know, they might
struggle on a lot of their road trips and the other thing, you
know, and Which we just talked about the big tent isn't exactly
a slouch. There are brain really no easy
games in the Big Ten. I mean maybe you get the one
year where Penn State tanks or one of these teams goes down or
Nebraska tanks or something. But there are not going to be
easy Road games and you know, playing multiple in a row on the
road off of no rats travel. That's going to be really
challenging, I'm sure they're going to do, all they can to try
to mitigate it like you. ER, if you know, when those
teams come east do they, is, it always a late start.
So, the tip is at 9:00 or 9:30 or something.
I know the home fans of the Big Ten schools, probably won't
like, that eastern time, obviously.
But you wonder if they do that, to give them a little bit of a,
of a, of a chance. But it'll be interesting.
I have two more starter couple of basketball questions.
But first one last Twitter question, I just do Gets too far
away from this topic. I know you kind of answered it,
but I want to, I want to hit it at least because it's a good
question sent in by Kent. Davis at Kent Davis, 14
regarding expansion. If there was not a meteor rights
issue with the ACC, which two to four schools, would you like to
see the Big Ten pursue from the ACC, you kind of answer this
with the answer being none, but let's just say that you were
going to get two of those schools and let's not get into
it, but the meteorites deal the acc's has with ESPN is pretty
locked in until 36, it's not good at it.
Maybe, maybe it felt forward-thinking for, like, six
months, but it definitely feels like the worst deal.
Those schools could ever have. And there are some issues with
that that we can get into in a whole different pod.
But let's just say it's all off the table and you could get two
schools. Would you want to schools or
there any schools? The ACC that you want?
I mean I think I would say I would avoid them.
I don't think there's anything that would that would
necessarily add to what the Big Ten has if I had to.
I think I would probably go Florida State or Miami, whoever
you liked better gets you into Florida, you know, really, big
state, great TV rights down their possibilities, you know,
with the population, Etc. And then I do could North
Carolina would be barely interesting.
North Carolina is also a really fast growing State.
I know those are not football programs, historico lie, but
they Got they got a little a little something there and at
the end of the day they I think the basketball matters a little
bit and anyplace Duke will play will be a huge game so that
alone is worth something. I think Yeah, we my quick answer
is I'm also intrigued by Miami. I like the idea of Clemson just
again is almost a defensive, so they don't go to the SEC.
I like going after some schools where you're now playing an SEC
territory again, just thinking of this like a strategic War
kind of The Art of War. Let's get into their territory a
little, because it's not a lot of places they can get into our
territory. So to speak outside of Notre
Dame so II and it obviously, Notre Dame would be the top of
the list depending on how you view them as an ACC.
See school. If that those are the two, those
the two I'd go for then if I had to get two more you had to go
for for I think North Carolina and Duke is interesting but you
know they haven't had a ton of success pre chefs key and she's
been there a long time. It's just he's not there
anymore. I don't know although there is
from an Indiana point of view. There is an idea of like you
don't need to be the fastest person running away from a bear.
You just need to be not the slowest and so like that is It'd
be cool to bring them in and then if they make sense are
looking to cut schools, like we could be like, hey, Duke sucks
and football, worse than worse than we do.
It's a get rid of them. There's that.
So we also had a question for Hoosier fan for life.
It was about, how would you divide up the minutes for
Indiana? I think that's very specific to
us. I don't want to dig make you dig
into our starting five rotation, but maybe we could do that as
you get a little closer to basketball, but before we wrap
up. So, anyway, but thank you,
Hoosier fan for life, for sending it in.
Before we wrap up, just a couple of basketball specific questions
based on some of these changes, I'm curious what your thoughts
are on, you know, not just the travel for UCLA and USC.
But how do you see them doing conference scheduling, you know,
on one of the podcast on the brink Alex had Mike de courcey
on and he was talking about, you know, when the Big East did kind
of a scheduling based On, you know, where teams were kind of
rank to finish. And so they, you know, the top 5
teams, projected they all played each other twice, the top middle
five, the bottom five is, it's kind of a cool way to schedule,
I like that idea again. I'd be interested in some
unconventional thinking, I think just the idea of, you know,
everyone's got to play everybody once and I'm not sure you need
to do that for basketball. But I'm curious, what would be
your ideal way of scheduling? You know what it is now.
A 16-team. Big Ten schedule.
Yeah. Yeah.
It is fascinating. I haven't put a lot of thought
into it so I forgive me. Just I generally I think I would
lean towards sort of what they do now which is just try to get
them as frequently played as possible.
The thing I dislike about, there's been a lot of proposals
that like this, which are in my eyes, kind of like the NFL model
where generally, the teams that are the most successful from the
last season. Play the In term of the most
successful, the next season and they make for great games.
They're exciting. Generally the strongest programs
are the strongest programs. I mean, we've learned about this
for years, I mean, how many years does Wisconsin have to
show up in the top floor of 1510 standings to prove their point,
but the thing I don't like about that is in in college athletics,
your wind total is just so important.
To your success. And not only for Conference
titles, things like that, but the NCAA tournament in college
football for Bowl eligibility, the playoff, Etc.
So, I don't really like the idea of making teams face stiffer
competition because they had success in the past because I
just I feel like it hurts your chances of postseason success.
And I know college basketball, people will tell me.
Well, you know, it's not really that.
It's a more advanced Analysis of the whole resume excetera, you
can tell me that, but I do think there is a certain point where
your scheduled just becomes prohibitive to have success and
we've seen teams get killed by tough schedules before.
So I'm not a big fan of that. I prefer just try to make it as
even as possible as many games against everybody's possible.
You wonder if they're going to even consider adding more
conference games in college basketball.
You know what? Of the things we're talking
about scheduling UCLA and USC. You wonder if the two games
which we've done now for a couple years in December, do
they add a do? They space them out even more to
where they mix in more non-conference games throughout
the year so that those teams can space out there travel east?
I don't know. I think that's something they
might consider. But yeah, I prefer the model as
it is now, in terms of just Shin protect a couple rivalries and
otherwise just try to make it as even as you can.
It's imperfect and it's tough, but I don't like the idea of
Gearing the schedule towards towards, I suppose your success
from the prior season or or even earlier in the season, that's a
fair point. I guess you could do it based on
my projections for the season. I mean, first off like they
don't really protect rivalries now because it's been a couple
years. We haven't played Purdue twice,
you know. So I would love to get some of
that back in there. I'm coming around on the again
everything. Just like you I think you have
to have an open mind on this like I'm coming around to the
idea another version. The NFL model where you know the
Colts don't play the Bears every year, they're both in the NFL
but they just don't play that. They don't play the NFC teams
every single year and I'd be okay.
If it's like look, Indiana is always going to play.
Purdue twice, always gonna play Illinois twice and always going
to play, you know, Michigan and Michigan State twice.
Or, you know, you pick kind of a couple of teams and those are,
you know, in your geographic region and everybody else.
It's like, yeah, maybe we play USC once every two years are we
just don't get them on a Ian. I like that.
I also, you know, as an Indiana fan.
II don't know where you fit more Big, Ten Conference games
because one of the issues that Indiana has had is our
non-conference schedule has been poor.
I think part of that is based on coaching decisions, it was kind
of a legacy of the crean era. But also I don't want to put too
much stock in this but it is something of note.
You know, we've been playing in the crossroad, classic for
whatever it is 10 or so years. Now and that was always like,
you know, December 10th or 12th like right in that.
You know, second third weekend in December, and you notice in
the calendar, everybody else is playing these Marquee matchups
like Michigan, State's playing Kansas and can't Spring Kentucky
and UCLA's playing organ and, and we're stuck playing, you
know, Notre Dame and Butler. Not knocking the seems like
we're saying the same schools as producing the same boat.
Playing the same schools every year.
And you're the first year that we aren't in that we're suddenly
playing at Arizona in Vegas and we're going to play a home and
home with Kansas. It's like so You can't, I don't
so my point is the minute that that weekend was a huge weekend
to play a bunch of non Conference teams.
If you start taking those weekend's away from from the Big
Ten to play other Don Conference teams, I'm not sure how good our
non-conference schedules could be because we're all locked into
playing those games, that you can't really move it in
November. Because that's when all like the
Bahamas. You know, Hawaiian turnip is a
lot of this term it's going on. Like I you look at the calendar
for college bass was not a lot of room to do that when they're
There, when you'd be basically, taking the Big Ten out from
eligibility of playing, some of those kind of Marquis early,
non-conference games. Well, I think I think that's
fair as we sit today, I think the question is, is if the
conference realignment starts happening, the Big Ten with the
pocketbook because the STC, their problem isn't quite as bad
but they have a little of it. The same with the Big Ten.
Could they push their weight around and basically make them
No, the other conferences be a little bit more open where, you
know, the Big 12, the SEC, they have their Challenge.
And what January or is it early February?
Right. Right in conference play.
And and there are a couple LOLs, I mean right around Christmas,
usually the three or four days before the Christmas break,
which I understand there's a exams going on, that's why they
usually do it. But most of the Big Ten teams
play, dead bodies, that time either.
So, like, Would they just throw in a conference game there to
try to space it out a little bit?
I don't know it. They're going to have to be
creative if they want UCLA and UC USC survive, because they
very much could sink their Seasons if they want to with the
schedule because I just, it could, it could be rough.
Do you think I know that you do not have Insight info on this?
Or if you did feel free to break out the podcast, let's F and go.
But you mentioned on your own You know, about the Big Ten
basketball tournament the year, it was in New York, which was,
it felt very similar to like the hey, the Colts built a new
stadium, but we get a Super Bowl six years later.
It's kind of like this thing in the NFL.
You build a stadium? You're probably going to get a
Super Bowl. It felt a little bit like, Hey,
we're trying to get to New York market.
Like will give you a Rutgers and we'll throw a Big Ten tournament
in Madison Square Garden. Where?
It's just like wait why are we there?
Tell me again why we're best work hard besides that.
It's always oscillated between Indianapolis and In Chicago,
which kind of makes sense. Do you see this edition of UCLA
and USC? Just reading the tea leaves,
just you're feeling. Do you ever see the Big Ten
doing something wild like putting the Big Ten tournament
for basketball in ela or Vegas or somewhere to help them out
and kind of give them a give them a once you know, kind of a
one, one shot to throw it out there.
I think they will absolutely put it in LA.
I think it will be in the Staples Center.
I think it's going to happen. Absolutely.
I don't know if they do Vegas just because well.
I mean they would they might consider it but I absolutely
think it will be in l.a. sooner rather than later Frank.
I think they'll view it. As a lot of people will want to
go out there for a trip. It will be a Destination type
thing. Frankly, it sounds kind of fun.
To be so I I absolutely think they will do that.
I agree to, I think, I think before like I had to put a
gamble on it. I think, before 20 they come in
and 2025 I think, before 2028, there will be a Big Ten
Tournament somewhere in the western time zone, but I think
you're right. It probably isn't Staples
Center. I could see it in Vegas.
It makes all the sense in the world and why like somebody like
my dad whose head would just explode.
It's like why? That was the Big Ten tournament
in La. It makes all the sense in the
new reality, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's not just a
one, like the Madison Square Garden thing felt like a
one-time thing. We're not going back, man.
That was looking back, that's wild because that's where the
AC. That's where the Big East just,
that's where they make their bones.
Like that is so synonymous with Big East tournament, the Staple
Center and LA River. You mean the Pac-12 was kind of
move their conference tournament around.
It's not like you know there's just the a see this.
Sorry that I cannot say they see the Big East is just like
synonymous with the garden. So it was wild that we were
there before them. Just kind of like a pre is just
so stupid looking back that felt like a one-off.
I could see that being the rotation where it's at in D 2
years. Chicago two years and then l.a.
two years. Yeah I mean I I'm hopeful that
they're going to keep rotating it.
Frankly I'm you know they're putting in a Minnesota.
I want to stay next year. That's right.
Yeah, only 23 and I'm a big fan of it.
I like rotating it. Through Big Ten areas.
Like, I'd like to see it in Detroit.
I'd like to see it. I mean, Cleveland's Lincoln
Nebraska a year. I think that would be fun.
Lala to me, I don't see a huge problem with it.
I think the environment is kind of, they usually don't have an
issue so on up to Tickets. It's, it's always like an NCAA
type environment where it's people are moving in and out,
Etc. Let places hosted.
I mean, I think, I think absolutely, you know, have it
run through Chicago and Indie on some type of regular basis.
But even if even if you did those, you know, every three
years instead of what seems like, every two, that would be
fine by me. I like the idea of it rotating.
Yeah, no Detroit. You bring up as a great.
It is a great call. Cleveland is good.
I mean there's a lot of you could even do like Philadelphia.
There's a lot of plate, just kind of go to the call, the MBA
Arenas in that area. You could go to a lot of those.
See, I think that would be that'd be kind of cool.
Yeah. One day, one day and I with you
made us as a trip to like, again it it, you know, six months ago,
if I would have told you like, you know, Big Ten, tournament
basketball. The stapler Center.
You be like, what? It's a full 70, like, what isn't
like the crypto Center? They change the name anyway.
Staples are yeah, yeah, yeah, this is true.
I think it is. Anyway, it's like that would
have been insane, but it's like, it makes a little bit of sense,
but also as a fan it's like, I that's, that's great, like, I
would love, love to go out there and I would definitely take a
trip. I mean, dude, it's been an
indie, a lot. Times I live here and I'm kind
of like yeah, I don't really want to go but I would, I would
go to, I would definitely go to La so yeah.
I just to me it's already kind of that like you do a road trip
or a flight, you know, it's kind of like a one-off type of.
That's how I view it at least and I think it's fun going going
to different places and I don't feel like the Big Ten Tournament
has to be attached to a singular Arena or arenas.
I like, I thought the one in Madison Square Garden.
I did not like that. It was a week earlier, that's
something. I was not a fan of, I think it
should be the selection Sunday week, but I didn't have any
issue with with that. I thought it was really cool.
I thought it was a great environment for a lot of those
games. The DC-10.
Not I didn't think was quite as good but I thought it was fun
to. Ya know, and you mentioned the
travel. The last thing is like I think
the real positive to this is those first Couple of UCLA USC
games. When Big Ten teams are playing
over there for the first time in both basketball and football.
I think you're going to see some great games and some great
crowds because I know like I said, I as an Indiana fan, you
know, let's go for football because we might just get
crushed, but, definitely for basketball, like, I would, I
would never think to just circle my calendar.
Like, I got to get to Penn State for the IU Penn State game this
year. But I mean, the first year we're
going to Paulie, I might just go And I was like, what the hell
is, why I like LA? And as other people have
mentioned like, LA and February sounds pretty nice to me.
And think you're going to see a lot of teams do that.
Especially for football. Like, if your Michigan, you
know, Ohio, state, Wisconsin, Penn State, Michigan State, and
you have a real team, it's like, we're going to go play USC and I
get to go to, you know, the coliseum in September, like,
sign me up. I think that's a hidden value.
Here is the first two or three years, some of those games out.
There are just going to be awesome because you're going to
have A good mix of fans. I think a lot of Big Ten fans
are going to get a basic a reason to go to l.a.
Oh, 100%. I think you're going to see.
Great atmospheres. So, the first couple of years,
every football game. And the thing too, is it, it
goes both ways. This is one of the things that a
lot of people are like, well, you know, USC UCLA haven't
really been that good at football lately.
Basketball, there, hit or miss ya UCLA starting to come around
a little bit on the hardwood, but are they really that good?
And I'm like, Yeah, but think about your team, hosting USC
football, or hosting UCLA basketball.
It's immediately a big game. It's immediately interesting.
You're going to sell tickets, it's going to get a lot of
attention, that's why they're added.
That's that. I mean, it's the meteorite
stuff. It's the LA Market, but it's
also that where USC football, anytime they play a game, it's
it's usually on that top 25 Ticker on ESPN.
It's a game where you're going to go.
Oh hey, USC spine. How are they doing flip over?
And that's that's the value even if they're playing, you know,
Rutgers or Maryland or Illinois games that aren't that big.
They're interesting because USC's in them and no it hasn't.
That's the brand. That's what it's worth.
It was funny, but we're going long.
But that's the brand of crimson gasps, but that you are 100%
right on that. That's, you know, both USC and
UCLA have that thing that very few programs have that once.
Once they, yeah, they haven't been great for a while.
But it's like, if UCLA has one good year in basketball and you
saw, they went to the final game.
It's like, they're back. Like they could just get back
like that. And same thing with USC and
like, I think it remains to be seen by think Lincoln, Riley,
could definitely do it there. And if they go 10 and 2 or, you
know, 10 or three or whatever, they win the the, you know, the
Sugar Bowl, that's the kind of team that, you know, you, they
could lead Pete's, not that not, this is like the ultimate, you
know, Soft spot in sports. Like they could lead the a block
of PTI where it's like, are they good enough to win a title next
year? Like, very few teams can have a
c's, like an Arizona. Did that in football.
It's not like everyone's like, who Arizona's in the rides.
Like, oh, that's cute store. Except we'll see what happens.
Like USC does that? And it's like, oh, they're back
and like, suddenly they're back in there to be ranked in the top
5 and like same thing with UCLA basketball.
Both of those Brands. They have that ability to
basically become a National Power.
Just like that, it's, you know, Oklahoma is like that.
I Think that, you know, they haven't been down but, like,
Duke basketball, UNC basketball, if they were down as like that,
you know, I think Michigan football.
You're seeing that now. They're like that, you know,
there are just programs that are like that.
I'd like to think Indiana basketball is somewhat like
that, but we need to get back a little bit more but there's
these programs that if you have a, you just have one or two
good, you know, pretty good years.
You can basically do the were back and suddenly everybody
treats. You like a blue blood that's
been around the whole time. Mmm Yeah.
And and to me it's That that's going to be exciting.
The first couple of years, you know, and as we've said, we're I
mean, geez, assembly UCLA, the first time they play there,
that's going to be fun. That's gonna be a God.
That's going to be. That's going to be awesome.
Yeah. And and and it's like yeah,
those will be fun. But it, but it's the same for
even the smaller schools where like I said, Nebraska, they're
going to be hyped to play UCLA. In basketball, I know they will
for football. When you see shows up there,
it's going to be fun. I'm, that's the part.
I'm looking forward to, there's going to be some great games.
Some it's going to add a lot of interests to across the board.
I don't like that the history sort of being thrown out but
it's just sort of what all these administrators have allowed to
happen. Yeah, well, it's been Thomas.
It's been fun. I wanted to ask you about, you
know, why we shouldn't be sad about Michigan State, stealing
Xander Booker out of India, state of Indiana, but we'll save
that for later and do a little bit more basketball preview as
you go closer. But Thomas, thank you so much
for joining, man. It's been a pleasure.
Thanks for having me, and again, you can always check them out,
at BT. Powerhouse.com you can check him
out on Twitter. Oh my gosh, I gotta pull it up
just in time. It is Where is it?
AT&T benefit? Bei ndit on Twitter or just BT
Powerhouse. BT power.
House.com. Again, Thomas, thank you so much
for joining and for everybody else.
Who is listening? Thank you very much.
We're going to start building up for the Indiana football season.
Gosh, I hope it's going to be a good one, but we're going to do.
Lots of previews will get you ready for that first game
against Illinois, coming up soon here in a couple weeks.
So till next time, this is Scott for Crimson cast signing off,