Sportsfan101
Well-Known Member
If Big 10 goes to 16, they need to add 5 teams. To make expansion word from a $$$ perspective, to go to 16, Big 10 will need Texas and A&M.
That leaves 3 schools. Possibilities include Missouri, Nebraska, Pitt, Syracuse and Rutgers (they don't carry NY despite whatever Rutgers fans may claim). I think CU is at least as desirable as those schools, and maybe more so, for one sole reason -- TV market size.
The Big 10 requires cable carriers in the Big 10 geographic footprint to carry the Big 10 Network on the first tier of programming at a cost per subscriber of approx. $.70 - $1.10/month. This fee has caused the Big 10 Network to be extremely successful, and every school in the Big 10 now receives more $$$$ on a yearly basis than Notre Dame receives on a yearly basis from its NBC contract. Even though the Denver Metro area may not have a huge % of die-hard CU fans, CU fans would demand that local cable carriers carry the Big 10 Network, and the Big 10 Network will only agree if they put it on the first tier of programming at a cost of, say, $.70 a pop per month. You do the math -- Denver market has 1.6 million people, 16th largest market in the country. That's a lot of $$$ at $.70 a pop a month.
Therefore, IF (and this is a big if) Big 10 goes to 16, I'd expect Colorado would be receiving a phone call.
Barnhardt knows his southern football, not sure about his knowledge of Big 10. But still an interesting read:
http://blogs.ajc.com/barnhart-colle...what-happens-if-the-big-ten-goes-to-16-teams/
That leaves 3 schools. Possibilities include Missouri, Nebraska, Pitt, Syracuse and Rutgers (they don't carry NY despite whatever Rutgers fans may claim). I think CU is at least as desirable as those schools, and maybe more so, for one sole reason -- TV market size.
The Big 10 requires cable carriers in the Big 10 geographic footprint to carry the Big 10 Network on the first tier of programming at a cost per subscriber of approx. $.70 - $1.10/month. This fee has caused the Big 10 Network to be extremely successful, and every school in the Big 10 now receives more $$$$ on a yearly basis than Notre Dame receives on a yearly basis from its NBC contract. Even though the Denver Metro area may not have a huge % of die-hard CU fans, CU fans would demand that local cable carriers carry the Big 10 Network, and the Big 10 Network will only agree if they put it on the first tier of programming at a cost of, say, $.70 a pop per month. You do the math -- Denver market has 1.6 million people, 16th largest market in the country. That's a lot of $$$ at $.70 a pop a month.
Therefore, IF (and this is a big if) Big 10 goes to 16, I'd expect Colorado would be receiving a phone call.
Barnhardt knows his southern football, not sure about his knowledge of Big 10. But still an interesting read:
http://blogs.ajc.com/barnhart-colle...what-happens-if-the-big-ten-goes-to-16-teams/
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