Penn State & Pitt to renew rivalry in 2016 & 2017

[SelectionSunday]

Glad to hear this.

Growing up seems like this was one of the rivalries I always remember watching right around Thanksgiving, along with Michigan-OSU, Alabama-Auburn & Nebraska-Oklahoma. A classic rivalry that deserves renewing. Why'd it take so long?

Now if we can just get Pitt to go back to their classic helmets. ...

http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/061411aaa.html

 

[Formo]

Yeah.. I've been clamoring for that rivalry to fire up again for years.. Rivalries are what makes college football so great. Now, it would be cool if a handful of years down the road if Nebraska and Oklahoma start playing annually again.

 

[jovs]

Glad to hear this.

Growing up seems like this was one of the rivalries I always remember watching right around Thanksgiving, along with Michigan-OSU, Alabama-Auburn & Nebraska-Oklahoma. A classic rivalry that deserves renewing. Why'd it take so long?

Now if we can just get Pitt to go back to their classic helmets. ...

http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/061411aaa.html

It's hard for even the Penn States to add tough non-conference apponents prior to the Big Ten schedule. They probably felt they couldn't afford to get banged up in a game like that every year.

 

[Rosemountian]

Finally.....


PITT FANS CAN STOP WHINING

 

[BisonGopher]

Pitt is such a natural Big Ten team...just a matter of time.

 

[GopherInPittsburgh]

JoePa wanted 2 games at Happy Valley for every 1 game at Pitt, which created disagreement.

 

[Rosemountian]

Pitt is such a natural Big Ten team...just a matter of time.

You are dreaming. The big ten won't expand past 12 without notre dame. If notes dame joins they will likely add one more team for balance (though I don't think unbalanced divisions is out of the question). If they add a team it will be a team with a market to add, the conference will probably try to move south and east. likely Maryland would be choice number 1, IMO.

The problem with expansion is this. After number 12...13+ has a HUGE drop in marginal benefit. Right now if all the teams are making 22 million, team 13 would have to add 35 million + whatever the conferences extra take is in additional revenue to get the conference up to 23 Million per team.

A school like notre dame can add that much revenue. Without a school likes Pitts entrance being the cause of a big ten title game worth 20+ million (cause it already exists), a school like Pitt would be hard pressed to bring an additional 35 million in revenue. It is not financially viable to expand beyond 12 unless you are bringing in the biggest of big time teams.

 

[GoAUpher]

Pitt is such a natural Big Ten team...just a matter of time.

A natural member for all the reasons that don't bring in more money. As Rosemountain notes, the economics just aren't there. The only way Pitt gets in is as part of a bid to be a superconference (i.e. the B1G adds ND, Pitt, and 2 other teams) where the new TV deals make up for the extra slices of the larger pie.

 

[BisonGopher]

You are dreaming. The big ten won't expand past 12 without notre dame. If notes dame joins they will likely add one more team for balance (though I don't think unbalanced divisions is out of the question). If they add a team it will be a team with a market to add, the conference will probably try to move south and east. likely Maryland would be choice number 1, IMO.

The problem with expansion is this. After number 12...13+ has a HUGE drop in marginal benefit. Right now if all the teams are making 22 million, team 13 would have to add 35 million + whatever the conferences extra take is in additional revenue to get the conference up to 23 Million per team.

A school like notre dame can add that much revenue. Without a school likes Pitts entrance being the cause of a big ten title game worth 20+ million (cause it already exists), a school like Pitt would be hard pressed to bring an additional 35 million in revenue. It is not financially viable to expand beyond 12 unless you are bringing in the biggest of big time teams.

Makes sense.

Hopefully when Notre Dame joins they mandate Pitt's membership as a historic rivalry.