ESPN: Delany: Big Ten bowl lineup taking shape

[BleedGopher]

per Bennett:

"I think what you'll see is a truly national slate of bowls," Delany said. "I think you'll see us probably stronger on the West Coast than we've been. You'll see us as strong in Florida as we've been, but probably not as much on New Year's [Day]. I think you'll see us in Texas, and you'll see us with some games in our region, some games on the East Coast. I think it's going to be a great slate. We've made a lot of progress."

One of the league's objectives was to create more variety in terms of locations and opponents, and it appears to have done so by adding the ACC as an opponent in the Pinstripe and likely the Lions bowl, and also at least one more Pac-12 opponent in California.

"We're still going to have a good relationship with the SEC, but I also think we'll have more relationships with the other conferences," Delany said. "I think it's going to be a great alignment of bowls and opponents in regions that matter to us."

The Big Ten is also working to change how the bowl process operates. The league will be much more involved with the selection of teams, requiring bowls to select at least five different teams during each six-year cycle. Delany said the conference will "have the right to approve" selections made by bowls. That would be a change from the current official policy, as the conference and the bowls have insisted that the league does not get involved in the selection of teams.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post...r-jim-delany-big-ten-bowl-lineup-taking-shape

Go Gophers!!

 

[highwayman]

The Ford Field game versus ACC is much more palatable than a game versus the MAC. However, Detroit in December still sucks.

 

[mplsbadger]

per Bennett:

"I think what you'll see is a truly national slate of bowls," Delany said. "I think you'll see us probably stronger on the West Coast than we've been. You'll see us as strong in Florida as we've been, but probably not as much on New Year's [Day]. I think you'll see us in Texas, and you'll see us with some games in our region, some games on the East Coast. I think it's going to be a great slate. We've made a lot of progress."

One of the league's objectives was to create more variety in terms of locations and opponents, and it appears to have done so by adding the ACC as an opponent in the Pinstripe and likely the Lions bowl, and also at least one more Pac-12 opponent in California.

"We're still going to have a good relationship with the SEC, but I also think we'll have more relationships with the other conferences," Delany said. "I think it's going to be a great alignment of bowls and opponents in regions that matter to us."

The Big Ten is also working to change how the bowl process operates. The league will be much more involved with the selection of teams, requiring bowls to select at least five different teams during each six-year cycle. Delany said the conference will "have the right to approve" selections made by bowls. That would be a change from the current official policy, as the conference and the bowls have insisted that the league does not get involved in the selection of teams.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/78411/commissioner-jim-delany-big-ten-bowl-lineup-taking-shape

Go Gophers!!

It is nice to see the Big Ten thinking strategically. If you were doing a SWOT analysis of Big Ten football, the biggest threat, perhaps after concussions, is the fact that the talent lies outside the footprint. Playing bowl games everywhere will help this. It is also something the SEC, ACC, Big 12 and PAC 10 can't/won't do. The Big Ten, by playing everywhere can generate the kind of national appeal that Notre Dame & Southern Cal have historically generated.

 

[DarrenTheGreek]

Sorry but the Pinstripe Bowl, Detroit Bowl and Kraft Fight Hunger bowls are terrible. Two of them are played in stadiums configured only for baseball. This would be a huge step backwards for the Big Ten, IMHO.

 

[GophersInIowa]

The Ford Field game versus ACC is much more palatable than a game versus the MAC. However, Detroit still sucks.

Fixed it for you.

 

[NateDawgUM]

Sorry but the Pinstripe Bowl, Detroit Bowl and Kraft Fight Hunger bowls are terrible. Two of them are played in stadiums configured only for baseball. This would be a huge step backwards for the Big Ten, IMHO.

I'd rather watch football in a baseball stadium in New York City or San Francisco than watch football in a football stadium in Shreveport, Jacksonville or Memphis.

These aren't bowls for the top 25 teams of the year anyway.

Obviously Minnesotans don't see the draw of Detroit, but for much of the conference, it's an easy drive.

 

[Maximus]

Ive watch the Giants play at AT&T park once....would be an awesome place to watch a game in my opinion, especially a glorified exhibition like a mid-tier bowl game. The snow games at the new Yankee Stadium have made for great TV.

 

[highwayman]

Sorry but the Pinstripe Bowl, Detroit Bowl and Kraft Fight Hunger bowls are terrible. Two of them are played in stadiums configured only for baseball. This would be a huge step backwards for the Big Ten, IMHO.

They're all being played in modern stadiums. If the two were "in stadiums configured only for baseball" their would be no football game played being there.

I'd rather watch football in a baseball stadium in New York City or San Francisco than watch football in a football stadium in Shreveport, Jacksonville or Memphis.

These aren't bowls for the top 25 teams of the year anyway.

Obviously Minnesotans don't see the draw of Detroit, but for much of the conference, it's an easy drive.

I agree with your whole post.

 

[DarrenTheGreek]

They're all being played in modern stadiums. If the two were "in stadiums configured only for baseball" their would be no football game played being there.

They can draw football lines on a field but it still isn't a football stadium.