How long will the Big Ten Conference stay in tact.

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007gopherfan said:
Be interesting to see with the expansion of the Big ten, how long it will last. 18 teams is a lot to compete with.

You would think if certain teams always become the bottom feeders of the conference (hopefully MN not one, but sometimes seems that way) get tired of seeing lower attendance, tough spots for coaching, to want to continue doing that. Especially now when you see other former D2,D3 programs turning D1, be in conferences where they can compete and give their athlete's, coaches, and FANS, HOPE! Just one example, basketball now, their will be plenty of smaller schools dancing that would likely struggle just as bad a the gophers in the big ten conference. Don't get me wrong, I like they get the opportunities and it makes March MADNESS! Just saying with 14 teams, that is a lot to compete with for many of them. Will there ever be a point a school or schools says the HECK with being in the big ten?

Everyone says it is all about the $ and I am sure that has plenty to do with it, but there are many other programs in many sports that survive just fine in college sports programs, more competitive, and their more FAN friendly! If I am new President of the U and Coyle, this is something going through my mind. How do we build sold out crowds, could we be leader and start a more competitive conference for my school and athletes to make more NCAA tourneys. Will football go to bigger playoff yet where more conference champs make it where I could put MN in better spot. Could be a leader and pave the way! If it isn't MN, will it be someone else?
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If any fan doesn’t celebrate USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon being a regular part of our rotation as part of the conference—it would surprise me. It should be big fun having them on our schedule. Let’s change our best in response. I think our schedule this year is fantastic. We won’t win them all but if we compete and the games are fun to watch that’s OK.
 

Out State Gopher said:
The question is: how long will Minnesota stay in the B1G if they do not receive the proper support/funding from the state, University, businesses, corporations & fans? Will the Missouri Valley be the answer?
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Gophers aren't going anywhere the BIG10 would desolve before that happened. Plus the Goohers have received plenty of support from the state. What else do you think is considered proper support from the state? Getting businesses, corporations and fans to contribute into the NIL money pools is in its infancy but seems to be moving right along.
 



Give the boot to those without hockey and wrestling
 


oldman said:
Give the boot to those without hockey and wrestling
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LOL, I didn't even know hockey was a college sport until the expansion. As far as wrestling goes, probably the most famous U of O wrestler was Ken Kesey and his fame had more to do with "other pursuits". Actually, once upon a time Oregon did have a pretty good wrestling team, perhaps that will come back as a result of the expansion.
 

GoDucks349 said:
LOL, I didn't even know hockey was a college sport until the expansion. As far as wrestling goes, probably the most famous U of O wrestler was Ken Kesey and his fame had more to do with "other pursuits". Actually, once upon a time Oregon did have a pretty good wrestling team, perhaps that will come back as a result of the expansion.
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You must not follow the NHL either because thee are a lot of NHL players that played college. This is a couple years old but gives you an idea: https://collegehockeyinc.com/articles/2022/05/record-breaking-year-for-ncaa-alumni-in-nhl.php
 



007gopherfan said:
Be interesting to see with the expansion of the Big ten, how long it will last. 18 teams is a lot to compete with.

You would think if certain teams always become the bottom feeders of the conference (hopefully MN not one, but sometimes seems that way) get tired of seeing lower attendance, tough spots for coaching, to want to continue doing that. Especially now when you see other former D2,D3 programs turning D1, be in conferences where they can compete and give their athlete's, coaches, and FANS, HOPE! Just one example, basketball now, their will be plenty of smaller schools dancing that would likely struggle just as bad a the gophers in the big ten conference. Don't get me wrong, I like they get the opportunities and it makes March MADNESS! Just saying with 14 teams, that is a lot to compete with for many of them. Will there ever be a point a school or schools says the HECK with being in the big ten?

Everyone says it is all about the $ and I am sure that has plenty to do with it, but there are many other programs in many sports that survive just fine in college sports programs, more competitive, and their more FAN friendly! If I am new President of the U and Coyle, this is something going through my mind. How do we build sold out crowds, could we be leader and start a more competitive conference for my school and athletes to make more NCAA tourneys. Will football go to bigger playoff yet where more conference champs make it where I could put MN in better spot. Could be a leader and pave the way! If it isn't MN, will it be someone else?
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Sort of depends on what the goals are for the schools like us. If we want to play in a conference where we can occassionally challenge for the title, then playing in an 18-team Big Ten is not the answer and we should split. If we want to simply exist, collect some money, and be everyone else's whipping boy, then we are in the right spot. I doubt the Big Ten will kick out the less-revenue-producing schools, because they will enjoy having that lower tier for the blue bloods to beat up on to keep their records inflated.
 


GoDucks349 said:
LOL, I didn't even know hockey was a college sport until the expansion. As far as wrestling goes, probably the most famous U of O wrestler was Ken Kesey and his fame had more to do with "other pursuits". Actually, once upon a time Oregon did have a pretty good wrestling team, perhaps that will come back as a result of the expansion.
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Can you pass the acid test?
 

Minnesota is a founding member of the Big Ten. I don't see them leaving. Especially since they have stayed despite faculty wanting them to pull a University of Chicago decades ago.
 



gopher7 said:
Sort of depends on what the goals are for the schools like us. If we want to play in a conference where we can occassionally challenge for the title, then playing in an 18-team Big Ten is not the answer and we should split. If we want to simply exist, collect some money, and be everyone else's whipping boy, then we are in the right spot. I doubt the Big Ten will kick out the less-revenue-producing schools, because they will enjoy having that lower tier for the blue bloods to beat up on to keep their records inflated.
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It's not that clear of a choice. I've posted in other threads that kicking out the bottom dwellers in football will just create a new set of them.
 

GoDucks349 said:
You are correct, I don't follow the NHL. Last hockey I watched might have been the Miracle on Ice. You do know I was joking a bit about not knowing hockey was a college sport.
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Would love for a couple hockey teams to sprout up in the B1G newcomers. One in PNW and one in Cali. With the Kraken, maybe the sport really grows in the next five years in Washington.
 

PMWinSTP said:
Would love for a couple hockey teams to sprout up in the B1G newcomers. One in PNW and one in Cali. With the Kraken, maybe the sport really grows in the next five years in Washington.
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Actually, Portland has been a pretty good hockey town for many decades. The Winter Hawks probably average 5000 to 7000 attendance. It's not the big leagues and they are competing with the NBA for fans. So in my opinion, that's pretty reasonable for a metro of 2 million.
 

GoDucks349 said:
LOL, I didn't even know hockey was a college sport until the expansion. As far as wrestling goes, probably the most famous U of O wrestler was Ken Kesey and his fame had more to do with "other pursuits". Actually, once upon a time Oregon did have a pretty good wrestling team, perhaps that will come back as a result of the expansion.
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Those could be fighting words for some here. There are many more kids from MN than any other state playing NCAA hockey. So we tend to be a bit biased.
 

GoDucks349 said:
Actually, Portland has been a pretty good hockey town for many decades. The Winter Hawks probably average 5000 to 7000 attendance. It's not the big leagues and they are competing with the NBA for fans. So in my opinion, that's pretty reasonable for a metro of 2 million.
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Solid. Always have enjoyed Portland when visiting. Stayed there for Gophs road game and their beat down of the Beavers. If I never hear another chainsaw sound effect the rest of my life, I'll be happy.
 

GoDucks349 said:
LOL, I didn't even know hockey was a college sport until the expansion. As far as wrestling goes, probably the most famous U of O wrestler was Ken Kesey and his fame had more to do with "other pursuits". Actually, once upon a time Oregon did have a pretty good wrestling team, perhaps that will come back as a result of the expansion.
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You must be too young to remember Herb Brooks and the Miracle on Ice.
 

Nobody will leave but eventually will be asked to leave or outright abandoned. In the near future the big dogs will says say “why split our money the Minny and Iowa’s of the world, when we could join up with Texas and Alabama?”
 

Crosby said:
Those could be fighting words for some here. There are many more kids from MN than any other state playing NCAA hockey. So we tend to be a bit biased.
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Yea I'm aware of hockey in MN. Some years ago, I had the "pleasure" of staying in a Minneapolis/St Paul hotel next to an arena hosting a high school state tournament in hockey. It was not a place to get a good night's sleep. Service carts going down the halls loaded with exuberant fans/players at 3 am. LOL

Just an aside, I traveled this country for business for a bit over 30 years. In MN I had clients/customers in places like Hibbing, Bemidji, Virginia, Cook, Floodwood, Superior, St Cloud as well as St Paul, so I've been around the state a bit.
 
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PMWinSTP said:
Solid. Always have enjoyed Portland when visiting. Stayed there for Gophs road game and their beat down of the Beavers. If I never hear another chainsaw sound effect the rest of my life, I'll be happy.
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Yea, those chainsaw sound effects are a real pain. And we are going to keep playing them home and home. It's one of the 10 oldest rivalries in the country. It's a cultural thing, Ore St draws from rural areas do to the nature of the programs offered.... Forestry, Agri, Oceanography etc. The U of O draws from urban areas more, due to programs in Law, Pre Med, Business, Journalism, Architecture, etc. So the chainsaw fits them.
 

GoDucks349 said:
Yea, those chainsaw sound effects are a real pain. And we are going to keep playing them home and home. It's one of the 10 oldest rivalries in the country. It's a cultural thing, Ore St draws from rural areas do to the nature of the programs offered.... Forestry, Agri, Oceanography etc. The U of O draws from urban areas more, due to programs in Law, Pre Med, Business, Journalism, Architecture, etc. So the chainsaw fits them.
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Also, a lot of fans left at halftime even though it was like 14-10 Gophs. We thought it was super wierd. Most of the Beavers fans sitting by us didn't come back. Also got corrected on how to pronounce Oregon.
 

PMWinSTP said:
Also, a lot of fans left at halftime even though it was like 14-10 Gophs. We thought it was super wierd. Most of the Beavers fans sitting by us didn't come back. Also got corrected on how to pronounce Oregon.
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Good point on pronouncing "Oregon" or better "Orygun". It's definitely not Ore-gone. It's about as irritating to Oregonians as "Ill-a-noise" is to Illinois.
 

GoDucks349 said:
Good point on pronouncing "Oregon" or better "Orygun". It's definitely not Ore-gone. It's about as irritating to Oregonians as "Ill-a-noise" is to Illinois.
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With my midwest accent we mostly pronounce it like Oregan...got corrected that it's OreGUN. When we were in Portland, we met a bunch of Nebraska fans who were there to go to the game against the Ducks the same saturday. Pretty funny that the place (Deschutes Public House) was probably half B1G fans from MN and Nebraska.
 

Gopherchase said:
If any fan doesn’t celebrate USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon being a regular part of our rotation as part of the conference—it would surprise me. It should be big fun having them on our schedule. Let’s change our best in response. I think our schedule this year is fantastic. We won’t win them all but if we compete and the games are fun to watch that’s OK.
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I don’t celebrate this. Why would anyone? It’s hard to maintain interest as a fan for me with all the recent changes.
 
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PMWinSTP said:
With my midwest accent we mostly pronounce it like Oregan...got corrected that it's OreGUN. When we were in Portland, we met a bunch of Nebraska fans who were there to go to the game against the Ducks the same saturday. Pretty funny that the place (Deschutes Public House) was probably half B1G fans from MN and Nebraska.
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Hope you found Powell's Bookstore, while you were there. It's certainly the largest bookstore west of the Mississippi, and I think their is one in NYC that might be as large or a little larger. It's a great place. Deschutes Public House is only a few blocks away.
 

GoDucks349 said:
Hope you found Powell's Bookstore, while you were there. It's certainly the largest bookstore west of the Mississippi, and I think their is one in NYC that might be as large or a little larger. It's a great place. Deschutes Public House is only a few blocks away.
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I'll make sure to have it on the list for when we road trip for Gophs v Ducks. Probably the two of the very best mascots in major college sports.
 

Just a reminder that the University of Oregon is in Eugene. Not in Portland....although easiest way to get to Eugene is to fly to Portland and rent a car for the 110 mile drive to Eugene.
 

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