Now that Nebraska is a part of the Big Ten, the Big 10 is actually a 12 team league, while the Big 12 now truly has ten teams. Which of course makes a ton of sense. Like the 1995-2001 NFC West division in the NFL. It contained the Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, St Louis Rams and New Orleans Saints. Yes, nothing says “west” like two teams in the Eastern time zone, and two more in the Central.
Anyways, illogical naming aside, having NU in the Big 10 means 12 teams which=championship game. That means boku bucks, and it could start in 2011 or 2012. But where? The home of the Chicago Bears? Green Bay Packers? Indianapolis Colts? Cleveland Browns?
By Paul M. Banks
And this is a very different type of Big Ten Championship game from the one that existed during the Woody Hayes/Bo Schembechler era. That was known as Ohio State vs. Michigan, and it was the de facto championship game during the “Big 2, Little 8 era.” But we’re talking about a de jure championship game here. And given the way conference realignment will fall once the league splits into two divisions, I doubt we’ll see an OSU-Michigan title game ever.
That’s because in order to maintain rivalries, certain team pairings will be placed in the same division of the conference. Ohio St. and Michigan will no doubt get first priority.
And when that conference title game occurs, where will it be? Chicago’s Soldier Field and Green Bay’s Lambeau Field seem to be the leading candidates, and they’ve already expressed a formal interest in hosting. So has Cleveland, Indianapolis and Detroit. Then two more questions arise: should the game be at a fixed or rotating location? Indoors or outdoors?
Interesting take from Steve Hemmelgarn, at News and Sentinel.com
I think the powers that be will eventually opt for indoors, but I hope not on a regular basis. That would mean not nailing the game down to a permanent site, rather rotating among various cities to give it a different feel every few years, akin to what the Big 12 did by moving its championship game around between St. Louis, San Antonio, Kansas City, Dallas and Houston over the past 14 years.
If you continue reading his column, you’ll see he shares my disappointment (although expected disappointment) that Terrelle Pryor isn’t coming to Big Ten Media Days; partially because of Coach Jim Tressel’s unwritten “seniors only” policy.
Right now, I still say the title game location has 2 co-front-runners. One is the epicenter of Cheesehead Nation.
According to Michael David Smith at Pro Football Talk.com
“We’d be very interested,” Packers president Mark Murphy told ESPN.com. “The Big Ten has got such history and tradition, and to have a championship in Lambeau Field would be tremendous. It’d be good for our community and good for college football to have it in such a historic venue.”
Murphy, a former Northwestern athletic director who’s well-connected within the Big Ten, says the Packers have already contacted the Big Ten office to make the case that Lambeau Field is the right place for a Big Ten title game.
And the second is home to the Monsters of the Midway. According to my blog brother Bears STH
The weather could be an issue, but this it’s the Big Ten. Weather is never an issue with football. It’s part of the game.
Since the 2007 Northern Illinois-Iowa game, there has been a renaissance of sorts. In 2011, the Huskies are slated to play Wisconsin and will have a rematch with the Hawkeyes there in 2012.
Notre Dame and Miami are looking to play at Soldier Field as early as 2012.
Let’s fast forward to 2012 and everything falls into place the way the city would want it to. In addition to the 12 Bears game (including 2 home-field advantage playoff games), a NIU-Iowa rematch, the Catholics vs. Convicts game, a Big Ten championship game will be played at Soldier Field. Not to mention, the Prep Bowl and Chicago Public High School championship will also be played at the Bears home stadium.
It goes without saying that I share his overwhelming bias towards getting the game here in Chicago.
Paul M. Banks is President and CEO of The Sports Bank.net , a Midwest focused webzine. He is also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, the Chicago Tribune’s blog network, Walter Football.com, the Washington Times Communities, Yardbarker Network, and Fox Sports.com
You can follow him on Twitter @thesportsbank and @bigtenguru
