Big Ten's Delany Says Creation Of BTN Could Lead To Expansion
Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany said that the creation of the Big Ten Network (BTN) means conference officials “likely will discuss expansion again,” according to Randy Peterson of the DES MOINES REGISTER. Delany: “I think we need to look at it in the next year. … The broader [BTN] is distributed, the more value (expansion) has. We have eight states. With expansion, you could have nine." Peterson notes the conference could look to add Rutgers or Syracuse, and a 12th team “could mean two divisions and a postseason playoff.” BTN President Mark Silverman: “Any television executive would do whatever they could to be able to air a game like the Big Ten championship. It would be worth a considerable amount.” But Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz said of the divisional playoff format, "I've not met anybody in coaching that really enjoys it. There's a lot of downside to it” (DES MOINES REGISTER, 7/26). Delany said that each conference member has been guaranteed about $7M annually from BTN over the net’s 20-year agreement with Fox (DES MOINES REGISTER, 7/26). Meanwhile, BTN officials called EchoStar’s petition to have the net declared an RSN (see THE DAILY, 7/24), a “brazen attempt to increase its negotiating leverage.” EchoStar, in a letter to the FCC, claimed that BTN is “masquerading as a national net to avoid submitting to commercial arbitration” (CABLEFAX DAILY, 7/26).
WATCHING CLOSELY: SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said that he will be “closely watching the developments” of BTN and the Mountain West Conference's The mtn. Slive: “Our presidents, chancellors and [ADs] have authorized us to continue to explore the viability of an SEC network” (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 7/26).
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