The Big 10 CAN Make New York a College Sports Town

I know that everyone thinks the Big 10 wants Rutgers only for the New York market and guess what, they are right. New York, however, is not a college town. They enjoy their pro sports teams and have never been interested in the colleges around them. Part of the problem is they have multiple pro teams, the bigger part of the problem is that they have never really had anyone to cheer for. Rutgers and St. Johns are the only two teams that they have had to cheer for, and St. johns does not have a D-I football team. Rutgers does not look like they are going to become anything special anytime soon which means they are not going to attract fans either, but that doesn't mean the New York market can be turned into more of a college fan base. They can, and the Big 10 can do it.

It might not be easy to get fans their into college football, but there is a way that they sure could get the attention of New York and that is by inviting Rutgers into the conference and then immediately having the conference championship game in the new Meadowlands. That is the easy part. The hard part is getting the right teams into the championship game. If Iowa and Penn State are facing off for the title the Big Ten would be in trouble, its just not a sexy match up that would draw casual fans in. If, however, Nebraska and Ohio State were to face off in New York in December on a Saturday for a place in the title game or a place into a playoff people would watch. That is not an ordinary game. First of all you would have big crowds from both schools. Both teams travel well and both teams have huge fan bases. You would have a great mix of fans from both teams and also a mix of fans from New York who want to see two elite programs face off. It could instantly draw attention to college football, the Big Ten, and even Rutgers with some savvy marketing. Eventually Rutgers would have to start winning for the Big Ten to get what they want out of New York, but they can also draw in fans by showcasing great teams. Think of how many people wear Yankees caps around. Are they all from New York?? No. They just wear the hat because its New York. Nebraska and Ohio State are both programs with great traditions. Ohio State is elite, and Nebraska seems to be on its way under Bo Pelini. They can make fans with a great game, even if they have no affiliation with either team. Notre Dame has fans all over the country who have nothing to do with the school because of their exposure back when not much was on tv because they were great. They also would help the Big Ten a lot with breaking into the New York market. Without them though, the conference still can do it, it will just take some planning and of course some luck.

It may sound crazy now, but there is a reason Delany has been looking at expansion and there is a reason Rutgers keeps coming up, and it is not because of their football team's success, it is because of the 17 million people who live there.