ACC eyes Europe - Big Ten should not imitate

I was a bit surprised to learn Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford is considering having his league play some football and basketball games in Europe.

Isn't that the wrong side of the Atlantic, Commish? I don't see a market for Virginia-Syracuse in Paris or Rome. Maybe Miami or Boston College would play well there, since many a European enjoys a winter vacation in Miami Beach or has relatives in Boston. You don't have to explain "Miami" to Euros. "Wake Forest" or "Clemson" would be a whole different deal.

It would be like having Atletico de Madrid or Bayern Munich play their brand of football in Blacksburg or Tallahassee. But ...

“We need to think big,” Swofford said.

The Big Ten doesn't like to be outmaneuvered, but the advice here is to let the ACC go on its transatlantic journeys. You don't want to follow that conference to Europe, because it just makes you look like a copycat. And no other continent doesn't seem like a good option. They're not that into American football in South America. Or Asia. Or Australia. Or Africa. Or Antarctica. Or Europe, for that matter.

As for basketball, those land masses are all a long way to travel just to play a 3-hour game. It takes three hours just to go through customs in some places.

So, as someone always happy to give the Big Ten sound advice, I say stay home. Have schools play their home games at ... home. It's an old-fashioned concept, but many leading financial planners suggest it's a top option. It saves money, time, and explaining why in the world you would send your teams overseas to play games in the middle of the school year.

Now, if the Big Ten wants to move its conference basketball tournament to Las Vegas, a la the Pacific-12, Mountain West, West Coast Conference and Western Athletic Conference, I'm OK with it as long as I get to cover it. I'd even go to the games. Some of them, anyway. Well, the ones I was required to attend. All right, I swear I would at least watch them from the sports book of the Bellagio.

And if the league wants to leave the indoor comfort of Indianapolis' stadium and move its football championship to Miami or San Diego, I'm OK with that, too. Big Ten football is meant to be played outdoors. Unless it's in December, and in Big Ten country.

But if the conference thinks it's a good idea to have Iowa play Purdue in Sao Paulo or Singapore, it is sadly mistaken. Even if some Hawkeye fans now wish the last football game between the two had been held at least that far from Iowa City.

A footnote: It isn't as if there hasn't been a Big Ten football game of importance played in Asia. Click here to read more about it.