TV network, demographics key to Big Ten expansion decision

Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany told reporters today the league-owned network and the trend of people heading to warmer climates are crucial toward the league's decision to consider expansion.

"I think those are the two factors," Delany said at today's Big Ten meetings in Chicago. "I'd say demographics are one. I look at the Big Ten Network as something you have to manage because we're a part owner in it. It's a successful entity after three years. We didn't go there without a lot of thought."

Delany did say the Big Ten Network is not the reason for expansion, however.

"We weren't able to strike the kinds of media deals that we had hoped to strike," he said. "We had been with ESPN for 10 years and then we're into the marketplace. The reaction was tepid to be honest with you, and that led us to the establishment of a new network. And the rest is sort of history. So now we have an owned network.

"We looked at expansion when we didn't have a network. We look at it with Penn State, we looked at it with Notre Dame. It's a factor when you analyze expansion but it is not the cause of looking at it. The cause of looking at it is there's a lot of change in the country, there's going to more change in the country. There's change in Division I, and I think it would less than responsible to not look at it once you decide to look at., Obviously your media partners are relevant, an owned network is relevant , the competitive structures are relevant, the logistics, the travel, those are all parts and parcels of what you do."