As many people are already aware, the Big 10 Convention is expanding. Starting in the 2011 period, the Big 10 will expand to 12 groups, adding Nebraska. The Big 10 has now announced the new "divisions" they'll use moving forward. They haven't named the divisions yet but one division may have Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern and Minnesota although the other division may have Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana and Illinois.
The Big 10 does plan to have a half dozen standing cross-divisional football rivalries played each period, including the Ohio State - Michigan because the end of the period for at least the next two years. The other standing "rivalry" video games will probably be Illinois/ Northwestern, Indiana/Michigan State, Penn State/ Nebraska, Purdue/ Iowa, and Wisconsin/ Minnesota.
Now looking at that roster of "rivalries" there are a couple of them that would fit the definition of contrived. Particularly the Penn State/ Nebraska and Indiana/ Michigan State games. It's doubtful that any football followers would place those games anywhere near their personal top 100 "rivalry" football games. Rivalry games are the games where the followers of the loser go take out their frustrations about the coach/ star player/ officiate/ fill-in-the-blank by taking a nine iron or baseball bat to their garage door and hope that the garage door repairman isn't a fan of the rival team.
Rivalry games like the Ohio State - Michigan sport are the kinds of rivalry games that have been played for decades and this game has historically ended the Big 10 normal period. But it's fairly obvious that the Big 10 is hopeful of obtaining a second Ohio State - Michigan game as part of the divisional alignment. Of course, by attempting this, the Big 10 will really de-value the normal game.
The Big Twelve Convention, when it initially expanded to twelve groups, is rumored to have had the exact same thinking by putting Oklahoma and Nebraska in opposite divisions and those two groups never have met within the Big Twelve Championship games. The Pac-10 (quickly to be Pac-12) Convention will probably be setting out their divisional line-ups quickly, even though they most likely won't have any splits like putting Ohio State - Michigan in opposite divisions.
All these convention expansions are geared to one factor and one factor only; money. They've seen the Southeastern Convention expansion from a few years ago lead to increases in television rights fees and want in. They truly don't care about the followers who take out the frustrations on the garage door after the loss within the Big Game.
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