COLUMN: Choosing the greedy thing

By: 
Pete Temple
Express Sports Editor

     So often, when it comes to sports organizations, issues come down to two options: doing the right thing, and doing the greedy thing.

     Nine times out of B1G, they will choose the greedy thing.

     The reference here is, of course, to the Big Ten Conference’s recent announcement that it has begun scheduling Friday night games, thus horning in on the evening – and some of the revenue – that historically has been reserved for high school football.

     Absolutely disgusting.

     There are organizations that choose the right thing. Take, for example, the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA).

     At the end of the 2015 football season, the IHSAA announced that it would be reducing the number of playoff-qualifying teams from four to two in each district, thus eliminating one week of playoff games.

     It was no doubt a sizable loss in revenue to the IHSAA. It also created some situations in which deserving teams may have missed a shot at the post-season because fewer spots were available.

     But it was the right thing, in terms of the safety of players, who at the start of the old playoff schedule were playing the first three games in a 10-day stretch.

     This year, it was one game per week, throughout the playoffs, and one fewer playoff game overall.

     The Big Ten? It seems that every choice it has made in recent memory has been the greedy one.

     The formation of the Big Ten Network was first. Admittedly, this has turned out to be the least offensive of its moves. When it isn’t taking part in its semi-annual battle with satellite dish or cable companies for a larger piece of the pie, the network has its moments.

     One of the network’s worst moments, though, was working to disband the proud, exciting, competitive Western Collegiate Hockey Association in order to form a weak, laughable, six-team Big Ten Conference for hockey.

     Then there was the 2010 attempt, along with other conferences, to pick apart the Big 12 Conference by adding more schools. This was followed by the expansion to the east in order to secure a “larger footprint” – a move that included the addition of Rutgers (How’s that working out?).

     Adding Friday night games might be the worst greed-grab of all. By doing so, the Big Ten will siphon dollars from the very high school programs that provide its players.

     They aren’t exactly marquee games. The first three are non-conference, two of those on Sept. 1.

     But it’s safe to assume that, say, the Nebraska-Illinois game on Friday, Sept. 29, 2017, will reduce the gates of high school stadiums in both states.

     The Big Ten is not the only villain here. Other conferences have already played Friday night games, including the ACC, Big 12, Pac 12 and Mountain West.

     You could also argue that high schools don’t have an exclusive right to the “Friday night lights.”

     All of this is true.

     But this was a chance for the Big Ten to do the right thing rather than the greedy thing. Instead, the conference decided to send a horrible message.

     I found a quote from Big Ten TV official Mark Rudner, on the landof10.com website.

     Rudner was quoted as saying, “We’re cognizant of the impact this has on high school football.”

     He might as well have added, “…and we don’t care.”

     

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