I have a pal who's a RU guy and he sent me this PSU writer's article about how he supposedly suggested Rutgers to the Big Ten back when PSU joined in the early 90's. Some fascinating stuff here about Delaney, PSU, RU and even Texas, Missou and Nebraska. Supposedly Rutgers was sending out brochures lobbying for a Big Ten invite in 1989(!).
Just got me wondering (hoping) what sort of side room conversations have taken place concerning Uconn.
Also, if this stuff is true, we might have been seriously been victim to a huge head start previously unknown on the part of Rutgers.
Really sorry for the RU content but I thought the Realignment Board would appreciate.
http://www.pennlive.com/sports/inde...at_my_early_90s_ad.html#incart_social_feature
Some highlights:
The question on everyone's mind for two years had been: Who will be the 12th school? There had to be a 12th member, right. After Penn State's admission in 1990, the conference couldn't possibly stick with a prime number much longer.
Of course, Notre Dame was the one the Big Ten wanted. If it could somehow be persuaded to abandon its independent status and come aboard, there would be divisions and a football championship game like in the new SEC and a perfect figurehead member for the West to counterbalance Penn State in the East.
That's where my question to Delany came in. I introduced myself and my newspaper. He was cordial and fun to talk to. So, I said, what about an Eastern addition like Rutgers? An Eastern partner for Penn State. A big state school who fit the Big Ten profile. That big NYC-metro market untapped for college football. And now that PSU was aboard, Jersey was even contiguous.
Only problem was, I said, if you added an Eastern school and split into divisions, you'd have to break up a rivalry somewhere. No, at the time, no one could have conceived of Leaders and Legends.
I never expected a substantive response. But Delany surprised me: "You don't have to go East-West. You can go North-South." And then he ticked off the prospective divisions in that direction while my mind spun. Yes, the commissioner was a bright guy, I thought. He's considering all options at all times and he does have his eye on the East.
And from the writer's own article published in 1992:
Two years ago, Rutgers University whipped together a report that school officials hoped would get it invited into the Big Ten.
School officials already had gotten wind of Penn State's pending invitation a few months before it was announced on Dec. 15, 1989. Almost immediately, they got started on Advantage: Rutgers, a glossy book of facts intended to push RU over the top.
"We sent it out to all the Big Ten presidents and the league office," said Kevin McConnell, Rutgers' athletic marketing director.
"We wanted to give them background on the advances a New York market base would provide the league media-wise. It also included facts about influential alumni from Rutgers and a lot of information about our academic standing.
"It promoted not just the athletic program, but the university itself, which we figured was just as important to them as athletics."
Two years later, Rutgers sits in two different TV-poor conferences one for basketball another for football and waits.
Just got me wondering (hoping) what sort of side room conversations have taken place concerning Uconn.
Also, if this stuff is true, we might have been seriously been victim to a huge head start previously unknown on the part of Rutgers.
Really sorry for the RU content but I thought the Realignment Board would appreciate.
http://www.pennlive.com/sports/inde...at_my_early_90s_ad.html#incart_social_feature
Some highlights:
The question on everyone's mind for two years had been: Who will be the 12th school? There had to be a 12th member, right. After Penn State's admission in 1990, the conference couldn't possibly stick with a prime number much longer.
Of course, Notre Dame was the one the Big Ten wanted. If it could somehow be persuaded to abandon its independent status and come aboard, there would be divisions and a football championship game like in the new SEC and a perfect figurehead member for the West to counterbalance Penn State in the East.
That's where my question to Delany came in. I introduced myself and my newspaper. He was cordial and fun to talk to. So, I said, what about an Eastern addition like Rutgers? An Eastern partner for Penn State. A big state school who fit the Big Ten profile. That big NYC-metro market untapped for college football. And now that PSU was aboard, Jersey was even contiguous.
Only problem was, I said, if you added an Eastern school and split into divisions, you'd have to break up a rivalry somewhere. No, at the time, no one could have conceived of Leaders and Legends.
I never expected a substantive response. But Delany surprised me: "You don't have to go East-West. You can go North-South." And then he ticked off the prospective divisions in that direction while my mind spun. Yes, the commissioner was a bright guy, I thought. He's considering all options at all times and he does have his eye on the East.
And from the writer's own article published in 1992:
Two years ago, Rutgers University whipped together a report that school officials hoped would get it invited into the Big Ten.
School officials already had gotten wind of Penn State's pending invitation a few months before it was announced on Dec. 15, 1989. Almost immediately, they got started on Advantage: Rutgers, a glossy book of facts intended to push RU over the top.
"We sent it out to all the Big Ten presidents and the league office," said Kevin McConnell, Rutgers' athletic marketing director.
"We wanted to give them background on the advances a New York market base would provide the league media-wise. It also included facts about influential alumni from Rutgers and a lot of information about our academic standing.
"It promoted not just the athletic program, but the university itself, which we figured was just as important to them as athletics."
Two years later, Rutgers sits in two different TV-poor conferences one for basketball another for football and waits.
