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Jim Delany chose his words carefully when the Big Ten-Pac-12 scheduling alliance went kaput in July, but the Big Ten commissioner was ticked off.

He had gotten all his schools on board for a scheduling pact, which had been openly touted as an alternative to further expansion, that looked like a win for both sides, for TV, and especially for the fans. Ultimately, Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott couldn't deliver the same united front, and the agreement blew up.

"We thought we had captured a really innovative, positive idea for fans, coaches, and players in both conferences," Delany told ESPN.com last summer. "It's very disappointing."

But disappointment didn't ultimately become bitterness, and Delany's statement announcing the end of the partnership ended with, "We look forward to continuing the historic partnership that we have with the Pac-12, and to working together on other matters in the future."

Fortunately, those matters include future bowl agreements. Although neither league has officially announced its new bowl lineup for the 2014-19 seasons, all signs point to the Big Ten and Pac-12 meeting more often in the postseason.

Multiple reports say the Big Ten will add a tie-in with the Holiday Bowl against the Pac-12. The Big Ten also could add the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl to its lineup. The game's profile is on the rise as it moves to the San Francisco 49ers' new stadium in Santa Clara in 2014. The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl currently features the Pac-12, and that won't change.

So there's a strong chance the Big Ten and the Pac-12 will meet three times in the postseason in most years. This is good for several reasons.

1. Every Rose has its thorn

The Rose Bowl is great, but as we've saw during the BCS era, the traditional matchup of Big Ten champ vs. Pac-12 champ takes place less and less frequently. Although Big Ten and Pac-12 teams have met in the game in six of the past seven seasons, the best teams from the leagues haven't always gone. Ohio State, undoubtedly the Big Ten's dominant program of the BCS era, has made only one Rose Bowl appearance (2010 game).

The Rose Bowl's role in the upcoming College Football Playoff likely will further decrease the number of "traditional" matchups in the game.

2. Conference commonality

There's a reason the Big Ten and Pac-12 nearly pulled off the scheduling alliance. The two leagues are similar in many ways, from broad-based athletic programs to academically elite institutions. The SEC might be the Big Ten's biggest rival, but the leagues really don't share much in common. The Big Ten is much more like the Pac-12. They have a ton of history. It just makes sense for the Big Ten and Pac-12 to play more often in the postseason than just the Rose.

3. Variety

The Big Ten's current bowl lineup not only is overly difficult in my view, but it lacks variety. It's SEC, Big 12 and New Year's Day, that's it. Too much Florida and Texas. Not enough in other parts of the country.

The likely Pac-12 additions along with more games against the ACC (Pinstripe, new Detroit Lions bowl) provide a much-needed shakeup. Maybe this is the Californian in me, but would Big Ten fans rather travel to San Diego and San Francisco for bowls, or Jacksonville and Dallas? And that's not counting the large group of Big Ten fans who live on the West Coast.

The Big Ten-Pac-12 scheduling alliance would have been great. It's a shame that things fell apart. The upside is Big Ten fans are getting more conference games and seemingly more appealing non-conference games.

Now they'll likely get more Pac-12 matchups in the postseason. Glad to see it.

Every Big Ten team will rely on a handful of freshmen (sometimes more than a handful) to fill key roles when the 2013 season rolls around. Which newcomers will make the biggest impact in the league?

Tom Luginbill, RecruitingNation's senior national recruiting analyst, has identified five names to remember among incoming freshmen who will enroll this summer. Luginbill already singled out Ohio State cornerback Eli Apple as an early enrollee who could make a difference this fall.

Two Big Ten freshmen make Luginbill's new list. Neither needs much of an introduction.

Michigan running back Derrick Green is expected to compete right away for a starting job. Ranked by RecruitingNation as the No. 5 running back (No. 38 overall player) in the 2013 class, Green will be Michigan's best option in the backfield as the Wolverines go back to a more traditional pro-set scheme that will emphasize power running. No Michigan back distinguished himself this spring, and Green likely will face the most competition from Fitzgerald Toussaint, who comes off of leg surgery.

Luginbill also likes the impact potential of Ohio State incoming freshman Dontre Wilson, who could be fill the so-called "Percy position" in Urban Meyer's spread offense in Columbus. Wilson, a speedster from Texas who picked Ohio State ahead of Oregon and Texas, brings playmaking ability to an offense that needs more of it other than star quarterback Braxton Miller. Although Jordan Hall returns to the mix after battling injuries throughout 2012, Wilson could have a significant role in the offensive vision with a strong preseason showing.

What other incoming freshmen (non-early enrollees) could make an impact in the Big Ten this season?

Here are a few:

Penn State QB Christian Hackenberg: It'll be Hackenberg or junior-college transfer Tyler Ferguson starting for the Lions in their season opener against Syracuse. Unless Ferguson creates significant separation in camp, Hackenberg likely will be a factor this season.

Indiana DT Darius Latham: The Hoosiers need help along their defensive line, and could turn to Latham right away. A four-star prospect with good size and athleticism (played basketball in high school), Latham should be part of the mix up front at IU.

Michigan State RB Delton Williams: The Spartans need help in the backfield after no one really emerged this spring, and the coaches moved backup middle linebacker Riley Bullough to offense for help. There's a good chance Michigan State turns to an incoming freshman and Williams, the team's highest-rated recruit in the 2013 class according to RecruitingNation, will have a golden opportunity in camp.

Ohio State S Vonn Bell: Unlike the other freshmen listed here, Bell doesn't play a position where Ohio State has an overly pressing need. But he might be too talented to keep off of the field, especially when the Buckeyes go to their nickel and dime packages.

We'll know soon enough the Big Ten's bowl agreements for the 2014-19 cycle, but you can dust off those calendars for the final year of the current lineup.

The bowl schedule for the 2013 season is out. Here's what you need to know for the Big Ten's tie-in games.

Jan. 1

• Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio: BCS vs. BCS (Big Ten and Pac-12 champs will be in the game if not in the national championship), 5 p.m. ET, ESPN
• Capital One Bowl: Big Ten vs. SEC, 1 p.m. ET, ABC
• Outback Bowl: Big Ten vs. SEC, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN
• TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl: Big Ten vs. SEC, noon ET, ESPN2
• Heart of Dallas Bowl: Big Ten vs. Conference USA, noon ET, ESPNU

Dec. 28

• Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl: Big Ten vs. Big 12, 10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN

Dec. 27

• Texas Bowl: Big Ten vs. Big 12, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN

Dec. 26

• Little Caesars Pizza Bowl: Big Ten vs. MAC, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN

No real surprises here, as the Big Ten will keep its New Year's Day cluster for another year, attempting to dominate the airwaves leading into the Rose Bowl. The Texas Bowl and Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl have prime-time spots on Friday night and Saturday night, respectively, but the Big Ten will have no teams in action in a tie-in bowl between Dec. 28 and Jan. 1.

Although bowl dates and times can change from year to year, here's a look at the details for the Big Ten's likely future tie-in bowls ...

Holiday Bowl: Dec. 30, 10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: Dec. 30, 3:15 p.m. ET, ESPN

New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Dec. 28, noon ET, ESPN

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: Dec. 27, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

If the Big Ten enters agreements with some or all of these bowls, its overall bowl schedule should be more spread out, which I consider a plus. The New Year's Day cluster isn't popular with Big Ten fans, and sets the league up for embarrassments like this.

By the way, the game Big Ten teams really want to reach, the Vizio BCS National Championship, takes place Jan. 6 at 8:30 p.m. in Pasadena, Calif.

We're less than 100 days away from the kickoff of the 2013 season. Hooray. Want another reason to celebrate? There's just one more season to go before the BCS officially dies and we get a new, four-team college football playoff.

As the BCS era -- which began with the 1998 regular season -- draws to a close, we're taking a look at the best achievements and worst failures of every league during that time. Here are five highs and lows from the Big Ten:

Low Five:

1. National title drought: There's no getting around this one. The Big Ten has just one crystal football in its trophy case, thanks to Ohio State's overtime victory over Miami in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl. Other than that, the league has been shut out, and the Buckeyes got blown out in both the 2007 and 2008 BCS title games despite entering those contests ranked No. 1. Worse, Ohio State is the only Big Ten team that has even played in a national championship game. Compare that to the SEC, which has had five teams play for it all, or the Big 12, which has had three.

2. Rose Bowl record: OK, you say, so the Big Ten hasn't won a lot of national titles, but the Rose Bowl is the league's true ultimate goal. Well, the news there hasn't been very good, either. Since the dawn of the BCS era, the Big Ten has gone just 3-9 in the Grandaddy, with just one win in Pasadena since the 1999 season: Ohio State's 2010 victory over Oregon. That was the Buckeyes' only Rose Bowl appearance in the BCS era, as their success resulted in them playing in other bowls and often led to the league's second-best team going to California.

3. Non-Ohio State signature brands: We mentioned the lack of national title-game appearances outside of Ohio State. That's where the league's other brand-name schools have to take some blame. Michigan and Penn State have combined for seven BCS bowl appearances, which is good, but neither has made it to the national-title game. The Wolverines lost three out of four Rose Bowls from 2004-2007 and took a major step backward with the Rich Rodriguez hire. The Nittany Lions weren't able to play for a third national title and were sidelined for the final two BCS years because of probation. Nebraska hasn't reached the big stage game since joining the league two years ago, which was the continuation of a BCS drought for the Huskers that has now reached 11 seasons.

4. Scandal makers: The Big Ten takes great pride in its image and integrity, but the league took a serious hit in those areas toward the end of the BCS era. Three major programs -- Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan -- all went on NCAA probation, and the conference's assistance in helping keep several Buckeyes eligible for the 2011 Sugar Bowl wound up blowing up in its face a few months later. It also was poor timing that the Big Ten named its divisions Legends and Leaders right around the same time its supposedly squeaky-clean marquee programs were dealing with NCAA problems.

5. Recent New Year's massacres: Those with short memories may forget that the Big Ten actually performed quite well in its non-BCS bowls against the SEC and other power leagues for much of the BCS era. But more recent results have obscured that fact. New Year's Day 2011 might have been the low-water mark, as the league went 0-5 and got outscored 138-45 in its three games against the SEC. The Big Ten went 1-4 on Jan. 2, 2012, with Michigan State's overtime victory over Georgia saving the day (though Michigan did win the Sugar Bowl the following night). The league was more competitive on New Year's Day 2013 but still needed Northwestern to come through to avoid going 0-5 again. The Big Ten is just 2-7 against the SEC in the last three years, and that has damaged the perception of the conference's overall strength.

High Five

1. Doubling up: The BCS, all in all, has been good to the Big Ten. The league has made 26 BCS bowl appearances, more than any other conference (and one more than the mighty SEC). Until last year, the Big Ten had a streak of seven consecutive years of earning a BCS at-large bid. The conference's large, eager and sun-starved fan bases helped, especially for some teams with less than stellar résumés (i.e., Illinois in 2007, Michigan in 2011). The extra exposure and millions of dollars from those appearances have benefited the Big Ten, even if the league's 12-14 BCS record is a little wanting.

2. Ohio State's BCS run: Let's try and forget the '07 and '08 title games. The Buckeyes still have made an impressive run through the BCS era, with more appearances (nine) than any other school in the country. That number would have reached 10 last year if not for probation. The Buckeyes are also tied with USC for the most wins in BCS games (six), although the 2011 Sugar Bowl victory over Arkansas was later vacated by the NCAA.

3. Wisconsin's Rose parade: No Big Ten team has spent more time in Pasadena during the BCS era than Wisconsin, which has made five Rose Bowls, including the past three in a row. The Badgers own two of the conference's three Rose wins in that time with back-to-back victories in the 1999 and 2000 games. Their three consecutive losses there are disappointing, but it's better to have lost in the Grandaddy than to not have gone at all.

4. Money, money, money: Sure, the Big Ten lacks national championship rings or a glittering Rose Bowl record. But that hasn't stopped the conference from growing exponentially during the BCS era. Commissioner Jim Delany pioneered the idea of a league-only TV channel, and the Big Ten Network has been hugely profitable. The Big Ten is the richest conference in the land right now and is poised to rake in more dough with its next TV deal.

5. Rise of the middle class: If the Big Ten's signature brands outside of Ohio State failed to make a dent in the BCS title picture, at least some of the other league programs rose up and became contenders. Iowa went to two BCS games and won the 2010 Orange Bowl. Illinois sandwiched Sugar and Rose bowl bids around some otherwise disappointing seasons. Purdue got to the Rose Bowl in 2001. Michigan State is still looking for its first-ever BCS bowl but did win a share of the Big Ten title in 2010 and the inaugural Legends Division crown in 2011. Northwestern has been solid under Pat Fitzgerald and appears to be on an upward trajectory. Wisconsin has ascended into an annual conference power. While not every program has been able to maintain high levels of success, at least the Big Ten wasn't just the Big Two and Little Nine (or Ten, depending on the year) every season.

Good news: We are just 100 days away from the start of college football.

To mark the occasion, we're pulling out a checklist today of things that Big Ten teams need to accomplish between now and the start of the season. It's not quite "The Final Countdown" (cue GOB Bluth), but we are inching ever so close to kickoff. Here's what needs to happen in the next 100 days:

1. Identify a starting quarterback at Iowa, Indiana, Michigan State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin: It seems as if there are an unusually high number of Big Ten teams who don't know for sure who their starting quarterbacks will be in the fall. (You could also add Illinois and Minnesota to this list, though it appears likely that Nathan Scheelhaase and Philip Nelson, respectively, would have to lose the job in the summer.) Iowa had a three-man race this spring that will probably come down to Jake Rudock and Cody Sokol in training camp. There's very little separation between Cameron Coffman, Nate Sudfeld and Tre Roberson at Indiana. Connor Cook continues to breathe down the neck of incumbent Andrew Maxwell at Michigan State. Tyler Ferguson claimed the starting job at Penn State during the spring, prompting Steven Bench to transfer, but highly touted recruit Christian Hackenberg will push for immediate time. Purdue will likely decide between senior Rob Henry and true freshman Danny Etling. Joel Stave and Curt Phillips separated themselves from the Wisconsin QB derby this spring, while incoming junior college transfer Tanner McEvoy could expand the race this summer. All these situations should work themselves out in August, but no team wants to be dealing with an unsettled quarterback competition once the season starts.

2. Solidify the defensive front sevens at Nebraska and Ohio State: The Huskers and Buckeyes stand out as two of the top Big Ten contenders in 2013, but both have serious questions at defensive line and linebacker. The issue is more dire at Nebraska, which struggled there last year and is replacing all but one starter from 2012. Summer arrivals, including junior college star Randy Gregory, could make an immediate impact, and players coming back from injury such as linebacker Zaire Anderson and defensive tackle Thad Randle will need to play up to potential. Ohio State is less concerned about its defense after the spring performance of defensive ends Noah Spence and Adolphus Washington, but linebacker Ryan Shazier is still the only returning starter in the front seven. Curtis Grant must finally live up to his talent to provide help to Shazier, and someone must assume John Simon's leadership role.

3. Locate the next great receivers: A few Big Ten teams, such as Nebraska, Penn State and Indiana, don't have to worry too much about who will catch the ball this year. But just about everybody else needs to find playmakers in the passing game. The top of that list includes Iowa, which couldn't generate a downfield passing attack last year; Illinois, which needs receivers to make new coordinator Bill Cubit's spread system work; Michigan State, whose young wideouts must improve on last year's shaky performance; Minnesota, which doesn't have many proven weapons to surround Nelson; and Wisconsin, which still must find a complement to Jared Abbrederis. Ohio State coach Urban Meyer is hoping some incoming freshmen augment a very thin receiver group, while Michigan needs to replace the production of Roy Roundtree. Purdue and Northwestern have lots of speedy options but could use the emergence of a true No. 1 target. Receiver was a weak spot as a whole in the Big Ten in 2012, and hopefully some players will improve through offseason voluntary passing drills.

4. Strengthen the running game at Michigan, Michigan State, Indiana and elsewhere: It's a cliché to say that you have to run the ball to win, but in the case of the Big Ten, that's always been true. That's why it's so vital for the Wolverines and Spartans -- who both expect to contend in the Legends Division -- to find answers in their rushing attacks. Michigan is replacing its entire starting interior offensive line after struggling to get a running game going outside of Denard Robinson last year. Fitz Toussaint is hoping to bounce back from a disappointing season and a leg injury, while hotshot freshman Derrick Green could get lots of carries right away. Michigan State's efforts to replace workhorse extraordinaire Le'Veon Bell this spring ended up with converted linebacker Riley Bullough emerging as the top back in a mediocre field. Three incoming freshmen will compete for time right away this summer. Indiana coach Kevin Wilson put a heavy emphasis on the running game this spring, hoping for more balance after his team led the league in passing and finished last in rushing last season. Iowa has depth for once at running back but needs to stay healthy there, as the ground game is the key to the Hawkeyes' entire offensive philosophy. Nebraska also can't afford injuries, as Ameer Abdullah and Imani Cross are the lone backs with any experience. Illinois averaged just 3.5 yards per carry as a team last year, a number that must improve. And while Purdue loved what it saw from Akeem Hunt this spring, he still must prove he can be an every-down back after attempting only 42 carries last season.

5. Mesh with new coaches: Wisconsin's Gary Andersen and Purdue's Darrell Hazell are the fresh faces among head coaches in the league, and while they did a great job of connecting with their players this spring, they still need to get their new systems fully in place. The Badgers will be using some new, 3-4 looks on defense, while Hazell wants a more physical and disciplined team than we've seen from the Boilermakers of late. Michigan State has a new offensive playcaller in Dave Warner, while Cubit was one of many staff changes at Illinois. Penn State's John Butler takes over from Ted Roof as the Lions' defensive coordinator. With only 15 spring practices so far to implement their styles, those new coaches have had to rely on a lot of classroom time and players learning on their own. That will have to continue this summer during voluntary workouts and then will intensify when preseason practice begins. For new coaches, it's a race against the calendar -- and the calendar says there are only 100 days until kickoff.

The Big Ten remains the king among football conferences in total revenue created and distributed among its member schools. But the leader of that kingdom remains only No. 2 in terms of his own income.

USA Today reports that Big Ten boss Jim Delany ranked second among conference commissioners in salary and compensation in the 2011 calendar year, according to the most recent tax documents available. Coming in at No. 1 for the second straight year is Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott, who was paid about $3.1 million. That includes $1.575 million in base salary and about $1.5 million in bonus and other pay. From the story:

"Scott's compensation is about $300,000 more than that reported for Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany and almost double the nearly $1.6 million total for Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive."

Scott has certainly earned his keep, leading the drive to add Colorado and Utah to the Pac-12 and negotiating a new TV contract worth about $3 billion over 12 years. Still, the USA Today story notes that the Pac-12 reported $175.9 million in revenue in 2011 and distributed $132.9 million to its member schools. Compare that to the Big Ten, which raked in a reported $315.5 million in 2011. Big Ten schools are expected to receive $25.7 million each this year. The league's revenues are expected to skyrocket with the next TV deal, which will include new members Maryland and Rutgers and their desirable markets.

Adam debated Chris Low earlier this year about whether Delany or Slive was the more powerful figure. Maybe we should do the same with the Pac-12 blog now, though it's hard to argue that Scott has had a bigger overall influence on college football than Delany.

There's no need to feel sorry for Delany, who is still generously compensated for his work. But you couldn't blame him if he looked at Scott's salary and thought he deserved a raise.

 

Ohio State already had started paying more competitive salaries for assistant coaches before Urban Meyer arrived in November 2011.

But when Meyer and athletic director Gene Smith sat down to discuss staff pay, Smith soon realized he needed to do more.

"I think Michigan had stepped up with their coordinators," Smith recalled last week during Big Ten spring meetings in Chicago. "So we were already going to that before Urban Meyer came, but we bumped it up a little more. Any time there's change, you have that opportunity."

"Everyone's always focused on head coaches' salaries," Smith continued. "That's always the thing. But really when you look at the changes, it's really been assistants' salaries across the country -- not just in the SEC, but the Big 12, Pac-12, all across the country."

The Big Ten is part of the change, too, as the league is allocating more money toward football assistants than ever before. The Detroit Free Press has an excellent look at Big Ten assistants' salaries, complete with a database that includes 10 of the 12 current members (Northwestern doesn't submit salaries as a private institution, and Penn State doesn't have to because of state laws).

The Free Press found that eight of the 10 schools are paying more for assistants in 2013 than they did in 2012 (only Indiana and Illinois are not). There are some significant total increases, such as Wisconsin (up $558,000), Nebraska (up $518,500), Purdue ($400,000) and Minnesota ($355,000). Staff pay had been an issue at Wisconsin, which lost six assistant coaches following the 2012 Rose Bowl, and at Purdue, which paid less for its staff during the Danny Hope era than any Big Ten school.

The total trend among the 10 schools is an increase of $1,720,852.24 for 2013.

Ohio State and Michigan remain No. 1 and No. 2 in Big Ten staff salary, as the Buckeyes allocate $3.416 million and the Wolverines allocate $2.805 million. Nebraska and Wisconsin make the biggest moves in the league for 2013, as the Huskers rise from sixth to third and the Badgers rise from seventh to fourth.

Illinois, which replaced five assistants from the 2012 team, including co-offensive coordinators Chris Beatty and Billy Gonzales, dropped from third in staff pay ($2.314 million) to eighth ($2.065 million).

The database shows that nearly every Big Ten assistant with "coordinator" in his title -- whether he's the sole coordinator or a co-coordinator -- will earn north of $300,000 for 2013. Only 18 assistants listed will make less than $200,000 in 2013 -- 15 work for Minnesota, Illinois, Purdue and Indiana.


Some notes:

• Although Wisconsin paid former offensive coordinator Paul Chryst good coin, the school has increased its commitment for Gary Andersen's staff, not only with the coordinators but with some coveted position coaches like running backs coach Thomas Hammock ($300,000).
• All of Nebraska's assistants are earning $200,000 or more for 2013, but there's a huge drop-off between Beck and the next highest-paid assistant (defensive coordinator John Papuchis at $310,000).
• Michigan State has a similar drop off between Narduzzi and co-offensive coordinators Dave Warner ($270,000) and Jim Bollman ($260,000). Warner will be the primary offensive play-caller and has been on Mark Dantonio's staff since 2006, while Bollman is a newcomer.
• Although Michigan is paying top dollar for its coordinators, the school gets its assistants for a relative bargain. Receivers coach/recruiting coordinator Jeff Hecklinski will earn $225,000 in 2013, while the others all will earn $205,000. Ohio State, meanwhile, pays all but one of its assistants $286,000 or more.
• The Big Ten's three lowest-paid assistants all are in their first years: Illinois wide receivers coach Mike Bellamy ($125,000) and Purdue linebackers coach Marcus Freeman and running backs coach Jafar Williams (both at $120,000).
• Although schools like Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa ($325,000) pay their coordinators the exact same amount, others have slight differences in salary. Purdue's Shoop makes $5,000 more than defensive coordinator Greg Hudson. Minnesota defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys ($340,000) makes $5,000 more than offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover. Wonder if that leads to any underlying jealousy?
• Most Big Ten schools have assistant salaries in round numbers, but there are some interesting totals from Indiana, which pays co-offensive coordinators Seth Littrell and Kevin Johns $255,500.04 and new recruiting coordinator/assistant defensive line coach James Patton $173,740.08. Never know when that change can come in handy.

The Big Ten still lacks some of the OMG totals seen in the SEC -- LSU is paying new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron $3.4 million in the next three years -- but the overall trend puts the league more on par with what we're seeing nationally.

CHICAGO -- Two years ago, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith chaired the NCAA men's basketball tournament selection committee and had to explain why UAB made it into the field and Alabama did not.

Telling Alabama's basketball team it missed out on March Madness is a tough job. Telling Alabama's football team it missed out on the College Football Playoff is a much, much tougher job.

"Whoever it is," Smith said, "get that flak jacket ready."

It likely won't be Smith. When asked at the Big Ten spring meetings about participating in Sports Illustrated's mock college football selection committee last season, Smith joked, "Thank God it was mock."

Smith thinks there might be clarity in selecting the top two teams for the four-team playoff. But filling the final two spots from a pool of deserving teams will create "the same old debate" that currently exists with the BCS system.

That's why Smith thinks the committee needs crystal-clear guidelines for how to evaluate the teams vying for the Playoff.

"The reason in my view the basketball tournament has worked so well," Smith said, "and you can always argue the last four in, the last four out, but the policies and procedures and guidelines are solid. You've got to have that. And then you have to have people who are willing to watch the games."

Committee members can't just watch the final minutes of the fourth quarters of games. Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez recalled a recent conversation he had with SEC commissioner Mike Slive, who served on the NCAA basketball selection committee from 2004-09. Slive talked about watching basketball games after he woke up in the morning, during lunch and late at night.

"He figured the time that he spent on that basketball committee took a year of his life," Alvarez said. "So if you're doing it right, you're going to spend a lot of time watching film. ... And you've got to know what the hell you're watching. Just watching film doesn't do any good, I used to tell that to my players. You've got to know what you're looking at and looking for."

The time commitment could deter those currently serving in college athletics from committee posts. Smith thinks Alvarez has what it takes to serve.

"He'd be the perfect pick," Smith said. "I'm promoting Barry."

The Big Ten released its 2014 league schedule earlier Thursday, completing what its architect Mark Rudner called a "long, arduous process" of crafting a slate with two new teams, two new divisions and a second open week.

ESPN.com caught up with Rudner, the Big Ten's senior associate commissioner for television administration, to discuss how the 2014 schedule came together.

It's important to note the Big Ten compiled the 2014 slate based upon principles green-lighted by its athletic directors.

They are:

• Nonconference games that had been previously contracted were protected. For example, Northwestern visits Notre Dame on Nov. 15, 2014, so the Big Ten made sure not to schedule the Wildcats on that day. Also, Penn State and Rutgers had a previously scheduled non-league game for Sept. 13, 2014, which became a conference game with Rutgers joining the Big Ten. The date wasn't changed.
• No more than two consecutive road games
• Each team must play two home games and two road games in each half of the season

It's not as if athletic directors ask the league not to schedule multiple rivalry games on the road every year.

"Once you do that," Rudner said, "you're at risk of never having a schedule."

There has been some reaction to Michigan facing in-state rival Michigan State in road games in consecutive seasons (2013, 2014) and Purdue visiting Indiana for the Bucket game the same two years. The Wolverines never have played the Spartans in East Lansing in back-to-back years and haven't hosted MSU in consecutive years since 1967-68.

Although it'll be new for Michigan, such back-to-backs are fairly common when a scheduling model changes. Between 2010-11, there were 13 instances of back-to-back matchups, including rivalry games like Iowa-Minnesota (both games in Minneapolis) and Penn State-Ohio State (both games in Columbus) and other good matchups like Wisconsin-Michigan State (both games in East Lansing).

"It's unavoidable," Rudner said. "It happened five times in 2008-2009. So it's not foreign, it's not ideal, but it's unavoidable. When you're introducing new institutions and you dole out home and road games, it just happens."

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany has said "parity-based scheduling," where teams will face one another more often in crossovers based on historical success,will begin in 2016, will begin once the league goes to a nine-game conference schedule. Rudner said the league asked the ADs if they wanted to start the nine-game schedules in 2014 but they couldn't because of so many signed contracts for non-conference games. If they had, the 2014 would have incorporated parity scheduling.

The 2014 slate ultimately features none of it, as the traditional powers in each division -- Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State in the East, and Nebraska, Wisconsin and Iowa in the West -- don't play at all.

"I don't think it's going to hurt us," Rudner said. "Brand is strong enough. There are enough games that are strong that'll drive television interest. Short of a full round-robin, which nobody in our conference wanted to do, you're going to have these sort of issues."

A few other schedule notes:

• Rudner and his staff didn't have a directive to schedule mostly division games in November, but it worked out that way as most teams will play exclusively in their division or play only one crossover in the season's decisive month. "Ideally, that's what we would like to do," Rudner said. "It makes a lot of sense to play division games late in the season, toward a championship."
• The Big Ten doesn't look at long-term trends of how often teams open league play on the road when crafting schedules. Athletic directors haven't asked it to a be a principle of building schedules. "It's never been important to them," Rudner said. "What they want to avoid is long road trips and making sure there's balance, home and away, in each half of the season. The rest of it, they can live with. Not everybody plays the same kind of schedule, but they do it based on those principles. They look at it and say, 'That's fair. Let's do it.'" Penn State, by the way, will open league play on the road for the fifth straight year and for the ninth time in the past 11 seasons.
• That new members Maryland and Rutgers host traditional powers Ohio State and Michigan on the same day (Oct. 4) was pure coincidence, Rudner said.

The 2015 Big Ten schedule, which should be released by the end of the month, will feature the same matchups at the opposite locations. The league has to maneuver around some previously scheduled non-league games before finalizing the slate.

The Big Ten has released its conference schedule for the 2014 season, when new members Maryland and Rutgers join the league and play in the East and West divisions begins. The league hopes to release the 2015 schedule, which will flip the game sites of the 2014 slate, by June 1. There are still some dates of games to be worked out for 2015, as the Big Ten is working out several previously scheduled nonconference contests.

Remember, the Big Ten will play an eight-game league schedule in 2014 and 2015 before going to nine games in 2016. As is the case this fall, the 2014 season features an extra week, so each team has two open dates.

OK, let's dive in ...

DIVISION CROSSOVERS

East Division


Indiana: Purdue (home, protected game), Iowa (road)
Maryland: Iowa (home), Wisconsin (road)
Michigan: Minnesota (home), Northwestern (road)
Michigan State: Nebraska (home), Purdue (road)
Ohio State: Illinois (home), Minnesota (road)
Penn State: Northwestern (home), Illinois (road)
Rutgers: Nebraska (road), Wisconsin (home)

West Division


Illinois: Ohio State (road), Penn State (home)
Iowa: Indiana (home), Maryland (road)
Minnesota: Michigan (road), Ohio State (home)
Nebraska: Michigan State (road), Rutgers (home)
Northwestern: Penn State (road), Michigan (home)
Purdue: Indiana (road, protected), Michigan State (home)
Wisconsin: Maryland (home), Rutgers (road)

Well, Nebraska can't say the Big Ten was picking on Big Red with its initial crossovers in 2011 and 2012. The league has Rutgers hosting the Huskers and visiting Wisconsin. Maryland also must visit Madison, Wis., in its initial Big Ten go-round. How about Rutgers' opening stretch: Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State, Nebraska, Wisconsin. Yikes.

Minnesota gets the toughest 2014 crossover with Michigan and Ohio State, and Northwestern and Illinois also both will be challenged with their crossover games. Wisconsin is the only West Division team to play both new members, a pretty favorable draw for Gary Andersen's crew. Iowa also has a seemingly easier path than others with Indiana and Maryland.

NO PLAYS


Here's who each Big Ten team skips on its 2014 schedule ...

Illinois: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Rutgers
Indiana: Illinois, Minnesota Nebraska, Northwestern, Wisconsin
Iowa: Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers
Maryland: Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue
Michigan: Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Purdue, Wisconsin
Michigan State: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Northwestern, Wisconsin
Minnesota: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan State, Penn State, Rutgers
Nebraska: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State
Northwestern: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan State, Ohio State, Rutgers
Ohio State: Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin
Penn State: Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Purdue, Wisconsin
Purdue: Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers
Rutgers: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue
Wisconsin: Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State

Parity-based scheduling doesn't start until 2016, and it's pretty obvious here as the Big Ten is losing most of its exciting crossover games. We won't see Ohio State, Michigan or Penn State playing Nebraska or Wisconsin in 2014 and 2015. Wisconsin and Michigan State, the pairing in the inaugural Big Ten title game, also won't play. That's too bad. I understand the need to build the brand in new markets with the new members, but those are a lot of good games to give up.

Northwestern, Illinois, Purdue and Minnesota don't play either of the new members in 2014 (and 2015).

RIVALRY WEEKEND


As expected, the final weekend of the regular season will feature rivalries like Ohio State-Michigan and Indiana-Purdue, the only protected crossover game. The Wisconsin-Minnesota game moves back to this date, which I like a lot (battle for the frozen Axe), and Illinois will visit Northwestern on Nov. 29. The Heroes Game between Iowa and Nebraska will remain on its traditional Friday spot at Kinnick Stadium.

The only question here was what to do with East Division teams Michigan State, Penn State, Maryland and Rutgers. The Big Ten opted to pair the two new members with a Nov. 29 game at Maryland's Byrd Stadium. That means ... drum roll, please ... the Land Grant series is back. Michigan State at Penn State, Nov. 29, with this on the line, in all its glory. Fired up.

Other notes

• The Big Ten season will kick off much earlier than normal as Rutgers makes its league debut against Penn State on Sept. 13. The game had been previously scheduled between the teams, and the league decided not to move it. The Scarlet Knights and Nittany Lions will kick off league play a full two weeks before any other squads. Three Big Ten teams -- Michigan State, Ohio State and Wisconsin -- won't kick off league play until Oct. 4. Blame the double bye.
• The Little Brown Jug rivalry between Michigan and Minnesota won't be an annual thing as the teams are in opposite divisions without a protected crossover, but the Wolverines and Gophers will kick off Big Ten play on Sept. 27 at the Big House. The Illibuck rivalry also resumes in 2014 as Ohio State hosts Illinois on Nov. 1.
• Not surprisingly, the Big Ten is splitting the Ohio State-Michigan trips to Maryland and Rutgers. Maryland hosts Ohio State on Oct. 4 in its Big Ten home debut, while Rutgers hosts Michigan the same day. The Big Ten wants to get its most visible members into the new markets.
• Wisconsin's and Iowa's overall schedules are very favorable. The Badgers miss the East Division powers and host Nebraska on Nov. 15 (night game, perhaps?). Iowa hosts Wisconsin, Nebraska and Northwestern and makes road trips to Purdue, Maryland, Minnesota and Illinois.
• Nebraska fans likely won't be thrilled with the schedule. Not only do they miss Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan, but the Huskers' Big Ten home schedule -- Illinois, Rutgers, Purdue and Minnesota -- isn't too appealing.
• While Nebraska's home schedule is a dud, Michigan State won't have trouble selling tickets to a Spartan Stadium slate that features Nebraska, Michigan and Ohio State. The Spartans must travel to all three venues in 2015.
• One plus of the schedule is that most November games will take place in the division. The current setup had way too many crossovers down the stretch. Five teams -- Maryland, Michigan State, Iowa, Nebraska and Northwestern -- will play only division games in November. Ohio State and Illinois have two crossovers, while all other teams have one crossover in November.
• Michigan will play its three biggest rivals -- Notre Dame, Michigan State and Ohio State -- all on the road in 2014. The Wolverines no longer will have a home/road split with Michigan State and Ohio State. Michigan also will make consecutive trips to East Lansing the next two seasons.
• Illinois and Iowa are back in the same division and will play their first game since 2008 on Nov. 15, when the Hawkeyes visit Champaign.

That's enough for now, but we'll have more on the schedule in the coming days.

CHICAGO -- The Big Ten reported another record revenue total for the past fiscal year, and although its members on average sponsor many more sports than their counterparts in the SEC, athletic directors say their football programs have the financial resources to compete at the highest level.

"We all make the investments necessary in football," Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said at the spring meetings.

Smith cited the higher salaries Big Ten programs like Ohio State and Michigan are now paying top assistant coaches, a push that accelerated at Ohio State when head coach Urban Meyer arrived. Still, the Big Ten on average pays assistants less than SEC programs. Many of the nation's highest-paid assistants are also in the ACC and Big 12.

But according to Smith, who oversees 36 varsity sports at Ohio State, money isn't holding back Big Ten football. He instead looks to the league's other major sport, men's basketball, as a road map for greater success on the gridiron.

While Big Ten football took a beating on the field and in public perception last fall, Big Ten basketball enjoyed the label of "nation's best conference" during the 2012-13 season.

"What we need in our football programs is really what we endured this past year in basketball," Smith said. "We had huge stability among our basketball coaches."

Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo just completed his 18th year at the helm in East Lansing, while Wisconsin's Bo Ryan just finished his 12th campaign. Other coaches like Ohio State's Thad Matta, Purdue's Matt Painter, Michigan's John Beilein and Indiana's Tom Crean are no longer newbies at their schools.

Big Ten football, meanwhile, has only one coach -- Iowa's Kirk Ferentz -- who has been in his post longer than six seasons.

The second part of the football equation, according to Smith, is "strategic, high-level recruiting."

It's undeniable that more Big Ten basketball programs consistently recruit at a nationally elite level than Big Ten football programs. In basketball, it's not just the usual suspects -- Michigan State, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State -- but others (Illinois, Purdue) that can rise up.

"Part of that is recruiting in geographies where, frankly, the people are," Smith said. "We do not enjoy the environment that we had in the '70s and the '80s in Michigan and even some parts of Ohio or Pennsylvania or Illinois. Families aren't there. We've got to go to where they are."

College football and college basketball are different sports with different challenges in recruiting, but comparisons are always made, as Smith did this week. If Big Ten football can regain greater coaching stability and spread out its recruiting reach, more success should come.

CHICAGO -- The Big Ten is steeped in history and tradition, but the conference needs something more to connect with the target audience of football recruits and regular students.

It needs to be cooler, especially on game days. And whether it's perception or reality, many don't view Big Ten football as very cool at the moment. Legends and Leaders certainly didn't help. Neither does the continued absence of November night games. The league still boasts amazing venues and plenty of pageantry, and programs have seemed more open to new marketing tactics, whether it's alternate jerseys (hated by some traditionalist fans, incredibly popular with recruits) or more prime-time games.

But something is lacking. Coaches, such as Ohio State's Urban Meyer, have noticed it. So have Big Ten athletic directors.

Whether it's more night games, night games in November, larger scoreboards, better Wi-Fi service, stronger acoustics or broader concessions, the Big Ten has to do more.

"Part of that is to make the league be perceived in reality what it is, and that's a little bit more hip, a little bit more cool," Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis told ESPN.com. "I have three kids that are age 14, 18 and 20, and they're a great resource for me to bounce ideas off from a Michigan State perspective. But I think we need to take that as a league a little bit as well.

"It's not your grandfather's conference any more. There's so much greatness and so much tradition that needs to be continued and talked about, but also try to add a little unique freshness that's unique to young kids."

Hollis is one of the most innovative athletic directors in the country, masterminding events such as outdoor hockey at Spartan Stadium and a basketball game on an aircraft carrier. Last winter, he proposed playing four simultaneous basketball games at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Veterans Day.

And yet even Hollis has seen recent examples of young people tuning out on game day, such as last fall when Michigan State hosted Iowa on a dreary day in East Lansing.

"One of our biggest no-show rates in football was the Iowa game," Hollis said. "And I'd go out and walk the streets and start talking to kids, 'Why didn't you go?' And they said, 'We couldn't text because it was raining.' They couldn't have their phones out.

"That kind of hit me pretty hard."

Michigan State put in new massive video scoreboards at Spartan Stadium last year, but Hollis knows he needs to do more. Part of a $20 million renovation to the stadium will include some new restrooms and concession stands at the north end of the stadium. The addition also will include a recruiting room.

"We need to make sure we continue to deliver in our venues what's being delivered, and then some, on television," Hollis said. "What's that going to look like? A more comfortable place. It shouldn't be a hassle. … We're putting in more bathrooms, we're looking at a $2 million Wi-Fi system that allows more interaction. We're going to have to deliver wider seats, more comfortable seats. It's making our concession stands more presentable."

Student attendance for early kickoffs has been a problem at places such as Michigan and Wisconsin. Michigan AD Dave Brandon this week called student turnout "unacceptable," and coach Brady Hoke is offering free doughnuts to all students who show up before noon kickoffs this fall.

Minnesota has the Big Ten's newest stadium but still struggles to get students to show up in droves.

"They're the centerpiece of the fan experience," Minnesota athletic director Norwood Teague told ESPN.com, "so getting them there changes everything that goes on. We're a new stadium, so we have an unbelievable video board. A lot of the problems that plague other stadiums, we don't have. Our [public-address system] is perfect.

"We've got to do more and more, but our top priority right now is student attendance."

Teague had a group from Minnesota's Carlson School of Management study student attendance at the school. They found that students want a gathering place before games, so the school is providing an entire parking lot near the stadium, Teague said, which will be monitored.

The recruiting component also can't be ignored.

While many interpreted Meyer's post-signing day comments to a Columbus radio station as a direct shot at the recruiting efforts of other Big Ten programs, his fellow league coaches viewed it more as a call to upgrade the game-day experience during the fall.

"It was more, how can we continue to further our brand? How can we make our in-game experiences improve? How can we make our pregame experiences improve?" Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said after the coaches met in February. "All those things in the vein for our fans, the game-day experience of Big Ten arenas and for recruiting."

Indiana athletic director Fred Glass has made football game days a priority since his arrival, adding more night games, a kids' area in the south end of the stadium and other features. Attendance is on the rise, but Glass is still seeking ways to make upgrades.

He turned down Adidas' offer of new uniforms for IU's men's basketball team in the NCAA tournament, but would be more open to a wardrobe shakeup for the football squad.

"More highlights, more scores, more fun, coloring outside the lines a little bit," Glass said. "We'll play to our strengths -- the band, the cheerleaders, the pageantry of college football, flags and color, engagement of students -- and spent a lot of time really trying to enhance that. That's not only a great thing for our fan experience, it translates into the cool factor for recruits who come in."

CHICAGO -- Indiana athletic director Fred Glass oversees a football program that has made one bowl appearance in the past 19 seasons.

The Hoosiers soon will take up residence in the Big Ten's East Division, which includes traditional powers Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State, as well as Michigan State. Like every other Big Ten team, Indiana also will begin playing nine conference games instead of eight beginning in 2016.

Although Indiana took a step last fall in Year 2 under coach Kevin Wilson, it has won six or more games just 11 times since 1967, when it shared the Big Ten championship and went to the Rose Bowl.

If given the choice between keeping the minimum wins requirement for bowls at six versus increasing it to seven, Glass seemingly has an easy decision.

"Perhaps the surprising answer is I'd probably favor going to seven [wins]," Glass told ESPN.com on Wednesday. "We're a program that's trying to build, and you might say it's in our best interest to stay at six, but there's something about enthusing your fan base with a winning season, being 7-5. Maybe that might help limit the number of bowls out there, too, so it's a real positive experience."

At last year's spring meetings, Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany came out in strong support of increasing the bowl requirement from six wins to seven.

"For us, it means redefining a successful year at 7-5 from the standpoint of a bowl season," Delany said last May. "We argued for 6-6. We've experienced 6-6. Now we're suggesting that it's in our best interest, the bowls' best interest as well as the other conferences that might benefit by these open slots to look at a 7-5 standard."

Ultimately, other major conferences weren't on board with the push to increase the requirement. The Big Ten had three 6-6 teams -- Michigan State, Purdue and Minnesota -- make bowl games in 2012 and four 6-6 teams (Ohio State, Illinois, Purdue and Northwestern) go in 2011.

"We think the bowl system would be better off with a 7-5 situation," Delany said Wednesday. "We thought for a while we were heading in that direction, but it's obvious that we're not."

The Big Ten's move to nine league games means a team would have to win at least three conference contests to reach the six-win minimum, giving it a little more credibility. Minnesota athletic director Norwood Teague said many coaches, especially "those building programs," are in favor of keeping the requirement at six victories.

But ADs still hope that seven can be the magic number some day.

"Seven wins is what you should have; always felt that," Ohio State AD Gene Smith said. "I still think we have too many bowls. I just think 6-6 is not the level, but I know that's not something that appears to be reversing at this time. I just don't want to be there again."

CHICAGO -- The man who many think gave life to realignment fever around college football three years ago isn't quite ready to give expansion its last rites.

Asked Wednesday whether expansion is dead in the Big Ten, league commissioner Jim Delany replied, "Dead is a strong word."

Delany never will close the door to more Big Ten expansion, but the topic didn't bring much if any discussion at the league's spring meetings of athletic directors. The ACC's recent grant of media rights agreement through 2026-27 likely put the brakes on the immediate possibility of more Big Ten expansion, as the league had been rumored to be targeting other schools on the East Coast after adding Maryland and Rutgers in November. ACC members like North Carolina, Georgia Tech and Virginia had been mentioned as possible Big Ten additions.

Delany made it clear that the East Coast remains the Big Ten's priority, but the league is focused more on expanding its existing product, especially the Big Ten Network, and integrating its new members than pursuing new ones.

"I can't speak for others, but we've been focused on making a home in a new region, making new members feel at home in this region," Delany said. "Everything we'll do competitively and in television and in bowls is to bring, as quickly as we can, a level of comfort. The Eastern corridor is ... the richest corridor in the world from the standpoint of financial institutions, political institutions, media institutions, and we're new to it. So if we can build relationships, make friends and be impactful and relevant over time, that's the goal.

"We're not going to be changing the world, but we are looking forward to doing everything we can to build a presence in that place."

Many thought building a presence would include more members from the East Coast, but if the ACC is secure, and it appears to be, there aren't many if any attractive expansion candidates. Connecticut is looking for a home, but it's not a member of the AAU, a virtual must for future Big Ten members, league sources say. After that ... it's slim pickings.

Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez said further expansion didn't come up in the meetings. Michigan State AD Mark Hollis joked that the Big Ten could pursue the University of Toronto, an AAU member and a favorite expansion possibility among Big Ten blog readers (also an unrealistic one).

There are potentially attractive candidates in other regions like Missouri, but adding a member from anywhere other than the East Coast doesn't seem to click with Delany's bi-regional vision. The Big Ten is in the process of looking for a space for an East Coast office, most likely in New York. Delany noted Wednesday that the Big Ten has 1.2 million alumni living between Northern Virginia and New York.

"Some people say they're tired of writing about [expansion], but they keep asking questions about it," Delany said. "From my perspective, we're inactive and we're focused on bringing [our] new members into the fold."

Rutgers is hiring Louisville's Julie Hermann as its next athletic director, colleague Brett McMurphy reports. The Star-Ledger first reported Hermann's hiring, and an official announcement is expected later Wednesday.

Hermann, who currently serves as Louisville's executive senior associate athletic director, will become the second female athletic director in Big Ten history, following Merrily Dean Baker, who was Michigan State's AD from 1992-95. Hermann beat out Wisconsin deputy AD Sean Frazier for the top job at Rutgers, where popular AD Tim Pernetti resigned last month in the wake of the Mike Rice scandal.

Hermann has spent the past 15 years in Louisville's athletic administration working under AD Tom Jurich. She currently oversees 20 sports, including women's basketball, as well as the marketing department, the sports medicine group and the strength and conditioning staff.

She has a Big Ten connection (sort of) as a volleyball player at Nebraska, where she helped the Huskers win four Big Eight championships. She was Tennessee's head volleyball coach in the 1990s, and spent one year as an assistant for USA Volleyball.

Hermann becomes one of just three female athletic directors at a BCS-level program (N.C. State's Debbie Yow and Cal's Sandy Barbour are the others).

More to come on Hermann's hiring later today and this week ...