Rodewald: Where Does NIU Fit If Conference Dominoes Start Falling Again?
By Matt Rodewald--
(CBS) Are the college sports dominoes about start falling again?
Last week, a new data study from the Chicago-based Navigate said that the Big 12 would have a 10 to 15 percent higher chance of making the College Football Playoff if they expanded from the current 10-team format and added a conference championship game.
You paying attention, DeKalb?
I feel comfortable enough to say that my relationship with Northern Illinois University and the athletic department is in great shape. That being said, no one has ever said a word to me about bolting from the MAC and going for greener pastures.
However, I'm certain they're aware of the conference shuffle that could be about to restart again.
In the past, I've advocated that the Big 12 seek out Northern Illinois for expansion. It makes sense for a couple primary reasons -- the Huskies' football competitiveness and their geography within reach of the third-largest television market in the country. Don't tell me a team like Oklahoma would say no to playing a game in the Chicago area every other year.
Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby knows that his conference would also rake in cash if it had a television network -- like the Big Ten Network or the Pac-12 Network -- but Texas is holding both the league and TV expansion hostage thanks to the struggling cash cow known as the Longhorn Network.
Memphis launched an effort this week to attract Big 12 officials, and Cincinnati has made it clear it'd be ready to bolt the American Athletic Conference. BYU (Salt Lake City), Central Florida (Orlando) and South Florida (Tampa) all add football promise and top-20 television market appeal as well.
Maybe it's unlikely that any doors would open to the Big 12 for the Huskies, but couldn't you easily see Northern Illinois' sports teams competing in the AAC? Maybe even Conference USA or the Mountain West?
A major issue would be the travel. There's no doubt that the MAC affords the Huskies a long bus ride around the conference. That's not the case when you're traveling anywhere from Connecticut to Florida. Plus, the enthusiasm might not be where Norther Illinois officials would hope for the likes of East Carolina coming to town.
Athletic director Sean Frazier knows that his $138-million athletic facilities project in the works could go a long way to swaying a conference to take his school seriously, and 42,000 seats at Huskie Stadium would add to a nice presentation.
Circle back to television, and you understand why the urgency in the Big 12 is picking up. TV viewers around the country are cutting the cord, it's costing people in Bristol their jobs and ESPN isn't going to throw around millions like it did for the Longhorn Network. Cable companies aren't pulling in enough to offset the cost of these massive league deals.
So it's now or never for the Big 12, which needs that TV revenue because it's about to disappear. Those TV contracts aren't going to be that astronomical that much longer.
The drawback for Northern Illinois leaving the MAC would be leaving Tuesday and Wednesday night MACtion behind in November. You would forget all of that in the Big 12, but it might be enough to prevent a move to Conference USA or the AAC.
There are a lot of schools in line with good arguments for inclusion. Northern Illinois would be a longshot to get into the Big 12. However, if the league expands to 14 teams? Or 16 teams? You never know.
Either way, it's time to watch the dominoes again.
Will they fall in DeKalb County this time?
Matt Rodewald is an update anchor and weekend host at 670 The Score. Follow him @Matt_Rodewald.