[Spiny_Norman]

Stewart Mandel is skeptical.

A quick reminder: Kevin Warren is no longer the Big Ten commissioner. Warren was the one making all that noise about the Big Ten possibly conquering the world. In fact, he reportedly went looking for a potential fourth partner (presumably ESPN) to buy just such a late-night package that would help make the league whole if it added even more schools. He reportedly did not find a taker. Meanwhile, all along his members were never as itchy as him to keep adding more schools.

Any such talk has screeched to a halt since Tony Petitti took over, and with good reason: Warren left behind quite a mess. As Pete Thamel reported in May, the massive TV deal he landed was unfinished and full of issues, like the fact he sold a Big Ten championship game to NBC he didn’t have the authority to sell. (Technically, Fox-owned BTN owns and sells all of the Big Ten’s rights.) Also, the league is still far from nailing down all the scheduling logistics involved in integrating all of USC and UCLA's other sports.

For those with access to his mailbag - https://theathletic.com/4742339/2023/08/...nt-mailbag

[Spiny_Norman]

Stewart Mandel is skeptical.

A quick reminder: Kevin Warren is no longer the Big Ten commissioner. Warren was the one making all that noise about the Big Ten possibly conquering the world. In fact, he reportedly went looking for a potential fourth partner (presumably ESPN) to buy just such a late-night package that would help make the league whole if it added even more schools. He reportedly did not find a taker. Meanwhile, all along his members were never as itchy as him to keep adding more schools.

Any such talk has screeched to a halt since Tony Petitti took over, and with good reason: Warren left behind quite a mess. As Pete Thamel reported in May, the massive TV deal he landed was unfinished and full of issues, like the fact he sold a Big Ten championship game to NBC he didn’t have the authority to sell. (Technically, Fox-owned BTN owns and sells all of the Big Ten’s rights.) Also, the league is still far from nailing down all the scheduling logistics involved in integrating all of USC and UCLA's other sports.

For those with access to his mailbag - https://theathletic.com/4742339/2023/08/...nt-mailbag