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[The Midnight Rider]

Much discussion has developed over the past week about the proposed Big 10 football title game. Of course, I don't think the title game is going to be "proposed"....it's going to happen now that the league has 12 teams.

The discussion centers around: Where should the title game be played?

What does Rider Land think?

I will rank my choices:

1) Indianapolis - This is a great city with a brand new stadium (Lucas Oil Field). Indy is easy to travel and is just a nice city. Easy in...and easy out. No toll roads; friendly people; good food; nice hotels. Not an expensive city.

2) Cleveland - I love the idea of Browns stadium for the title game. Cleveland, also like Indianapolis, is just the "right" size. Good highways in and out of town. There are plenty of hotels in NE Ohio, plenty of restaurants, and Cleveland is the heart of one of the most passionate football regions in the world.

3) Pittsburgh - Much like Cleveland and Indy....a great city. Heinz Field is a state of the art gem of a stadium. The drawback is that Pittsburgh would be perceived as maybe not quite enough of a Big 10 town due to Pitt having nearly half of the Western PA fanbase. However, Penn State is still very strong here. With Cleveland and Cowlumbus...Pittsburgh forms the "Football Triangle" of the Rust Belt. A very passionate football town.

4) Detroit - Yes, Detroit. With the casinos downtown and Ford Field, they should deserve a chance occasionally.

Absolutely this city should NEVER host the Big 10 title game......

Chicago. When this town actually gets passion for Big 10 college football....let me know. When a decent Northwestern team can only draw 23,000 fans...Solider Field has very little parking...the stadium is OLD...the city is expensive....and almost every highway in and out of that town is a toll road. And don't even mention the airports. Plus, Chicago is a Notre Dame town. Until ND joins the Big 10, and who knows if that will EVER happen....they should not get the title game. I don't care how "big" or "famous" this city is.

[orangeblood]

I am partial to Cleveland for the first on the list.  Just am.

[The Midnight Rider]

I think a rotation of Cleveland and Indy would be ideal. However, politics is going to win out. You're going to have the Big 10 commissioner's office which is located in Chicago to deal with. And the schools from "out west" will whine about having to travel "east" to Cleveland or Indy. Plus, all of the phony hoopla about "Chicago has so much to do; is so fun, blah, blah, blah" has been perpetuated by Hollywood and the cultural/political elite for generations. So the average bloke buys into it and doesn't realize that there are much better cities to visit than Chicago.

My bet is they'll get the game....and former Chicagoan Brent Musberger will blather on and on about what a "great venue" Soldier Field is when a much nicer stadium and city is 140 miles southeast in Indianapolis. And Cleveland is a better choice 400 miles east of Soldier Field. 

[Smitty]

Don't leave Minneapolis out of this mix.
Again, nice stadium, easy freeway access, the airport is top-notch, yadda-yadda, blah-blah.

A 4-city rotation (Cleve., Detroit, Indianapolis, & Minnesota) would be good.
The SEC would be wise to rotate their championship game; putting it in Birmingham, Nashville, or NO occasionally would be sweet.

Please also count my "no" vote for Chicago as a host to the Big 10 game.

[The Midnight Rider]

Yeah, Minnesota could earn consideration. My only concern with them is the HHH Metrodome only seats short of 60,000. But you are right that the city has its act together, unlike Chicago.

Could Miller Field in Milwaukee be converted to football? It's a retractable dome and Milwaukee is another good town.

[The Butler]

If it's going to be outside, what about Lambeau Field?

I still think they will pick Indy. 

[FLTiger]

It needs to be in one location like the SEC does in Atlanta. The SEC does everything right, including winning national championships. My pick is also Indianapolis. And OSU can make annual reservations to be there!! Go Bucs!!

[orangeblood]

I don't know about your SEC doing EVERYTHING right, you see it appears they cheat the rules.  Especially your GATORS. 

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2010/jul/20/ncaa-investigation-could-cost-florida-gators-their/   

[The Midnight Rider]

That Gators stuff can be a separate topic....

A wrench could be thrown into this debate as Commish Jim Delaney has told the NY Post he wants to expand to the "Washington to Boston corridor" with New York City as the heart of it.

I don't think NYC is the ideal location for the fans, but I'd take it over Chicago!

It will come down to cash and politics.

Posted by TigerSpize

Posted by TigerSpize

Posted by TigerSpize

Posted by TigerSpize

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