B1G quiet on expansion, watching terrain

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

CHICAGO -- Two years ago, Big Ten expansion dominated the discussion at league's spring meetings. This week, the subject barely came up when athletic directors and others got together. The Big Ten presidents and chancellors announced in August that the league "will not be actively engaged in conference expansion at this time, or at any time in the foreseeable future, barring a significant shift in the current intercollegiate athletic landscape.

B1G quiet on expansion, watching landcape

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

CHICAGO -- Two years ago, Big Ten expansion dominated the discussion at league's spring meetings. This week, the subject barely came up when athletic directors and others got together. The Big Ten presidents and chancellors announced in August that the league "will not be actively engaged in conference expansion at this time, or at any time in the foreseeable future, barring a significant shift in the current intercollegiate athletic landscape.

Spring breakout players in the Big Ten

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

Spring practice is a time when coaches install new schemes or just instill the fundamentals. The most exciting part of spring practice is potential new stars emerge, with newcomers or former reserves turning heads with their performances. Some of these guys will fade back into the shadows come fall. But others will be making major contributions on a field near you. Here's a list of some players who had breakout springs: Josh Ferguson, RB, Illinois: Redshirted last year after a hamstring injury, Ferguson blew up for 130 yards and caught six passes in the Illini spring game.

Gophers in the running for Ellis - Minnesota [$$] (Rivals)

Source: Yahoo! NCAAB

Lingafelter wants Big Ten offer - Minnesota [$$] (Rivals)

Source: Yahoo! NCAAF

A look back at past Big Ten/ACC challenge matchups

Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune

The Gophers have struggled recently in the yearly challenge, but are coming off a win, last season.

Armelin goes to Southern Miss

Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune

The Louisiana native's departure makes room for Trevor Mbakwe's return.

Video: Wrapping up the Big Ten meetings

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

Adam Rittenberg wraps up the final day of the Big Ten spring meetings in Chicago

B1G launches concussion research initiative

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

CHICAGO -- The Big Ten is bringing together its brainpower to help gather more information about the effects of concussions in sports. Commissioner Jim Delany announced Wednesday that the league members will launch a research initiative about how head injuries affect athletes in all sports. The Committee on Institutional Cooperation, the Big Ten's internal academic consortium, which includes all 12 sports members and the University of Chicago, will manage the project and the research efforts.

Meyer reveals depth chart, talks leaders

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer met with the media Wednesday and unveiled a post-spring depth chart. It didn't contain a lot of surprises. Some of the most interesting items from the depth chart -- and Meyer's comments -- included: Doran Grant has risen to co-starter status with Travis Howard at cornerback. Spring game sensation Michael Thomas is listed as the backup to Devin Smith at receiver, with Corey Brown and Evan Spencer the other starters there.

Gopher Basketball to Face Florida State in Big Ten / ACC Challenge

Source: The Daily Gopher by GopherNation

Gopher hoops is scheduled to play Florida State in next year's Big Ten / ACC Challenge. The game will be at Tallahassee and it is the second time the Gophers have made the trip to FSU in Tubby Smith's tenure as head coach.

Last season the Seminoles were a 25 win team, 12-4 in the ACC finishing just behind Duke and North Carolina, they were ACC Tournament Champs and earned a #3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Minnesota was not nearly that good and finished runner-up in the NIT. But 2012-13 will be different seasons for both squads.

The good news for Seminole fans is that they return their top scorer, the bad news is they are also graduating six seniors who contributed and accounted for 55.7% of their total points. It is

B1G to tweak title game ticket sales strategy

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

CHICAGO -- When the Big Ten put 20,000 general public tickets on sale for the inaugural football title game in late July, they were gone within two hours. But many of those tickets -- bought by fans whose teams didn't qualify for the game in Indianapolis -- reappeared on websites like Stubhub.com days before the game, creating a soft secondary market. Some tickets were priced as low as $9 right before the game. Although the game sold out, there were several thousand empty seats at Lucas Oil Stadium when Wisconsin played Michigan State.

Video: Jim Delany on spring meetings

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany recaps the league's spring meetings with Adam Rittenberg.

Big Ten, Pac-12 pact moving forward

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

CHICAGO -- Despite a few speed bumps, the Big Ten/Pac-12 scheduling partnership is "a go," Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany told his league's athletic directors this week. The details are still being worked out, which isn't a surprise when you have 24 major-conference programs with unique interests, scheduling philosophies and scheduling agreements. But Delany hopes to have a more specific idea of the scheduling models in the next few months. "We do want it all fit in," Delany said Wednesday.

Big Ten officials can see national title game being played in non-BCS cities

Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune

B1G to discuss tie-in with Pinstripe Bowl

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

CHICAGO -- The Big Ten favors having a college football playoff within the existing bowls, which essentially pushes those games to warmer climates in the south and west. As Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said, "Let's say it is 5 degrees. Is that right for the game?" Apparently it's OK for lower-tier bowls. League commissioner Jim Delany said Wednesday that the Big Ten will have discussions with the Pinstripe Bowl, played outside in late December at New York's Yankee Stadium, about a potential future tie-in.

Big Ten to discuss tie-in with Pinstripe Bowl

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

CHICAGO -- The Big Ten favors having a college football playoff within the existing bowls, which essentially pushes those games to warmer climates in the south and west. As Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said, "Let's say it is 5 degrees. Is that right for the game?" Apparently it's OK for lower-tier bowls. League commissioner Jim Delany said Wednesday that the Big Ten will have discussions with the Pinstripe Bowl, played outside in late December at New York's Yankee Stadium, about a potential future tie-in.

Chip Armelin goes to Southern Miss

Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune

The Louisiana native's departure makes room for Trevor Mbakwe's return.

Michigan's Lewan maturing into a leader

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan lost some invaluable leadership on the offensive line when center David Molk graduated. A somewhat unlikely figure is volunteering to fill that void. "I definitely see myself as a leader," junior left tackle Taylor Lewan told ESPN.com. "I want to be one of the main guys that really helps through all the successes and all the bad things. I want that to be put on myself. "I'm the left tackle, the blind side. They made a movie about it.

Big Ten lunchtime links

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

The league meetings in Chicago and playoffs (cue Jim Mora clip) dominate your hump day links: The Big Ten's love of the Rose Bowl is making it act irrationally and against the league's best interests, Dan Wetzel writes. There's no guarantee on how that Rose Bowl relationship will continue. The Big Ten won't be able to use geography as an excuse for bowl performance in the future, Drew Sharp says. The league is pushing for a seven-win minimum to make a bowl game even though that may hurt some of its own teams.

Campus sites: Did B1G give up too easily?

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

CHICAGO -- When the college football playoff push kicked off, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith planted himself in the campus-sites camp. Smith favored having the semifinals on the campuses of the higher-seeded teams. The setup would give Big Ten teams like Ohio State an advantage they've never enjoyed in the current BCS/bowl setup -- nationally significant games on Midwest soil in late December or early January. Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany was among the first major college football figures to stump for campus sites this winter.

Most indispensable players: Penn State

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

It's time once again for our series looking at the most indispensable players on each Big Ten squad entering the 2012 season. All together now: this is not necessarily a listing of the best players on each team, but of those whose absence would cause the most pain because of their particular value or a lack of depth at their positions. Up now: Penn State. Silas Redd, RB, Junior Although Bill Belton had a nice spring, Penn State's backfield otherwise looked very thin.

Coverdale exploring all options - Minnesota [$$] (Rivals)

Source: Yahoo! NCAAF

Video: Big Ten spring meetings

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

Adam Rittenberg recaps the day at the Big Ten spring meetings, where the future postseason format and bowls were hot topics.

Hanson builds to nine offers - Minnesota [$$] (Rivals)

Source: Yahoo! NCAAB

Big Ten chat moves to Thursday

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

I'll be covering the final day of the Big Ten spring meetings in Chicago, so my regular chat is moving from Wednesday to noon ET Thursday. Please join me then to recap the spring meetings, discuss the latest playoff developments and any other Big Ten issues that crop up. Again, noon ET Thursday. See you then.

Lee talks Gophers - Minnesota [$$] (Rivals)

Source: Yahoo! NCAAF

Poll: How do you feel about preferred seating for U sports?

Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune

U.S. finishes World Championships preliminary round with 6-1 record

Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Finland is next opponent in quarterfinals.

Gophers catching up to others with preferred seating charges

Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Required donations for preferred seating are coming to Gophers basketball and hockey. Most fans haven't balked, but some grumble.

Chart: Hows, whys of preferred seating

Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Gophers become ticket masters

Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Required donations for preferred seating are coming to Gophers basketball and hockey. Most fans haven't balked, but others grumble.

Required donations for preferred seating are coming to U

Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Required donations for preferred seating are coming to Gophers basketball and hockey. Most fans haven't balked, but others grumble.

Chart: Hows, whys of preferred seating at U

Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Delany discusses changing bowl landscape

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

CHICAGO -- Big Ten teams will be playing fewer bowl games in the future. And they'll likely be playing some of them in different locations. It's all part of a shifting bowl landscape that Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany discussed Tuesday at the league's spring meetings. Delany said there's a "very strong consensus" among the league's athletic directors that the bowl-eligibility requirement should increase from six wins to seven wins, a sentiment that's echoed nationally.

Delany: Playoff talk shifts from what to how

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

CHICAGO -- Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany didn't reveal the future college football playoff model Tuesday, but he made it clear the process is shifting from what the format will be to how it will be determined and who will participate. Although Nebraska chancellor Harvey Perlman recently told ESPN.com he and other presidents prefer a plus-one model, a true four-team playoff is much more likely. And the format almost certainly will take place within the existing bowls.

Video: Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany discusses the future of bowls and college football's postseason format at the league's spring meetings.

Rule keeps Frazier, Pace out of HOF class

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

Had colleague Ivan Maisel not spelled out a little-known rule about the College Football Hall of Fame's induction procedures, there would likely be some righteous outrage in Lincoln, Neb., and Columbus, Ohio, today. Maisel wrote this morning that the Hall has a rule preventing the selection of players from the same school in back-to-back years. That must have been the only thing keeping Nebraska's Tommie Frazier and Ohio State's Orlando Pace from being elected this year.

B1G ADs talk schedule strength for playoff

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

CHICAGO -- It has taken some time, but Big Ten nonconference schedules are finally beefing up. Michigan opens the 2012 season against Alabama and Michigan State kicks off against Boise State. The Spartans also have contracts to face Oregon, Alabama and Miami. Ohio State has Virginia Tech and Oklahoma on its future schedules. Northwestern, which used to shy away from tough non-league foes, has series set with Stanford, California and Notre Dame. Traditional series with teams like Notre Dame (Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue) and Iowa State (Iowa) aren't going anywhere.

B1G ADs: Playoff will bring more tumult

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

CHICAGO -- Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith has chaired the NCAA basketball tournament selection committee, so he knows a thing or two about difficult decisions and fan backlash. While a four-team playoff in college football will please most fans of the sport, Smith thinks it won't mitigate the debate about who's in and who's out. Just the opposite, in fact. Smith and his fellow Big Ten athletic directors on Monday began studying the polls, the final BCS standings and any other rankings since the 1992 season.

Chip Armelin transfers to Southern Mississippi

Source: Upon Further Review by carmitz@mndaily.com

By: Charlie Armitz

Former Gophers men's basketball guard Chip Armelin posted to his Twitter account Tuesday that he has signed a scholarship to play at Southern Mississippi.

Armelin was released from his scholarship at Minnesota in April, which freed up a spot for Trevor Mbakwe to return for a sixth season.

Armelin will be eligible to compete in the 2013-14 season after sitting out next season because of NCAA transfer rules.

He averaged 4.8 points and 1.8 rebounds in his two-year Gophers career, but he struggled in his final games with the team. He played mostly off the bench and lacked consistency despite showing promise as a playmaker.

Southern Mississippi lost in the first round of this year's NCAA tournament to Kansas State and posted a 25-9 record (11-5 Conference USA).

Upon Further Review

Big Ten mailblog

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

Let's check that May mail. Matt from Sidney, Neb., writes: Adam,Total speculation here, but your article with playoff possibilities had the "Top 6" set-up been in place got me thinking of Delany's possible ulterior motive for his proposal (he wouldn't propose it if it didn't offer the B1G an advantage). Wouldn't this scenario put Notre Dame at a disadvantage for being independent? With that set up, a top 4 ND team would be left out if a conference champ was in the top 6 (if the other 3 in the top were champs).

Video: Ohio State AD Gene Smith

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith talks with Adam Rittenberg about the playoff models and what's best for the Big Ten.

Big Ten ADs want league champs protected

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

CHICAGO -- The SEC champion has an unofficial reserved spot in the national championship game because of the league's unprecedented run in winning those contests. Big Ten athletic directors want to make sure their league champion, which hasn't hoisted the crystal football in nearly a decade, has as good a chance to play for the national title as possible in the future postseason model. The ADs have spent much of the spring meetings discussing elements of a four-team playoff, but their top priority is clear.

Video: Nebraska AD Tom Osborne

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne talks with Adam Rittenberg about the latest playoff proposals and Tommie Frazier not being elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.

Most indispensable players: Wisconsin

Source: Big Ten Football Blog

Let's plop back into our series looking at the most indispensable players on each Big Ten squad entering the 2012 season. We remind you again that this is not necessarily a listing of the best players on each team, but of those whose absence would cause the most pain because of their particular value or a lack of depth at their positions. The Wisconsin Badgers go under the microscope today. Jared Abbrederis, WR, Jr. It's been quite a journey for Abbrederis, going from walk-on to indispensable player.

A look back at past B1G/ACC challenge matchups

Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune

The Gophers have struggled recently in the yearly challenge, but are coming off a win, last season.