The Big Ten Network doesn't accept advertising pertaining to gambling or alcohol.
“The thing I like,'' BTN President Mark Silverman said, “is that this is the opposite of a financially driven decision.
“Beer advertisers are the largest advertisers in sports. We could make a lot more revenue if we accepted it. But it's something we all agree is not consistent with what we are trying to accomplish. We'll find enough advertising revenue elsewhere.''
Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne said he wasn't specifically aware of the Big Ten Network's policy banning such ads. But he's not surprised by it.
“It's another thing that shows how our thinking is a little more in line with theirs,'' Osborne said.
As the Huskers start a one-year transition out of the Big 12 and into the Big Ten, more college sports observers see Nebraska as a good fit.
“No question,'' Minnesota baseball coach John Anderson said. “I'm happy they are coming in. They will make our league better in all sports.''
In the Big Ten, Anderson said, the student-athlete experience isn't just some fancy phrase that gets ignored. That league's mission tends to mirror Nebraska's.
“We take litmus tests on those experiences and get feedback all the time,'' Anderson said. “The student-athlete's opinion is taken seriously.
“It's not a win-at-all-costs league. It's a different mentality.''
Kevin Weiberg, who was commissioner of the Big 12 for nine years, said his 10 years before that working in the Big Ten front office give him perspective on Nebraska's change of leagues.
“It's good,'' said the current deputy commissioner of the Pacific 10. “There are a lot of similarities and good geographic proximity. There are a lot of things that make sense about it.''
Weiberg said the governance system in the Big Ten, because of its 114-year history, tends to favor cohesion and consensus over conflict. Often in the 14-year-old Big 12, it was the opposite.
“There is less of a debate about how money is distributed,'' Weiberg said. “The Big Ten got over that many years ago. That allows that league to be more progressive.''
Contact the writer:
444-1024, lee.barfknecht@owh.com
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