Say Hello to the Big Ten Conference and Broadcasting Corporation

America (or America and Canada for that matter), say hello to the Big Ten Conference & Broadcasting Corporation—it's coming to a cable network near you!

The Big Ten Conference, founded in 1896, is made up of 10 of the largest and finest state universities in the country.  Northwestern University, a private institution, is also a member.

These 10 public universities share the same goals and objectives: educate its citizens and provide them with the degrees they'll need for prosperous and rewarding lives.

But at some point in the past, Big Ten universities, and universities all over the country found themselves in another business—the football business!

Traditional educators had problems with this and complained that "spending money on football took too much money away from education." 

Though their point was valid, these schools learned to like and live with the fact that they were officially in the football business.

Being in the football business made the alumni happy.  They donate the money, and they donate more money when their schools win.

Still, the education and football businesses weren't enough for Commissioner Jim Delaney and the members of the Big Ten—they wanted to go into the broadcasting business, so they started their own television network.

The Big Ten Network (BTN), started in 2007, is a joint venture with Fox Cable, but the Big Ten is the majority owner.  It currently goes out to 40 million households and is capable of reaching 70 million.

For every household that has a cable system which includes the BTN, the Big Ten Conference & Broadcasting Corporation makes money by charging a little less than a dollar a month.

The BTN has been so successful that each conference member made $22 million last year.  With revenue from television contracts, bowl money and the BTN, each member made twice as much as members of the SEC, and three times what Big East members made.

STOP RIGHT HERE!  Is it legal for public universities to go into the broadcasting business?  Is it fair and ethical for public universities to unite with a private corporation such as Fox?  Isn't this similar to what the government did when they bailed out certain industries, and didn't bail out others?

STOP RIGHT HERE!  Is the Big Ten Conference & Broadcasting Corporation, under the direction of Jim Delaney, going to venture into other businesses?

Are they going to go into the shipping business—they have schools in every Midwestern state that could be used for depots?

As part of the football industry, it makes sense for colleges and universities to advertise their product, sell gear, and look for publicity—it's become more normal than not.

But starting up a public television network that brought in close to $300 million in sales last year?  Doesn't that give the Big Ten such a stronger advantage than every other conference that it borders on the brink of a monopoly?

Think about it.  Isn't the Big Ten able to do so much more for their football programs, with all this revenue pouring in, than everyone else?  Not every school has a T. Boone Pickens as a booster!

Now the Big Ten Conference & Broadcasting Corporation is talking about expansion.  They're thinking about adding Big East teams like Rutgers.

STOP RIGHT HERE!  There is a chance that, with an untapped Northeastern market, the BTN could be received in close to 100 million households.  That's about 40 percent of the nation's households.  Is the word monopoly getting larger?

STOP AGAIN!  No longer is the Big Ten Conference & Broadcasting Corporation basing expansion decisions on the quality of football, and the educational standards of prospective new members. 

Instead, their decisions are being driven by the amount of televisions in an area.  The  broadcasting division of the Big Ten Conference & Broadcasting Corporation is gaining control!

Does the term "conflict of interest" jump into your head?  Isn't there a conflict of interest between the Big Ten Conference & Broadcasting Corporation and their fans? 

Shouldn't they be adding teams that play good football and not necessarily adding teams that are located in big markets?

Is there a conflict of interest between the Big Ten Conference & Broadcasting Corporation and the NCAA?  Are they doing what's ultimately best for college football, or are they just out to sell the Big Ten Network?

Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue has recently blasted the Big Ten Conference & Broadcasting Corporation for putting the rest of the college football world in a state of limbo—waiting to see if the Big Ten Conference & Broadcasting Corporation will expand to 12, 14, or 16 teams, or waiting to see if they won't expand.

Mike Slive, commissioner of the SEC, has said his conference won't sit still if the Big Ten Conference & Broadcasting Corporation adds teams.

College football, as we know it, could be facing big changes.  Big dominoes could be falling soon.

Is that what the country wants, and is it legal for the Big Ten Conference & Broadcasting Corporation to use public funds to create bedlam in the world of college football?