Ultimate Guide to 2016 Big Ten Media Days
After six long months, the unofficial kickoff to the Big Ten's 2016 season is almost here.
Next week, the conference will host its annual media days in Chicago, and the start of fall camps across the league will follow shortly.
But before the Big Ten players and coaches can take the field, they'll have to face the press. Compared to the SEC's four days' worth of festivities, however, the Big Ten's two-day media affair is half the event—literally—that their friends in the South put on each summer.
Nevertheless, the Big Ten's upcoming media days should provide some memorable moments, especially with some of football's most powerful coaches involved. Factor in a league that appears wide-open as far as its championship race is concerned, and this year's Big Ten media days should make for must-watch programming for any college football fan.
Bleacher Report will be live on scene, reporting on Monday's and Tuesday's happenings in the Windy City. And to get you primed, here is your ultimate guide to the Big Ten's 2016 media days.
The Schedule
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Official interview times for each Big Ten head coach and each team's trio of player representatives have yet to be announced, but we know the general outline of the format. For the second straight year, the 14 teams will be split in half, with seven programs participating on Monday and the other seven taking part on Tuesday.
The Big Ten has announced the following lineup:
- School Media Sessions on Monday: Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers
- School Media Sessions on Tuesday: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin
While official start times for each team have yet to be announced, Monday's session will begin at noon CT and run until 6 p.m. Televised podium interviews with the coaches will take place from 12 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., and interview sessions with both coaches and players will follow.
Tuesday's offerings will adhere to a similar format but will stretch throughout the day due to the Kickoff Luncheon. Coaches' press conferences will run from 8 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. CT, with Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany and other speakers holding court until 11 a.m. From there, the luncheon will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., with coaches and player interviews rounding out the day from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
All podium interviews will air live on the Big Ten Network. Information regarding the network's coverage can be located here.
The Scene
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As previously mentioned, the Big Ten's version of media days is much tamer than its SEC counterpart's. Rabid fans don't typically descend on Chicago as they do on Hoover, Alabama, and there isn't a version of "Alabama Day"—not even for the wildest of the conference's fanbases.
Taking place at the McCormick Place convention center just south of downtown, the event isn't even located in the heart of the Second City. While McCormick Place is massive, with a skybridge connecting the conference center to its hotel, it's a relatively sequestered part of town and not an easy walk from the famed Magnificent Mile.
The highlight of the two days is typically the Kickoff Luncheon, which often draws a decent crowd. ESPN's Joe Tessitore and Joey Galloway will host this year's luncheon, and a $110 ticket can get you not only a seat but access to an autograph session with the head coaches beforehand.
Aside from autograph hounds circling the premises and potential photo ops with the mascots, that's about as raucous as it gets. Media days are just the calm before the storm in the Big Ten.
The Characters
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When it comes to the conference's cast of characters, there's Jim Harbaugh, and then there's everyone else.
And while the Michigan head coach's claim to the title of "most must-see press conference" is hardly in question, even his upcoming day in the spotlight seems unremarkable compared to a year ago, when he was still the fresh face in the conference.
But by now, we're well aware of the act and know to expect the unexpected when it comes to Harbaugh. A year ago, he interrupted his own press conference to share the Mike Ditka jersey he had just purchased the night before (pictured above) at his former head coach's restaurant. This year, the man who just appeared in a Wolverines-inspired rap video will surely have something up his sleeve.
Aside from Harbaugh, Nebraska's Mike Riley, Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald and Ohio State's Urban Meyer could all make a compelling case for being the league's best talker, and it's always interesting to see what the conference's new coaches will say.
But for now—and for the foreseeable future—Harbaugh's at the top of that list, with everybody else fighting for second place.
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Coaches on the Hot Seat
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While Big Ten media days typically serve as a celebration for the conference, there are always a few coaches who find themselves facing uncomfortable questions following a disappointing season (or seasons).
A year ago, Illinois head coach Tim Beckman spent a significant portion of his opening press conference fending off questions pertaining to his job security and a then-ongoing investigation into the Fighting Illini program. A month later, the school relieved him of his duties a week before the start of the 2015 season.
No coach in the conference is in immediate danger of losing his job, but with another disappointing campaign, this could be the final season Darrell Hazell stalks the sideline at Ross-Ade Stadium. In three seasons at Purdue, Hazell has compiled a 6-30 overall record, including a 2-22 mark in conference play.
Last year, the Boilermakers laid claim to a Big Ten-worst 2-10 record, which resulted in the dismissals of offensive coordinator John Shoop and defensive coordinator Greg Hudson. If Purdue can't show improvement, Hazell could soon be the one who's looking for work.
Other potential hot-seat candidates for the coming year include Penn State's James Franklin and even Nebraska's Mike Riley after last year's 5-7 regular-season debut for the former Oregon State head coach. Other than that, everyone else has either built up enough goodwill or is early enough in his tenure that job security shouldn't be a predominant topic of conversation in the coming week.
Welcome, Lovie
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One common theme at each Big Ten media days is the welcoming of the conference's new head coaches, and this year will be no exception.
But while new Maryland head coach D.J. Durkin and Rutgers head man Chris Ash are plenty familiar with the league following stints as the defensive coordinators at Michigan and Ohio State, respectively, all eyes will be on the new man in charge at Illinois, Lovie Smith.
Smith is no stranger to Chicago, where he spent nine seasons as the head coach of the Bears, amassing an 81-63 record, including a trip to Super Bowl XLI. For the past two seasons, Smith served as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before controversially being relieved of his duties this past offseason.
With the Fighting Illini, however, Smith becomes one of the conference's highest-profile head coaches and one of just seven in NFL history—along with Harbaugh—to have coached in a Super Bowl before accepting a college job. Look for Smith's hiring, which is the Big Ten's biggest offseason addition, to be a primary topic of conversation on Monday and Tuesday.
Smith was last among the college ranks 21 years ago, when he coached defensive backs on John Cooper's staff at Ohio State. A lot in the league and college football has changed since then, which will only make Smith's arrival in Champaign all the more intriguing.
Who's the Favorite?
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While the Big Ten media doesn't perform an official preseason poll, a front-runner for the conference championship can often be found by media days' end.
Last year, it was Ohio State and all its returning talent. The Buckeyes, however, didn't make good on their expectations, as Michigan State claimed the conference crown.
This year, so much has changed that it's hard to settle on a preseason pick. According to Covers.com, Ohio State is the favorite to not just win the Big Ten championship, but the national title as well at plus-750; although at plus-850, Michigan doesn't trail far behind.
And then there's Michigan State (plus-2,500), which has won two of the past three Big Ten titles but will be dealing with the loss of three-year starting quarterback Connor Cook. Can the conference afford to count out the Spartans once again?
Throw in a crowded Big Ten West division, and this year's league title race appears up for grabs. Will any team say it deserves to be considered the favorite? We'll find out in the coming week.
Wide-Open West
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Speaking of the Big 10 West, there may not be a tougher division in college football to dissect. While Iowa is the clear-cut front-runner, the Hawkeyes haven't been the poster child for consistency during Kirk Ferentz's tenure.
Nevertheless, it's hard to argue with a team that's coming off a 12-0 regular season and was just a few plays away in the Big Ten title game from crashing the College Football Playoff. What's more is Iowa returns second-team All-Big Ten quarterback C.J. Beathard, as well as Thorpe Award winner Desmond King. He is the first recipient of the honor given to college football's top defensive back to return to school for his senior season when also eligible to enter the NFL draft.
But even as their talent appears to be proven, it remains to be seen how the Hawkeyes will handle going from being the hunters to the hunted. And Iowa will have a strong cast of challengers chasing it, with Northwestern coming off a 10-2 regular season, Nebraska on the upswing and Wisconsin possessing perhaps the most talent of any team in the division.
Ultimately, however, the Big Ten West appears to be the Hawkeyes' to lose. But that won't stop things from being interesting.
Grin and Barrett
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While the Big Ten doesn't name a preseason Player of the Year on either side of the ball, the conference releases a list of "players to watch" at each media days. Limited to 10 players and five from each division, here's a stab at who will make this year's cut:
East Division
- J.T. Barrett, quarterback, Ohio State
- Jourdan Lewis, cornerback, Michigan
- Malik McDowell, defensive lineman, Michigan State
- Saquon Barkley, running back, Penn State
- Jabrill Peppers, safety, Michigan
West Division
- Desmond King, cornerback, Iowa
- Anthony Walker, linebacker, Northwestern
- C.J. Beathard, quarterback, Iowa
- Justin Jackson, running back, Northwestern
- Jordan Westerkamp, wide receiver, Nebraska
If the Big Ten were to select preseason players of the year, Barrett and King would be the best bets. Both the Buckeyes quarterback and Hawkeyes corner have established themselves at the national level and play premier positions on what many perceive as the two favorite teams to win their divisions.
Camping Season
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For the better part of the offseason, the primary topic of conversation concerning the Big Ten pertained to Jim Harbaugh's fight to keep satellite camps alive.
And while the discussion may not take center stage in Chicago, it will be brought up on more than one occasion.
We know where Harbaugh stands on the matter, and thus far, his efforts have been successful. Had they not been, Michigan wouldn't have taken part in nearly 40 satellite camps in June, including stops in Australia and American Samoa.
But as for the rest of the league, opinions on the practice appear murky. Earlier in July, Meyer said he was still "evaluating" his use of satellite camps after Ohio State took part in multiple stops this summer.
"You have to do what you have to do to stay up in the world of recruiting," Meyer said. "But there's also an element of freshness with our staff, too. Those are all things we're going to evaluate, because this is really the first year we've done it in earnest."
Where the rest of the league's coaches stand in relation to satellite camps remains unknown. But we should find out in the coming days, as each coach will likely be asked to weigh in with his opinions, which could create some of media days' most noteworthy headlines.
Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten lead writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes were obtained firsthand. Recruiting and class ratings courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings.
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