re: BIG 10 network

The reason the Big Ten Network is such a money machine is that it airs 24/7/365 in 40 million households now. The Big Ten gets a revenue stream year round from advertising, from subscribers whereas the SEC received a contract from ESPN and CBS from what the networks deemed them to be worth when they have a game on.

It would be harder for the SEC to make a national brand network as there are not enough alum spread across the country. I think the Big Ten has something like 4.5 million living alum (more than twice the SEC) many of whom are spread in the largest tv markets in America. The SEC does not have that same national pull. While the country will watch a Florida-LSU game the country isnt going to watch a LSU-La Tech game the way it does an Ohio State-Toledo game.

Also the SEC network was bought out by ESPN. I dont think the SEC can break a 2.25 billion dollar contract.

This is all a numbers game and the Big Ten has won this game by graduating more than twice as many people as any other conference over the decades. Big Ten schools are global institutions while many SEC schools aren't even really national entities.