One way to tell you've built a conference that makes logical and geographic sense for your members is to use the word "burden" when describing playing out your own league schedule.
That's the word Tony Petitti used when answering questions at Big Ten media days on Tuesday. The Big Ten hasn't just adopted an 18-team, division-less format, it's hasn't just adopted an 18-team division-less format, it's done so while leaning harder into Friday nights than any other major conference.
"I think Friday is an opportunity for national exposure," Petitti said. "I think you're going to see some programs there really embrace the opportunity to play on Friday."
Some programs are being asked to embrace Friday nights more than others, that's for sure. Six schools will play two of their nine B1G games on Fridays, while six more are spared Friday games. Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State are part of one group, and you'll never guess which.
"Of course, we don't want to burden any one institution. We care about what happens at the stadium as well and what happens on campus," Petitti said. Three incumbent B1G members will play twice on Fridays: Michigan State, Purdue and Rutgers.
And, oddly, the Big Ten has chosen to lean into its nonsensical geographic arrangements by playing cross-country games on Fridays. Twenty-six of 81 B1G games will see a Pac-12 school trekking across half or all of the contenential United States to play a conference game, or a B1G school flying to the West Coast. While that represents roughly a third of the total Big Ten slate, it's 55 percent of the Friday night schedule. Oregon, UCLA and Washington will play twice on Fridays, and USC will play once.
Big Ten Friday Night Schedule (All times Eastern)
Sept. 20: Illinois at Nebraska (8 p.m.)
Sept. 27: Washington at Rutgers (8 p.m.)
Oct. 4: Michigan State at Oregon (9 p.m.)
Oct. 11: Northwestern at Maryland (8 p.m.)
Oct. 18: Oregon at Purdue (8 p.m.)
Oct. 25: Rutgers at USC (11 p.m.)
Nov. 8: Iowa at UCLA (9 p.m.)
Nov. 15: UCLA at Washington (9 p.m.)
Nov. 22: Purdue at Michigan State (8 p.m.)
Meanwhile, it certainly did not go unnoticed that the Friday night lights will not flip on at Happy Valley, the Big House or the Horseshoe. "I think on the hurdle side, look, there are just traditional places that want to play more on Saturday," Petitti said. "We understand and respect that."
If I'm the head coach of a non-Big 3 Big Ten member, I'd tell the league office we'll play on Fridays when the Wolverines, the Buckeyes and the Nittany Lions do. In fact, I'd even volunteer to go there on a Friday.
But we all know how that would likely go.
B1G Friday Night Appearances
2: Michigan State, Oregon, Purdue, Rutgers, UCLA, Washington
1: Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, USC
0: Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin
"We're looking in Friday night to open up some new real estate that's just an easier competitive environment. Even if the games aren't always at the viewership level on Big Noon, they're going to be in such a friendly competitive window that I think we can actually do pretty well," Michael Mulvihill, Fox Sports's chief executive in charge of college football programming, said back in May.
Friday night is a long-term initiative for the Big Ten, and it's going to be more of an active initiative for some Big Ten members than others.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.