Big Ten announces realignment

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09/01/2010 - Park Ridge, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Big Ten unveiled its plan for divisional realignment Wednesday and the controversial split of longtime rivals Michigan and Ohio State is in place.

There will be two divisions of six teams each starting with the 2011 season, with the winners meeting in the inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Game, scheduled for December 3, 2011, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. As in the past, the Big Ten champion will either participate in the Rose Bowl or BCS National Championship Game should that be the case.

The divisional splits for football is as follows:

Michigan, Nebraska, Michigan State, Iowa, Northwestern and Minnesota will make up one division while the other will house Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana and Illinois.

Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany made the announcement live on the Big Ten Network and cited competitive equality, geography and preserving rivalries in making the decision process.

With regard to the altering of annual rivalry games, which have caused a firestorm in some football circles, Delany laid out that there will be three games against schools from the opposite division in a given year and one protected "crossover" game to be played on an annual basis in addition to games within teams' own divisions.

The protected games include annual matchups between Ohio State-Michigan, Penn State-Nebraska, Illinois-Northwestern, Purdue-Iowa, Wisconsin-Minnesota and Indiana-Michigan State.

"We focused on competitive equality, traditional rivalries and geography. We considered multiple models and countless permutations in an effort to achieve the most competitively balanced divisions while at the same time respecting our traditions, preserving existing rivalries, and creating opportunities for the establishment and growth of new rivalries. We have listened to the feedback from our institutions, alumni and fans, and while we understand that no final alignments could possibly satisfy all of our constituents, we believe that we have achieved a very exciting result," Delany said.

Delany added that the conference hopes to unveil names for the divisions some time in the next 10 months. The Big Ten also announced updated conference schedules for the 2011 and 2012 football seasons as a result of the realignment.

While the changes are expected to be fully implemented for football, it remains unclear whether the divisions will be used for basketball or rather a single 12-team division.

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FOOTBALL BETTING : Cassel Signs Contract

Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.

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After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."

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