UNSCRIPTED: Goes to the “Windy City” for B1G TEN Media Day!!

Unscripted By Keith Edmonds
FWIS Contributing Writer

B1G TEN MEDIA DAY is an annual 2-day event where teams provide insight and compelling images of what the prospects are for their respective teams for the upcoming season. The selected media cover the women’s programs on one day and the men’s programs the following day. On a hunch, I sent in my application for credentials for this event about 5 days prior to the event hoping that maybe, (just maybe) I would get a call that my request would be approved, and sure enough, IT WAS! You know what they say when opportunity knocks... YOU ANSWER THE DOOR! I immediately loaded my car and headed to Chicago not really knowing what to expect but anticipating a great and memorable day! Once I arrived, I had to pinch myself as I watched some of the most celebrated people in the sports media enter the Convention Center one after the other knowing that I had a seat at the same table as them which was beyond nerve racking! After I got over that nervousness, I decided it was time to get to work!

With the B1G Ten (although they had 14 teams, they were still called Big Ten) now bringing 4 new teams from the west coast, Washington, USC, UCLA, and Oregon, the conference has now expanded to 18 teams! There was a buzz in the air as the traditional powerhouse programs, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio State and Maryland’s coaches took the podium to share their thoughts (as each coach did) about what having 18 teams meant in terms of competitiveness, strength, and excitement would bring to their schools and fans but make no mistake about it, the real buzz started when USC and their celebrated player Juju Watkins came to the stage! Most of the media rushed to either get pictures or quotes from her as they pressed in to catch a glimpse of her and in her own unique way she didn’t disappoint.

Watkins was first-team, All-American last season and finished second in the country (to Caitlin Clark) in scoring at 27.1 points per game. She set a national record for a freshman with 920 points for the season. She has been given a serious responsibility to carry coming into the B1G this season being expected to bring the same type of energy, excitement, and national exposure that Caitlin Clark and the University of Iowa brought last year, and, in my opinion, she is more than ready to accept that.

When asked if she felt any pressure coming into a new league, and being looked at to be the “next one” not only for the league but the NATION as well, she seemed almost shy to a certain extent for a player that is sure to be National Player of the Year as well as the #1 pick in next spring’s WNBA draft responding with: “I wouldn’t really say there’s pressure, with so many great teams in this league, I think my main focus is just winning with my team and wherever that takes us, we’re grateful and I’m grateful for this opportunity to show what I can do in such a talented league.

With now 18 teams, this conference is easily the most balanced and competitive in the country! Travel will be a challenge, as well as maintaining the challenges of academic and media requests. First-year Iowa coach Jan Jenson said, “With the additions of some very talented programs and players, winning the conference championship will be that much tougher but also that much SWEETER knowing that you had to go through so many tough teams to get there.” Indiana University coach Teri Moren said, “Iron sharpens iron, the new teams are going to make us and our programs that much better”!

One of the big questions that the new B1G is facing is: How in the world are you going to balance the schedule with teams on the East coast Rutgers, Maryland, with teams also in the Midwest (Nebraska, Chicago) and West coasts (Oregon, UCLA)? For this season, the league has decided that everyone will face 16 teams once and one other conference team twice to see if rivalries will develop that will help with attendance and fan interest, an idea that the coaches seemed to accept and agree with. What I found in being in attendance for an event like this is that you have to be aggressive with your positioning for questions and answers and not be afraid to network with those in this profession as there are always “nuggets” that you can use to help you be successful. With this being my first Media Day, I will come better prepared and step up to the plate better when Round 2 comes back next year but this was truly something to remember!

Picks for this season’s TOP 5 B1G TEN WOMEN’S Teams:

1) USC TROJANS

2) UCLA BRUINS

3) OHIO STATE BUCKEYES

4) MARYLAND TERRAPINS

5) INDIANA HOOSIERS