PSU AD: Big Ten eyes more than money with alliance

Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour said “the Big Ten feels like it’s in a really good place” as the conference explores an alliance with the ACC and Pac-12, but that it continues to pay attention to what brings value beyond money.

“I do think that there are conferences out there that could bring value from a monetary standpoint, particularly, speaking about our television contract and our television revenues,” Barbour said. “... The Big Ten really prides itself on being more than just an athletics conference, in terms of our provosts get together, we share some library resources, some other academic resources.”

Barbour said that 40% of the Association of American Universities — a group of leading research schools — lies within the Pac-12, Big Ten and ACC conferences.

“I’m not trying to downplay the importance of value as it relates to upsizing our revenues — that certainly is important -- but that’s not the only reason,” Barbour said. “And I think that there are some reasons around like-mindedness that would be very valuable to the conference.”

◆ Freshman C.J. Stroud will start at quarterback for No. 4 Ohio State in the season opener against Minnesota, coach Ryan Day said. Stroud, who beat out fellow redshirt freshman Jack Miller and true freshman Kyle McCord has been considered the front-runner to succeed Justin Fields.

◆ Western Carolina offensive line coach John Peacock, 32, died Wednesday of complications from COVID-19.