Bring the Big Ten title game to Soldier Field! Why not? Chicago is Big Ten country. The perceived favorites to host the 2011 Big Ten championship football game are Indianapolis (Lucas Oil
Stadium) and Detroit (Ford Field). What about 2012?
The weather could be an issue, but this it's the Big Ten. Weather is never an issue with football. It's part of the game.
Since the
2007 Northern Illinois-Iowa game, there has been a renaissance of sorts. In 2011, the Huskies are slated to play Wisconsin and
will have a rematch with the Hawkeyes there in 2012.
Notre Dame and Miami are looking to play at Soldier Field as early as 2012.
Let's fast forward to 2012 and everything falls into place the way the city would want it to. In addition to the 12 Bears game (including 2 home- field advantage playoff games), a NIU-Iowa rematch, the Catholics vs. Convicts game, a Big Ten championship game will be played at Soldier Field. Not to mention, the Prep Bowl and Chicago Public High School championship will also be played at the Bears home stadium.
Based on this jam packed schedule,17 football games might potentially be played at Soldier Field from August through January in 2012, almost every week in that time period. The games will be played in inclimate weather - rain, snow, sleet, below freezing and probably a combination of all.
Is this good for the Bears? No not at all. Why? Because Soldier Field is a natural grass stadium or at the very least the city tries to grow grass and keep it alive all throughout the year with hopes to maximize its cash cow. The Bears would be required to play in the slop left over from other games.
Because I am for Soldier Field and the installation of field turf, I want the Big Ten championship game at Soldier Field. I want all these other games to played here too. This makes for a better case to install field turf. I love the tradition and I'm all for it, but it doesn't make sense anymore.
The possibility of Soldier Field being the host to more football games is most definitely exciting but not if city doesn't make the switch from natural grass to some variation of field turf.
Credit: Chicago Breaking Sports
Filed under: 4th Phase
Tags: big ten, chicago bears, soldier field
