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Former B1G assistant coach: Each site should have a modernized visitor’s locker room
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A lot has been made over the last 24 hours of Jim Harbaugh’s rant about the poor conditions he and his team had to suffer through at Purdue. It’s become quite clear that, in the mind of the Michigan head coach, the accommodations were not up to par.
Ohio State head coach and ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit agreed with Harbaugh, saying there should be a standard across the board in the B1G. While Purdue was singled out on Monday, several claimed it was an epidemic that ran conference-wide.
ESPN reporter Adam Rittenberg had the opportunity to speak with a former B1G assistant coach about the visiting locker rooms throughout the B1G. The coach was unnamed but was happy to provide a review of the 12 locker rooms he visited during his time as an assistant in the conference.
Here’s what that former coach told Rittenberg:
Here’s how a former Big Ten assistant assessed 12 of the visiting locker rooms in the league. It’s definitely a problem. Illinois = pathetic. Purdue = pathetic. Nebraska = OK. Wisconsin = OK. Iowa = OK. Michigan = below average. Michigan State = pathetic. Minnesota = nice. Maryland = pathetic. Northwestern = pathetic. Penn State = OK. Ohio State = below average.
Following his rankings, the former assistant coach also told Rittenberg that each B1G team is getting enough money to update the locker rooms for visiting teams.
Here’s that full quote from Monday:
If every school is getting $40 million a year, one thing that should be mandatory is for each site to have a modernized visitor’s locker room.
Harbaugh’s complaints, and the support he received from Meyer, Herbstreit and an unnamed assistant coach have certainly triggered a conversation that will likely take place in the offseason.
We’ll see if the B1G takes steps toward standardizing visiting accommodations in the near future.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB