The Big Ten Network has a bit of a vested interest in the Big Ten being seen as compelling programming. Sure, there will always be the die-hards, the people who will pay whatever it costs to get their fix of their former university. But there's also a distinct group of casual fans out there, people in, say, the Chicago area, who sort of care about the Big Ten but maybe not enough to call their cable provider and have it added to their monthly bill. Those are the people the Big Ten Network needs to sell to.

So while I highly doubt the Big Ten announcer in question here is self-consciously selling the Big Ten, it certainly doesn't hurt that he's willing to drop ridiculous nuggets like this on the air:

Yes, you heard correctly: Dude thinks the Big Ten is "arguably" the best conference in college basketball. Um, no. It's not. That's still the Big East.

Don't get me wrong, the Big Ten has been surprisingly good. Minnesota and Michigan and Illinois have all been better than advertised, and even Penn State has a shot at the tournament. But with Wisconsin down and Purdue still short of the national top tier, the Big Ten just isn't as good. And that's OK. It doesn't need to be. Arguing about conferences is stupid, anyway. The only people who care about this stuff are ... well, conference executives. The rest of us tuned out long ago.

Related: Big Ten Basketball, Moving Pictures, College Basketball Media