Biggest drawback is the climate . . .
with more money to spend on athletics than most conferences, you have to bet that the BiG's standing as a baseball conference will improve some . . . but it's the climate that will hold BiG baseball programs back from achieving what southern schools can do.
It's great to have 65 degree sunny days in February and March - and sometimes in January - when there's snow up north. You can get out and do stuff . . . like practice baseball, or just work out in preparation for starting practice. It's no coincidence that IU was a 12-10, and then went on a tear after the spring weather arrived in Bloomington.
The great thing about IU is that it's the most southern of the traditional BiG schools, and only Maryland might be more southern geographically (although being along the coast helps moderate its temperatures). It's still a great opportunity . . . and with the new facilities and stadium, it promises to be the BiG destination for baseball guys.
