At the end of the day, we're still the most dominant fanbase in the Chicago market out of all schools. Our numbers are so high, we don't need the same level of intense following as other schools. Even with that, we have a very active and fanatical fanbase. We just don't see the media hype because it's focus is higher for pro sports.
This article does a much better job of highlighting why the B1G is such a lucrative conference that carries more weight nationally.
https://frankthetank.org/2018/05/18...en-graduates-live-and-conference-realignment/
More weight nationally = better regional deals. Essentially, we're large and spread out. It doesn't behoove you to be large and centralized following. You essentially want to meet the minimum threshold for garnering media deals and use the excess in another market.