The Big Ten might be adding more programs, with recent reports suggesting that Oregon and Washington could well be on their way to making major moves as part of the conference expansion puzzle. The Big Ten most recently added members in 2014 when Maryland and Rutgers officially joined the conference.
Next year, UCLA and USC are set to enter the Big Ten.
And with the news on Tuesday that the Big Ten has vetted Oregon and Washington, it might not be too long until the conference poaches some other programs.
With the two new additions next year, the Big Ten will be at 16 programs. And if Oregon and Washington are next in line, they could be at 18 teams sooner rather than later.
Which means that the Big Ten could be set to expand to two more teams. That number 20 sounds nice and could help with cross-continental travel and maintaining/expanding rivalries.
Oh, and also television dollars which, of course, drive this whole thing.
Now the Big Ten has been adamant in that incoming members are AAU institutions, the gold standard for research schools. And they want athletic success or at the very least the capability to do so. Football and basketball drive this whole shift…why? Because that’s what leads to television viewers.
So being in a large media market is also a huge selling point for an expansion candidate.
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So who could be next on the list to join the Big Ten? The obvious answer is Notre Dame, but with recent signals that they will extend their deal with NBC, a move to the Big Ten might not be happening anytime soon. The Big Ten would love to add Notre Dame, but they’re not on this list right now as it appears they aren’t moving from their weird marriage with the ACC.
So who else could be primed for a move? Scroll down and take a look at 10 Big Ten expansion candidates with one or two offbeat choices included!
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