Last week at Big Ten Media Days, there was naturally plenty of conversation about the upcoming 2024 additions of USC and UCLA to the Big Ten. 247Sports shared what a series of Big Ten players thought about who the league should add next.
Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell has the perceived No. 1 target at the top of his list.
“That’s a great question. I want Notre Dame, I think that would be cool. And well, so does the Big Ten. I think it would be pretty cool to play those guys. They’re talented and another historic program. They’re not in a conference of their own so it would be nice to see them join the Big Ten and have future Hawkeyes have an opportunity to play them,” Campbell said.
Hawkeyes safety Kaevon Merriweather had a lengthy list of prospective additions.
“Oh man. If you wanted to do it from a financial standpoint, I’m bringing Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Miami, you feel me? You listening? We still have UCLA and USC, right? Then we’re going to bring Oregon, and then I think from there we’re good. But those are like the big money markets. If I was the Big Ten commissioner, I’d make a lot of money with those teams in there, you know what I’m saying?
“What I’d do first, though, probably Oregon, not going to lie. Just the influence of Nike and the number of people who love Oregon across the country, I’d definitely bring Oregon first. I ain’t gonna lie to you though, I’m kinda mad, I wish they would have done the realignment thing a bit earlier, a trip to USC would not be bad. Them coming to the Midwest as well in November? They ain’t gonna play out too well, I ain’t gonna lie,” Merriweather said.
Like Merriweather touched on, the idea of both USC and UCLA coming to the Midwest during cold-weather months has been something current Big Ten players have commonly cited as a potential future advantage. Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras also needled the two L.A. schools recently.
Naturally, Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren was asked about future expansion at Big Ten Media Days.
“I get asked every single day, what’s next? It may include future expansion, but it will be done for the right reasons, at the right time, with our student-athletes’ academic and athletic empowerment at the center of any and all decisions that we will make. We will not expand just to expand. It will be strategic; it will add additional value to our conference,” Warren said.
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