Will the Big Ten continue to expand by plucking Pac-12 schools? Don’t bet on it. How can we tell you this? Ohio State’s athletic director, the most powerful athletic director in the Big Ten, made a very specific and direct comment on a podcast with USC’s athletic director which cannot be interpreted any other way.
Ohio State AD Gene Smith is a major power broker in college sports. Moreover, he used to be a Pac-10 athletic director at Arizona State, so he definitely knows the landscape in the Pac-12 Conference beyond USC and UCLA. If anyone was in a position to know which schools added value to the Big Ten, it’s Smith. Moreover, if anyone was in a position to recommend Pac-12 schools other than USC and UCLA, it’s Smith. If he really wanted other schools from the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten, chances are it would happen.
If Smith is opposed to other Pac-12 schools joining, that’s a vote which represents a pretty firm brick wall, a barrier to any future Big Ten expansion by raiding the Pac-12.
Guess what Smith said on a recent podcast with USC Athletic Director Mike Bohn?
Smith: "There were really only two schools that made sense for us, and it's USC and UCLA."
If Smith isn't on board with additional expansion, it's not happening. https://t.co/1djkgubUcL
— Jon Wilner (@wilnerhotline) September 29, 2022
I guess that closes the door.
You can listen to the podcast at the link provided in the embedded tweet and video above.
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