Tag: Big Ten Expansion

MSU Athletics issues welcome post to Big Ten’s four new programs

USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington are officially members of the Big Ten

The Big Ten has officially expanded to 18 teams.

The Big Ten officially added four new members on Friday, with USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington joining the conference. These four schools officially became Big Ten members on Friday, which comes years after it was initially announced they’d join the league.

As part of the league adding four new teams, Michigan State athletics has sent out a welcome message on X. Check out their welcome note below:

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BTN to feature ‘B1GWelcome’ programming for new schools on Friday

The Big Ten will officially expand to 18 members this week and the Big Ten Network will be ready to celebrate the event

The Big Ten will officially expand to 18 members this week and the Big Ten Network will be ready to celebrate the event.

The Big Ten Network announced this week that on Friday it will feature #B1GWelcome programming to welcome each of the four new schools. Those four new schools, of course, are Oregon, Washington, UCLA and USC.

Click on the post below to see all that Big Ten Network has planned to celebrate and welcome the Ducks, Huskies, Bruins and Trojans:

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David Pollack called this ACC school the perfect Big Ten expansion candidate

David Pollack named which ACC school he feels would be the perfect addition for the Big Ten.

The Big Ten officially expanded its membership to 18 members this summer with the additions of Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington from the fallout of the Pac-12’s implosion, but the rumor mill never slows down when it comes to possible future expansion. The Big Ten appears to be publicly settled on its current 18-team membership, but the door will always remain open for more moves if the opportunity arises. The ACC is in the spotlight as a potential conference on the verge of seeing schools leave for greener pastures.

Florida State and Clemson have ignited the ACC chaos with legal battles in court over the conference’s grant of rights, and other schools around the conference are monitoring the situation closely. North Carolina has been one of the big names on the radar and college football analyst David Pollack feels the Tar Heels would be a natural addition for the Big Ten.

“I’ll throw a couple of other teams at you, too. North Carolina has value; that’s a perfect Big Ten team,” Pollack said in an interview on Outkick recently. “North Carolina, I could see in the Big Ten. North Carolina and Virginia, those two teams to me end up in the Big Ten.”

A pairing of North Carolina and Virginia would make sense for the Big Ten given the academic reputation of both schools, but the UNC brand would be the real heavy hitter in that combo. North Carolina has the biggest national brand appeal in any potential realignment changes moving forward outside of Notre Dame. Any addition that involves North Carolina would likely pair nicely with the Big Ten’s previous addition from the ACC, Maryland. Virginia would bridge the gap between Maryland and North Carolina on the map as well.

Another school from the ACC to keep an eye on is Miami, a school that reportedly would make a big push for a Big Ten invite if the door to leave the ACC cracks open.

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ACC Football Kickoff to play out with teams wanting in the Big Ten

The ACC football media days will once again be clouded in uncertainty as the Big Ten stands by and monitors the situation.

As the Big Ten begins its annual football media day event this week in Indianapolis, the ACC will be holding its mid-summer ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte, North Carolina at the same time. While the Big Ten welcomes four members from the Pac-12 as new conference members this season, the ACC will be welcoming in two new members from the West Coast with Cal and Stanford. The ACC will also be going through its media day frenzy under what seems to be a cloud of constant uncertainty as multiple members in the conference have not hidden from a desire to break free of the conference’s grant of rights and potentially land in a new conference home. Of course, the riches that come with being a Big Ten member are enough to entice a few ACC schools to pursue membership in the conference.

Florida State and Clemson are the two headliners that continue to push the issue with the ACC. Both schools have taken legal steps to challenge the ACC grant of rights in hopes of creating an exit that isn’t a massive financial burden. For now, the Big Ten reportedly is not looking to add Florida State.

“[Big Ten commissioner] Tony [Petitti] is staying away from expansion, and we’re taking Tony’s lead,” a source reportedly said to Brett McMurphy of Action Network. Of course, that came with a bit of a disclaimer alluding to mass chaos in the ACC on a level similar to the downfall of the Pac-12.

“There is no appetite among the presidents unless there is some catastrophic development with the ACC and it forces [the Big Ten] into a decision,” McMurphy quoted the same anonymous source as saying.

The SEC is reportedly in the same boat as the Big Ten when it comes to adding Florida State and Clemson. In the SEC’s case, the conference already has a firm foot in each of those schools’ home states with Florida and South Carolina. Of course, the SEC did just add Texas despite already having Texas A&M. But Florida State and Clemson aren’t on the same level overall as the Longhorns.

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The long-time rumors of the Big 12 being the most likely destination for Florida State and Clemson may continue to linger until it becomes a reality. We have been seeing those rumors for well over a decade now, so it may be time to just get the move done.

Florida State and Clemson appear to be a bit of a package deal one way or the other, but there are other schools that could be potential targets for the Big Ten if the ACC comes crashing down. North Carolina is believed to be the bigger fish in the pond if the Big Ten chooses to go fishing. North Carolina would fit in with the Big Ten and the SEC, and the Tar Heels would be an attractive candidate for each.

Miami has become a rising candidate in the rumor mill, and it is being reported the Hurricanes would make a push to join the Big Ten, Miami would make sense for the Big Ten as it would help get the Big Ten a footprint in Florida, and the school is a member of the AAU. And it may not take much to convince Miami to leave the ACC. Miami seems to be the school watching the action around them and waiting to pounce on their opportunity to leave.

Miami and North Carolina as a pair of new Big Ten programs would seemingly be a great move for the expanding Big Ten. If the ACC does crack, adding Cal and Stanford to the mix is not far-fetched given the Big Ten’s new standing on the West Coast. Throw Virginia and Georgia Tech on the radar as well just in case, but Big Ten fans should clearly be paying close attention to the rumblings surrounding the ACC for the foreseeable future. It may not implode quite like the Pac-12, but the ACC is the conference on the shakiest of grounds right now.

The ACC Football Kickoff and Big Ten media days are scheduled for Tuesday, July 22 through Thursday, July 25.

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Big Ten reportedly has ‘no desire’ to add Florida State, further expand

It appears the Big Ten will not be adding any new teams anytime soon

It appears the Big Ten will not be adding any new teams anytime soon.

College football insider Brett McMurphy of the Action Network has reported that the Big Ten has “no desire to expand” and is not interested in Florida State, specifically. The Big Ten had long been considered a potential landing spot for the Seminoles should they be able to get out of the ACC.

In the report from McMurphy, a Big Ten source stated Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti has no appetite to further expand at this time. Should the ACC fall apart, then that could change but otherwise don’t expect the league to make any moves anytime soon.

Click on the post below to read more from McMurphy:

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Big Ten reportedly not interested in adding pair of premier ACC programs

If the Big Ten is looking to expand again, it apparently will not include a pair of premier ACC programs

If the Big Ten is looking to expand again, it apparently will not include a pair of premier ACC programs.

College football insider and radio host Greg Swaim is reporting that the Big Ten and SEC are not interested in either Florida State or Clemson as potential future members of their leagues. Swaim posted that “conversations have all but ceased” between the two leagues and Florida State and Clemson.

The Big 12 is apparently the new expected landing spot for both the Seminoles and Tigers.

Both Florida State and Clemson had been considered favorites to join the Big Ten or SEC in the next batch of realignment. However, it sounds like that will not be the case and both leagues may be happy sticking with their current allotment of teams.

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New Big Ten teams will not play in league affiliated bowl games in 2024, 2025

The four new Big Ten teams will not be eligible to play in the league’s bowl games this year or next

The four new Big Ten teams will not be eligible to play in the league’s bowl games this year or next.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark confirmed on Tuesday that the 10 schools leaving the Pac-12 will still play in the Pac-12 affiliated bowls over the next two seasons. That would mean USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington will not be selected to play in any Big Ten bowl games this year or next.

This would in theory open up more opportunities for other Big Ten teams to land in the league’s bowl games. This could be very impactful for the Spartans, who are projected to be a fringe bowl-eligible team this year.

Click on the post below to read more from Brett McMurphy of the Action Network:

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ACC legal battles could open door for more Big Ten expansion

If the ACC crumbles, the Big Ten could be ready to pounce on a few potential members.

If you thought the Big Ten was going to settle in an 18-team membership following this year’s additions of Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington, you are probably fooling yourself. Expansion could be looming on the horizon once again if things in the ACC continue on the path they seem to be heading.

Florida State previously opened a significant legal battle challenging the ACC on its grant of rights. If Florida State is successful, it would open the doors for a potential mass exodus from the ACC to the Big Ten or SEC in a similar fashion to what happened in the Pac-12, although perhaps not quite as devastating in the grand scheme.

Florida State is not alone in its legal challenge of the ACC, however. Clemson officially joined the battle this week with its own lawsuit filed in South Carolina, potentially opening the door for Clemson and Florida State to carve a path to leave the ACC in search of greener pastures in the Big Ten or SEC. And if Clemson and Florida State do force their way out, then it stands to reason others in the ACC would explore their options as well, including North Carolina.

And, of course, this somehow all gets back to the future of Notre Dame as well.

SEC Network analyst and radio host Paul Finebaum created a stir suggesting Notre Dame is inching closer and closer to having to make a big decision on its future with football independence or conference membership. As Finebaum suggests, and something I’ve been saying for years, at some point Notre Dame’s leaders will have to realize that it is far more profitable and beneficial for the school to be a member of a conference than it is to be an independent. Considering the revenue shares that Big Ten and SEC schools receive compare to the revenue Notre Dame football generates, it has to fiscal sense to at least strongly consider ditching football independence in the evolving world of college sports.

This would especially be true if the ACC cracks with its membership. Notre Dame is a member of the ACC in most of its other sports (although it is a Big Ten school in ice hockey), but if members start leaving the ACC, it would make sense for Notre Dame to look for a more stable future.

The Big Ten would be the natural landing spot for Notre Dame, one might think. This is especially true if a crumbling ACC loses Stanford and Cal to the Big Ten amid potential realignment changes. The Big Ten adding Stanford, Cal, North Carolina, and Notre Dame would be a decent haul overall.

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Florida State took a giant step toward a potential departure from the ACC

If it hasn’t been made abundantly clear by now, Florida State REALLY wants to leave the ACC behind.

It feels like the idea of Florida State making a move out of the ACC had been dangling about for over a decade. But now, the discussion feels more real than it has ever felt before.

On Friday, Florida State trustees voted unanimously in favor of suing the ACC over the legality of the conference’s grant of rights and withdrawal fees, the two strongest reasons why the ACC has held on stable ground in the recent shifts of conference realignment changes. But Florida State supporters have long felt those were merely hurdles yet to be cleared. Now, Florida State is backing up the talk with actions.

In short, Florida State is filing a lawsuit with the hope of having the grant of rights and withdrawal fee voided, thus making it easier to swiftly move to a new conference. Which conference that would be, of course, remains to be seen, but you had have to expect the Big Ten would be mentioned as a possibility. And if Florida State cracks the door open with this lawsuit, other ACC members could follow the lead of Florida State. And some of those options could be interesting expansion candidates if the Big Ten keeps an eye open for additional expansion moves.

The Big Ten is already set to add four new members in 2024 from the Pac-12; Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington. That will bring the total membership count up to 18 full-time members, which equals the number of teams in the soon-to-be-expanded SEC with the additions of Oklahoma and Texas in 2024. The Big 12 scooped up more members from the collapsing Pac-12 (Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah), and California and Stanford are set to join the ACC, ironically. The last two Pac-12 members, Oregon State and Washington State, are hoping to continue carrying the Pac-12 banner while organizing affiliate memberships and scheduling agreements for football and other sports.

Talks of Florida State’s frustrations with its ACC membership are nothing new. They have been bubbling ever since the first wave of seismic realignment changes that saw Texas A&M and Missouri leave the Big 12 for the SEC, Nebraska for the Big Ten, and Colorado for the Pac-12. The pair of Florida State and Clemson have typically been thrown together as an expansion candidate duo for the Big 12, SEC, and Big Ten. But to this point, the SEC has supposedly said it is fine where it sits now. The Big Ten will sell that message too with its last batch of expansion efforts, although it would be expected the Big Ten offices would at least entertain a phone call with Florida State leaders if the school came looking for a new home.

The Big 12 may be the most likely option for Florida State if the program does find a way out of the ACC, although it may lack the profits and revenue Florida State ultimately desires that would be offered with membership in the Big Ten or SEC.

This may ultimately lead to nothing if a court rules in favor of the ACC, and Florida State willingly signing off on the conference’s grant of rights and withdraw terms seems like a possible open-and-shut case to some, in which case Florida State’s frustrations will continue and grow louder and louder.

But if Florida State gets its way, could the school be the next big expansion move for the Big Ten?

RUMOR: Florida State working to leave ACC for Big Ten within next month

Rumor has it that Florida State will be heading to the Big Ten

Rumor has it Florida State will be heading to the Big Ten.

Conference expansion and realignment has been major news storyline across  college football for the last two years, and it appears another big shake-up is on the way. On Friday, a report emerged that Florida State is working to leave the ACC and join the Big Ten within “the next month.”

Blue Bloods Bias shared a report on the potential massive realignment news (which can be found below) on Friday, and it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise honestly. It’s been no secret Florida State has wanted to get out of the ACC, and the latest College Football Playoff snub may have been the breaking point for the Seminoles.

The Big Ten is set to add four teams in the upcoming year: USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington. The additions will push the league to 18 teams. Should Florida State actually head to the Big Ten, my assumption would be another program would join them to make a 20-team conference. North Carolina, Miami (Florida), Virginia, Clemson and, of course, Notre Dame would be top contenders to pair with the Seminoles.

Click on the tweet below to learn more about this rumor and the potential of the Big Ten adding Florida State soon:

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