Tag: Big Ten Expansion

Which teams are most likely to join Oregon in the Big Ten down the road?

If the Big Ten were to further expand down the road, who might they go after? We’ve got a few ideas.

Though it appears this round of conference realignment and expansion is over for the time being, I would be willing to put a lot of money on the notion that once next summer rolls around, we will once again be talking about which team is going where.

In the world of college football, there has been so much movement over the past decade that it feels like nothing will stop until we eventually get two major 30-team conferences that look like the NFL rather than collegiate athletics. There is also the idea of college football adopting a relegation system, much like European soccer, which is starting to catch on with fans.

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Regardless, it’s clear that the Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies joining the Big Ten this past month was not the finale for the conference when it comes to expansion. There are major brands in the ACC that seem to be uneasy with their current situation, and they could be gearing up for a jump in the near future.

Before we dive into potential expansion candidates, let’s first look at what the Big Ten’s position on all of this has been.

  • It has to be a culture fit, and that means it would be really helpful if a program were an AAU member. Basically, that means academically, a program would need to be a certified research institution. Every single Big Ten program is currently an AAU member (including those from the West Coast), aside from Nebraska which was when it joined the league. Here is a list of those institutions here if you are interested.
  • The Big Ten doesn’t want to be viewed as a conference destroyer, tearing others in the nation down while they accumulate power. However, if an opportunity arises to expand, they will jump at it, as they did with Oregon and Washington.
  • Notre Dame would be an exception to anything else out there. The Irish are the golden ticket for every conference to add, and they’ve been elusive thus far. That could change with the shifting landscape in the future, however.

With all of that said, here are the 10 most likely teams to jump to the Big Ten when further expansion and realignment takes place.

Ranking 10 teams that could join the Big Ten in further expansion

Which two other teams would you like to see still join the Big Ten to make it an even 20? #B1G

The Big Ten has gone on an expansion spree over the last couple of years, adding UCLA and USC last offseason and bringing Oregon and Washington on just over a year later.

The Big Ten has 18 teams scheduled to be members starting next year, and nobody would be surprised if more programs joined the conference before all the dust settles on this college football extreme makeover.

But the four teams talked about the most on the West Coast out of the Pac-12 are the four teams that ended up singing kumbaya with the fine folks in the middle of the country (oh, and Rutgers and Maryland). So, this is now a moving target if the league were to add a couple of more to make it an even 20. Still, would anyone be surprised?

Before we throw caution to the wind, let’s first understand what the Big Ten’s position on all of this has been.

  • It has to be a culture fit, and that means it would be really helpful if a program were an AAU member. Basically, that means academically, a program would need to be a certified research institution. Every single Big Ten program aside from Nebraska is an AAU member (including those from the West Coast). Nebraska was one when it joined the league. We have a list of those institutions here if you are interested.
  • The Big Ten will not expand for sake of conference imperialism, but if there’s an opportunity to grab a market it isn’t in, the league will listen — and act.
  • Notre Dame would be an exception to anything else out there. The Irish have so far given a super-wedgie to the Big Ten, but the conference would listen if there was a change of heart.

Here’s a look at the 10 programs most likely to enter the game of conference expansion musical chairs if the Big Ten were to add a couple of more. We go from least likely to most — of course, all in our opinion.

And while we’re at it, if you want another perspective on teams that could be ripe for more Big Ten expansion, check out our friends at Rutgers Wire.

Updated Big Ten recruiting rankings with four teams from West Coast included, mid-August

A look at how the 2024 recruiting classes stack up in the Big Ten with the inclusion of the four new West Coast teams. #B1G

We are one week from the start of the college football season, but the 2024 recruiting cycle continues to spin. We like to look at the 247Sports team composite for the recruiting classes of all the teams in the Big Ten, but we can now expand that.

With the addition of Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington in the conference, what’s being put together now with recruiting classes will matter when the four former Pac-12 teams begin play in the Big Ten in 2024.

So how do teams like USC and Washington stack up with historically good recruiting teams in the league such as Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State? Well, we’re glad you asked.

Here is a look at the updated Big Ten recruiting rankings of all 18 future teams for the 2024 class.

What joining the Big Ten means from an Oregon fan and media perspective

We sat down with @zacharycneel of @DucksWire to talk about how Oregon fans and media members feel about joining the Big Ten. We also give you a little more about the Oregon program like best places to eat in Eugene, traditions, best players, and more. #B1G #GoBucks

The Big Ten expanded again to make a pod of four teams on the West Coast. Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington will begin play in 2024, so developments are moving fast and we are left to figure out what it all means.

For Ohio State and Big Ten fans, there’s plenty of reasons to get excited about these additions. Of course, there are also reservations because of tradition being shucked aside and all that comes with such a change at breakneck speed.

We have colleagues who used to call the now defunct Pac-12 home, and we thought it would be good to check in with them to see how this news is being ingested.

We’re starting with our friends at Ducks Wire to see what the temperature is up in the Pacific Northwest. What’s the excitement level over joining the Big Ten? What do Ducks’ fans think of Ohio State? And what are some things OSU fans should know about Oregon?

Ducks Wire publisher/editor Zachary Neel sat down with us to answer some questions that may interest you on those topics and more and we are sharing his comments with you.

And, if you missed it, we did the same for Oregon fans to let them know a little bit more about life in the Big Ten, some things about Ohio State and what Buckeye fans think of Nike U.

Ranking all 18 Big Ten football stadiums by seating capacity after addition of West Coast teams

Where do the stadiums of the four new Big Ten teams on the West Coast fit into the Big Ten with stadium capacity? #B1G

The Big Ten has some of the largest, most iconic stadiums not only in college football, but also in the country. From the famed Horseshoe at Ohio State, to Beaver Stadium in Happy Valley at Penn State, to Michigan’s “Big House,” the scenes inside stadiums in the Midwest don’t take a backseat to any other conference. Now, with the addition of four more stadiums with the expansion of Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington, there are other venues to add into the mix.

The conference actually boasts three of the top four largest stadiums in college football — all exceed 100,000 seating capacity, with Ohio Stadium being right there.

The “Ole Horseshoe” on the banks of the Olentangy in Columbus, as the late, famed broadcaster Keith Jackson would say, is a staple of college football. Many used it as a template for their own designs. It was completed in 1922 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service on March 22, 1974.

But there are also those that aren’t massive and venerable and feel more like a large high school atmosphere. Some are more like a bandbox with opposing fans traveling to gobble up what little space there is. Also, what about those stadiums on the West Coast? How do those fit into the equation and atmosphere?

Here is a listing of all 18 Big Ten stadiums after expansion, and their seating capacities for you to impress your friends with should the topic ever arise (and if not, find a way to slide it into the conversation).

WATCH: MSU football coach Mel Tucker comments on Big Ten expansion

Watch as Mel Tucker gives his comments on the further expansion in the Big Ten:

The landscape of the Big Ten and college football as a whole in changing, whether fans like it or not. Expansion and conference realignment is at the center of every collegiate sport discussion. It is confirmed that the Big Ten is adding USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington to the conference, but it may not end there, and the conference could look to add more teams.

Mel Tucker was asked about expansion in his latest press conference, and much to some fan’s dismay, talked about how he likes the expansion.

You can watch his full comments via X, formerly Twitter, courtesy of Spartans Illustrated:

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on Twitter @Cory_Linsner.

Nebraska AD makes statement that further conference expansion is expected

The Big Ten has been at the center of recent conference expansion and realignment, and it appears more changes will be coming

The Big Ten has been at the center of recent conference expansion and realignment, and it appears more changes will be coming.

Nebraska Athletic Director Trev Alberts recently spoke with Amie Just of the Lincoln Journal Star about the recent moves the Big Ten has made in adding Oregon and Washington. As you should know by now, both the Ducks and Huskies will join the Big Ten along USC and UCLA in 2024. Those moves will push the Big Ten to 18 teams and from what Alberts told Just, it sounds like he expects that number to grow even bigger.

See in the tweet below how Alberts envisions the future of the Big Ten and how he expects more expansion to occur:

The statement from Alberts isn’t directly noting the Big Ten is actively looking to add more teams but really comes off as a warning to fans who aren’t happy about the recent moves. Alberts is essentially giving everyone a heads-up that they should expect more changes to come in the future.

We at Spartans Wire also expect more changes to occur within the Big Ten and even put out a list of potential schools the league will pursue. Check out that post below:

Who’s next for the Big Ten? Ranking schools the league may consider if expansion continues

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on Twitter @RobertBondy5.

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Cal and Stanford remain expansion free agents as ACC stalls on potential expansion talks

The ACC has reportedly hit some snags on adding Cal and Stanford. Will the Big Ten swoop in and grab them?

If the Big Ten has an eye on one more possible expansion to the west coast, then the news out of the ACC could be worth noting. According to multiple reports, the ACC’s discussions on exploring the potential additions of Cal and Stanford have hit a bit of a rough patch as the conference fails to collectively agree on the value of adding two of the four remaining schools from the Pac-12.

While Cal and Stanford would be great academic additions to the ACC, and the Olympic sports power that would be added with the two schools is unquestioned, the financial boost that would be generated is not nearly attractive enough to enough schools currently in the ACC to move the process any further.

According to a report from ESPN, one school that has been pushing hard for the additions of Cal and Stanford has been Notre Dame. While the Irish are a football independent and showing no signs of being ready to abandon that, Notre Dame is a member of the ACC in all other sports (except for ice hockey, where they are a Big Ten member). The same report suggests Notre Dame’s vote has been scrutinized because of its football independence.

“But multiple athletic directors have questioned why anyone in the league would listen to Notre Dame because the Irish remain so steadfast in remaining independent,” ESPN reports.

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Reading deeper into the ESPN report seems to suggest the ACC is exploring this potential expansion move almost for the sake of expansion to keep up in the numbers race. And that is probably not the most convincing reason to expand.

The ACC also has a deadline approaching for schools to inform the conference of any intent to leave the conference. That deadline is Tuesday, Aug. 15. Florida State has been the most vocal about their uncertainty of the long-term sustainability as a member of the ACC. So if the Big Ten is looking to get to 20 members, the next few days could be wildly entertaining.

If Cal and Stanford are not going to be invited to join the ACC, then the Big Ten could still be the most logical landing spot for the two schools. The Big Ten is already adding USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington in 2024. The additions of Cal and Stanford would not move the needle much more on the football side of things, but there does not seem to be a better landing spot for the two Pac-12 schools than the Big Ten.

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Who’s next for the Big Ten? Ranking schools the league may consider if expansion continues

If the Big Ten were to continue expanding, who would they most likely consider adding to the league?

Who’s next for the Big Ten?

That’s the million (well, billion) dollar question after the Big Ten and Big 12 made splashes last week in conference realignment. The Big Ten added Oregon and Washington, while the Big 12 has added Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado in the past few weeks. These moves have left the Pac-12 down to just four schools (Stanford, Cal, Oregon State and Washington State) and have once again shifted the landscape of college athletics — most notably football.

But are is the Big Ten done? The league will be up to 18 schools next fall with the additions of USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington, and many are speculating whether or not the conference will look to further expand or stay at 18.

I personally believe the conference will at least reach 20 schools so that means it’s time to take a look at who could be those two (or maybe more) schools for the Big Ten. Check out my rankings below for who I believe the Big Ten will consider if further expansion is in the cards for the league:

Power ranking all 18 Big Ten football programs after latest expansion news

It was a hard task, but we took a stab at it. #B1G

Not all college football programs are created equal. We are perhaps, reminded of that even more with the latest round of league expansion.

The richest and most powerful programs are gobbled up to enhance other leagues’ pedigrees. Others are left in a cruel game of musical chairs in which teams will most likely be left without a seat at the big boy table.

Right now, it’s the Big Ten, SEC and, to a lesser extent, the Big 12, doing the hunting and consumption of programs looking for a better and sweeter deal. ACC, you are on the clock. So much so, that after the latest news of Oregon and Washington joining UCLA and USC in the Big Ten, the Pac-12 is most likely going the way of the rotary phone save for Bruce Willis hopping on an asteroid and saving the presumed crash, burn and annihilation of the conference, which is left with just four members.

Even within the Big Ten, the most prestigious cash cows are pulling some in the rear. Now that the conference is set to have 18 members battling from coast-to-coast, and sea to shining microplastic-riddled warming sea, we thought we’d rank each Big Ten football program based on its value to the league.

We count down from 18, all the way to No. 1 in our Big Ten football program ranking.