What’s next for the Big Ten? Five bold predictions for conference expansion (including Notre Dame)

It was last weekend that the Big Ten expanded once again, raiding the Pac-12 to grab Oregon and Washington. But where do things go from here for the Big Ten and the rest of college sports? And what happens to Notre Dame in all of this?

The only thing that seems certain in all of this, is that nothing is really certain. It seems like half of the Power Five programs not in the Big Ten or the SEC are possible targets for a further move in conference expansion.

Including basically the entirety of the ACC, which is tied to a terrible television deals that is now dwarfed by the Big Ten’s numbers.

Scroll down and check out five (mostly) bold predictions about where things end up with conference expansion.

5. The Big Ten isn’t done

There is some buzz that the Big Ten will stand pat in conference expansion, but that defies not just conventional wisdom but any kind of wisdom. The Big Ten can’t lose any leverage in all of this, and it knows it.

If they could nab a top program from the ACC or the Big 12, and don’t act on it, there could be another power shift in college football. Or at the very least, the Big Ten would lose ground both on the field and in terms of getting even more leverage for their next television contract.

The Big Ten will add two more teams, at a minimum. But it won’t be standing still.

4. The Big Ten won’t be adding any more Pac-12 programs

Television is driving all of this (duh), and any future expansion of the Big Ten must make sense from that perspective.

The idea of going after Stanford (and to a lesser extent Cal) has a certain appeal to it, but it really doesn’t make sense at this juncture for the Big Ten. Especially when looking at pods or divisions, expansion on the West Coast really doesn’t make sense for the Big Ten.

And none of the four remaining teams outside Stanford and Cal make any sense…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/next-big-ten-five-bold-040107729.html?src=rss

Author : Rutgers Wire

Publish date : 2023-08-12 04:01:07

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