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3 thoughts on Big Ten’s expansion and future of college football

By Chris Peterson

General view of the line of scrimmage of USC vs UCLA. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
General view of the line of scrimmage of USC vs UCLA. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JULY 22: The Big Ten Conference logo is seen on the field during the Big Ten Football Media Days at Lucas Oil Stadium on July 22, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JULY 22: The Big Ten Conference logo is seen on the field during the Big Ten Football Media Days at Lucas Oil Stadium on July 22, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Super conferences in college football

This isn’t going to be the last we hear about expansion. This move is set to take place in 2024 and just like the Texas/OU moves, there are going to be major ramifications.

For starters, the remaining teams in the Pac-12 have to figure out what to do and fast. The first and most logical move is adding Boise State. The Broncos have built a solid brand in college football, as well as a competitive team.

San Diego State also makes sense. The Pac-12 could also try to steal other teams away from the Big 12 such as Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Kansas, Baylor, TCU, and Texas Tech.

Heck, if college football is really going the route of the super conference, maybe the Pac-12 and Big 12 will just combine and form their own 20-team league with some tweaks.

Or, Oregon, Washington, Utah, and, Boise State or Colorado, could all join the Big Ten. It would have 20 teams and most major cities at that point. It’s a wild thought but this move was wild in its own right. The Big Ten plus LA?

The ACC should be worried too. The SEC is surely going to make a run at Clemson, Florida, Miami, and maybe more if it wants to expand. And if the SEC and Big Ten elect to stay at 16, the ACC should be proactive about adding Notre Dame and maybe even UCF to get to 16 too.

West Virginia could be another target. That would reunite Pitt and West Virginia and would make more sense geographically.

However, none of this is about geography, it’s about money and TV deals, so the future is hard to predict. What’s not hard to predict is that Notre Dame could be the next domino.

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