What’s next for Big Ten, Pac-12 and Big 12 in college football expansion?

What schools could the Big Ten still add?

There is one school at the top of the wish list for the Big Ten in terms of expansion: Notre Dame.

It appeared that once UCLA and USC left the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten that it would make perfect sense if Washington and Oregon followed them to the Big Ten. However, the Big Ten by many accounts is waiting to hear if Notre Dame will join the conference before they expand any further.

AAU Member: No

Top 20 Revenue School: Yes (#8)

Top 40 Academic National University: Yes (#19)

Top 20 tv/streaming market: No (#98)

Notre Dame is not an AAU member and barely resides in a TV/streaming market in the top 100 but there is no school that the Big Ten wants more than Notre Dame. They are a top 20 nationally ranked university and a top 10 revenue generating school and any conference would welcome them to join their conference. The Fighting Irish are a perfect geographical match for the Big Ten as two schools in the conference reside in the state of Indiana and Notre Dame has a huge following nationwide. The Fighting Irish do compete in the Big Ten conference in hockey and the Big Ten has been trying to get Notre Dame to join their conference for decades.

The Fighting Irish do value their independence and have their own TV/streaming contract with NBC. However, with the possibility of two super conferences being formed between the Big Ten and the SEC, the Fighting Irish may have no choice but to join a conference in football like they did for the 2020 season when they joined the ACC for that season. Notre Dame does compete fully in the ACC conference for virtually every sport but football and hockey so there is a possibility they can join the ACC full time for football. But, it appears if not now, in a year or two Notre Dame will eventually join the Big Ten as a full fledge member.

AAU Member: Yes

Top 20 Revenue School: No (#63)

Top 40 National University: Yes (#38)

Top 20 tv/streaming market: Yes (#7)

Some may be a little bit taken back by hearing Georgia Tech instead of schools like Washington and Oregon being mentioned for serious consideration for Big Ten expansion. However, they shouldn’t because the Yellow Jackets gets the Big Ten into the south and more importantly, SEC territory. Georgia Tech also is an AAU member, a prestigious academic institution, and is in a top-eight TV/streaming market. Yes, the Yellow Jackets have not had much success in football and they don’t generate a ton of money for their athletic department for a power five conference school but if Notre Dame joins the Big Ten, then expect Georgia Tech to become a member of the Big Ten conference as well.

AAU Member: Yes

Top 20 Revenue School: No (#50)

Top 40 National University: Yes (#6 tied)

Top 20 tv/streaming market: Yes (#6)

Why Stanford? Many reasons why and let’s begin that Stanford is the most difficult university in the United State of America to get accepted into and was named the No. 1 college for student athletes in America. It is also located in the sixth-largest TV/streaming market and as UCLA and USC bring in the southern California markets, Stanford brings in the northern California markets as UCLA and Stanford are a five and half hour car ride from one another.

The Big Ten, as mentioned many times before, values academic standings of universities that they are thinking of adding more than any conference outside of the Ivy League. The Cardinal have a strong football tradition and have had success on the football field, so if the Big Ten were to add Stanford over Washington and Oregon, don’t be surprised.