Big ten expansion
The Big Ten, one of the country’s biggest and best college football conferences, became even more significant. Last summer, it was announced that the conference would be expanding to include Nebraska and Rutgers, expanding the number of teams to 14 total and making it the largest conference in the country. This means more games for fans to enjoy and more opportunities for B1G players and coaches to shine on the national stage. The Big Ten already has seven Heisman Trophy winners, second only to the SEC’s eight, so Big Ten expansion will only make things better on that front as well.
Big Ten Expansion: What Does It Mean For College Football?
The Big Ten Expansion Conference is set to expand, adding Maryland and Rutgers. This game will make the conference one of the most powerful in college football. Why are these two schools being added? Is this a sign of things to come? So, here are the Top 10 programs that should join the Big Ten in further expansion, according to FiveThirtyEight.
Notre Dame
The Maryland Terrapins are also the newest addition to the ACC. The University of Maryland, College Park, is one of the top research schools in the country. The school is also known for its engineering and computer science programs. Furthermore, it has a rich football tradition. Some notable alumni include Larry Fitzgerald Jr., Owen Daniels, LaDainian Tomlinson, Jesse Palmer, Torrey Smith, and Chris Davis. In addition, they’ve won multiple national championships in various sports, such as lacrosse (4), women’s soccer (1), and baseball (2).
- Sports Score:77
- “Fit” Score:49
- Market Score:93
- Total Composite Score:73
North Carolina
In the summer of 1953, eighteen Ohio State athletic staff members and many more from around the country gathered in Chicago for a three-day conference. In fact, for the first time, the word athletic was mentioned in association with an assistant coach. However, it wasn’t until a few years later that college football teams began to increase their full-time coaching staff from one to two. The Ohio State Buckeyes were one of these teams. Urban Meyer is their head coach, who has been with them since 2012.
- Sports Score:61
- “Fit” Score: 73
- Market Score: 71
- Total Composite Score:68
Oregon
The University of Oregon is also the one Pac-12 school that is not in the Big Ten. The Pac-12 has been expanding recently, with Utah and Colorado joining the conference. It would make sense for Oregon to join the Big Ten as well. Right now, they are a member of a much less prestigious conference.
- Sports Score:60
- “Fit” Score:63
- Market Score:77
- Total Composite Score:67
Florida State
The University of Florida is also one of the public schools in Florida that top students and athletes often overlook. However, this school has many students who are not interested in sports but want to be successful and do well academically. The University of Florida’s academics department has a lot to offer its students, with professors who are experts in their field or have a ton of experience as an educator. In addition, the engineering program at UF is one of the best programs on campus because this major will allow students to work directly with some of the most technologically advanced equipment in the nation.
- Sports Score:55
- “Fit” Score:58
- Market Score: 82
- Total Composite Score:65
Washington
There are also many possible outcomes to the Big Ten’s decision to expand by two or four teams. The first and most obvious consequence is that more teams to the conference. The second, however, is that the conference will be less balanced because the increased number of teams will create more imbalanced schedules. Finally, the third consequence is that there could be a diminished quality of play in the league due to increased competition for spots in bowl games and other national titles.
- Sports Score:49
- “Fit” Score:83
- Market Score:64
- Total Composite Score:65
Clemson
The Clemson Tigers are also now one of the newest members of the Big Ten Expansion. The announcement was made on Sunday, Sept 2, and will take effect in 2024. The Tigers had been in the Atlantic Coast Conference since 1953 and are a founding member of that conference. Clemson became independent following the 2015 season but maintained its relationship with the ACC through a partnership that includes joint marketing, scheduling, and some championship events. President Clements said we are excited to join the Big Ten Conference and look forward to partnering with our new colleagues.
This is an exciting time for Clemson Athletics, and we’re looking forward to what this move will bring for the university and our student-athletes!
- Sports Score:57
- “Fit” Score:44
- Market Score:75
- Total Composite Score:59
Utah
The University of Utah is also a general research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is also one of the top five universities in the United States, has over 100 majors to choose from, and ranks 14th among public universities. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by Brigham Young, leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
- Sports Score:50
- “Fit” Score:61
- Market Score: 50
- Total Composite Score:54
Miami (FL)
In the early months of the year, Miami (FL) announced they were interested in joining the Big Ten conference. They even had a pitch video shown to all Big Ten member schools and later uploaded to Youtube. The pitch video included ways they could work with some other schools at the conference.
- Sports Score:48
- “Fit” Score: 40
- Market Score: 72
- Total Composite Score:53
Stanford
The Big Ten Conference was an athletic conference in 1896. Originally it consisted of the following schools: Michigan, Ohio State, Minnesota, Illinois, Purdue, and Wisconsin. From the early 1920s to 1945, the conference expanded to include more schools: Iowa (1921), Indiana (1928), and Michigan State (1947). The conference has been debating whether or not it should expand its membership, and now 11 schools have been mentioned as possible candidates.
- Sports Score:59
- “Fit” Score:64
- Market Score:35
- Total Composite Score:53
California
Nov 3, 2018; Pullman, Washington; California Golden Bears helmet poses during a football match against the Washington State Cougars in the double half at Martin Stadium. The Cougars beat 19-13. James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
- Sports Score: 44
- “Fit” Score:87
- Market Score: 24
- Total Composite Score:52
