Power rankings: What programs are atop the Big Ten’s conference expansion wishlist?
The world of conference expansion never really slows down. It just keeps plugging along. Where the Big Ten goes is likely to be the domino that creates a chain reaction throughout college football.
After all, last summer, the Big Ten created a domino effect when it raided the Pac-12 for USC and UCLA. And all the recent buzz is that the Big Ten may not be done plucking the Pac-12’s best programs.
So where could the Big Ten turn to next? There are a variety of different options in play here. Keep in mind a few things:
Every Big Ten school, upon entry into the conference, has been an AAU member. This matters.
The Big Ten is likely to add two more schools from west of the Rocky Mountains to balance the conference.
That doesn’t mean there won’t be any other expansion, simply that targeting the West Coast seems likely.
Television market size matters.
Football matters almost as much as television sets. Basketball is a distant third in the priorities.
Scroll down and check out where things are being projected to shake out for the Big Ten’s next big move in the conference expansion sweepstakes!
10. Boston College
Boston College has a couple things working against it. First, it isn’t an AAU member institution. Second, it isn’t exactly strong in football or men’s basketball right now.
Those aren’t knock out factors (although the AAU membership might be), but it certainly hurts Boston College’s resume for the Big Ten.
Now, BC has a strong reputation in football and historically has been a solid team in the ACC and prior to that in the Big East. They could fit into the Big Ten and would bring a top 10 media market, but there are just too many hurdles to clear on this one.
Without AAU, this one is admittedly a long shot. But Boston is the seventh largest television market in the nation. Would the Big Ten overlook AAU status given that Boston College is a prestigious academic school in its own right?
9. Stanford
With the implosion of the Pac-12, or at the very least what appears to be a tarnishing of the conference, Stanford is certainly a potential prize for the BIg Ten.
It would add a solid enough football team and some outstanding teams in the Olympic sports. It also would bring the Bay Area television market, which might not automatically come with USC and UCLA joining.
Now, football is a concern (hasn’t made a bowl game since 2018) and men’s basketball has one NCAA Tournament since 2008. But the television market and relative strength in other sports certainly helps the pitch.
The Bay Area is the nation’s sixth-largest television market. The folks at Big Ten headquarters in Chicago are keenly aware of thos.
If the Big Ten ever went the route of geographic pods, Stanford would certainly make sense.
8. Duke
While football is a so-so bag, the bigger seller here for the Big Ten is obviously men’s basketball and what is a very strong presence in several non-revenue sports (such as soccer, lacrosse).
Duke is a national brand that is bigger nationally then it is in North Carolina. While capturing North Carolina would be nice for television market purposes, adding Duke would resonate throughout the men’s basketball world.
Duke is a blue blood and perenially a top-ranked team. Factor in their academic excellence and this makes a lot of sense for the Big Ten.
Now would Duke leave the ACC? They would like to stay but Duke doesn’t want to be left holding the scraps of the conference. If the Big Ten makes sense – and it does – it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Duke bolt with some other teams like…
7. Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech has struggled in recent years on the men’s basketball side and football (no bowl games over the last four years). But it could help deliver the Atlanta television market (top 10 in the nation) and is an AAU member.
If the Big Ten is serious about making a push into the South, then going after Georgia Tech is an intriguing idea. Much like adding Rutgers and Maryland, this move would be all about nabbing a prestigious and coveted television market.
Can football get there in the Big Ten? Probably not. Does it matter? Probably not.
6. Colorado
There is excitement about Colorado football with the arrival of head coach Deion Sanders. What Colorado brings to the table is a top 20 television market and a football program that is currently hot and exciting.
Being able to tap into a young city in Denver could be enticing for the Big Ten. Also since Denver dominates the Rocky Mountain region, it is a media market that expands well beyond the borders of Colorado.
If Colorado football can become relevant again, then the Big Ten would have to have a certain level of intrigue. Oh, and Colorado is an AAU member as well.
There’s lots of talk about Colorado making a move to the Big XII, which makes a ton of sense. But the Big Ten, given the connection with Nebraska, makes some sense too.
5. Arizona and Kansas (tie)
Why isn’t Arizona generating as much Big Ten interest as Oregon and Washington? They check off a lot of boxes. Same thing with Kansas.
These are two basketball schools. And while football drives the bus, basketball does matter.
AAU. Big television markets within the state. Interest in leaving the Pac-12. And a basketball program that resonates nationally (football seems to be pointed up and could be bowl eligible in 2023).
Arizona can and should be in a strong spot to generate Big Ten interest. The presence of the Phoenix markets as well as Scottsdale and Tucson should help their credentials.
Factor in that Kansas was a feel-good story last year in football and suddenly, their credentials are looking pretty good. They can bring in the Kansas City television market, a sizable one, and are also an AAU member.
4. Virginia
Despite being a southern school, Virginia has the look and feel of being a Big Ten member. From their AAU status to strong athletic programs (basketball, wrestling, baseball and soccer), Virginia would be a huge get for the Big Ten.
The size of the state is another selling point for Virginia, with decent media markets in Richmond and the Tidewater area (Chesapeake, Norfolk and Virginia Beach). Not to mention adding more homes in and around Washington D.C.
Football has had their ups and downs and likely would struggle a bit in the Big Ten. But the overall direction of the program is solid as is everything that the Cavaliers add with their other sports programs as well as academically.
3. North Carolina
North Carolina, much like Virginia (and perhaps even more so when it comes to the Tar Heels), feels like a Big Ten school. There are high academics, AAU membership, strong basketball programs and a football team that is rising steadily and fast under head coach Mack Brown.
North Carolina is a national program and fanbase. Not like Duke necessarily but certainly a huge brand. Add in the outstanding athletic program beyond football and basketball and the Tar Heels are a huge potential get for some conference.
Geographically, they belong in the ACC or the SEC. But if the ACC evaporates, then the Big Ten is likely the best fit for the culture of Chapel Hill.
2. Miami
Recently, Miami became an AAU member, opening the door for what might just be an inevitable move to the Big Ten.
Miami is a football school and would bring a huge television market in southern Florida. Like Duke and North Carolina, they are in many ways a national brand.
Miami has strong men’s and women’s basketball teams and historically has been powerful in baseball. This could be a very interesting pursuit for the Big Ten because on many, many levels, there is a strong fit here for both the conference and the school.
1. Oregon and Washington...and Notre Dame
Let’s get this out of the way: Notre Dame is the biggest brand in college sports. If Notre Dame wanted to join the Big Ten tomorrow, the conference would include them in their 2024 schedule.
But Notre Dame isn’t going anywhere…not right now. But if the Fighting Irish wanted in, the Big Ten would make it happen.
Which leads to Oregon and Washington, who reportedly have been vetted by the Big Ten. That would be considered promising, right?
Conventional wisdom holds that the Big Ten’s next targets for expansion will be Oregon and Washington. Both are strong football programs in national markets. Adding both makes sense.
As much sense as Miami? Probably not. Miami (and North Carolina and Virginia for that matter) offer more than the Pac-12 schools. But adding Oregon and Washington provides some much-needed geographical balance to the conference and helps the Big Ten dominate the West Coast.
It is likely easier at this point for the Big Ten to add the two Pac-12 schools than to begin raiding the ACC. Which is why Oregon and Washington are atop the power rankings.
