Which teams are most likely to join Oregon in the Big Ten down the road?
Though it appears this round of conference realignment and expansion is over for the time being, I would be willing to put a lot of money on the notion that once next summer rolls around, we will once again be talking about which team is going where.
In the world of college football, there has been so much movement over the past decade that it feels like nothing will stop until we eventually get two major 30-team conferences that look like the NFL rather than collegiate athletics. There is also the idea of college football adopting a relegation system, much like European soccer, which is starting to catch on with fans.
Regardless, it’s clear that the Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies joining the Big Ten this past month was not the finale for the conference when it comes to expansion. There are major brands in the ACC that seem to be uneasy with their current situation, and they could be gearing up for a jump in the near future.
Before we dive into potential expansion candidates, let’s first look at what the Big Ten’s position on all of this has been.
It has to be a culture fit, and that means it would be really helpful if a program were an AAU member. Basically, that means academically, a program would need to be a certified research institution. Every single Big Ten program is currently an AAU member (including those from the West Coast), aside from Nebraska which was when it joined the league. Here is a list of those institutions here if you are interested.
The Big Ten doesn’t want to be viewed as a conference destroyer, tearing others in the nation down while they accumulate power. However, if an opportunity arises to expand, they will jump at it, as they did with Oregon and Washington.
Notre Dame would be an exception to anything else out there. The Irish are the golden ticket for every conference to add, and they’ve been elusive thus far. That could change with the shifting landscape in the future, however.
With all of that said, here are the 10 most likely teams to jump to the Big Ten when further expansion and realignment takes place.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
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Reasons for Joining: Any conference in the nation would leap at the opportunity to add Notre Dame. They are among the most elite brands in the nation, and one of the best academic institutes as well. The Fighting Irish have been independent in football for a long time, but at some point with the changing landscape, it seems that they will need to join a conference or be left behind when it comes to revenue.
Reasons Against Joining: It will likely come down to a decision between the Big Ten and SEC for Notre Dame. At the moment, they are a member of the ACC in most major sports outside of football, but if the ACC were to disband, the two major conferences would be in an arms race to grab the Fighting Irish. If the SEC comes calling, it would be hard to turn down.
North Carolina Tar Heels
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Reasons for Joining: Again, it seems like an SEC vs. Big Ten decision for North Carolina, but the politics and regionality seems to fit the Tar Heels better in the Midwest than in the South.
Reasons Against Joining: Depending on where other schools in the ACC end up going should the conference disband, it may have an impact on North Carolina. They have such deep rivalries with the likes of Duke and NC State that they may be encouraged to follow either of them to the SEC if that’s where they end up. Still, it feels like the Big Ten should be the heavy favorite here in terms of a landing spot.
Miami Hurricanes
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Reasons for Joining: If Miami were to join the Big Ten, it would be one of the biggest additions in terms of the market that it brings. On top of that, we all have seen the type of power and juice that the Hurricanes can bring to the table when they are clicking on the gridiron. Should they be looking for a new home, that is a slam-dunk pick.
Reasons Against Joining: Because of the regionality, the SEC makes a lot more sense for Miami than the Big Ten does. They would join Florida, Georgia, Auburn, and Alabama as teams from the deep south and be able to thrive in that environment.
Duke Blue Devils
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Reasons for Joining: It may not be the most attractive football addition, but if you are looking to up your prowess on the court, then adding Duke will do wonders for your conference. If you could get both the Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels to the Big Ten, that would be a massive get.
Reasons Against Joining: While Duke’s fanbase is large, the media market that they bring to the table isn’t anything special, and again, the football prowess leaves a lot to be desired. If they’re available, I think you take them, but there are better options out there for starters.
Virginia Cavaliers
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Reasons for Joining: Virginia feels like a great cultural fit for the Big Ten, bringing another school on the East Coast to the conference and giving the likes of Maryland and Penn State a solid new rival. While they haven’t been elite in football for a while, their success on the hardwood is certainly notable.
Reasons Against Joining: Again, the revenue is always a factor, and Virginia may not be the most profitable brand out there. They are also one of the top schools in the ACC, so they may balk at the idea of being a small fish in the large Big Ten pond.
Florida State Seminoles
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Reasons for Joining: When it comes to brands in the ACC, Florida State is among the biggest. They have a very successful football program and do well in other sports as well. Should the ACC break up, the Seminoles are likely one of the top teams on the market.
Reasons Against Joining: Much like Miami, the regionality of Florida State may make more sense in the SEC than it does in the Big Ten. That would likely cause an arms race between the two conferences trying to land this big of a fish.
Stanford Cardinal
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Reasons for Joining: Stanford is arguably the top-remaining brand out west, now that Oregon, Washington, USC, and UCLA have all left for the Big Ten. At the moment, they are sitting without a clear future, so adding their academics and overall sports success would be a no-brainer for the Big Ten in further expansion.
Reasons Against Joining: The Big Ten obviously already looked at the possibility of adding the Cardinal in this most recent round of expansion and decided to pass.
Clemson Tigers
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Reasons for Joining: Like Florida State and Miami, Clemson should be viewed as one of the biggest fish in the proverbial pond should it come about. They have had great football success over the last decade, and would automatically bring a significant revenue booster to the table in the Big Ten when it comes to fan engagement.
Reasons Against Joining: Clemson is seemingly on the line of being a better SEC fit or a better Big Ten fit. If the conference wants to extend into the South, then the Tigers would be a great addition, but this would be a tough one to outbid the SEC for.
California Golden Bears
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Reasons for Joining: If you’re looking at remaining brands on the West Coast who could give you something in the revenue department, then the Golden Bears are up there. They bring a nice media market to the table, but very little else when it comes to recent success in football.
Reasons Against Joining: Like with Stanford, the Big Ten obviously already looked at the prospect of adding California, and passed. That doesn’t mean they wouldn’t again look at them in the future, but obviously if it was a slam-dunk addition, it would have been done already.
Louisville Cardinals
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Reasons for Joining: The Cardinal bring a great basketball program to the table, and some solid history in the football world as well. It would help the Big Ten expand towards the South if they are looking to do that, and bring a solid media market to the table.
Reasons Against Joining: I could see Louisville going to the SEC if they were to be looking for a new home, since the South seems to be a better cultural fit for them in the long run.
