Top 17 Big Ten expansion candidates for consideration
There are officially no limits on schools that can be considered expansion candidates for the Big Ten after extending invitations to join to USC and UCLA. With the Big Ten set to welcome the two iconic Pac-12 programs in 2024, the future of the Big Ten has never looked more open and there are so many directions the Big Ten could go next.
The Big Ten has made it a point to focus on schools that are members of the Association of American Universities when exploring potential expansion candidates. USC and UCLA are each members of the AAU, for example. But membership in the AAU is not necessarily a major deal-breaker, as is the case for Nebraska. Nebraska was voted into the conference when it was an AAU member, but the school lost its AAU affiliation months after heading to the Big Ten.
There are a number of AAU members not included in this list as they are current members or future members of the SEC. Of all the conferences out there, the SEC is likely the one conference that stands the least chance of having a school leave for another conference. The SEC is home to AAU members Florida, Missouri, and Texas A&M and Texas will soon join them.
This list of potential expansion targets for the Big Ten is based off the current membership of the AAU with one very notable exception. We may as well get that exception out of the way right now…
Notre Dame
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AAU member: No
Notre Dame is the biggest exception to the Big Ten’s ideal list of expansion candidates. The Big Ten has twice pursued the Fighting Irish over the years, but to no avail. Make no mistake, however, Notre Dame is an academic institution that is on par with those members of the AAU and would be one of the most natural fits into the Big Ten if the school opted to join the Big Ten.
Notre Dame may not be the national draw it once was, but the school now sees so many of its traditional rivals in the Big Ten. The mere threat of not being able to play them on a regular basis could be one of the factors that tips the Irish off the edge of football independence.
Oregon
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AAU member: Yes
Following the news that USC and UCLA were leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten, speculation about what Oregon does quickly fired up. Oregon may not necessarily bring the market size the Big Ten is looking for, but the Ducks have become a known and respected brand and they would help balance out the Big Ten’s new west coast presence.
And if the Big Ten does continue with westward expansion, there are a few more schools that should be considered.
Washington
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AAU member: Yes
If the Big Ten is adding Oregon too, then Washington would be the school that should be paired with them. The Huskies would give the Big Ten four west coast teams with a presence in the north and one in the south. Plus, the additions of Oregon and Washington would seize capitalize on the smaller yet potentially valuable Seattle and Portland markets.
Arizona
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AAU member: Yes
If we are sticking to AAU members from the Pac-12, then we should at least consider the possibility of Arizona. Arizona may be a tough sell for most, and the Wildcats may not be on any short list for Big Ten targets at this point. But they’re an AAU member with some access to the No. 11 Phoenix market.
Utah
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AAU member: Yes
Sticking in the Pac-12 and AAU members, how about one of the Pac-12’s newest memberS? Utah certainly brings a lot to the table as a growing program with growing success. The Utes just won the Pac-12 football championship last season and battled Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Utah is a school that has grown over the years from being a Mountain West Conference power to earning a spot in the Pac-12 to being one of the top programs in the conference.
Stanford
AP Photo/Chris O’Meara
AAU member: Yes
There may be one more Pac-12 fit for the Big Ten worth considering form the state of California. Stanford would be an easy fit into the Big Ten with USC and UCLA already heading to the conference, and the possibility of Oregon and Washignton joining them. Stanford sits in a terrific spot, although it may be lacking in football facilities.
But that No. 6 television market of San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose is sitting right there for the taking (unless the Big Ten feels USC and UCLA carry that enough already).
Colorado
Penn State safety Neal Smith shown Nov. 25, 1969, about to tie the school record with his 12th career interception. The pass was intended for Colorado halfback Monte Huber (42). (AP Photo)
AAU member: Yes
Another one of the Pac-12’s newest members, Colorado could start to make some sense for Big Ten expansion. The Buffs already have a history with current Big Ten member Nebraska, and it would help bridge the gap between the current Big Ten membership and USC and UCLA. This could even be more likely if the Big Ten manages to add Utah, as the two once were a package deal for the Pac-12. Adding Colorado and Utah at the same time could be an option for the Big Ten as well.
Kansas
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AAU member: Yes
There is no question that Kansas would fit right in with the Big Ten and add a college basketball powerhouse to the mix. But the years of conference realignment have shown Kansas doesn’t pack a punch when it comes to football and football ratings. That may be the biggest reason Kansas is not already a Big Ten member and it may be why Kansas gets left behind once again.
North Carolina and Duke
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AAU members: Yes
The inclusion of ACC members in this list is probably not worth the time considering the conference’s grant of rights terms in place with its members. Essentially, the grant of rights makes it fiscally irresponsible for any current ACC member to leave the conference for another until at least 2036. It would be a mammoth decision to leave the ACC with so much at stake in the budget.
But let’s toss that to the side for a moment and dip our toes into the ACC’s AAU membership. And let’s be honest, much like the Big Ten added USC and UCLA at the same time, the Big Ten would be getting North Carolina and Duke in a package deal. You don’t get one without the other at this point.
The other ACC options: Pitt, Virginia, Georgia Tech
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AAU members: Yes
For purely selfish reasons, the addition of Pitt would be incredibly fun from a Penn State perspective as it would renew the in-state rivalry on an annual basis. But the Big Ten doesn’t need Pitt to increase its viewing reach. It is already covered with Penn State and Ohio State in and around the Pittsburgh region.
Virginia doesn’t really add much to the Big Ten either. But Georgia Tech has the biggest card on the table nestled right in the Atlanta market, an area with as strong an SEC presence as you can imagine. As the two conferences appear on track to create a pair of dueling superconferences, Georgia Tech could be a nice asset for the Big Ten (and it’s one the SEC has no need for).
But those ACC grants of rights will be a major obstacle taking almost any ACC options out of the mix entirely.
One non-AAU ACC option: Syracuse
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AAU member: No
The limitations on Syracuse as a viable Big Ten expansion candidate have echoed here once again, but the grant of rights is a harsh limiting factor. But Syracuse would be a great fit in the Big Ten and would add another nice presence in the northeast to complement Penn State and Rutgers (and perhaps another expansion candidate to be mentioned soon).
TCU
AAU member: No
The Big Ten has planted a flag in the New York market and is ready to take over the Los Angeles market. It is already established in Chicago. But what about that lucrative Dallas-Fort Worth market?
This is where TCU could come into play as a possibility despite not being an AAU member. If the Big Ten really wants a piece of that southwest market, then TCU is the only real option to consider. And TCU has a responsibility to contemplate its place in the changing landscape of the college athletics world as well. With the Big 12 not at all what it once was once Oklahoma and Texas leave for the SEC (two schools specifically left out of this conversation just for that reason), TCU would be wise to start pitching itself to the Big Ten.
Army and Navy
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AAU members: No, but as American as they come
Imagine a world where the Big Ten is the home of the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry, USC-UCLA in the Rose Bowl, and the greatest college rivalry game there is, the Army-Navy Game.
The future of service academy football is not discussed enough as the college sports world continues to evolve. As history and tradition gets tossed aside amid conference expansion, the Army-Navy Game is a reminder that some traditions in the sport are not to be messed with. Even if the Big Ten managed to bring these two rival academies in as football-only members, it would be a massive win to be able to add the Army-Navy Game to its programming lineup in the media rights deal.
Feel free to throw Air Force into the mix if you want to keep the entire Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy under one roof (we know the Big Ten loves a good trophy game after all).
