Three other programs the Big Ten should poach
By Ryan Stano
It’s conference expansion time yet again. The SEC is getting stronger with Texas and Oklahoma joining in a few years. Now, the Big Ten is getting stronger after adding USC and UCLA. The Ohio State football program will have two new rivals in the conference in 2024 when they are added.
If you think that the Big Ten is done adding teams then you haven’t been paying attention to how college football has been trending the last few years. The conference is definitely looking for more programs to add to help increase the TV money that they will be getting in the new deal.
The new media deal was already reported to be around $1 billion. That number will now increase with USC and UCLA joining the fold. The number would only go up by adding other programs to the conference as well. That’s something that’s very enticing to the Big Ten.
The rest of the Pac 12, the ACC, and the Big 12 are on notice. The “Alliance” is no longer. Now, the Big Ten and SEC are looking to be in as powerful positions as possible moving forward when it comes to media rights deals. That means adding more programs in more TV markets.
There are three specific programs that the Big Ten should look to add to the conference. Make no mistake, they will likely add more than three. I’d actually be surprised if the Big Ten isn’t the Big Twenty here soon, but these three programs are the most important to try to grab.
The Big Ten should try to poach Oregon next
The first program that the Big Ten should look to grab is Oregon. They have a lot of value in both football and basketball because of their past success with both programs. Oregon also has the Nike money which would be very enticing for the Big Ten too.
Oregon would give the Big Ten the Pacific Northwest TV market. That would be very helpful while trying to renegotiate the media deal that was supposed to be finished later this summer. Those rights are obviously on hold if the conference adds new members before the football season starts.
I think Oregon would be an excellent addition to the conference with the way things are shaking out. It would also give USC and UCLA some familiarity as new members. I’m sure the Big Ten is talking with Oregon about this very scenario right now.
The second program that the Big Ten should try to poach is a lot closer to home.