
The Big Ten officially announced its four new members, each of which brings some excitement to the conference. But which one are you most excited to join?
These are no Rutgers and Maryland. On Friday, the Big Ten officially announced the additions of USC, UCLA, Washington, and Oregon, capping off a surreal process that at one time sounded like little more than fan fiction on a message board. While an 18-team Big Ten is going to take some time getting used to, there is no argument that these four schools add a ton of history, competition, and quality to the conference.
The @bigten just got B1GGER #B1GWelcome pic.twitter.com/dped09OAvF
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) August 2, 2024
Simply put, these are four of the biggest brands in college athletics outside of the Big Ten and SEC. While college football — and therefore the rest of the NCAA landscape — is likely to undergo even more changes, the conferences have no choice but to gobble up as many top-tier brands as possible. As a result, here we are.
Which new Big Ten school are you most excited about?
The initial announcement to first bring in USC and UCLA was a no-brainer. A football blue blood and basketball blue blood, respectively, always will level up a conference. While there was resistance to Washington and Oregon, they do make sense as well, helping the two Los Angeles schools be less isolated, and performing well in the Big Ten’s biggest focus area: football.
There is an argument to be made that Oregon is the best two-sport school of the bunch, but my answer absolutely is USC. Football rules the day and this is a historic brand with a great stadium and plenty of feelings when it comes to Michigan. Basketball is not elite, but it should provide some interesting games. The only one of the four I am not that hyped about is Washington despite last season, just because the brand seems lesser and the basketball has not been great. Still, this is a very attractive quartet to add to the Big Ten.
What do you think? Who are you happiest to have join the party? Let us know in the comments below!
