The Big Ten officially added four new members — USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington — on July 1. Credit: Reid Murray | Managing Editor for Design
True to its name, the Big Ten is undergoing big changes.
Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington are the four newest members of the 2024 Big Ten Conference. In addition to the new, 18-team Big Ten, the College Football Playoff will now feature 12 teams, compared to the previous four.
With four West Coast programs added to a primarily Midwest-to-East Coast conference, teams like the Buckeyes will now face 2,000-plus miles of travel across the country.
But four new schools in the Big Ten also bring increased competitiveness. In recent years, Ohio State’s toughest feat has been at the hands of its arch-rival, the Michigan Wolverines. But now, the Buckeyes will head to Eugene, Oregon Oct. 12 for a clash with the Ducks in what promises to be one of this season’s biggest games.
Northwestern has already gotten a bad taste of one of its new Big Ten opponents. The Washington Huskies played host to the Wildcats Saturday and downed them 24-5.
Now, rather than divisional winners squaring off in Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship game following the regular season, the monumental final battle will feature the two top-ranking teams in the Big Ten Conference, eliminating the traditional East and West divisions seen in past seasons.
The conference additions aren’t the only major change in college football, though.
Tripling the size of the College Football Playoff will provide the opportunity for multiple Big Ten schools to make the playoff each year.
For example, if the College Football Playoff was decided at the end of week four, the Big Ten would send No. 3 Ohio State, No. 8 Oregon and No. 9 Penn State to the postseason — a whopping three universities from the conference — with the potential for even more to compete in playoff games.
The Big Ten has never sent more than a single school to the College Football Playoff, meaning the new system creates the possibility of an in-conference postseason matchup — a first for the Big Ten.
The 12-team playoff could also pave the way for “Cinderella” runs to championships, allowing colleges that typically lack the talent to break into the top four a chance to finally shine.
Through the first 10 years of the College Football Playoff, Big Ten programs such as Indiana and No. 19 Illinois may have never thought they’d have a shot at the postseason. In the updated landscape, teams will have more room for error, as late-season games have an increased impact on the playoff.
