The Big Ten Conference Now has Big Money

The big news over the summer was that USC and UCLA would exit the PAC-12 Conference and move to the B1G Ten Conference beginning in 2024.

Even bigger news occurred today as the B1G Ten secured a new media rights contract for its member teams beginning in 2023 and running until 2030. It was negotiated with and will be distributed by six different media outlets: Fox, CBS, NBC, NBCUniversal’s streaming service Peacock, the Big Ten Network, and FoxSports1 (FS1).

On any given Saturday, Big Ten Conference games will now be broadcast in the 12 noon ET slot on FOX, in the 3:30 ET slot on CBS, and the prime time 7:00 PM slot on NBC. That’s Big Ten games in the face of fans for 12 hours each week. Brilliant!

So how much is this new deal worth?

The B1G TEN’s new media rights deal is worth $7 billion over seven years. As they adjust their cape while exiting the phone booth, they now wield a lot of power in the college football world.

The Big Ten Conference Becomes the Super 16?

The B1G Ten will now become the Big 16 (or Sixteen). The “Super 16” has a better ring to it. The addition of the Trojans and Bruins in the 2nd largest media market in the country is a feather in the ole B1G Ten helmet.

And of course, it’s huge for both USC and UCLA. Bitter cross-town rivals now go skipping hand in hand into a better conference with better competition, more exposure, and now much more revenue.

The PAC-12 may now be on life support, not to mention it hadn’t been represented in the College Football Playoff since 2016 (with the Washington Huskies).

The Big Ten Will Expand Further

And the B1G TEN is not done with expansion. The new deal contains escalators related to even more teams being added to its roster that will boost the contract to nearly $10 billion.

B1G Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren is an evil genius.

They could poach more PAC-12 teams. The two best teams still left in the PAC-12, in my opinion, are Oregon and Utah. Oregon is a huge brand (along with a ton of Nike money). Utah is 33–14 since 2018.

Another team that makes perfect sense, both from both a brand and a geographic standpoint, is Notre Dame.

It’s a no-brainer to go after Notre Dame. The rich tradition and national brand recognition are renowned. And the rivalry with USC would remain intact. If the B1G Ten calls, Notre Dame should answer the phone. Of course, Notre Dame may not answer that call with a desire to remain Independent.

But the days of being Independent are over.

Another possibility was brought to my attention today and that is that the B1G Ten Conference could make a play for teams in the South. Clemson, Miami, and Florida State immediately come to mind. The current media rights agreement with the ACC may prevent that from happening. But never say never.

It’s a new world order in college football. NIL deals, the transfer portal, and conference expansion are happening at an ever-increasing rate, literally on a daily basis. Stay tuned college football fans!

Oh, and that loud chirping noise you may be hearing is the crickets down at NCAA headquarters.

Thanks for reading.