ALTOONA, Pa. -- Oh boy, this could be a lot of fun! If the Big Ten does end up expanding to 20 teams, as Commissioner Kevin Warren suggested Friday, it would open up all kinds of cool possibilities for the league.
Which teams would the league pick?
Which teams should the league pick?
Which teams would you, the fans, like to see added?
Warren, who has overcome a rocky start as commissioner to emerge as one of the most powerful people in sports, pulled off a huge coup when he orchestrated the additions of USC and UCLA to the Big Ten. That shocking news came out of nowwhere a few weeks ago and caught everyone by surprise.
Adding USC and UCLA will get the Big Ten to 16 teams.
Now, in my view, I don't believe schools such as Rutgers, Indiana, Illinois and maybe some others really add anything to the Big Ten when it comes to great value. It's silly, to be honest, that those schools basically get a free lifetime lottery ticket that comes with the league's massive new TV deal, putting them in better financial position than a lot of much stronger football programs around the country.
But oh well. We can lament those schools forever being in the Big Ten, but that's probably just how it's going to be, because it's hard to fathom the league kicking out any longtime members.
So, the number will be 16 teams when USC and UCLA come on board, and that number has a very, very good chance of growing. Here's what Warren had to say to HBO's Bryant Gumbel in an interview on "Real Sports," per a transcript that was released Friday.
Gumbel: “You are at 16 teams now. Could you foresee 20?"
Warren: “I could, yeah. I could see perpetual and future growth.”
Below is a look at the entire transcript released, including Warren talking about eventually paying players, which absolutely will be happening at some point in the not-too-distant future.
Kevin Warren’s transcript. 20 teams. Paying players. pic.twitter.com/UnRTOEmnyL
— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) August 19, 2022
Alrighty, so if the Big Ten expands again, which schools would make the most sense?
Notre Dame is obviously No. 1 on the list. We all know this. There's no point in really even discussing it, simply because the Fighting Irish are gonna do what they want to do, so the Big Ten and everyone else will just have to wait and see.
So, for this exercise, we're not even going to get into Notre Dame.
Here's a look at some projections:
MY FIRST FOUR
Poaching from the beleaguered Pac-12 not only makes the most sense, it actually makes perfect sense, given the possible schools listed below.
This part is very, very important, too, as you consider the schools I believe would be primary targets: Each one is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, which is a highly coveted academic standard that the Big Ten covets.
Oregon: A no-brainer, given the football program's success, TV market and, hey, all that Phil Knight and Nike money. Aside from USC and UCLA -- and again, not including Notre Dame -- this would be my No. 1 choice for the next school added by the Big Ten.
Washington: Another no-brainer, because of football tradition and a new TV market. If the Big Ten is looking to add two teams during the next round of expansion, you'd think Oregon and Washington would be in lock step about coming on board.
Utah: OK, so now this is where some people might start to disagree. But I'm telling ya, the Utes would be a strong addition to the Big Ten. They have a good program and would bring an entire state's TV market.
And finally ...
Colorado: Remember what I said about being an AAU member? Check. Remember the stuff about adding a state's TV market? Check. Maybe Colorado wouldn't be a sexy choice for a lot of football fans. But the Buffaloes have football tradition, they care about football there, and they would check off a lot of the boxes that the Big Ten would be looking for.
OR ...
Stanford: This would be a tremendous addition to the Big Ten. And it certainly would be a more popular choice than, say, my Colorado pick above. I included Colorado because it would deliver an entire state's TV market, while Stanford would only add Northern California, which may already be on board if the Big Ten adds Oregon and Washington. USC and UCLA will deliver the Southern California market. The Cardinal will not want to be left behind in an imploding Pac-12 and, you'd think, would aggressively pursue joining the Big Ten if given the opportunity.
OTHER POSSIBILITIES
Let's start with AAU members, because if that is a priority of the Big Ten, then there's not much sense in debating a bunch of teams that probably won't be considered. But as you'll see, the choices here aren't overly appealing.
Missouri: Not a great football program, but a nice new TV market.
Virginia: Ditto.
Arizona: Ditto.
North Carolina: This would make some sense, but it's hard to see the Tar Heels leaving Duke behind in the ACC. And there's just no way that adding both UNC and Duke would make sense for the Big Ten.
SCHOOLS FOR THOUGHT
If -- and it's a big if -- the Big Ten doesn't adhere to the AAU requirement, here are some schools that could be intriguing:
Florida State and Miami: Would be fantastic to get both! The Big Ten's footprint would be massive around the country.
Clemson: An absolute no-brainer, if push comes to shove in the battle to add elite programs. I don't see it happening, though, because if Clemson does leave the ACC, I believe it would be for the SEC. That league would make more sense for both. But, if Clemson ever does become available, I just can't believe the Big Ten would care much that it's not an AAU member.
Arizona State: The Phoenix market. Would be really cool for the Big Ten, and a nice trip that teams would enjoy.
Oklahoma State: "I'm a man! I'm 40!" The Cowboys have a good program and would be fun to watch.
Virginia Tech: Hokies would give the league some Southern exposure, although probably not enough.
Baylor or TCU: I'll lump these in together, since either would get the Big Ten into Texas.
Post in the comments about which teams you'd like to see, and if you think I missed any decent possibilities.
