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Which Teams Are in the Big Ten in the 2024 Football Season?
There's a lot changing this season, but don't worry, we have you covered in all the Big Ten football shake-ups.
Seeing as it’s the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in America, the Big Ten is arguably the most famous college football conference around. But with a massive realignment in the offseason, you may not be able to name all the teams actually playing in that conference this time around as the Big Ten welcomes plenty of new blood to shake-up the conference race.
With many of the biggest Big Ten games airing exclusively on NBC and Peacock this upcoming college football season, let’s remind ourselves which universities are new to the venerable conference, and which power houses are sticking around.
Which Teams Are in the Big Ten Conference?
Unlike previous years, the Big Ten will be home to 18 teams when the season officially kicks off: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, defending National Champion Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, UCLA, USC, Washington, and Wisconsin.
For a long time, the Big Ten was known as such because there were 10 teams in the conference, and they were mostly mid-western teams at that, as many football conferences stuck to regional ties. But those times have changed! Gloried program Penn State joined the conference in 1990, followed by Nebraska in 2011, and Maryland and Rutgers in 2014. With the addition of four former Pac-12 teams this year, the conference has expanded yet again.
Which Universities Are New to the Big Ten Conference?
Heading to the Big Ten for their inaugural seasons are perennial powerhouses University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), University of Oregon, University of Southern California (USC), and last year's national championship runner-up, the University of Washington. Bruins, and Ducks, and Trojans, and Huskies! Oh my!
Much of that realignment comes at the expense of the Pac-12, which is facing the sad reality of becoming just the Pac-2, with much of the talent from that former power conference is heading to the Big Ten. And we’re talking real talent.
“The college athletics landscape has changed dramatically in recent years. The Big Ten’s history of athletic and academic success and long-term stability best positions our teams for future success, and we are energized at the opportunity to compete at the highest level against some of the best programs in the country,” Jen Cohen, University of Washington Athletic Director, said when the news of the realignment became official last August (via NBC4 in Ohio).
Who's Expected to Win the Big Ten College Football Conference?
While we’re still a ways away from kickoff, it’s never too early to start thinking about power rankings. Speculation abounds, of course, but most folks think the O’s have it, as in Oregon and Ohio State. Of course, those teams are traditionally very safe bets to succeed during the College Football season, but this year they appear to be especially stacked.
A pre-season look at ESPN’s Big Ten Conference Football Power Index 2024, which measures “true team strength,” finds the Ducks leading the way with a 24.5 rating, followed closely by the Buckeyes with a 22.2 rating. The only other Big Ten conference team rated close to that is the Penn State Nittany Lions, with an FPI of 19.8. Other double-digit contenders are the Michigan Wolverines with a 14.9 rating and the USC Trojans with 11.1.
Who Plays on NBC and Peacock’s First Big Ten Saturday Night of the 2024 College Football Season?
Big Ten Saturday Night on NBC and Peacock kicks off with a doozie, with defending champ Michigan hosting Fresno State on August 31, their first game without former head coach Jim Harbaugh and 2023’s Big Ten Quarterback of the Year, J.J. McCarthy. The following week’s exclusive Big Ten matchup will see Nebraska take on Coach Prime’s Colorado Buffaloes on September 7.
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