Who we would like to see join the Big Ten

UCLA and USC just officially announced their admission and intentions to join the Big Ten in 2024. Bringing the conference's total to 16 teams

With reports that the Big Ten "might not be done yet," the Big Ten could look to add two more or four more schools to get to 20. It all feels like the start of eventual super conferences as the Big Ten and SEC work to sweep up the remaining schools.

For now, let's take a look at some of the teams we think the Big Ten should target for expansion.

A west coast rival of newly added UCLA and USC, Oregon would help get a bigger footprint in the Big Ten's western expansion. While not a traditional brand like many of the programs in the Big Ten, they are the brand in modern college football. The ties to Nike, the pacific northwest market, and Oregon's membership in the AAU make them a likely candidate.

The Association of American Universities, founded in 1900, includes 65 distinguished public and private research universities dedicated to improving human life through education, research, and discovery according to its website.

Another west coast program, but with a more traditional history than Oregon. Washington joining with Oregon would give the Big Ten media presence all the way up the coast, from LA to Seattle. Washington is also a member of AAU.

I am including these two schools as a pair because I don't think the Big Ten would add without the other. Two programs that check a lot of boxes if the Big Ten is looking to leave a mark in the west. Stanford and Cal of course historic rivals, and are rivals with newly added USC and UCLA.

In terms of academics, it doesn't get much better than Stanford and Berkeley. The Big Ten would have arguably the top four public universities in Michigan, UCLA, Stanford, and Cal.

Football is king, but if this is the start of the Big Ten building a super conference, they are going to also want to add more Atlantic programs. The east coast equivalent of USC and UCLA would be the rivals of Carolina, Duke, and UNC.

Adding two bluebloods to the Big Ten would make the Big Ten the best basketball conference in the country. TV ratings are driving all of this and not many games bring more attention than Duke and UNC. Both schools are also strong academically, members of AAU, and North Carolina is in the top 5 with previously mentioned schools as one of the best public universities in the country.

A natural match obvious to everyone that Notre Dame as long refused. Notre Dame and the Big Ten is known for so many of the same things. Historical powers in the Midwest, with a long list of traditions. Notre Dame has so many rivalries already within the conference, including with the recently added USC.

On paper, it is a no-brainer. However, for years Notre Dame has leaned into the ACC, with every sport but football now a member of the conference. Notre Dame's TV rights have them only able to join the ACC until 2036 if they join a conference. But that assumes the ACC is still in a conference in short order.

If the ACC is raided by the Big Ten and SEC, what would Notre Dame do? They have been dead set on their independence, but in the new world of college sports that is building around us can they survive alone?

Virginia, Georgia Tech, Colorado, Utah, Kansas, Missouri, and Pitt are all schools that could bring the Big Ten into new markets, add high-level programs to varying sports, and are members of AAU.