Predicting the next teams to come to the Big Ten

The Big Ten conference just expanded to 16 teams but who might be added if the league decides to expand to 20 teams?

Now that we know that USC and UCLA are officially joining the Big Ten in 2024, the next question is what other programs will follow them?

There have been various conflicting reports about which programs could be next, but in this article, I will be making my predictions as to what teams will join the Big Ten and why it makes sense.

Side note: I will start in order of teams most likely to join the Big Ten to teams that might possibly join the Big Ten.

Oregon

Out of all the West Coast PAC-12 schools left, I feel like Oregon is the most sure-fire to join. Why do you ask?

Well, Phil Knight really wants Oregon to join the Big Ten. Who is Phil Knight you ask?

He’s just the billionaire who is an Oregon alum, owns Nike, and is the one responsible for Oregon having all of their hundreds of jersey and helmet combinations over the years.

They already have a lengthy history of playing Big Ten schools over the years, as evidenced last year by their surprising win over Ohio State in Columbus, 35-28.

They’d fit right into the Big Ten, have some recruiting prowess with Dan Lenning (as they just got Dante Moore, much to the dismay of Michigan fans, myself included), and are pretty good in basketball too.

If there’s anyone that has more power over Oregon than the chancellor and athletic director of Oregon, it’s definitely Phil Knight. He’s a famous and extremely wealthy alumnus. Whatever Phil says, goes.

I’d put this potential move as highly likely/inevitable.