Big 12 Expansion: Big Changes in College Football: Who’s Going Where?
Big news in college football! Some big conferences are shaking things up by adding and losing teams. Let’s break down the changes for the upcoming 2024 season: Big 12 Expansion
ACC
- New Teams: Cal, Stanford, SMU
- Who’s Leaving?: Nobody, but Florida State might leave later.
- What It’ll Look Like: Cal, Stanford, SMU, and more!
- Why? The ACC wants more money, so they added teams that will help raise more money from TV deals.
- Why they joined: The ACC wanted to strengthen its presence in lucrative media markets like San Francisco and the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Cal and Stanford sought an escape from the crumbling Pac-12, while SMU desired Power Five status.
- Impact: The addition of these teams expands the ACC’s reach and potentially increases revenue from media deals.
Big 12
- New Teams: Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, Colorado
- Who’s Leaving?: Texas, Oklahoma
- What It’ll Look Like: BYU, Houston, Cincinnati, and more!
- Why? After Texas and Oklahoma left, the Big 12 added new teams to stay strong.
- Why they joined: After Texas and Oklahoma’s departure, the Big 12 needed to bolster its lineup to maintain competitiveness. The addition of these teams expands the conference’s footprint into all four time zones.
- Impact: The Big 12 retains its Power Five status and gains access to new markets, ensuring its relevance in college athletics.
Big Ten
- New Teams: USC, UCLA, Oregon, Washington
- What It’ll Look Like: Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, and more!
- Why? They added more West Coast teams for better TV deals.
- Why they joined: The Big Ten capitalized on the opportunity to strengthen its presence on the West Coast and secure valuable media markets. USC and UCLA’s move influenced Oregon and Washington to follow suit.
- Impact: The Big Ten solidifies its position as one of the premier conferences in college football and enhances its television rights value with the addition of prominent West Coast teams.
AAC
- New Teams: Charlotte, FAU, North Texas, Rice, UAB, UTSA, Army
- Who’s Leaving?: Houston, UCF, Cincinnati, SMU
- What It’ll Look Like: Charlotte, East Carolina, FAU, and more!
- Why? They added new teams after losing some to the Big 12 and ACC.
- Why they joined: The AAC sought to replenish its ranks after losing several members to other conferences. Adding teams in Texas reaffirms the conference’s commitment to a key recruiting region.
- Impact: While the AAC may not regain its previous standing, the new additions provide stability and maintain its presence in the college football landscape.
Pac-12
- Who’s Leaving?: USC, UCLA, Oregon, Washington, and more
- What It’ll Look Like: The Pac-12 won’t exist anymore.
- Why? The conference didn’t manage things well, so many teams left.
- Why they left: Mismanagement and dissatisfaction with the conference’s media deals prompted a mass exodus of schools seeking better opportunities elsewhere.
- Impact: The dissolution of the Pac-12 marks the end of an era in college sports and leaves remaining schools to forge new paths in other conferences or independent play.
SEC
- New Teams: Texas, Oklahoma
- What It’ll Look Like: Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, and more!
- Why? Texas and Oklahoma wanted more money and joined the SEC for tougher competition.
- Why they joined: Seeking increased revenue and tougher competition, Texas and Oklahoma made the move to the SEC, drawn by its lucrative media contracts and competitive football programs.
- Impact: The SEC solidifies its status as the dominant force in college football and strengthens its hold on the sport’s revenue streams with the addition of two powerhouse programs.
It’s a big change for college football! Teams are moving around, and fans are excited to see what happens next.
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