There was once a time when the Big Ten referred to ten universities located in the middle of the country. If you asked their students and alumni, they’d probably say that the schools represented the best sports teams around. Indeed, two of those schools – Ohio State and Michigan – are recognized as having one of the greatest rivalries in sports. Then the Big Ten began to grow, and grow, and grow. Now, as two more teams appear to be joining the sixteen already in the Big Ten, one could be forgiven for wondering why it isn’t called the Big Eighteen. No, it’s not that college administrators can’t do math. In fact, quite the opposite! They’re very good at doing math, because for the schools that have been joining the Big Ten, the move means money, big money! The Big Ten, considered one of the richest conferences in college sports, has long been a dominant player in the sports world. In towns like Columbus, Ohio, home of the Buckeyes and arch-rival Michigan’s Ann Arbor, which come alive as the football season starts, being part of the Big Ten is lucrative. Local hotels and restaurants fill up as thousands of fans gather to watch their teams play, logoed team gear sells quickly, and ticket sales are brisk. Indeed, while there are many reasons behind the move to grow the Big Ten, a huge driving force is football and the revenue it generates.
For the teams in the Big Ten, competition for the best players means offering a bigger stage (or field) on which to play. It means generating huge revenues from ticket sales and television rights. It means earnings that help support less profitable programs. So, is money dominating all decisions? If you look at other thriving conferences such as the SEC along with those that are facing challenging times, like the suddenly much weaker Pac-12, the answer appears to be yes. Certainly all the traditions surrounding college sports are still a factor, but lucrative TV and streaming deals are hard to turn down, and with new rules allowing star players to profit from the use of their likeness, those TV deals are even more important when it comes to recruiting, which of course then encourages schools to participate in conferences that maximize those opportunities. Even though, in comparison to existing members, the most recent additions to the Big Ten are slated to receive a lesser share of the conference’s multi-billion dollar TV deal, that amount is still expected to be much larger than anything the teams would have received by remaining in the Pac-12. So, what is it about the Big Ten? Well, you do the math.
Discussion Questions:
1. The 18-member Big Ten and the 16-team SEC conferences now include some of the most dominant football teams in the country, leaving other conferences struggling to survive. How would you define this competitive situation? Do Big Ten and SEC schools have an unfair advantage when it comes to recruiting players, and negotiating TV and streaming deals?
2. What does a move like the one by Washington and Oregon mean for local economies? Discuss the spillover effects for cities like Seattle and Eugene. Then consider the implications of the move for those still remaining in the Pac-12.
3. A key factor driving Washington and Oregon to the Big Ten is football revenue. Is college football losing its identity? Are students being driven out as college sports, notably football, focus on revenues above almost everything else?
Sources| WSJ: https://www.wsj.com/sports/football/oregon-washington-big-ten-pac-12-college-sports-6312bc5b; SI: https://www.si.com/college/tmg/herb-gould/wash-ore-b1g; ESPN: https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/38134807/college-football-2023-conference-realignment-big-ten-pac-12-sec-florida-state; Unsplash: Photo by Jacob Rice on Unsplash