Welcome to the 2024 college football season. The transfer portal is closed, preseason camps are over and there soon will be a slight chill in the air. Regional conferences are no more, with the Big Ten having officially expanded from 14 to 18 schools with a footprint that now stretches from coast to coast .
We know you’ve been waiting for this one...
“Maps” is here and it’s beautiful. #B1GWelcome pic.twitter.
com/vPfVeEdonn — Big Ten Conference (@bigten) August 2, 2024 To help you prepare for the season, we’ve put together this preview with the information you need to know. Here’s a look at the new, very big Big Ten. Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington are set to begin their inaugural Big Ten seasons.
A little more than two years since the Big Ten’s Council of Presidents and Chancellors voted unanimously to admit UCLA and USC and more than a year since they voted for the admission of Oregon and Washington, the 18-team conference kicks off for the first time. The addition of the four West Coast universities makes the Big Ten the largest conference in the country. With the introduction of the new members, Big Ten schools will face extensive travel.
UCLA will travel the most, racking up more than 25,000 round-trip miles this season. Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti speaks during Big Ten media days at Lucas Oil Stadium on July 23, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) The Big Ten introduced a schedule model that includes 12 protected matchups and eliminat.