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Discover how many teams are part of the Big Ten Conference in our quick answer guide.
Key takeaways:
- The Big Ten Conference has 14 teams, despite its name.
- The conference underwent expansion in 2021-2024, including the addition of USC and UCLA.
- Future expansion will bring in six new members, including Oregon and Washington.
- Expansion aims to enhance competitiveness and media revenue.
- Big Ten aims to become a dominant coast-to-coast consortium.
Current Full Members
Despite its name, the Big Ten Conference actually includes 14 teams, a count that can be puzzling to those unfamiliar with its history of expansion. Originating with ten founding schools, its name held even as the conference grew. The full member schools are: University of Illinois, Indiana University, University of Iowa, University of Maryland, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, University of Minnesota, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Northwestern University, Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University, Rutgers University–New Brunswick, and University of Wisconsin-Madison. Each of these institutions contributes to a diverse range of athletic and academic pursuits, reinforcing the Big Ten’s status as a powerhouse in collegiate sports and educational excellence.
2021–2024 Pacific Expansion
The 2021–2024 period marked a transformative era for the Big Ten Conference, emphasizing geographic and strategic growth. Initially rooted in the Midwest, the Big Ten’s boundaries expanded significantly westwards. This expansion included powerhouse universities such as the University of Southern California and the University of California, Los Angeles, both of which announced they would join in 2024. The move aims to enhance the conference’s competitive edge in several sports while also boosting its national television and media revenues.
The widening reach also aligns with broader goals—improving student-athlete competitiveness across more diverse locations and enhancing the overall prestige and influence of the conference on a national scale. Such expansion supports the Big Ten’s vision of becoming a dominant, coast-to-coast athletic and academic consortium.
Future Members
In an era of evolving collegiate sports landscapes, the Big Ten Conference is set to welcome six new members starting in 2024. The University of Oregon, University of Washington, and Stanford University will join from the Pac-12, further enhancing the conference’s footprint on the West Coast. Additionally, the University of California, Berkeley, and two more universities from the same region will integrate, reflecting the Big Ten’s strategic vision of expanding its geographical and competitive reach. These additions mark a significant shift in collegiate athletics, aiming to bolster competition and media revenue across wider time zones.
