In the old Big Ten, thus the name, you could. You can't play them all or even come close in a given season. And Rutgers in New York, basically, it is a spanning-the-entire-nation conference. John U Bacon: To back up, the reason they're going away is because they've added USC - and that is University of Southern California, of course, not South Carolina, and UCLA, both in L.A. How will that change next season when the divisions go away? Bacon joined Morning Edition host Doug Tribou to talk about the changes.ĭoug Tribou: In the current format, the top football team in the Big Ten East Division plays the top team in the Big Ten West in the conference championship game. Michigan Radio sports commentator John U. The Big Ten East and West divisions will go away after this season. The biggest change is the end of the two-division format. That’s when two new members from California - USC and UCLA - will start playing in the conference. The Big Ten announced some big changes Thursday to the way the conference will handle its football schedules starting in 2024.
