Big Ten Friday Night Football Shakeup and NCAA Expansion Talks
Alright, let’s talk about the latest buzz in college sports. The Big Ten is once again in the spotlight, and this time, it’s all about Friday night football. We all know the deal—some schools seem to always end up playing on Friday nights while others conveniently avoid it. Nebraska, for instance, has played at least one Friday night game in each of the last three seasons. But they’re not alone—teams like Illinois, Washington, Rutgers, Michigan State, and Oregon have also found themselves under the Friday night lights more than once.
Now, Big Ten COO Kerry Kenny has made it clear that Friday night games aren’t going anywhere. In fact, they’re a prime promotional tool for Fox, setting the stage for their ‘Big Noon’ broadcast the following day. But here’s the real issue—West Coast teams make up 39% of these Friday night slots, despite only accounting for 22% of the conference. Meanwhile, powerhouses like Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan have yet to be scheduled for a Friday night matchup. The big question is: will the conference start spreading these games more evenly, or will certain teams continue to get a free pass?
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Shifting gears to the Big 12, Commissioner Brett Yormark is pushing for NCAA Tournament expansion. Right now, 68 teams make it into March Madness, but Yormark believes 76 is the magic number. His reasoning? Economics. CBS and TNT have a goldmine with the tournament, and for an expansion to work, the networks need to be on board financially. While CBS Sports President David Berson is cautious about change, history tells us that tournament expansions do happen—just look at the jump from 64 to 68 teams in 2011.
Meanwhile, another major topic is the potential downsizing of NCAA sports programs. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey has hinted that under a new employment model, schools might drop down to the NCAA minimum of 16 sponsored sports. This could be a big shift, considering the current numbers: the ACC and Big Ten each sponsor 28 sports, the Big 12 has 25, and the SEC sits at 22. Nebraska currently sponsors 22 sports, but if revenue-sharing changes, programs like bowling and rifle—which compete outside of the Big Ten—might be at risk.
And finally, the NCAA and the Power Five conferences are taking steps toward a new governance model. They’ve formed the Settlement Implementation Committee, made up of 10 athletic directors representing each major conference. Former Nebraska AD Trev Alberts is on the list, now representing Texas A&M. This committee will play a key role in shaping how revenue-sharing and new regulations are enforced moving forward.
With Selection Sunday just around the corner, college basketball fans are gearing up for the madness. The men’s NCAA Tournament bracket will be revealed at 5 p.m. CDT on CBS, followed by the women’s bracket at 7 p.m. CDT on ESPN. It’s an exciting time for college sports, and with all these changes on the horizon, the landscape is shifting fast. Stay tuned, because this is just the beginning.
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