Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti said Thursday at Big Ten basketball media days that the conference has had absolutely no discussions about expansion, even though the proposed Protect College Sports Act would allow the 18-member league to add two more teams. Petitti said the conference, while "aggressively supporting" the bill, has had no expansion talks "for quite some time." "This conference has got 18 strong members," he said. "We're focused on that."
The bill passed the U.S. Senate 77-22 in September and now heads to the House of Representatives. It would cap conference membership at 20 teams and require any school moving between Power 4 conferences to spend three years unaffiliated before joining its new league. The Big Ten most recently expanded by adding USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington from the original Pac-12, all officially joining in 2024. Petitti said he is "optimistic" the bill will pass the House, calling it a step toward a cleaner system on eligibility, transfer rules and NIL litigation.
Petitti also addressed the proposed 24-team College Football Playoff, which would eliminate the Big Ten championship game. He said Big Ten coaches felt a system where some teams play for a title while others wait for playoff spots is not "the best football thing." He added that a 24-team field would encourage more competitive nonconference games, an area where Big Ten teams, including national champion Indiana, have faced criticism.
On the CFP's negotiating window with ESPN, which was set to expire Friday, Petitti declined to comment extensively. He stressed the need for a financial plan that "makes everybody whole," adding that if the window lapses, the conference will decide what comes next.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing