At first glance, that number sounds wild. But in today’s college football, maybe it isn’t.

Why the Big Ten is pushing this

The Big Ten’s idea isn’t really about chaos — it’s about access. With 18 teams now in the league and more national-caliber programs than ever, the conference believes too many worthy teams are being shut out by a small playoff field.

Under a 24-team format:

• More teams would still be playing for something meaningful in November

• Fewer seasons would feel “wasted” after one early loss

• Fans would get more playoff games on campuses — the best atmosphere in sports

In a world where Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, Penn State, USC, and Washington all exist in the same league, a four- or even 12-team playoff can feel outdated. Heck, after two straight seasons of being a College Football Playoff participant, Indiana deserves to be included in the discussion about the nation’s elite college football programs.

Why other leagues are hesitant

Here’s the problem: not everyone sees the sport the way the Big Ten does.

The SEC, ACC, and Big 12 are far more comfortable with 16 teams than 24. To them, 24 feels like:

• Too many games

• Too much risk of watering down the regular season

• Too big of a logistical and financial leap

They worry that if almost everyone gets in, then classic matchups — Alabama vs. Georgia, Ohio State vs. Michigan — lose some of their urgency.

The real fight isn’t 12 vs. 24 — it’s control

This debate isn’t just about numbers. It’s about who gets to shape the future of college football.

The Big Ten and the SEC now dominate TV revenue, brand power, and playoff résumés. A bigger playoff benefits the Big Ten especially, because its schedule is brutal and deep. A 24-team format protects teams that survive that grind with two or three losses — teams that would often be good enough to win it all.

Smaller leagues worry that a huge field would turn the playoff into a power-conference invitational.

So… will 24 teams ever happen?

Not soon — but don’t laugh it off. My skepticism about the “internal” nature of this plan is that Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti gave this information to Pete Thamel, knowing that it would create a small firestorm of conversation and discussion.

A 16-team playoff feels like the next step. But once that door opens, it’s hard to close it. Television networks, especially Fox, will want more games. Fans will want more chances. And conferences like the Big Ten will keep pointing out how many top-15 teams get left home every year.

24 teams might sound crazy today. Five years ago, so did 12.

And that’s why the Big Ten’s idea matters — even if it doesn’t win right now.

The post The 24-Team CFP Is Coming… Maybe appeared first on Saturday Glory.

The New Standard Setters

USC, Oregon, and Ohio State finished 1–3–4 nationally, giving the Big Ten a recruiting triumvirate that rivals anything the SEC has assembled. Alabama at number two was what prevented The Big Ten from claiming the top three spots in recruiting rankings by 247sports.com.

• USC claimed the nation’s No. 1 class with elite skill talent and unmatched volume.
• Oregon posted the highest average player rating in the conference.
• Ohio State delivered another balanced, star‑heavy haul built for playoff contention.

Michigan and Washington Hold Strong

Both programs secured top fifteen national finishes, reinforcing the Big Ten’s growing concentration of power. Michigan leaned on quality over quantity, while Washington’s class signaled it’s ready to compete immediately in its new league.

A Deeper Middle Tier

Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, and Rutgers all landed classes that would have been top‑25 nationally a decade ago. The conference’s middle is no longer a soft spot—it’s a strength.

Small Classes, Big Upside

Nebraska and Maryland signed fewer players but posted strong average ratings, suggesting high‑end talent even without volume. Michigan State and UCLA sit in the developmental tier but added foundational pieces.

What It Means

The Big Ten’s 2026 haul reflects a conference transformed. The addition of West Coast powers didn’t just expand geography—it elevated the league’s recruiting ceiling. With five top‑five classes and competitive depth across nearly every program, the Big Ten enters the next era not as a challenger, but as a co‑architect of the national landscape.

The post Big Ten Recruiting Snapshot: Final 2026 Rankings appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Campbell: The Steady Builder

Penn State’s choice of Matt Campbell is less about flash than about foundation. At Iowa State, Campbell proved he could coax consistency out of chaos, turning a perennial underdog into a program that punched above its weight. His move to Happy Valley signals Penn State’s desire for stability after the upheaval surrounding the firing of James Franklin. Campbell’s reputation for player development and cultural clarity doesn’t just steady Penn State—it raises the competitive bar for the entire Big Ten.

Fitzgerald: The Familiar Voice

Michigan State’s hire of Pat Fitzgerald is a return to tradition. Fitzgerald’s Northwestern tenure was long, complicated, and ultimately cut short, but his record—110 wins, multiple division titles—speaks to his ability to wring toughness and identity from a program. For the Spartans, Fitzgerald offers a floor of credibility and a ceiling of resilience. His reemergence strengthens the Big Ten’s coaching ranks, reminding rivals that Michigan State will not be an afterthought.

Chesney: The Ambitious Leap

Then there is Bob Chesney, UCLA’s bold choice. From Division III to the Sun Belt, Chesney has won everywhere he’s been, most recently guiding James Madison to a conference crown and inclusion in The College Football Playoff. His arrival in Westwood is less about continuity than about ambition. UCLA, long searching for a spark, has found a coach whose résumé suggests he can build programs from the ground up. In the Big Ten’s new geography, Chesney’s energy could ripple far beyond Los Angeles.

The Tide That Lifts

Individually, these hires solve immediate problems—Penn State’s credibility, Michigan State’s identity, UCLA’s ambition. Collectively, they elevate the sport. Campbell’s steadiness, Fitzgerald’s tradition, Chesney’s vision: each adds weight to the competitive fabric. Rivalries sharpen, conferences strengthen, fan bases reawaken.

College football thrives when its pillars are sturdy, when its challengers are bold, when its middle class refuses to settle. This winter’s carousel has not merely redistributed talent; it has raised the waterline. And as the old saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats.

The post A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats: Campbell, Fitzgerald, and Chesney Usher in a New Era appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Summer is underway, and each passing day gets us closer and closer to the start of the college football season. June has prospective recruits visiting college campuses, July will have The Big Ten Media Days, and then August will have stories and news trickling out from teams about their respective depth charts are shaping up for the 2025 season.

While every team within The Big Ten has its share of non-conference opponents throughout the season, with most games falling in the first weeks of the season, the conference match-ups will start to materialize before the end of September. While not serving as elimination games, getting off to a good start within the conference can only help in the race for one of the coveted College Football Playoff berths.

September 20th: Michigan at Nebraska (3:30pm ET kickoff, CBS); Illinois at Indiana (Kickoff and network TBA)

Nebraska won the first two games versus Michigan as B1G opponents back in 2012 (Nebraska 23, Michigan 9) and 2013 (Nebraska 17, Michigan 13), but the Wolverines have been on the winning side of the ledger the last four times the teams have played, with Michigan decisively beating Nebraska 45-7 in Lincoln in 2023. For a program that earned its first bowl game visit since the 2016 season, this could be a barometer game for Matt Rhule and his coaching staff in seeing how far the Cornhuskers have come, and possibly how much further they may need to go to ascend to the level of the perceived conference elite.

Last season, the Indiana Hoosiers were the surprise team of The Big Ten, under their first year of coaching by Curt Cignetti. While Illinois had a tremendous 10-3 season under Bret Bielema in 2024, this game at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington could provide some clues as to how much either team will factor into the conference championship race.

September 27th: Ohio State at Washington/USC at Illinois (Kickoffs and networks TBA); Oregon at Penn State (7:30pm ET kickoff, NBC/Peacock)

Both Ohio State and Washington will begin their Big Ten conference schedules in this contest at Husky Stadium. This will be their first meeting as conference opponents, as Ohio State last visited Husky Stadium in 2007 (Ohio State 33, Washington 14) when Washington was still a member of The Pac-12. As Jedd Fisch begins his second year at the helm for Washington, this game against the defending national champions will be scrutinized to see how the program is developing. Ohio State will begin conference play in their first road trip of the 2025 season.

USC will be making their first trip to Champaign as a member of The Big Ten, as the Trojans easily handled Illinois 55-3 as a Pac-12 member back in 1996. USC will have already played at Purdue (September 13th, 3:30pm ET CBS/Paramount) and Michigan State (September 20th). It will be interesting to see how Illinois plays after the aforementioned game at Indiana on September 20th.

The most anticipated game of The Big Ten season in September is the night game featuring Oregon at Penn State. A rematch of last season’s Big Ten Championship Game, the Penn State faithful are understandably excited about a “White Out” contest against one of the premier Big Ten teams, and it will be interesting to see how Oregon handles what promises to be a raucous environment when the game kicks off. This will be the first time Oregon has played at State College since October 3, 1964, when the Ducks defeated the Nittany Lions, 22-14.

The post September May Be Pivotal Within The Big Ten appeared first on Saturday Glory.

While recording an episode of Around The Big Ten with @MarcGivler, something dawned on me, and I can only hope that people at NBC have come to the conclusion ~

Make the USC/Notre Dame game the first game of the season. At night. Every year.

Think about it. NBC has the contractual rights to all Notre Dame home games, and will hold these rights through the 2029 season. NBC also is a media partner of The Big Ten, and traditionally has televised Big Ten games for night games since the 2023 season, and will until the 2029-2030 academic year.

The USC/Notre Dame series usually is set up for USC to host Notre Dame at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at the end of November, and Notre Dame will host USC usually in the middle of October. Here is where USC’s concerns may lie – no matter at the end of November, or the middle of October, USC’s focus is on how this game could physically impact them while in the midst of a Big Ten conference schedule. I want to emphasize the word “may“.

Here is how this could work – NBC could make this game, no matter in Los Angeles or South Bend, the focal point of the first (or second) week of the college football season by having it on at night. It is a win-win for NBC, because they know that college football fans will be excited to see either/both of these teams. And for USC, a non-conference loss in the first or second week of the season will not have any impact upon them within The Big Ten conference race, unlike how the series is presently constructed.

C’mon NBC. Pull up a chair to the negotiating parties for USC and Notre Dame, and offer this as a solution to keep this intersectional rivalry going, like everyone wants.

The post Could NBC Hold The Key To The USC/Notre Dame Series? appeared first on Saturday Glory.