The Big Ten and its 18 teams have expanded far beyond their Midwestern roots, now including schools from Los Angeles (USC, UCLA) to Seattle (Washington) to New Jersey (Rutgers) and Maryland. Reflecting their national and international aspirations, the conference is relocating its Football Media Days to Las Vegas this July to welcome their four newest West Coast members.
This year’s Football Media Days will take place over three days, from July 22 to 24 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, following last year’s event in Indianapolis. BTN will cover all three days in full. Each program typically sends its head coach and three players, meaning a wealth of quotable personalities will be present. The conference boasts the last two national champions, Michigan and Ohio State, alongside three other College Football Playoff participants from last season: Oregon, Penn State, and Indiana.
A key point of discussion that remains uncertain is the future structure of the College Football Playoff (CFP). This has been a prominent topic among Big Ten and SEC athletic directors meeting in New Orleans this week. Both conferences are poised to implement changes thanks to a memorandum of understanding they signed last spring, which includes potential expansion to as many as 14 or 16 teams, possibly guaranteeing slots and increasing revenue, a contentious issue for many others. Additionally, there are discussions about possibly incorporating a ninth conference game for SEC teams (the Big Ten already plays nine) and a 10th game as part of a SEC-Big Ten scheduling interlock. Although many details remain unresolved, there will likely be numerous inquiries directed towards Big Ten figures in July.
The decision to move media days from Indianapolis to Las Vegas carries significance on multiple levels. For one, it aims to alleviate the travel burden for West Coast teams with the longest journeys. It also serves to make the new member schools feel more included alongside the longstanding members. However, it’s important to note that Oregon and Washington will only receive around half the media shares compared to other members, supported by additional funding from Fox.
This move further signifies the Big Ten’s intention to transcend its traditional Midwestern image. Though the choice of media day location may seem minor, it is part of a broader initiative. We will observe whether this change draws in new and diverse media outlets that traditionally have not covered the league’s media days.
