More expansion in the Big Ten? Maryland athletic director and reports say so
Maryland athletic director Jim Smith was recently on Inside Maryland Radio and discussed all things Maryland, including the prospect of the Big Ten Conference adding even more teams to the already competitive conference.
On June 30, 2022, a shocking announcement was made that the Big Ten was passing a vote to add UCLA and USC to its conference, which became official on August 2, 2024. Following those moves came Washington and Oregon being extended an invitation on August 4, 2023, and almost a year later, officially expanding the Big Ten to 18 teams, making it the largest conference in NCAA Division I.
Smith, in a recent interview on Inside Maryland Radio, stated that the Big Ten is eyeing a 20-team conference by 2030.
The Big Ten hopes to be the top conference in College Sports, competing with the SEC as the heavyweight with the top spot.
Brett McMurphy, a college football insider, joined Andi and Ari on On3's show to discuss the potential expansion, the possibility of what teams could join, and why it's likely to happen.
From where does McMurphy think the teams will join the Big Ten to make it a 20-team conference?
"I think it will be an AAU school. It'll be teams from the ACC or the Big 12 Conference."
An AAU school is classified within an organization of schools with the top academic research and education systems in the United States and Canada.
There are two schools that the SEC and Big Ten will lobby hard to add to their conference, potentially?
"After I reported this morning, I immediately got a text from someone within the SEC, and they basically said what I've been thinking. North Carolina and Virginia will be highly contested between both conferences. I do believe they are the most attractive between both leagues."
Big Ten expanding again, Maryland AD says. Who will be the new teams & what role does Notre Dame play in it? https://t.co/uSzfdjYhO0
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 27, 2025
It's obvious the Big Ten is looking to grow its brand, wanting to expand coast-to-coast, hence the addition of Pac-12 teams within the last couple of years. More schools equals more money and a broader market that opens up media outlets, brands, marketing, and much more that floods in.
McMurphy highlighted watching the Big 12 and ACC over the next few years to see how they handle the ever-expanding Big Ten and SEC conferences and whether, as mentioned earlier, they can prevent their own teams from leaving their conference to join the conferences. Only time will tell.
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Jaden's sports journalism career began at the College of Southern Maryland from 2022-2023, where he was brought in to cover baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, and volleyball at CSM. In late 2023, he began interning at the University of Maryland Athletics Department as a contributing writer to help develop feature stories and game recaps. He also creates his own sports media content on professional Washington teams with LegacyMaker Sports Network.