Mel Tucker: Expansion is "good for the Big Ten", impacts MSU's recruiting

Michigan State's head coach says adding Oregon, Washington and L.A. schools makes the Big Ten more competitive, and will have a positive impact on the Spartans' recruiting...

The Big Ten Conference will look much different in 2024 than it does now, with four former Pac-12 schools — USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington — set to join the traditionally Midwest-based league next year.

While adding four schools from the West Coast creates many logistical issues for almost all collegiate sports, Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker said expansion is a positive for the Big Ten on the football field.

“I think it’s good for the Big Ten," Tucker said earlier this week. "It makes us stronger."

Indeed, the Big Ten is in a good spot, financially and competitively, looking towards the future. The conference signed a new seven-year, $8 billion dollar television deal with Fox, CBS and NBC last year which has now gone into effect.

That deal was signed before Oregon and Washington's addition to the league, and the inclusion of two more high-profile athletic programs will mean even more marquee matchups for traditional Big Ten schools in the years to come. Not only will that make future schedules more competitive, Tucker noted the impact expansion will have on recruiting for Michigan State and other league schools. 

"When you’re recruiting players – high school guys and portal guys – who you play is a big draw for them," Tucker said. "Just think about what type of schedules we’re going to have, what type of football, what type of competition it’s going to be week in and week out.

“It’s a huge stage. It’s getting bigger, and it’s going to be even more competitive on the field. It’s going to be more competitive in recruiting, which just makes our league stronger, it makes our league better.”

The Big Ten and the Southeastern Conference have seemingly separated themselves from the rest of the Power 5 conferences. Their TV deals are more lucrative, and most of the premier football programs in the country will reside in those two leagues in 2024 and beyond. The SEC has been the top dog in football recruiting for decades, but the Big Ten's addition of the West Coast schools could help close that gap.

“It’s important," Tucker said. "You’d be surprised how many players, how many recruits we talk to and they talk about SEC vs. Big Ten. It always comes up.”

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