Will North Carolina Join Bruins in the Big Ten?

With the Big Ten having grown by four teams, more and more questions have been raised regarding a potential continuous expansion of the conference.

Duke basketball legend and ESPN analyst Jay Williams made a comment during College Gameday on Saturday alluding to a possibility that North Carolina could become a member of the Big Ten conference.

“We need to cherish this game. Who knows how much longer we might have this game? North Carolina could potentially go to the Big Ten.”

-@RealJayWilliams on the Duke/UNC game
— Second Take (@SecondTake20) February 1, 2025

Williams knows what his alma mater's greatest rival means to college basketball and to collegiate athletics in general. The Tar Heels' basketball program is considered one of the greatest of all time, producing Hall of-Fame game-changers such as Michael Jordan and James Worthy while their rivalry with Duke used to be one of the hottest tickets in sports before the one-and-done era became the norm in collegiate basketball.

In football, the Tar Heels program made headlines after hiring eight-time Super Bowl Champion and former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick to take over their program. Belichick, along with North Carolina general manager and three-time Super Bowl champion Michael Lombardi, are looking to establish their dominance within the current collegiate atmosphere. UNC has a proud football tradition, producing Hall-of-Fame defensive ends Lawrence Taylor and Julius Peppers.

So, is there any validity to Williams' words? The answer will be revealed within 24 months, but there is a possibility UNC moves to the Big Ten. However, that move is unlikely. It is all dependent on what happens in the ACC with how many College Football Playoff spots they receive annually along with what happens in the lawsuits between the conference, Florida State, and Clemson regarding exit fees.

The ACC sent two teams to the playoffs in 2024 and could have had three if certain things went their way with Miami. The ACC is currently working to keep Florida State and Clemson, and if it does, UNC is likely to stay.

If a scenario came about that would see the ACC devolve, it would be hard for the Big Ten to acquire North Carolina. While it would make sense to add more Atlantic Coast-based teams so programs like UCLA do not have to travel to New Jersey as they did in 2024, it's far more reasonable to expect the conference to attack the West Coast, as well as the Northeast. ACC members Cal, Stanford, Boston College, Syracuse and Pitt are much higher priorities due to their location.

If UNC would change conferences, it would likely be to the SEC, but with all things considered, the Tar Heels' place in the ACC is solid for the coming future. That means no trips back to his first NFL home for DeShaun Foster and the UCLA Bruins.

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