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The new look B1G held day one of their three day media availability to kick off the 2024 football season.
B1G Commissioner Tony Petitti announced that Indianapolis and Lucas Oil Stadium will be hosting the annual B1G Conference Football Championship Game each season through 2028. The 70,000 college football fans will converge on Indiana’s capital city each December.
USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington join the conference this year which now includes 18 institutions from coast to coast.
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“They join us during the most transformative period in
college sport” Petitti said. “Over the past year, the Big Ten continued
its active engagement in helping chart a new path for
college athletics. Working with our chancellors, presidents
and administrators, and alongside our conference
colleagues, we formalized expansion of the College
Football Playoff.”
The new College Football Playoffs will include 12 teams and determine the National Champion in the college sports biggest money maker.
Petitti mentioned that further B1G expansion is not eminent.
Illinois coach Bret Bielema leads off the six coaches for Tuesday. Bielema said he was excited with the new opportunities the expanded B1G provides – playing Rutgers on the East coast and Oregon on the West coast. The Illini will host defending National Champion Michigan and celebrate 100th anniversary of football in Memorial Stadium.
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Rutgers coach Greg Schiano referenced his NFL experience as Tampa Bays head coach in preparing his team for long road trips in the new B1G footprint. The Scarlet Knights had their first winning season since 2014 last year.
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Luke Fickell enters his second season at the helm of Wisconsin. He referred to not only himself not being “new” to the B1G anymore, instead, he said all the B1G coaches are traveling new, uncharted waters in the now coast-to-coast league.
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Northwestern coach David Braun took over the Wildcat program in turmoil last season and led them to an impressive 8-5 record and earning the conference coach of the year award. Coach Braun alluded to the vastly changing landscape of college football, and how not only does that present many challenges, but it also provides opportunities.
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Ryan Walters enters his second season at the helm of the Purdue Boilermakers. They have one of the more challenging schedules in the country this year. Coach Walters said that any time you add four programs with the tradition and success they each bring with them, it only adds to the strength and prestige of the conference.
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Finishing out the six Tuesday coaches was Ryan Day of National Title contender Ohio State. The pre-season pick to win the B1G championship has their usual top-level talent and depth. Coach Day took a somewhat unique angle in addressing the additions of the four West coast schools. He lured Chip Kelly to be his new offensive coordinator. Kelly was the head coach at UCLA the last several seasons.
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Wednesday will see another six B1G Conference teams highlighted. UCLA, Iowa, Michigan State, USC, Nebraska, and Penn State. The program starts at 11:30 am (Eastern) on the B1G Network. Thursday will feature the six remaining teams – Oregon, Minnesota, Maryland, Washington, Indiana, and Michigan. That session also begins at 11:30 am and can be watched live on the B1G Network.
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