"Better product now" - Big Ten gets Colin Cowherd's approval for evolving as a powerhouse and sustaining its momentum

The Big Ten has benefited from the collapse of the Pac-12 as they have added the Oregon Ducks, UCLA Bruins, USC Trojans and Washington Huskies. Sports media personality Colin Cowherd recently shared his approval of the new look conference.

Speaking on "The Colin Cowherd Podcast," he stated:

"College football now is increasingly pro football with a campus. What are we losing here? Some regional rivalries? Washington's already said they want to play Washington State. Alright, okay. Oregon will probably continue to play Oregon State. Alright. Life is about opportunities.

"The four best football programs in the Pac-12, arguably - three for sure, Washington, Oregon, USC and then Utah's better than UCLA, but sometimes market size matters - they're all going to greener pastures. I grew up with Pac-12 football, but it has been eroding for years. It's out of touch. It's too precious, too snooty, and the Big Ten's a better product now and going forward. It's not even arguable."

Check out Colin Cowherd's comments on college football realignment below:

While the Big Ten has benefited tremendously from conference realignment, the same cannot be said for the Pac-12. The conference will now likely lose its status as a Power Five conference after their inability to land a long-term media rights deal has led to a mass exodus.

In addition to Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington, the Pac-12 has also lost the Arizona Wildcats, Arizona State Sun Devils, Colorado Buffaloes and Utah Utes to the Big 12. The conference is now down to just four teams - the California Bears, Oregon State Beavers, Stanford Cardinal and Washington State Cougars. It is possible that each of the remaining schools will now consider realignment.

How will the latest additions affect the Big Ten's 2024 schedule?

The Big Ten recently announced their 2024 and 2025 conference schedule with each of the 16 teams playing nine conference opponents. The conference implemented a Flex Protect Plus scheduling model to ensure that rivalries remain in tact with protected opponents to be played annually. Furthermore, two-play opponents were implemented as well, giving each team three home and away opponents across the next two seasons.

Check out the previous 2024 and 2024 conference schedule below:

With the addition of the Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies, the previously planned schedule will be discarded. Conference officials are considering moving to a ten-game conference schedule, which would make the Big Ten even tougher. While there haven't been many updates on that front, expect a schedule update in the coming days.