Big Ten expansion prepares to hunt for more teams, claims the Nebraska AD: "History is unkind to conferences" 

Following the recent addition of Oregon and Washington to the Big Ten, Nebraska athletic director Trev Alberts believes the conference is not done expanding. The Beavers and Cougars will join the Big Ten in 2024 alongside fellow Pac-12 members, USC and UCLA.

The college football off-season has been dominated by conference expansion and realignment. The push to take advantage of television money in college sports has seen schools switch from one conference to the other. Trev Alberts opined this is not the end for the league. He said:

“History is unkind to conferences that have not had the courage to expand. I don’t believe it’s done. It’s never been done. It’s more likely than not that there will be continued periods of angst.”

Alberts anticipates a significantly more disruptive phase of expansion on the horizon for the conference. In the ever-changing landscape of college sports, this can't be ruled out. We've recently seen occurrences no one would have anticipated a few years back.

“I believe that the next go-around - that’s my basic conclusion - will be far more disruptive than anything we’re currently engaged in. We need to prepare ourselves mentally for that.”

Who are the potential candidates for further Big Ten expansion?

Despite Trev Alberts' belief that the Big Ten will expand further, it doesn't appear it will be anytime soon. However, should the conference proceed on another series expansion in no time, there are a couple of teams that will be in line for a potential realignment.

The primary spot for poaching will be in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Teams like Florida State and Clemson will definitely be top candidates for a potential expansion. Other top teams in the ACC like Miami and North Carolina will also be in contention for a move.

Notably, the ACC finds itself in the midst of a fallout following recent occurrences within the conference. Top teams in the league are not happy with the ESPN long-term media deal, which earns them $30 million annually that they are tied to for the next 13 years.

A fallout within the ACC in the next few days could see the Big Ten expansion come earlier than planned. It is expected that they will battle it out with the Southeastern Conference to lure teams like Clemson and Florida State. However, we wait to see what becomes of the ACC.

It's worth noting that the Big Ten currently has no interest in any of the remaining Pac-12 teams. Cal, Stanford, Oregon State and Washington State find themselves in limbo following the recent mass exodus with the Pac-12.