Big Ten and SEC hit the brakes on expansion; Tony Petitti and Greg Sankey prioritize new members over growth

It seems that SEC and Big Ten commissioners Greg Sankey and Tony Petitti are done with the expansion of their respective conferences. During the media days of both leagues, the commissioners spoke about realignment and the possibility of further expansion.

Both conference bosses said during their respective media days, that their leagues don't plan on expanding further after last year's realignment. Instead, they will focus on their current members. On Tuesday, Petitti said this during a press conference, as per Sports Illustrated:

"We're focused on the 18 [schools] right now. That's what we're focused on, we had to do a lot of work. A lot of work had been done to integrate USC, UCLA. We started that work over immediately when we added Oregon and Washington."

For his part, Sankey said this last week with regard to rumors that ACC teams Clemson and Florida State might join the SEC:

"We're focused on our 16. I'm not a recruiter. My job is to make sure we meet the standard of excellence that we have for ourselves on a daily basis, that attracts interest. It's done that with the two universities that we have added this year. They're not the only phone calls I've ever had, but I'm not involved in recruitment."

It seems both conferences are focused on their current members, but it could all change once Clemson and Florida State's lawsuit against the ACC reaches a verdict.

Which schools are joining the SEC and the Big Ten for the 2024 season? Greg Sankey and Toni Petitti's grabs

The SEC is the conference making the more modest expansion in terms of numbers, if not in terms of the importance of the schools joining. Texas and Oklahoma, two football powerhouses, are joining the SEC in 2024. Both schools bring national brands to what is already one of the more lucrative conferences in the sport.

The Big Ten, for its part, is adding UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington. The Big Ten was the conference to benefit the most from the dismemberment of the storied Pac-12. While the SEC is estimated to have more growth in the future, at the time it is the Big Ten that is winning the game of college football revenue.

In 2023, the Midwestern conference got $880 million in revenue and paid every school around $60.5 million. Meanwhile, the SEC earned $853 million and paid its schools between $51 and $51.8 million.