Conference
Big Ten
A midwestern conference that now runs coast to coast, and the league that has produced the last three national champions.
Members
Big Ten programs
Big Ten · Lincoln, Nebraska · 7-6 in 2025
Big Ten · Columbus, Ohio · 12-2 in 2025
Big Ten · Ann Arbor, Michigan · 9-4 in 2025
Big Ten · State College, Pennsylvania · 7-6 in 2025
Big Ten · Eugene, Oregon · 13-2 in 2025
Big Ten · Los Angeles, California · 9-4 in 2025
Big Ten · Iowa City, Iowa · 9-4 in 2025
Big Ten · Madison, Wisconsin · 4-8 in 2025
Big Ten · Bloomington, Indiana · 16-0 in 2025
Big Ten · Champaign, Illinois · 9-4 in 2025
Big Ten · College Park, Maryland · 4-8 in 2025
Big Ten · East Lansing, Michigan · 4-8 in 2025
Big Ten · Minneapolis, Minnesota · 8-5 in 2025
Big Ten · Evanston, Illinois · 7-6 in 2025
Big Ten · West Lafayette, Indiana · 2-10 in 2025
Big Ten · Piscataway, New Jersey · 5-7 in 2025
Big Ten · Los Angeles, California · 3-9 in 2025
Big Ten · Seattle, Washington · 9-4 in 2025
Big Ten
From the Midwest to both coasts
The Big Ten was for a century a compact midwestern league. It now includes USC and Oregon on the west coast, which means conference games regularly cross three time zones and a Saturday noon kickoff in Columbus starts at nine in the morning in Los Angeles.
That expansion was driven by media rights rather than geography, and it has changed what a conference season physically demands of a team.
Big Ten
Recent dominance
Indiana's 2025 national championship followed Ohio State in 2024 and Michigan in 2023 — three straight titles for the conference. The 2026 preseason poll had three Big Ten teams in the top six.
The Ohio State-Michigan game, played on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, remains the fixture the conference is organised around, and has repeatedly decided both the league title and a playoff place.
FAQ
Big Ten questions
Which teams are in the Big Ten?
Programs covered here include Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Oregon, USC, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin and Indiana, alongside the conference's other members.
Why do USC and Oregon play in the Big Ten?
Both left the Pac-12 in the realignment driven by media rights. The conference now spans the country, which adds substantial travel to a west coast team's schedule.
Which Big Ten teams have won recent national titles?
Indiana won the 2025 championship, Ohio State the 2024 title and Michigan in 2023 — three consecutive national champions from the conference.
What is the biggest game in the Big Ten?
Ohio State against Michigan, played on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and known simply as The Game. It closes the regular season for both programs.