Editing Big Ten Conference (section)

===2021–2024 Pacific expansion===
{{Main|2021–2024 NCAA conference realignment}}
On June 30, 2022, [[UCLA Bruins|UCLA]] and [[USC Trojans|USC]] announced that they would be joining the Big Ten Conference effective August 2, 2024, enabling both schools to remain in the [[Pac-12 Conference]] for the duration of the Pac-12's existing media rights agreements.<ref name="ESPN-USC-UCLA">{{cite news |last1=Thamel |first1=Pete |last2=Dinich |first2=Heather |date=June 30, 2022 |title=USC, UCLA Moving from Pac-12 to Big Ten in 2024 |url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/34173688 |access-date=August 5, 2023 |work=ESPN |authorlink1=Pete Thamel}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Paul |last=Myerberg |date=June 30, 2022 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/bigten/2022/06/30/ucla-usc-negotiations-join-big-ten-demolishing-pac-12/7779419001/ |title=Pac-12 Powerhouses UCLA, USC Joining Big Ten Conference in 2024 |work=USA Today |access-date=July 9, 2022}}</ref> Unlike the prior expansion with Nebraska, Rutgers, and Maryland, USC and UCLA would join with a full share of the media revenue from the start of their Big Ten tenure.<ref name="nj.com"/>

In August 2022, the conference reached new media rights deals with CBS, Fox, and NBC totaled at an estimated $7 billion.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rittenberg |first=Adam |date=August 18, 2022 |title=Big Ten completes 7-year, $7 billion media rights agreement with Fox, CBS, NBC |work=ESPN |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/34417911 |access-date=August 23, 2022}}</ref><ref name=":1"/><ref name=":3"/><ref name=":2"/>

On August 4, 2023, [[Oregon Ducks|Oregon]] and [[Washington Huskies|Washington]] announced that they would join the Big Ten Conference alongside UCLA and USC.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thamel |first=Pete |authorlink=Pete Thamel |date=2023-08-04 |title=Oregon, Washington officially leave Pac-12 for Big Ten |url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/38134021 |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=ESPN }}</ref> Unlike UCLA and USC, the two schools would receive a reduced media revenue share of $30 million each, with the share increasing by $1 million for each school each year, through the 2029–30 season. Rather than reducing the other conference members' revenue shares, Fox would contribute the necessary money.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://awfulannouncing.com/college-football/ohio-state-gene-smith-fox-oregon-washington-big-ten.html|title=Ohio State AD Gene Smith says Fox paid the tab to bring Oregon, Washington to Big Ten|date=August 10, 2023 }}</ref> The schools will receive a full share with the next media deal.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/big-ten-adds-oregon-washington-newest-members-blow/story?id=102034722|title=Big Ten adds Oregon, Washington as newest members in blow to Pac-12|website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] }}</ref>

====Football: the return of no divisions====
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In June 2023 – after UCLA and USC were confirmed as incoming members but before Oregon and Washington were added – the conference announced that starting in 2024, the East and West divisions for football would be eliminated. Each team would play nine conference games and three non-conference games, as before. Within a four-year period, each team would play at least two games against every other team – one at home and one away. This plan called for 11 [[#Protected matchups|protected matchups]] to take place every year; these included [[Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry|Michigan–Ohio State]] and ten other regional rivalries. At the end of each season, the top two teams in the conference standings would oppose each other in the [[Big Ten Football Championship Game]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Adam |last=Rittenberg |date=June 8, 2023 |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/37820350 |title=Big Ten to Introduce 'Flex Protect Plus' Football Schedule Model in 2024 |work=ESPN |access-date=June 13, 2023}}</ref>

The addition of Oregon and Washington added one more protected matchup to this count, bringing the total to 12 protected matchups: [[Illinois–Northwestern football rivalry|Illinois–Northwestern]], [[Illinois–Purdue football rivalry|Illinois–Purdue]], [[Old Oaken Bucket|Indiana–Purdue]], [[Iowa–Minnesota football rivalry|Iowa–Minnesota]], [[Iowa–Nebraska football rivalry|Iowa–Nebraska]], [[Iowa–Wisconsin football rivalry|Iowa–Wisconsin]], Maryland–Rutgers, [[Michigan–Michigan State football rivalry|Michigan–Michigan State]], [[Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry|Michigan–Ohio State]], [[Minnesota–Wisconsin football rivalry|Minnesota–Wisconsin]], [[Oregon–Washington football rivalry|Oregon–Washington]] and [[Victory Bell (UCLA–USC)|UCLA–USC]], leaving Penn State as the lone school with no protected matchups. The schedule was also updated so that teams will play every other conference opponent at least twice – once home and once away – and will play rotating opponents no more than three times in a five-year period.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bigten.org/fb/article/blt39fc5a9dd81251cf/|title=Big Ten Conference Announces Future Football Schedule Formats for 2024–28|date=January 2024 }}</ref>