A few days ago instead of sleeping I had displeasure of staying awake all night and attempting to rank the Big Ten's membership in order of value or potential value that they bring to the league. Here is what I came up with.

1. Ohio State. OSU is perhaps the second best positioned team in the whole country in attempting to form a football dynasty. It is half of the iconic OSU-Michigan game, in contention for most valuable regular season game every single year, dominates the nation's 7th biggest state and operates one of the nation's biggest athletics departments, including a hockey team. When there is no marquee Big Ten game the Ohio State game is by default the marquee Big Ten game.

2. Michigan. The other half of the so-called Big 2, Michigan's place here would be cemented with their rivalry game alone, even if they failed to provide anything else. But they do provide several anythings else. They are one of the nation's most beloved football teams (and are hated even more,) are the leading program in the nation's 10th largest state, have a good hockey program, a notable-if-not-elite basketball history and great non-revenue sports.

3. USC. The first two were gimmies, USC was the first tough pick I had to make, especially given that their private school status means they don't have to respond to open access requests. USC is the leading program in the nation's largest state, though the truth is they control well under half of it. Nonetheless, southern California is a massive area, larger in population than any Big Ten team's territory. USC has a good history and championship potential. It has been a rough twenty years for the Trojans but their presence in Hollywood's backyard has them primed for a media frenzy, should they ever take off again. They also offer a late night time-slot that certain other potential candidates for this slot do not.

4. Penn State. Perhaps the consensus choice for number 3, though I have them just a hair below USC on potential. Penn State is in firm control of its home state, the nation's fifth largest and, as the only truly notable program west of Ohio State and north of Virginia Tech, their "zone of control" extends well beyond the state's borders to its north, east and south. Though most of the Big Ten's big games feature OSU as the lead, Penn State has been one of the few others in recent years to help carry a game without the Buckeyes. They have a great non-revenue sports portfolio including notable wrestling and wvb teams and sponsor ice hockey, though this is balanced out by the notable blackhole that is Nittany Lion basketball.

5. Indiana. Let the pile-up begin. A year ago no-one would have put Indiana here but after running the table to their first ever football national championship all eyes are on the Hoosiers, waiting to see if they can do it again. Retaining their coaching staff they are well set up to at least try, though even if they fail they are still set to be be football relevant for years to come. They split the state of Indiana, the nation's 17th largest, nearly evenly with Purdue, which isn't terrible and while their non-revenue sports are not in the least bit notable their basketball team is, being perhaps the best supported program in the Big Ten, even if mired in a decade or more of on the court mediocrity.

6. Illinois. It could, I suppose, be said that Illinois dominates college athletics in the nation's sixth largest state. I'd disagree and say that the state's citizens are generally uninterested in college athletics. Nonetheless the potential is always there and despite decades of mediocrity the Illini have been knocking on success's door these past few years. The tv markets alone bring value to the league and their basketball is some of the Big Ten's best.

7. Oregon. The first team from a small state to make the list, the Ducks have performed well on the field these past 25 years and might well be the best and best followed team in the nation to never win a national championship. The state of Oregon is the third smallest in the Big Ten, a terrible home market to be saddled with but at least in finances that is partially made up for with their Nike money pipe.

8. Nebraska. It has been a tough two decades for the Cornhuskers, with their on-the-field performance often mimicking their ranking here by being barely above .500. Nonetheless the team is able to draw in a national fanbase many others cannot and not a year goes by where they don't play a game with higher viewership than Nebraska, the state, has residents. Even if doomed to lose for eternity, they're still valued as most Washington Generals cannot bring eyeballs on their own. And yes, they do have a women's volleyball program that puts in the lord's work filling out BTN schedules on non-football dates.

9. Washington. A somewhat overlooked program, I considered placing the Huskies as high as 7th. They are the only power program in the state of Washington, which is shockingly ranked 13th in the country over places like Arizona, Tennessee and Massachusetts. The school is also academically prestigious and western Washington state is a place of wealth and power in a way that, say, central Pennsylvania or the Portland area is not. They also provide the Big Ten with one of those coveted late night tv spots, should no other team be available. And yet they've never been a national tv draw, despite several notable regular season runs at the playoff taking place in the 4 team era.

10. Rutgers. Big Ten officials will tell you that you ought to add NYC's 8.5 million residents to New Jersey's 9.3 million when calculating Rutgers' catchment area and, while I will not do that (and even give some of the Jerseyites to Penn State) the simple fact is that cable companies agreed and thus Rutgers provides the league with significant value. That's more in-market tv sets than Penn State, than Illinois, than Ohio State.

11. Wisconsin. Recent on-the-field struggles aside, Wisconsin provides the league with good fans, a good name, good hockey and an okay market. It remains to be seen how the Badgers will hold up in football going forward.

12. UCLA. Crossing another Rubicon, we've left the teams with multiple positives behind and are now comparing schools with one thing to offer. UCLA is in LA, a great place to be, and though they do play second fiddle to a vastly superior USC they nonetheless still offer an in to the LA market and its late time slot. They also have a great basketball history, though you'd never have guessed it these past two decades, and are the only Big Ten team with a notable baseball past. Its also a great school, for whatever that's worth.

13. Michigan State. The Spartans are perhaps the most famous little brother program in all of college athletics, but Michigan is a great state to be a little brother in and Michigan a great team to be a little brother to. Though the team has been bad for a few years now people are still tuning in to watch, even if at reduced rates and they're possibly the best thing going in Big Ten basketball over the past decade. Their ice hockey team also has games to provide, making them one of the most valuable non-football programs in the conference. That just about gives them an edge over the next three teams.

14. Iowa. Iowa is a program that has been at the top of their abilities under Firentz for longer than most of his players have been alive. Unfortunately that means topping out at 8-4 and missing even the possibility of the playoffs. Iowa also plays so-called "white boy football" of a type that general audiences find insufferable with its lack of scoring or being scored upon. And worst of all that all falls apart against OSU, meaning you can't even get an exciting finish against the top draw. Their excellent wrestling does little to make up for their typically bad basketball. And, of course, Iowa is an exceptionally small state, and one they are forced to share with Iowa State.

15. Minnesota. The Gophers, despite being ranked 15th, are not to be overlooked on the field and have played my team close many a time, though they rarely win in the end. Despite being the only DI program in their middle-sized state (22nd out of 50) they fail to attract eyes from most Minnesotans' true love, the Vikings, who they are forced to share a metro area with. And perhaps unfairly they still carry a reputation for poor football decades old, to the point where people can and have based a long-running sitcom around Minnesota being bad at football. Their basketball isn't anything special either, though they do have one of the nation's two or three most followed ice hockey programs.

16. Purdue. Its been a terrible decade, nay, century even, for the Boilermakers. And yet there are, on average, 50,000 of them trudging into Ross-Ade Stadium every other week to experience another loss. If Purdue were to have spent the past decade in the MAC they'd have been lucky to have won it more than 4 times. But its not all bad, they jointly own Indiana, the 17th largest state, with Indiana for now, and are in contention with Michigan State and Illinois for having the conference's best basketball team.

17. Maryland. Maryland isn't the only team in the league at risk of seeing stadium takeovers, but they are the only one at risk of a stadium takeover every single week (UCLA being protected by geography and all,) though its hardly surprising after a solid decade of disappointing football and even more disappointing basketball. Though they have the "celebrated" DC media market the district itself only adds a paltry half million to their total, which would take Maryland the state from an anemic 18th in size all the way to... 18th. Well, the 2025 estimate is that the state has actually fallen to 19th so getting back up to 18th isn't so bad. My brother went to Maryland, the fool, but left after a single semester presumably because of their awful fan support and low ratings.

18. Northwestern. I mean, no points for guessing this one coming in. Their positives are being located in Chicago and being an excellent place to get an education. But value to an athletics league? Good luck, they aren't da Bears, that's for sure and though they've been competitive in the west several times they've also taken their fair share of wooden spoons.

(02-27-2026 09:56 PM)The Beaver Wrote:  A few days ago instead of sleeping I had displeasure of staying awake all night and attempting to rank the Big Ten's membership in order of value or potential value that they bring to the league. Here is what I came up with.

1. Ohio State. OSU is perhaps the second best positioned team in the whole country in attempting to form a football dynasty. It is half of the iconic OSU-Michigan game, in contention for most valuable regular season game every single year, dominates the nation's 7th biggest state and operates one of the nation's biggest athletics departments, including a hockey team. When there is no marquee Big Ten game the Ohio State game is by default the marquee Big Ten game.

2. Michigan. The other half of the so-called Big 2, Michigan's place here would be cemented with their rivalry game alone, even if they failed to provide anything else. But they do provide several anythings else. They are one of the nation's most beloved football teams (and are hated even more,) are the leading program in the nation's 10th largest state, have a good hockey program, a notable-if-not-elite basketball history and great non-revenue sports.

3. USC. The first two were gimmies, USC was the first tough pick I had to make, especially given that their private school status means they don't have to respond to open access requests. USC is the leading program in the nation's largest state, though the truth is they controll well under half of it. Nonetheless, southern California is a massive area, larger in population than any Big Ten team's territory. USC has a good history and championship potential. It has been a rough twenty years for the Trojans but their presence in Hollywood's backyard has them primed for a media frenzy, should they ever take off again. They also offer a late night time-slot that certain other potential candidates for this slot do not.

4. Penn State. Perhaps the consensus choice for number 3, though I have them just a hair below USC on potential. Penn State is in firm control of its home state, the nation's fifth largest and, as the only truly notable program west of Ohio State and north of Virginia Tech, their "zone of control" extends well beyond the state's borders to its north, east and south. Though most of the Big Ten's big games feature OSU as the lead, Penn State has been one of the few others in recent years to help carry a game without the Buckeyes. They have a great non-revenue sports portfolio including notable wrestling and wvb teams and sponsor ice hockey, though this is balanced out by the notable blackhole that is Nittany Lion basketball.

5. Indiana. Let the pile-up begin. A year ago no-one would have put Indiana here but after running the table to their first ever football national championship all eyes are on the Hoosiers, waiting to see if they can do it again. Retaining their coaching staff they are well set up to at least try, though if they fail they are still likely to at least be football relevant for years to come.They split the state of Indiana, the nation's 17th largest, nearly evenly with Purdue, which isn't terrible and while their non-revenue sports are not in the least bit notable their basketball team is, being perhaps the best supported program in the Big Ten, even if mired in a decade or more of on the court mm mediocrity.

6. Illinois. It could, I suppose, be said that Illinois dominates college athletics in the nation's sixth largest state. I'd disagree and say that the state's citizens are generally uninterested in college athletics. Nonetheless the potential is always there and despite decades of mediocrity mediocrity the Illini have been knocking on success's door these past few years. The tv markets alone bring value to the league and their basketball is some of the Big Ten's best.

7. Oregon. The first team from a small state to make the list, the Ducks have performed well on the field these past 25 years and might well be the best and best followed team in the nation to never win a national championship. The state of Oregon is the third smallest in the Big Ten, a terrible home market to be saddled with but at least in finances that is partially made up for with their Nike money pipe.

8. Nebraska. It has been a tough two decades for the Cornhuskers, with their on-the-field performance often mimicking their ranking here by being barely above .500. Nonetheless the team is able to draw in a national fanbase many others cannot and not a year goes by where they don't play a game with higher viewership than Nebradka, the state, has residents. IEven if doomed to lose for eternity, they're still valued as most Washington Generals cannot bring eyeballs on their own. And yes, they do have a women's volleyball program that puts in the lord's work filling out BTN schedules on non-football dates.

9. Washington. A somewhat overlooked program, I considered placing the Huskies as high as 7th. They are the only power program in the state of Washington, which is shockingly ranked 13th in the country over places like Arizona, Tennessee and Massachusetts. Tge school is also academically prestigious and western Washington state is a place of wealth and power in a way that, say, central Pennsylvania or the Portland area is not. They also provide the Big Ten with one of those covetted late night tv spots, should no other team be available. And yet they've never been a national tv draw, despite several notable regular season at the playoff taking place in the 4 team era.

10. Rutgers. Big Ten officials will tell you that you ought to add NYC's 8.5 million residents to New Jersey's 9.3 million when calculating Rutgers' cachement area and, while I will not do that (and even give some of the Jerseyites to Penn State) the simple fact is that cable companies agreed and thus Rutgers provides the league with significant value. That's more in-market tv sets than Penn State, than Illinois, than Ohio State.

11. Wisconsin. Recent on-the-field struggles aside, Wisconsin provides the league with good fans, a good name, good hockey and an okay market. It remains to be seen how the Badgers will hold up in football going forward.

12. UCLA. Crossing another rubicon, we've left the teams with multiple positives behind and are now comparing schools with one thing to offer. UCLA is in LA, a great place to be, and though they do play second fiddle to a vastly superior USC they do still offer an in to the LA market and its kate time slot. They also have a great basketball history, though you'd never have guessed it these past two decades, and are the only Big Ten team with a notable baseball past. Its also a great school, for whatever that's worth.

13. Michigan State. The Spartans are perhaps the most famous little brother program in all of college athletics, but Michigan is a great state to be a little brother in and Michigan a great team to be a little brother to. Though the team has been bad for a few years now people are still tuning in to watch, even if at reduced rates and they're possibly the best thing going in Big Ten basketball over the past decade, their ice hockey team also has games to provide, making them one of the most valuable non-football programs in the conference. That just about gives them an edge over the next three teams.

14. Iowa. Iowa is a program that has been at the top of the abilities under Firentz for longer than most of his players have been alive. Unfortunately that means topping out at 8-4 and missing even the possibility of the playoffs. Iowa also plays so-called "white boy football" of a type that general auduences find insufferable with its lack of scoring or being scored upon. And worst of all that all falls apart against OSU, meaning you can't even get an exciting finish against the top draw. Their excellent wrestling does little to make up for their typically bad basketball. And, of course, Iowa is an exceptionally small state, and one they are forced to share with Iowa State.

15. Minnesota. The Gophers, despite being ranked 15th, are not to be overlooked on the field and have played my team close, many a time, though they rarely win in the end. Despite being the only DI program in their middle-sized state (22nd out of 50) they fail to attract eyes from most Minnesotans' true love, the Vikings, who they are forced to share a metro area with. And perhaps unfairly they still carry a reputation for poor football decades old, to the point where people can and have based a long-running sitcom around Minnesota being bad at football. Their basketball isn't anything special either, though they do have one of the nation's two or three most followed ice hockey programs.

16. Purdue. Its been a terrible decade, nay, century even, for the Boilermakers. And yet there are, on average, 50,000 of them trudging into Ross-Ade Stadium every other week to experience another loss. If Purdue were to have spent the past decade in the MAC they'd have been lucky to have won it more than 4 times. But its not all bad, they jointly own Indiana, the 17th largest state, with Indiana for now, and are in contention with Michigan State and Illinois for having the conference's best basketball team.

17. Maryland. Maryland isn't the only team in the league at risk of seeing stadium takeovers, but they are the only one at risk of a stadium takeover every single week (UCLA being protected by geography and all,) though its hardly surprising after a solid decade of disappointing football and even more disappointing basketball. Though they have the "celebrated" DC media market the district itself only adds a paltry half million to their total, which would take Maryland the state from an anemic 18th in size all the way to... 18th. Well, the 2025 estimate is that the state has actually fallen to 19th so getting back up to 18th isn't so bad. My brother went to Maryland, the fool, but left after a single semester presumably because of their awful fan support and low ratings.

18. Northwestern. I mean, no points for guessing this one coming in. Their positives are being located in Chicago and being an excellent place to get an education. But value to a an athletics league? Good luck, they aren't da Bears, thats for sure and though they've been competitive in the west several times they've also taken their fair share of wooden spoons.

Overall really good list that I mostly agree with.

Indiana is the toughest one for me, are we valuing recent success too much for football? Cignetti is amazing but some regression to the mean is likely given injuries, once bad bounce to lose a game, etc.

(02-28-2026 12:22 PM)thw0223 Wrote:  

(02-27-2026 09:56 PM)The Beaver Wrote:  A few days ago instead of sleeping I had displeasure of staying awake all night and attempting to rank the Big Ten's membership in order of value or potential value that they bring to the league. Here is what I came up with.

1. Ohio State. OSU is perhaps the second best positioned team in the whole country in attempting to form a football dynasty. It is half of the iconic OSU-Michigan game, in contention for most valuable regular season game every single year, dominates the nation's 7th biggest state and operates one of the nation's biggest athletics departments, including a hockey team. When there is no marquee Big Ten game the Ohio State game is by default the marquee Big Ten game.

2. Michigan. The other half of the so-called Big 2, Michigan's place here would be cemented with their rivalry game alone, even if they failed to provide anything else. But they do provide several anythings else. They are one of the nation's most beloved football teams (and are hated even more,) are the leading program in the nation's 10th largest state, have a good hockey program, a notable-if-not-elite basketball history and great non-revenue sports.

3. USC. The first two were gimmies, USC was the first tough pick I had to make, especially given that their private school status means they don't have to respond to open access requests. USC is the leading program in the nation's largest state, though the truth is they controll well under half of it. Nonetheless, southern California is a massive area, larger in population than any Big Ten team's territory. USC has a good history and championship potential. It has been a rough twenty years for the Trojans but their presence in Hollywood's backyard has them primed for a media frenzy, should they ever take off again. They also offer a late night time-slot that certain other potential candidates for this slot do not.

4. Penn State. Perhaps the consensus choice for number 3, though I have them just a hair below USC on potential. Penn State is in firm control of its home state, the nation's fifth largest and, as the only truly notable program west of Ohio State and north of Virginia Tech, their "zone of control" extends well beyond the state's borders to its north, east and south. Though most of the Big Ten's big games feature OSU as the lead, Penn State has been one of the few others in recent years to help carry a game without the Buckeyes. They have a great non-revenue sports portfolio including notable wrestling and wvb teams and sponsor ice hockey, though this is balanced out by the notable blackhole that is Nittany Lion basketball.

5. Indiana. Let the pile-up begin. A year ago no-one would have put Indiana here but after running the table to their first ever football national championship all eyes are on the Hoosiers, waiting to see if they can do it again. Retaining their coaching staff they are well set up to at least try, though if they fail they are still likely to at least be football relevant for years to come.They split the state of Indiana, the nation's 17th largest, nearly evenly with Purdue, which isn't terrible and while their non-revenue sports are not in the least bit notable their basketball team is, being perhaps the best supported program in the Big Ten, even if mired in a decade or more of on the court mm mediocrity.

6. Illinois. It could, I suppose, be said that Illinois dominates college athletics in the nation's sixth largest state. I'd disagree and say that the state's citizens are generally uninterested in college athletics. Nonetheless the potential is always there and despite decades of mediocrity mediocrity the Illini have been knocking on success's door these past few years. The tv markets alone bring value to the league and their basketball is some of the Big Ten's best.

7. Oregon. The first team from a small state to make the list, the Ducks have performed well on the field these past 25 years and might well be the best and best followed team in the nation to never win a national championship. The state of Oregon is the third smallest in the Big Ten, a terrible home market to be saddled with but at least in finances that is partially made up for with their Nike money pipe.

8. Nebraska. It has been a tough two decades for the Cornhuskers, with their on-the-field performance often mimicking their ranking here by being barely above .500. Nonetheless the team is able to draw in a national fanbase many others cannot and not a year goes by where they don't play a game with higher viewership than Nebradka, the state, has residents. IEven if doomed to lose for eternity, they're still valued as most Washington Generals cannot bring eyeballs on their own. And yes, they do have a women's volleyball program that puts in the lord's work filling out BTN schedules on non-football dates.

9. Washington. A somewhat overlooked program, I considered placing the Huskies as high as 7th. They are the only power program in the state of Washington, which is shockingly ranked 13th in the country over places like Arizona, Tennessee and Massachusetts. Tge school is also academically prestigious and western Washington state is a place of wealth and power in a way that, say, central Pennsylvania or the Portland area is not. They also provide the Big Ten with one of those covetted late night tv spots, should no other team be available. And yet they've never been a national tv draw, despite several notable regular season at the playoff taking place in the 4 team era.

10. Rutgers. Big Ten officials will tell you that you ought to add NYC's 8.5 million residents to New Jersey's 9.3 million when calculating Rutgers' cachement area and, while I will not do that (and even give some of the Jerseyites to Penn State) the simple fact is that cable companies agreed and thus Rutgers provides the league with significant value. That's more in-market tv sets than Penn State, than Illinois, than Ohio State.

11. Wisconsin. Recent on-the-field struggles aside, Wisconsin provides the league with good fans, a good name, good hockey and an okay market. It remains to be seen how the Badgers will hold up in football going forward.

12. UCLA. Crossing another rubicon, we've left the teams with multiple positives behind and are now comparing schools with one thing to offer. UCLA is in LA, a great place to be, and though they do play second fiddle to a vastly superior USC they do still offer an in to the LA market and its kate time slot. They also have a great basketball history, though you'd never have guessed it these past two decades, and are the only Big Ten team with a notable baseball past. Its also a great school, for whatever that's worth.

13. Michigan State. The Spartans are perhaps the most famous little brother program in all of college athletics, but Michigan is a great state to be a little brother in and Michigan a great team to be a little brother to. Though the team has been bad for a few years now people are still tuning in to watch, even if at reduced rates and they're possibly the best thing going in Big Ten basketball over the past decade, their ice hockey team also has games to provide, making them one of the most valuable non-football programs in the conference. That just about gives them an edge over the next three teams.

14. Iowa. Iowa is a program that has been at the top of the abilities under Firentz for longer than most of his players have been alive. Unfortunately that means topping out at 8-4 and missing even the possibility of the playoffs. Iowa also plays so-called "white boy football" of a type that general auduences find insufferable with its lack of scoring or being scored upon. And worst of all that all falls apart against OSU, meaning you can't even get an exciting finish against the top draw. Their excellent wrestling does little to make up for their typically bad basketball. And, of course, Iowa is an exceptionally small state, and one they are forced to share with Iowa State.

15. Minnesota. The Gophers, despite being ranked 15th, are not to be overlooked on the field and have played my team close, many a time, though they rarely win in the end. Despite being the only DI program in their middle-sized state (22nd out of 50) they fail to attract eyes from most Minnesotans' true love, the Vikings, who they are forced to share a metro area with. And perhaps unfairly they still carry a reputation for poor football decades old, to the point where people can and have based a long-running sitcom around Minnesota being bad at football. Their basketball isn't anything special either, though they do have one of the nation's two or three most followed ice hockey programs.

16. Purdue. Its been a terrible decade, nay, century even, for the Boilermakers. And yet there are, on average, 50,000 of them trudging into Ross-Ade Stadium every other week to experience another loss. If Purdue were to have spent the past decade in the MAC they'd have been lucky to have won it more than 4 times. But its not all bad, they jointly own Indiana, the 17th largest state, with Indiana for now, and are in contention with Michigan State and Illinois for having the conference's best basketball team.

17. Maryland. Maryland isn't the only team in the league at risk of seeing stadium takeovers, but they are the only one at risk of a stadium takeover every single week (UCLA being protected by geography and all,) though its hardly surprising after a solid decade of disappointing football and even more disappointing basketball. Though they have the "celebrated" DC media market the district itself only adds a paltry half million to their total, which would take Maryland the state from an anemic 18th in size all the way to... 18th. Well, the 2025 estimate is that the state has actually fallen to 19th so getting back up to 18th isn't so bad. My brother went to Maryland, the fool, but left after a single semester presumably because of their awful fan support and low ratings.

18. Northwestern. I mean, no points for guessing this one coming in. Their positives are being located in Chicago and being an excellent place to get an education. But value to a an athletics league? Good luck, they aren't da Bears, thats for sure and though they've been competitive in the west several times they've also taken their fair share of wooden spoons.

Overall really good list that I mostly agree with.

Indiana is the toughest one for me, are we valuing recent success too much for football? Cignetti is amazing but some regression to the mean is likely given injuries, once bad bounce to lose a game, etc.

Indiana is a true coin flip, heads they're a dynasty, tails its back to the shed for more Big 3 beatings. They also haven't been as bad as people make them out to be recently, they just had no way to show it while stuck in the old Big Ten East.

Sorry it took me so long…got busy. I like your list in general and am happy to play along with your topic.

Indiana is certainly a tough one, but overall I think you have them a bit too high. Nebraska is maybe 1-3 too high as well, if I’m nitpicking.

Rutgers is the real outlier for me. I get your point about market but that benefit has been reduced by streaming. I’d drop them below 14 for sure.

Lastly, as much as it pains me as a Wolverine, you are not giving Michigan State enough credit. Their sports programs are all solid and basketball and hockey are elite. They should be somewhere between 7 and 10.

(02-27-2026 09:56 PM)The Beaver Wrote:  A few days ago instead of sleeping I had displeasure of staying awake all night and attempting to rank the Big Ten's membership in order of value or potential value that they bring to the league. Here is what I came up with.

1. Ohio State. OSU is perhaps the second best positioned team in the whole country in attempting to form a football dynasty. It is half of the iconic OSU-Michigan game, in contention for most valuable regular season game every single year, dominates the nation's 7th biggest state and operates one of the nation's biggest athletics departments, including a hockey team. When there is no marquee Big Ten game the Ohio State game is by default the marquee Big Ten game.

2. Michigan. The other half of the so-called Big 2, Michigan's place here would be cemented with their rivalry game alone, even if they failed to provide anything else. But they do provide several anythings else. They are one of the nation's most beloved football teams (and are hated even more,) are the leading program in the nation's 10th largest state, have a good hockey program, a notable-if-not-elite basketball history and great non-revenue sports.

3. USC. The first two were gimmies, USC was the first tough pick I had to make, especially given that their private school status means they don't have to respond to open access requests. USC is the leading program in the nation's largest state, though the truth is they controll well under half of it. Nonetheless, southern California is a massive area, larger in population than any Big Ten team's territory. USC has a good history and championship potential. It has been a rough twenty years for the Trojans but their presence in Hollywood's backyard has them primed for a media frenzy, should they ever take off again. They also offer a late night time-slot that certain other potential candidates for this slot do not.

4. Penn State. Perhaps the consensus choice for number 3, though I have them just a hair below USC on potential. Penn State is in firm control of its home state, the nation's fifth largest and, as the only truly notable program west of Ohio State and north of Virginia Tech, their "zone of control" extends well beyond the state's borders to its north, east and south. Though most of the Big Ten's big games feature OSU as the lead, Penn State has been one of the few others in recent years to help carry a game without the Buckeyes. They have a great non-revenue sports portfolio including notable wrestling and wvb teams and sponsor ice hockey, though this is balanced out by the notable blackhole that is Nittany Lion basketball.

5. Indiana. Let the pile-up begin. A year ago no-one would have put Indiana here but after running the table to their first ever football national championship all eyes are on the Hoosiers, waiting to see if they can do it again. Retaining their coaching staff they are well set up to at least try, though if they fail they are still likely to at least be football relevant for years to come.They split the state of Indiana, the nation's 17th largest, nearly evenly with Purdue, which isn't terrible and while their non-revenue sports are not in the least bit notable their basketball team is, being perhaps the best supported program in the Big Ten, even if mired in a decade or more of on the court mm mediocrity.

6. Illinois. It could, I suppose, be said that Illinois dominates college athletics in the nation's sixth largest state. I'd disagree and say that the state's citizens are generally uninterested in college athletics. Nonetheless the potential is always there and despite decades of mediocrity mediocrity the Illini have been knocking on success's door these past few years. The tv markets alone bring value to the league and their basketball is some of the Big Ten's best.

7. Oregon. The first team from a small state to make the list, the Ducks have performed well on the field these past 25 years and might well be the best and best followed team in the nation to never win a national championship. The state of Oregon is the third smallest in the Big Ten, a terrible home market to be saddled with but at least in finances that is partially made up for with their Nike money pipe.

8. Nebraska. It has been a tough two decades for the Cornhuskers, with their on-the-field performance often mimicking their ranking here by being barely above .500. Nonetheless the team is able to draw in a national fanbase many others cannot and not a year goes by where they don't play a game with higher viewership than Nebradka, the state, has residents. IEven if doomed to lose for eternity, they're still valued as most Washington Generals cannot bring eyeballs on their own. And yes, they do have a women's volleyball program that puts in the lord's work filling out BTN schedules on non-football dates.

9. Washington. A somewhat overlooked program, I considered placing the Huskies as high as 7th. They are the only power program in the state of Washington, which is shockingly ranked 13th in the country over places like Arizona, Tennessee and Massachusetts. Tge school is also academically prestigious and western Washington state is a place of wealth and power in a way that, say, central Pennsylvania or the Portland area is not. They also provide the Big Ten with one of those covetted late night tv spots, should no other team be available. And yet they've never been a national tv draw, despite several notable regular season at the playoff taking place in the 4 team era.

10. Rutgers. Big Ten officials will tell you that you ought to add NYC's 8.5 million residents to New Jersey's 9.3 million when calculating Rutgers' cachement area and, while I will not do that (and even give some of the Jerseyites to Penn State) the simple fact is that cable companies agreed and thus Rutgers provides the league with significant value. That's more in-market tv sets than Penn State, than Illinois, than Ohio State.

11. Wisconsin. Recent on-the-field struggles aside, Wisconsin provides the league with good fans, a good name, good hockey and an okay market. It remains to be seen how the Badgers will hold up in football going forward.

12. UCLA. Crossing another rubicon, we've left the teams with multiple positives behind and are now comparing schools with one thing to offer. UCLA is in LA, a great place to be, and though they do play second fiddle to a vastly superior USC they do still offer an in to the LA market and its kate time slot. They also have a great basketball history, though you'd never have guessed it these past two decades, and are the only Big Ten team with a notable baseball past. Its also a great school, for whatever that's worth.

13. Michigan State. The Spartans are perhaps the most famous little brother program in all of college athletics, but Michigan is a great state to be a little brother in and Michigan a great team to be a little brother to. Though the team has been bad for a few years now people are still tuning in to watch, even if at reduced rates and they're possibly the best thing going in Big Ten basketball over the past decade, their ice hockey team also has games to provide, making them one of the most valuable non-football programs in the conference. That just about gives them an edge over the next three teams.

14. Iowa. Iowa is a program that has been at the top of the abilities under Firentz for longer than most of his players have been alive. Unfortunately that means topping out at 8-4 and missing even the possibility of the playoffs. Iowa also plays so-called "white boy football" of a type that general auduences find insufferable with its lack of scoring or being scored upon. And worst of all that all falls apart against OSU, meaning you can't even get an exciting finish against the top draw. Their excellent wrestling does little to make up for their typically bad basketball. And, of course, Iowa is an exceptionally small state, and one they are forced to share with Iowa State.

15. Minnesota. The Gophers, despite being ranked 15th, are not to be overlooked on the field and have played my team close, many a time, though they rarely win in the end. Despite being the only DI program in their middle-sized state (22nd out of 50) they fail to attract eyes from most Minnesotans' true love, the Vikings, who they are forced to share a metro area with. And perhaps unfairly they still carry a reputation for poor football decades old, to the point where people can and have based a long-running sitcom around Minnesota being bad at football. Their basketball isn't anything special either, though they do have one of the nation's two or three most followed ice hockey programs.

16. Purdue. Its been a terrible decade, nay, century even, for the Boilermakers. And yet there are, on average, 50,000 of them trudging into Ross-Ade Stadium every other week to experience another loss. If Purdue were to have spent the past decade in the MAC they'd have been lucky to have won it more than 4 times. But its not all bad, they jointly own Indiana, the 17th largest state, with Indiana for now, and are in contention with Michigan State and Illinois for having the conference's best basketball team.

17. Maryland. Maryland isn't the only team in the league at risk of seeing stadium takeovers, but they are the only one at risk of a stadium takeover every single week (UCLA being protected by geography and all,) though its hardly surprising after a solid decade of disappointing football and even more disappointing basketball. Though they have the "celebrated" DC media market the district itself only adds a paltry half million to their total, which would take Maryland the state from an anemic 18th in size all the way to... 18th. Well, the 2025 estimate is that the state has actually fallen to 19th so getting back up to 18th isn't so bad. My brother went to Maryland, the fool, but left after a single semester presumably because of their awful fan support and low ratings.

18. Northwestern. I mean, no points for guessing this one coming in. Their positives are being located in Chicago and being an excellent place to get an education. But value to a an athletics league? Good luck, they aren't da Bears, thats for sure and though they've been competitive in the west several times they've also taken their fair share of wooden spoons.

Here is my ranking. I’ve put together a ranking using a weighted framework that considers:

Media & revenue value (TV draw, brand recognition, streaming potential)
Market & geography (media markets, recruiting footprint, strategic coverage)
Athletic department strength across all sports (football, basketball, Olympic sports)
Alumni base & fan engagement
Academic prestige & institutional leverage
Growth trajectory & upside potential

Weights roughly: Media 35%, Market 20%, Athletics 15%, Alumni 15%, Academics 10%, Growth 5%.

Big Ten Enterprise Ranking (1 = Most Valuable, 18 = Least)

1) Ohio State – The crown jewel. National TV draw, massive alumni, elite across all sports, zero weaknesses.
2) Michigan – Nearly identical to OSU. Massive fanbase, strong academics, powerhouse in multiple sports.
3) USC – West Coast nuclear weapon. LA market, recruiting dominance, national relevance.
4) Penn State – Huge East Coast footprint, strong wrestling and football, loyal fans.
5) UCLA – LA market, historic basketball and Olympic sports, top-tier academics.
6) Oregon – Nike brand halo, West Coast recruiting, elite football + Olympic sports.
7) Washington – Seattle market + AAU + multi-sport relevance.
8) Wisconsin – Midwest football/basketball/hockey backbone, huge fan loyalty.
9) Michigan State – Basketball + football + hockey, strong alumni, major rivalries.
10) Iowa – Cultural + athletic identity monster; wrestling + football, loyal statewide fanbase.
11) Nebraska – National fanbase, Olympic sport dominance, huge attendance; football underperforming but big upside.
12) Maryland – DC/Baltimore footprint, basketball relevance, political leverage.
13) Illinois – Chicago market + AAU + alumni + basketball brand; underperforming but critical.
14) Indiana – Big basketball brand + football champ momentum; huge upside curve.
15) Minnesota – Hockey powerhouse, solid Olympic sports, stable but moderate fan reach.
16) Purdue – Engineering prestige, basketball relevance, smaller fanbase.
17) Northwestern – Academic prestige + Chicago proximity; very low athletic enterprise value.
18) Rutgers – Pure market add, NYC footprint; weak brand, minimal fan engagement.

Tier Breakdown
Tier 1 – Super Anchors: Ohio State, Michigan, USC
Tier 2 – National Pillars: Penn State, UCLA, Oregon, Washington
Tier 3 – Competitive & Cultural Core: Wisconsin, Michigan State, Iowa, Nebraska
Tier 4 – Strategic Leverage Assets: Maryland, Illinois, Indiana
Tier 5 – Foundational / Replaceable: Minnesota, Purdue, Northwestern, Rutgers

Key Takeaways
The real Big Ten power core is: OSU + Michigan + USC + Penn State + UCLA + Oregon + Washington. These seven schools drive national reach, TV leverage, and recruiting pipelines across three time zones.

Illinois is hugely underrated: Chicago + academics + alumni + basketball = massive strategic leverage.
Indiana is the biggest wild card: the football national championship skyrockets its growth trajectory. Sustain success, and they move into Tier 3 fast.
Rutgers is actually the bottom of the league in enterprise value, despite being a market add.

Bottom line: This isn’t about recency bias or weekly wins. The Big Ten in 2026 is a coast-to-coast academic + athletic + media superpower, and the league’s real value is in strategic brand and enterprise assets, not just football dominance.

(03-02-2026 01:32 PM)stechs02 Wrote:  

(02-27-2026 09:56 PM)The Beaver Wrote:  A few days ago instead of sleeping I had displeasure of staying awake all night and attempting to rank the Big Ten's membership in order of value or potential value that they bring to the league. Here is what I came up with.

1. Ohio State. OSU is perhaps the second best positioned team in the whole country in attempting to form a football dynasty. It is half of the iconic OSU-Michigan game, in contention for most valuable regular season game every single year, dominates the nation's 7th biggest state and operates one of the nation's biggest athletics departments, including a hockey team. When there is no marquee Big Ten game the Ohio State game is by default the marquee Big Ten game.

2. Michigan. The other half of the so-called Big 2, Michigan's place here would be cemented with their rivalry game alone, even if they failed to provide anything else. But they do provide several anythings else. They are one of the nation's most beloved football teams (and are hated even more,) are the leading program in the nation's 10th largest state, have a good hockey program, a notable-if-not-elite basketball history and great non-revenue sports.

3. USC. The first two were gimmies, USC was the first tough pick I had to make, especially given that their private school status means they don't have to respond to open access requests. USC is the leading program in the nation's largest state, though the truth is they controll well under half of it. Nonetheless, southern California is a massive area, larger in population than any Big Ten team's territory. USC has a good history and championship potential. It has been a rough twenty years for the Trojans but their presence in Hollywood's backyard has them primed for a media frenzy, should they ever take off again. They also offer a late night time-slot that certain other potential candidates for this slot do not.

4. Penn State. Perhaps the consensus choice for number 3, though I have them just a hair below USC on potential. Penn State is in firm control of its home state, the nation's fifth largest and, as the only truly notable program west of Ohio State and north of Virginia Tech, their "zone of control" extends well beyond the state's borders to its north, east and south. Though most of the Big Ten's big games feature OSU as the lead, Penn State has been one of the few others in recent years to help carry a game without the Buckeyes. They have a great non-revenue sports portfolio including notable wrestling and wvb teams and sponsor ice hockey, though this is balanced out by the notable blackhole that is Nittany Lion basketball.

5. Indiana. Let the pile-up begin. A year ago no-one would have put Indiana here but after running the table to their first ever football national championship all eyes are on the Hoosiers, waiting to see if they can do it again. Retaining their coaching staff they are well set up to at least try, though if they fail they are still likely to at least be football relevant for years to come.They split the state of Indiana, the nation's 17th largest, nearly evenly with Purdue, which isn't terrible and while their non-revenue sports are not in the least bit notable their basketball team is, being perhaps the best supported program in the Big Ten, even if mired in a decade or more of on the court mm mediocrity.

6. Illinois. It could, I suppose, be said that Illinois dominates college athletics in the nation's sixth largest state. I'd disagree and say that the state's citizens are generally uninterested in college athletics. Nonetheless the potential is always there and despite decades of mediocrity mediocrity the Illini have been knocking on success's door these past few years. The tv markets alone bring value to the league and their basketball is some of the Big Ten's best.

7. Oregon. The first team from a small state to make the list, the Ducks have performed well on the field these past 25 years and might well be the best and best followed team in the nation to never win a national championship. The state of Oregon is the third smallest in the Big Ten, a terrible home market to be saddled with but at least in finances that is partially made up for with their Nike money pipe.

8. Nebraska. It has been a tough two decades for the Cornhuskers, with their on-the-field performance often mimicking their ranking here by being barely above .500. Nonetheless the team is able to draw in a national fanbase many others cannot and not a year goes by where they don't play a game with higher viewership than Nebradka, the state, has residents. IEven if doomed to lose for eternity, they're still valued as most Washington Generals cannot bring eyeballs on their own. And yes, they do have a women's volleyball program that puts in the lord's work filling out BTN schedules on non-football dates.

9. Washington. A somewhat overlooked program, I considered placing the Huskies as high as 7th. They are the only power program in the state of Washington, which is shockingly ranked 13th in the country over places like Arizona, Tennessee and Massachusetts. Tge school is also academically prestigious and western Washington state is a place of wealth and power in a way that, say, central Pennsylvania or the Portland area is not. They also provide the Big Ten with one of those covetted late night tv spots, should no other team be available. And yet they've never been a national tv draw, despite several notable regular season at the playoff taking place in the 4 team era.

10. Rutgers. Big Ten officials will tell you that you ought to add NYC's 8.5 million residents to New Jersey's 9.3 million when calculating Rutgers' cachement area and, while I will not do that (and even give some of the Jerseyites to Penn State) the simple fact is that cable companies agreed and thus Rutgers provides the league with significant value. That's more in-market tv sets than Penn State, than Illinois, than Ohio State.

11. Wisconsin. Recent on-the-field struggles aside, Wisconsin provides the league with good fans, a good name, good hockey and an okay market. It remains to be seen how the Badgers will hold up in football going forward.

12. UCLA. Crossing another rubicon, we've left the teams with multiple positives behind and are now comparing schools with one thing to offer. UCLA is in LA, a great place to be, and though they do play second fiddle to a vastly superior USC they do still offer an in to the LA market and its kate time slot. They also have a great basketball history, though you'd never have guessed it these past two decades, and are the only Big Ten team with a notable baseball past. Its also a great school, for whatever that's worth.

13. Michigan State. The Spartans are perhaps the most famous little brother program in all of college athletics, but Michigan is a great state to be a little brother in and Michigan a great team to be a little brother to. Though the team has been bad for a few years now people are still tuning in to watch, even if at reduced rates and they're possibly the best thing going in Big Ten basketball over the past decade, their ice hockey team also has games to provide, making them one of the most valuable non-football programs in the conference. That just about gives them an edge over the next three teams.

14. Iowa. Iowa is a program that has been at the top of the abilities under Firentz for longer than most of his players have been alive. Unfortunately that means topping out at 8-4 and missing even the possibility of the playoffs. Iowa also plays so-called "white boy football" of a type that general auduences find insufferable with its lack of scoring or being scored upon. And worst of all that all falls apart against OSU, meaning you can't even get an exciting finish against the top draw. Their excellent wrestling does little to make up for their typically bad basketball. And, of course, Iowa is an exceptionally small state, and one they are forced to share with Iowa State.

15. Minnesota. The Gophers, despite being ranked 15th, are not to be overlooked on the field and have played my team close, many a time, though they rarely win in the end. Despite being the only DI program in their middle-sized state (22nd out of 50) they fail to attract eyes from most Minnesotans' true love, the Vikings, who they are forced to share a metro area with. And perhaps unfairly they still carry a reputation for poor football decades old, to the point where people can and have based a long-running sitcom around Minnesota being bad at football. Their basketball isn't anything special either, though they do have one of the nation's two or three most followed ice hockey programs.

16. Purdue. Its been a terrible decade, nay, century even, for the Boilermakers. And yet there are, on average, 50,000 of them trudging into Ross-Ade Stadium every other week to experience another loss. If Purdue were to have spent the past decade in the MAC they'd have been lucky to have won it more than 4 times. But its not all bad, they jointly own Indiana, the 17th largest state, with Indiana for now, and are in contention with Michigan State and Illinois for having the conference's best basketball team.

17. Maryland. Maryland isn't the only team in the league at risk of seeing stadium takeovers, but they are the only one at risk of a stadium takeover every single week (UCLA being protected by geography and all,) though its hardly surprising after a solid decade of disappointing football and even more disappointing basketball. Though they have the "celebrated" DC media market the district itself only adds a paltry half million to their total, which would take Maryland the state from an anemic 18th in size all the way to... 18th. Well, the 2025 estimate is that the state has actually fallen to 19th so getting back up to 18th isn't so bad. My brother went to Maryland, the fool, but left after a single semester presumably because of their awful fan support and low ratings.

18. Northwestern. I mean, no points for guessing this one coming in. Their positives are being located in Chicago and being an excellent place to get an education. But value to a an athletics league? Good luck, they aren't da Bears, thats for sure and though they've been competitive in the west several times they've also taken their fair share of wooden spoons.

Here is my ranking. I’ve put together a ranking using a weighted framework that considers:

Media & revenue value (TV draw, brand recognition, streaming potential)
Market & geography (media markets, recruiting footprint, strategic coverage)
Athletic department strength across all sports (football, basketball, Olympic sports)
Alumni base & fan engagement
Academic prestige & institutional leverage
Growth trajectory & upside potential

Weights roughly: Media 35%, Market 20%, Athletics 15%, Alumni 15%, Academics 10%, Growth 5%.

Big Ten Enterprise Ranking (1 = Most Valuable, 18 = Least)

1) Ohio State – The crown jewel. National TV draw, massive alumni, elite across all sports, zero weaknesses.
2) Michigan – Nearly identical to OSU. Massive fanbase, strong academics, powerhouse in multiple sports.
3) USC – West Coast nuclear weapon. LA market, recruiting dominance, national relevance.
4) Penn State – Huge East Coast footprint, strong wrestling and football, loyal fans.
5) UCLA – LA market, historic basketball and Olympic sports, top-tier academics.
6) Oregon – Nike brand halo, West Coast recruiting, elite football + Olympic sports.
7) Washington – Seattle market + AAU + multi-sport relevance.
8) Wisconsin – Midwest football/basketball/hockey backbone, huge fan loyalty.
9) Michigan State – Basketball + football + hockey, strong alumni, major rivalries.
10) Iowa – Cultural + athletic identity monster; wrestling + football, loyal statewide fanbase.
11) Nebraska – National fanbase, Olympic sport dominance, huge attendance; football underperforming but big upside.
12) Maryland – DC/Baltimore footprint, basketball relevance, political leverage.
13) Illinois – Chicago market + AAU + alumni + basketball brand; underperforming but critical.
14) Indiana – Big basketball brand + football champ momentum; huge upside curve.
15) Minnesota – Hockey powerhouse, solid Olympic sports, stable but moderate fan reach.
16) Purdue – Engineering prestige, basketball relevance, smaller fanbase.
17) Northwestern – Academic prestige + Chicago proximity; very low athletic enterprise value.
18) Rutgers – Pure market add, NYC footprint; weak brand, minimal fan engagement.

Tier Breakdown
Tier 1 – Super Anchors: Ohio State, Michigan, USC
Tier 2 – National Pillars: Penn State, UCLA, Oregon, Washington
Tier 3 – Competitive & Cultural Core: Wisconsin, Michigan State, Iowa, Nebraska
Tier 4 – Strategic Leverage Assets: Maryland, Illinois, Indiana
Tier 5 – Foundational / Replaceable: Minnesota, Purdue, Northwestern, Rutgers

Key Takeaways
The real Big Ten power core is: OSU + Michigan + USC + Penn State + UCLA + Oregon + Washington. These seven schools drive national reach, TV leverage, and recruiting pipelines across three time zones.

Illinois is hugely underrated: Chicago + academics + alumni + basketball = massive strategic leverage.
Indiana is the biggest wild card: the football national championship skyrockets its growth trajectory. Sustain success, and they move into Tier 3 fast.
Rutgers is actually the bottom of the league in enterprise value, despite being a market add.

Bottom line: This isn’t about recency bias or weekly wins. The Big Ten in 2026 is a coast-to-coast academic + athletic + media superpower, and the league’s real value is in strategic brand and enterprise assets, not just football dominance.

Excellent work. This is a great ranking.

I'm of course biased but I absolutely feel Penn State should be #3 over USC. While Los Angeles is a big asset for USC, they do share it with UCLA and if UCLA ever outperformed USC in football UCLA would be replaceable while Penn State wouldn't be.

I vote Penn State ahead of USC as well. USC has the misfortune of being in the Pacific time zone, a big part of the CFB watching audience never see’s them. USC has a good baseball history, I think they are 1 or 2 in the number of CWS championships.

#1 Ohio St
#2 Michigan
#3 USC
#4 Penn St
#5 Oregon
#6 Washington
#7 Michigan St
#8 Wisconsin
#9 Nebraska
#10 Iowa
#11 Maryland
#12 Indiana
#13 Illinois
#14 UCLA
#15 Minnesota
#16 Rutgers
#17 Northwestern
#18 Purdue