The Big Ten Conference media rights contract is set to expire at the end of the 2023 season and as it stands right now, FOX and ESPN pay a combined $430 million for these rights. Negotiations have been ongoing for some time between Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren and media outlets but within the last month, the cost of doing business with the Big Ten grew exponentially.
At the end of June, it was reported USC and UCLA would join the Big Ten in 2024. Coupled with Chicago and New York, Los Angeles would give the Big Ten a presence in the three largest media markets in the country — a coast-to-coast conference and brand.