This fall, when you turn on your high-definition television or streaming device to watch some Big Ten football, it might take a little getting used to. That's because there will be some different colors and locations popping out of the screen thanks to the additions of Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington to the league.
It'll make for some interesting matchups and boost the conference's pedigree significantly, but it comes with a pretty significant challenge -- travel. There will be fewer bus rides and longer and more frequent airplane rides to make the schedule work, and there's no way around it, some teams will be disadvantaged by having to travel further and stay away longer.
An interesting case study is to look at each of the 18 Big Ten teams to see which ones have to travel more than the others, and thanks to Trevor Ripley of "Badger of Honor" who has done the math for us, we can pass that along. As you'll see, living on the West Coast might seem exotic to Midwesterners, but it isn't a walk in the park when it comes to traveling to see your favorite college football team this fall.
Here's a breakdown of how many miles each Big Ten football program is scheduled for in 2024.
Big Ten football teams and miles scheduled to travel in 2024
UCLA | 22,048 miles
Washington | 17,522
USC | 12,710 miles
Oregon | 12,520 miles
Rutgers | 9,278 miles
Penn State | 8,602 miles
Maryland | 8,132 miles
Minnesota | 7,350 miles
Iowa | 6,793 miles
Michigan State | 6,771 miles
Nebraska | 6,659 miles
Illinois | 6,629 miles
Wisconsin | 6,246 miles
Northwestern | 5,696 miles
Ohio State | 5,633 miles
Michigan | 5,194 miles
Purdue | 5,141 miles
Indiana | 4,895 miles
That is quite the divide, especially between the teams out West and the rest of the League, but hey, maybe the health and money of the Big Ten will make it all worthwhile.