There will be no shortage of change in the tradition-rich conference as the Big Ten officially expands its reach to the West Coast next season, adding USC, UCLA, Oregon State, and Washington State next year.
How far-reaching will those changes be? One of them could affect the number of football games league members play on days not normally associated with the sport of college football. .
Starting in the upcoming 2024 season, Fox Sports will broadcast college football games every Friday night using teams from rotating leagues, including the Big Ten, The Athletic reported Thursday.
Must read:Big Ten 2024 Football Schedule: Home and away conference opponents including Michigan State, MSU and more
The Big 12 and Mountain West will also participate in Friday night's contest. The first matchup on Friday night has not yet been determined. While noteworthy, the deal has been publicly discussed for months.
Big Ten commissioner Tony Petiti said in an interview with The Athletic in October that the conference would host at least nine Friday night games on the FOX network starting in the 2024 season. Last season, the Big Ten played eight games involving at least one team on Fridays, including a Black Friday doubleheader.
Additionally, Fox did not renew its contract to broadcast WWE's Friday Night SmackDown, freeing up that night's slot for more college football.
Weekday night games have been a staple of college football for years, perhaps most famously in the Mid-American Conference, whose midweek games have long been affectionately described as “MACtion.” It's here.
