Tony Petitti Is 'Comfortable' With Current Big Ten Roster, But That Can Obviously Change Quickly With ACC Mess

We have entered a new era of Big Ten football, as media day kicked off Tuesday in Indianapolis with commissioner Tony Petitti addressing the future of the conference. 

As we've seen over the past two weeks across the country at different media conference days, one of the main topics of discussion has centered around the potential for additional realignment in college athletics. If you've been following the ongoing mess within the ACC involving Florida State and Clemson, there seems to be another tipping point coming over the next few years. 

While both schools are suing the ACC, we are almost certainly headed down the road of the Tigers and Seminoles looking for a new home, whenever that might be, with the ongoing court case playing a major role in the decision. But, that doesn't mean conference commissioners aren't addressing what this might look like down the road. 

This was the case on Tuesday morning, as Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti answered questions about the state of college athletics. Naturally, when there is talk of schools looking around for potential exits from their current conference, the Big Ten and SEC are going to be brought up as potential landing spots, along with the Big 12. 

But just as we saw last week in Dallas with SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, the Big Ten is making it a point to say that it is comfortable with where things are at with the new additions. 

"We're focused on 18. We had to do a lot of work (to add 4 new schools). We're really comfortable where we are," Tony Petitti noted about the teams in his conference. "We have to get this conference right. That's where our focus is"

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - JULY 23: Big Ten Conference Commissioner Tony Petitti speaks to the media during Big Ten football media days at Lucas Oil Stadium on July 23, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

Ok, that's a nice generic answer from Petitti, and he's not just spouting off nonsense when it comes to further expansion. It's true, the Big Ten has a lot of work to do when it comes to making sure the new 18-team roster gets off the ground. But that doesn't mean that when, and if things go crazy in the ACC with Florida State and Clemson, along with potentially other teams, the Big Ten won't try and engage in conversations about expanding again. 

In no way am I saying that the conference is going to expand further, but just as we saw over the past year, these conferences have to give themselves a little wiggle room in case something does change with their thinking. At the crux of future expansion of the Big Ten or SEC is the television networks not wanting to hand out more money, or established schools deciding that a cut in their payments is not worth the hassle. 

I'd imagine commissioners from the Big Ten, SEC and Big 12 are paying close attention to what happens with the ACC over the next two years, as nothing is ever off the table. 

Oregon Duck Sighting along The River In Indianapolis 

Well, the Oregon Ducks made a big splash Tuesday morning, and probably not how you would imagine. As the Big Ten welcomes four new teams to the conference, the University of Oregon decided to put a massive inflatable duck on the river just outside downtown Indianapolis. 

Forget the billboards along the interstate or signage around the media hotel and Lucas Oil Stadium. Oregon thought it would be best to scare the living heck out of pedestrians this morning with the massive duck, parked on the riverbank. 

Look, if there was ever a perfect way to make your presence known at a conference event, I think the Ducks just pulled it off in their first appearance in the Big Ten. 

Other Ongoing Situations Within The Big Ten

Now that the ‘House vs. NCAA’ lawsuit is coming to an end. With a settlement agreement reached by all parties, the ramifications will start to be seen. One of the biggest components of the settlement centers around how many players will be on a college football roster in the future. While the Big Ten and SEC were hoping for a limit of 120 players, it looks as though that number will actually be hovering around 105 athletes. 

How this affects college football teams will be interesting to monitor, while it will also play a factor in college baseball, with the potential for a 30-man roster. 

In other news, Tony Petitti was asked about the ongoing NCAA investigation into Michigan football that centers around sign-stealing accusations involving former staffer Connor Stalions. The Big Ten commissioner said that he does not know when the NCAA will announce its findings, but said, "That's the results we took, and I stand by the decision we made," when asked about the suspension of Jim Harbaugh last season. 

While ‘talking season’ continues across the ACC, Big Ten and other conferences this week, the ongoing conversation around further expansion is still a major topic of discussion. 

In reality, we're all waiting to see how the lawsuits unfold between Florida State, Clemson and the ACC. If both schools can find a way out, then we will be dealing with another round of realignment down the road. 

But for now, the Big Ten is ushering in a new era for the conference, and this is going to make for great cinema this season in college football.