James Franklin: The Big Ten Model Is 'Changing'

The Penn State coach expects the Big Ten to shift away from its current East-West format.

Penn State coach James Franklin expects the Big Ten to abandon its divisional format for a one-conference format when USC and UCLA become members on 2024.

On Thursday's edition of the Penn State Coaches Show, Franklin addressed how he anticipates the Big Ten will adjust when it becomes a 16-team conference. The Big Ten recently released its 2023 football schedules, which will maintain the East and West formats. However, Franklin said he expects that to change.

"Most conferences are looking to go away from an East and a West [format]," Franklin said on the Coaches Show. "The challenge is, people have some historical rivalries, so how do you keep the rivalry and then still rotate throughout the other games? So I think that's what you're going to see in the Big Ten. I don't think it's [set] in stone yet, but I think that's what you're going to see in the Big Ten. I think there's one more year of the current model, and then it's changing."

The Big Ten has considered realignment since announcing the addition of USC and UCLA earlier this year. According to The Athletic's Scott Dochterman, the conference discussed realigning for the 2023 season but could not reach a timely consensus on issues such as protected games and television scheduling.

Dochterman further reported that, according to Iowa Athletic Director Gary Barta, the Big Ten seeks to address alignment issues by the end of 2022.

Big Ten hopes to figure out new structure by the end of the year, per Iowa AD Gary Barta. pic.twitter.com/zrh3h45Nn5

— Scott Dochterman (@ScottDochterman) November 3, 2022

Franklin sounded like a proponent of realignment, particularly considering the division in which Penn State plays. The Lions (6-2) have lost to division rivals Michigan and Ohio State in five of Franklin's nine seasons as head coach, including this year.

Franklin also referenced the Big Ten East's dominance over the West. Since the conference realigned in 2014 to its current divisional format, East teams are 8-0 in Big Ten championship games. Ohio State has won five.

"As we look, whether it's the Big Ten East or whether it's the SEC West, they're out of balance," Franklin said. "I think a lot of times, people say, well from a historical perspective, it all evens out. No it doesn't. It hasn't."

If 2023 is the Big Ten's last season in the divisional format, Penn State will play Illinois and Northwestern on the road and host Iowa in its crossover games. Penn State Athletic Director Patrick Kraft wasn't thrilled that the Big Ten scheduled the Lions to begin their conference season on the road for the ninth eighth consecutive season.

No. 15 Penn State visits Indiana at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday. ABC will televise.

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