Big Ten

Possible resolutions to the increasingly fractured nature of NCAA sports conferences, U of M's former executive associate athletic director's new book, and 50 years of Hungry Howie's.

A massive NCAA conference realignment, a new EP rock trio from Patty PerShayla and The Mayhaps, and the curation process for crosswords and the Wordle at the New York Times.

The Big Ten Conference is expanding to 18 teams adding; UCLA, USC, Oregon, Washington. Conference realignment will shake the history and traditions of college sports, where regionalism and rivalries are unlike any pro league. Money from TV deals is the main motivator of change.

A new law signed Wednesday by Governor Gretchen Whitmer will allow public universities to sell beer, wine and cocktails at sports events.

For the second straight year, Michigan has advanced to the Big Ten Conference championship game after a win over Ohio State. The Wolverines will face Purdue in Indianapolis Saturday. Kickoff is at 8:00 p.m. Michigan Radio sports commentator John U. Bacon and Morning Edition host Doug Tribou discuss the game.

The conference has inked a deal with Fox Sports, CBS, NBC Sports and NBC’s Peacock streaming service worth a billion dollars a year through the 2029-2030 season.

On today’s show, we discussed the state legislature’s education budget for 2022. Then we hear from a historian about the two Kellogg brothers and their legacy in Battle Creek. Afterward, we have a conversation about the preservation of Michigan’s lighthouses. Then, to finish up the week, we discuss the expansion of the Big Ten conference into California.

On Thursday, the Big Ten voted to add Southern California and UCLA as conference members beginning in 2024, expanding the conference to 16 teams.

Michigan won the Big Ten Conference football championship Saturday after beating Iowa 42-3. It's the Wolverines first conference title since 2004.

No. 2 Michigan must beat No. 13 Iowa on Saturday in Indianapolis to win the Big Ten championship.