Big Ten Media Days just isn't what it used to be. It's bigger. It's louder. Honestly, it’s a lot more "Vegas" than "Chicago" these days.
When the 18-team juggernaut descended upon the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas last July, the vibe was less about tradition and more about a coast-to-coast takeover. If you were looking for the old-school, Midwestern charm of the Big Ten, you probably felt a bit out of place between the slot machines and the neon lights. But that’s the reality now. We’re in a world where Oregon, Washington, USC, and UCLA aren't "the new guys" anymore—they’re the reason the Big Ten is arguably the most powerful entity in college sports.
The 2025 event, held from July 22-24, wasn't just a press conference. It was a three-day flex.
The Big 10 Media Days Shift to the Desert
Moving the event to Las Vegas was a statement. Commissioner Tony Petitti basically signaled to the world that the conference has outgrown its regional roots. It’s a national product now.
You could see it in the eyes of the coaches. Matt Rhule from Nebraska looked like a man on a mission, talking about "incrementalism" and how his 250-pound guys are now 280-pound monsters. Then you had Lincoln Riley at USC, sounding like a guy who’s tired of hearing about defense and just wants to talk about Pete Carroll’s Hall of Fame candidacy.
The schedule was grueling. Six teams a day. Six hours of live coverage on the Big Ten Network.
Who Showed Up (and Who Stole the Show)
The attendee list was a "who's who" of future NFL Sunday starters. But if we’re being real, all eyes were on a few specific names.
- Dylan Raiola (Nebraska): The kid carries himself like a veteran. Standing there in Vegas, he didn't look like a sophomore; he looked like the face of a program that’s finally done being the "sleeping giant."
- Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State): Ryan Day brought the superstar wideout, and for good reason. Smith is the kind of talent that makes other coaches lose sleep.
- Nico Iamaleava (UCLA): The Bruins are leaning hard into their new identity, and Nico is the centerpiece of that West Coast flair.
It wasn't just about the stars, though. Curt Cignetti from Indiana—the man who would eventually lead his team to an undefeated regular season and a National Championship berth against Miami in January 2026—brought a quiet confidence that, looking back, was a massive foreshadowing of the "Indiana miracle."
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Real Talk: The Storylines That Mattered
Most people think Big 10 Media Days is just a bunch of coach-speak. You know the drill: "We're taking it one game at a time," or "The guys had a great summer."
But 2025 felt different because the stakes are higher with the 12-team playoff (and the looming 16-team or 24-team expansion talk).
The Quarterback Carousel
The conference is stacked with signal-callers. We’re talking about a group that could see Fernando Mendoza (Indiana), Julian Sayin (Ohio State), and Demond Williams Jr. (Washington) all vying for Heisman votes in the 2026 season.
Mendoza, who just won the Heisman, was the talk of the town. His ability to handle pressure is statistically elite. According to PFF, his 71.7 passing grade under pressure led all Power Four quarterbacks this past year. When he was at the podium, he talked about the "simple efficiency" of the Hoosier offense. He made it sound easy. It wasn't.
Expansion Stress and Scheduling
The "protected matchups" were a huge topic of conversation. The Big Ten has 12 of them now, including the staples like Michigan-Ohio State and Oregon-Washington.
But coaches are starting to feel the travel. Flying from New Jersey to Los Angeles isn't a "rivalry game"—it's a cross-country expedition. Greg Schiano from Rutgers and Sherrone Moore from Michigan both touched on the logistics. It’s a lot for a 19-year-old kid to handle.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Event
People think the "media" part is the most important. It’s not.
The real value of Big 10 Media Days is the backroom posturing. It’s where Tony Petitti and Greg Sankey (the SEC commissioner) have those "informal" chats about the future of the College Football Playoff. As of January 2026, we’re still seeing the fallout of those Vegas meetings. The Big Ten wants a 16-team field. The SEC is eyeing 24.
It’s a game of chicken.
Also, don't believe the hype that the "traditional" Big Ten teams are annoyed by the newcomers. Honestly, the revenue boost from having USC and Oregon in the mix has silenced most of the critics. Money talks. In Vegas, it screams.
A Note on the "Michigan Factor"
Sherrone Moore had a weird week. Between the self-imposed suspension talk and the shadow of the Bryce Underwood recruitment (who wouldn't start for them until later), Michigan was in a strange spot. They brought defensive stalwarts like Ernest Hausmann and Derrick Moore.
It was a "defense-first" message. Classic Michigan. But in a room full of high-flying West Coast offenses, they felt like the old guard trying to hold back a flood.
Looking Toward the 2026 Season
If you missed the Vegas spectacle, you missed the blueprint for the current season.
The Big Ten is currently the "Playoff Powerhouse." In the last three years, three different Big Ten schools have played for the title (Michigan, Ohio State, and now Indiana). That’s never happened before.
What you should watch for next:
- The Heisman Race: Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin are the favorites.
- The Playoff Expansion: Watch the January 23 deadline for the Petitti-Sankey compromise. If they don't agree, we stay at 12 teams.
- Transfer Portal Chaos: It’s already started. Teams are treating the portal like a pro free-agency market.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're trying to keep up with the mess that is modern college football, you need to do a few things.
First, stop looking at "East" and "West" divisions. They're gone. Dead. Buried. The Big Ten is a single 18-team pile-on where the top two teams go to Indy.
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Second, pay attention to the availability reports. With the sports betting world integrated into Vegas (and the conference), these reports are now the law of the land.
Finally, keep an eye on the Big Ten Network schedules. The "coast-to-coast" membership means kickoff times are all over the place. A "noon" game might actually be 9:00 AM for a team traveling from the Pacific Time Zone.
The 2025 Big 10 Media Days proved that the conference isn't just a football league anymore. It's a media company that happens to play football. Whether you love the Vegas glitz or miss the snowy Saturdays in October, this is the new reality.
To stay ahead of the curve, follow the official Big Ten availability reports released every Friday during the season and track the scholarship counts as the spring portal opens. This will give you the clearest picture of which rosters actually have the depth to survive a 16-game season.