Big Ten Conference

What Big Ten Conference does

The Big Ten Conference is a private collegiate athletic conference founded in 1896, owned and governed collectively by its 18 member universities spanning the East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast of the United States. It organizes and regulates intercollegiate athletic competition across 41 sponsored sports, with member institutions including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, UCLA, USC, Washington, and Wisconsin, plus associate members Johns Hopkins and Notre Dame.

The conference's core products are its championship events and content distribution. Major revenue-generating properties include the Big Ten Baseball Tournament (Charles Schwab Field Omaha, presented by IFS.ai), the inaugural Big Ten Volleyball Tournament (Fishers Event Center, November 2026), the Allstate Big Ten Women's Championship Series, and the Big Life Series educational program. Content is delivered through the Big Ten Network (BTN) — a joint venture with Fox Networks Group — the B1G+ direct-to-consumer streaming platform, and broadcast partnerships with ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, FS1, FOX, and SEC Network. The Big Ten Network is the foundational technology asset, complemented by B1G+ as a streaming layer.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: recurring media rights and broadcasting fees from national network partners, corporate sponsorships and licensing (Allstate, IFS.ai and others), and transaction-based event ticketing for conference championships. The conference reached coast-to-coast scale in 2024 by adding UCLA, USC, Oregon, and Washington, and currently distributes content to more than 9 million living alumni and a national fan base across all 41 sponsored sports.

Name

Big Ten Conference

Legal name

Big Ten Conference

Website

https://bigten.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1896

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Big Ten Conference is a private collegiate athletic conference founded in 1896, owned by 18 member universities coast-to-coast, that organizes competition across 41 sports, monetizes media rights through Big Ten Network and national broadcast partners, and runs championship events for fans, member institutions, and student-athletes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Collegiate Athletic Conference

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841)

akta.pro primary industry

Collegiate Athletic Conferences & Associations (MPAKACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

League-Owned Media Networks (e.g., NFL/MLB/NBA/Club Channels) (MPABAJAC), League/Team-Owned Digital Broadcast Networks (MPAKAOAC), Sports Cable Networks (MPABAFAD)

Keywords

• Collegiate athletic conference
• College sports broadcasting
• NCAA Division I athletics
• Conference championship tournaments
• University student-athlete programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Rosamond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Media Rights and Broadcasting: The conference generates revenue through media rights deals with major networks including FOX, ESPN, Big Ten Network (BTN), FS1, and SEC Network. Linear coverage and streaming rights for regular season games, tournaments, and championship events.
2. Event Ticketing: Revenue from ticket sales for conference tournaments including baseball tournament at Charles Schwab Field Omaha, volleyball tournament at Fishers Event Center, and NCAA tournament appearances.
3. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship revenue from partnerships including Allstate (Official Insurance Partner and Women's Championship Series title sponsor), IFS.ai (Baseball Tournament presenting sponsor), and other corporate partners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Big Ten Conference organizes, regulates, and promotes intercollegiate athletic competition among 18 NCAA Division I member universities across 41 sports. It operates the Big Ten Network (BTN) cable/satellite channel as a joint venture with Fox Networks Group and the B1G+ direct-to-consumer streaming platform, while generating revenue through media rights, corporate sponsorships, and conference championship tournaments. The conference delivers live sports content, championship events, and associated programming to fans, member institutions, corporate sponsors, and broadcast partners.

Product overview

The Big Ten Conference operates a comprehensive sports media and event platform encompassing its official website, major conference tournaments across multiple sports (baseball, volleyball), special event series (Big Life Series educational programs), and multi-sport championship competitions. The conference manages 18 member institutions across 28 sports, offering news coverage, tournament organization, and educational initiatives. The 2026 year marked the launch of inaugural volleyball and baseball tournaments, as well as the first Allstate Women's Championship Series.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Allstate Big Ten Women's Championship Series: A year-long competition designed to spotlight and celebrate excellence in women's athletics across the conference, launched in October 2025 as part of a partnership with Allstate.
• Big Life Series
• Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge Week

Products and services

• Big Ten Conference Official Website The official digital platform of the Big Ten Conference providing news, scores, standings, schedules, and information across all 18 member institutions and 28 sports programs.
• Big Ten Baseball Tournament Annual conference baseball championship tournament determining the Big Ten's automatic qualifier for the NCAA Tournament. The 2026 tournament was held at Charles Schwab Field Omaha.
• Big Ten Volleyball Tournament Inaugural conference volleyball tournament launching November 2026 at Fishers Event Center in Fishers, Indiana. Features 15-team single-elimination format with championship on November 25, 2026.
• Allstate Big Ten Women's Championship Series Year-long multi-sport competition recognizing excellence in women's athletics across all 18 Big Ten institutions. Inaugural winner was University of Washington.
• Big Life Series Immersive educational experience launched in 2022 engaging Big Ten student-athletes, coaches, and administrators through educational trips. Since inception, over 500 student-athletes have participated.
• Big Ten Network (BTN) Official cable and satellite television network for Big Ten Conference content, distributing live games, analysis, and original programming across multiple sports to cable and satellite subscribers.
• B1G+ Streaming Platform Direct-to-consumer streaming platform for Big Ten supplementary content beyond BTN broadcast coverage.

Quantifiable outcome

• Eight of the nine most-watched college volleyball matches of all time have featured Big Ten teams
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• IFS.aicoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026IFS.ai is the presenting sponsor of the Big Ten Baseball Tournament, with the event officially named '2026 Big Ten Baseball Tournament presented by IFS.ai'. The tournament takes place at Charles Schwab Field Omaha.
• Fishers Event Center / Indy IgnitecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026The inaugural Big Ten Volleyball Tournament will be held at Fishers Event Center in Fishers, Indiana. The venue is home to Major League Volleyball's Indy Ignite and opened in 2024 with capacity for 7,500 fans.
• Southeastern Conference (SEC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026The Big Ten and SEC partnered for the inaugural Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge Week, featuring all 34 conference schools in competition culminating in a doubleheader at Wrigley Field. The partnership elevates women's volleyball on a national stage.
• Chicago Cubs / Wrigley FieldmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Wrigley Field hosted the historic outdoor volleyball doubleheader featuring Nebraska vs. Missouri and Penn State vs. Kentucky as part of Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge Week. This marked the first time volleyball was played at Wrigley Field.
• NCAAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026The Big Ten Conference SAIC sent a letter to NCAA President Charlie Baker urging continued efforts to limit or eliminate proposition betting on individual student-athletes, supporting student-athlete protection initiatives.
• AllstatecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2025Allstate is the Official Insurance Partner of the Big Ten Conference and title sponsor of the Allstate Big Ten Women's Championship Series. This first-of-its-kind, multi-year partnership showcases excellence in women's athletics across the conference and reflects Allstate's 20-year legacy of supporting college athletics.
• Big Ten Network (BTN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014The Big Ten Network is the official cable and satellite television network for Big Ten Conference content. BTN is a joint venture between the Big Ten Conference and Fox Networks Group.
• Fox Networks GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Fox Networks Group is a joint venture partner with the Big Ten Conference for the Big Ten Network (BTN), providing national broadcast distribution for conference content.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Southeastern Conference (SEC): The other preeminent Power conference with comparable revenue scale, media rights deals (ESPN/ABC), and championship footprint; the SEC is Big Ten's primary head-to-head rival for elite recruits, viewers, and corporate partners.
• Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC): Power conference with a similar member-owned governance model, ESPN-driven media rights (ACC Network), and broad-based Olympic sports sponsorship; the ACC is the most structurally comparable peer to the Big Ten.
• Big 12 Conference: Power conference with comparable member-owned structure, multi-network media rights (ESPN/FOX), and recent expansion footprint; competes directly with the Big Ten for media inventory, bowl tie-ins, and recruit access.
• Pac-12 Conference: Historically comparable peer as the other major multi-sport conference; recent restructuring has reshaped its competitive positioning, but the residual conference entity remains a reference point for Big Ten's West Coast expansion.

Broad incumbents

• NCAA: Theoverarching governing body for college athletics; not a direct competitor but sets the rules, tournament structure (March Madness, Frozen Four), and regulatory framework within which the Big Ten operates.
• ESPN: Primary broadcast partner of the Big Ten and operator of competing conference networks (SEC Network, ACC Network, Longhorn Network); a critical counterparty whose broader college-sports portfolio overlaps with Big Ten content.
• Fox Sports / Fox Networks Group: Co-owner of the Big Ten Network and a major Big Ten media rights partner; Fox's Big 12 and Mountain West deals and its broader sports media portfolio make it a strategic counterparty.
• NBC Sports: Holds Big Ten media rights (Notre Dame football package and other inventory) and operates Peacock streaming; a major broadcast peer and counterparty for premium college sports distribution.

Others

• Learfield (Learfield IMG College): Leading collegiate athletics multimedia rights holder; comparable in servicing sponsorship and media-rights sales for universities, often partnering with conference-level entities like the Big Ten.
• College Football Playoff: The postseason championship entity in which Big Ten member institutions compete; a key monetization channel that concentrates premium college football inventory and viewership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bigten
• Instagraminstagram.com/b1gbaseball/?hl=en
• Facebookfacebook.com/BigTenConference
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bigten

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Big Ten Conference