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Long gone are the days when the powerhouses in the SEC would beat up on the rest of the college football world. In the era of NIL and the expanded transfer portal, the playing field has been leveled more than ever before, playing a huge role in why the Big Ten has produced three straight national champions.
Penn State coach Matt Campbell will be joining the conference for the first time as the leader of a team, but he’s quietly studied it from afar. He spoke about the Big Ten as a whole today during his opening statement at the conference’s media day, telling reporters that, “Over the last two decades, I’ve studied the great teams and coaches in this league, and I truly believe the Big Ten is the premier conference in college football.”
What he said can be supported by the fact that the SEC hasn’t even had a team who reached the national championship game in the last three seasons. The depth of the schools in the conference may be better, but the Big Ten is clearly more talented at the top, as evidenced by the run of titles they are currently on.
They also are among the conferences that sent the most draft picks to the NFL, finishing second behind the SEC in the 2026 NFL Draft. Nearly every piece of information suggests that if the Big Ten isn’t definitively the best conference in the nation, then they certainly make a compelling argument. Campbell played good competition in the Big 12 with Iowa State, but he knows he’ll be stepping into a whole new arena this season.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State’s Matt Campbell names Big Ten “premier conference” in CFB
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Penn State coach Matt Campbell will be joining the conference for the first time as the leader of a team, but he’s quietly studied it from afar. He spoke about the Big Ten as a whole today during his opening statement at the conference’s media day, telling reporters that, “Over the last two decades, I’ve studied the great teams and coaches in this league, and I truly believe the Big Ten is the premier conference in college football.”
What he said can be supported by the fact that the SEC hasn’t even had a team who reached the national championship game in the last three seasons. The depth of the schools in the conference may be better, but the Big Ten is clearly more talented at the top, as evidenced by the run of titles they are currently on.
They also are among the conferences that sent the most draft picks to the NFL, finishing second behind the SEC in the 2026 NFL Draft. Nearly every piece of information suggests that if the Big Ten isn’t definitively the best conference in the nation, then they certainly make a compelling argument. Campbell played good competition in the Big 12 with Iowa State, but he knows he’ll be stepping into a whole new arena this season.
Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X and Facebook.
If you purchase through our links, the USA Today Network may earn a commission. Prices were accurate at the time of publication but may change.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State’s Matt Campbell names Big Ten “premier conference” in CFB
Continue reading...
