... or more teams, one of the first things Big Ten fans will tell you is that the conference will not change names. It will not become the Big Twelve or Big 16. The conference will forever be known as the Big Ten.

The reason is branding.

The Big Ten is no longer a count of member institutions but rather a label, one applied to its conference as well its new television network, the Big Ten Network (BTN).

As with any brand, the Big Ten is seeking out new markets to sell itself. At its core, the Big Ten will maintain its high education and research backbone, but new markets will help expand its resource base and increase the population it serves.

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