Everything to know ahead of 2024 Big Ten Football Media Days

Big Ten Football Media Days are here!

All 18 football programs in the newly expanded Big Ten are set to meet with the media Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Each day will feature six programs, with the head coach and three players from each team set to take the podium in Indianapolis.

Here's everything you need to know ahead of 2024 Big Ten Media Days.

What does the schedule look like?

With 18 teams in the conference, each day will feature six teams taking their turn to speak with the media. Here's when each team will speak.

Tuesday, July 23: Illinois, Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue, Rutgers, Wisconsin
Wednesday, July 24: Iowa, Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State, UCLA, USC
Thursday, July 25: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington

Who will speak for each team?

In addition to each coach taking the podium, three players from each school will also meet with the media in Indianapolis. Here are the 54 players set to meet with the media this week in Indianapolis.

Tuesday, July 23

Illinois: WR Pat Bryant, OLB Seth Coleman, OLB Gabe Jacas
Northwestern: WR A.J. Henning, LB Xander Mueller, RB Cam Porter 
Ohio State: CB Denzel Burke, WR Emeka Egbuka, DE Jack Sawyer
Purdue: QB Hudson Card, C Gus Hartwig, LB Kydran Jenkins
Rutgers: RB Kyle Monangai, LB Tyreem Powell, LB Mohamed Toure
Wisconsin: LB Jake Chaney, OT Jack Nelson, S Hunter Wohler

Wednesday, July 24

Iowa: LB Jay Higgins, TE Luke Lachey, DB Quinn Schulte
Michigan State: RB Nathan Carter, DB Dillon Tatum, TE Jack Velling
Nebraska: S Isaac Gifford, DL Ty Robinson, C Ben Scott 
Penn State: DE Dvon J-Thomas, S Jaylen Reed, TE Tyler Warren
UCLA: QB Ethan Garbers, LB Oluwafemi Oladejo, DL Jay Toia
USC: OL Jonah Monheim, QB Miller Moss, S Kamari Ramsey

Thursday, July 25

Indiana: RB Justice Ellison, LB Aiden Fisher, OL Mike Katic
Maryland: WR Tai Felton, LB Ruben Hyppolite II, DL Jordan Phillips
Michigan: TE/FB Max Bredeson, RB Donovan Edwards, S Makari Paige 
Minnesota: QB Max Brosmer, LB Cody Lindenberg, RB Darius Taylor
Oregon: ILB Jeffrey Bassa, TE Terrance Ferguson, QB Dillon Gabriel
Washington: LB Carson Bruener, RB Jonah Coleman, S Kamren Fabiculanan

What to know entering Big Ten media days?

Michigan enters the week as not only the defending three-time Big Ten champion, but also the national champion. However, it'll have a new face leading the program this year, with Sherrone Moore taking over for Jim Harbaugh after he left for the NFL. Well over a dozen key contributors from the Wolverines' title squad also left for the NFL. Even though questions loom entering 2024, Michigan still has title hopes.

Meanwhile, Ohio State will kick off the week as the odds-on favorite to win the conference. The Buckeyes are currently the betting favorite to win the Big Ten and hold the second-best odds to win the national championship as well. Dealing with pressure after his third straight loss to Michigan, Ryan Day was able to bring in four of the nation's top transfers (RB Quinshon Judkins, QB Will Howard, S Caleb Downs, QB Julian Sayin) and keep many key players from entering the NFL, such as Egbuka, Burke and Sawyer.

Oregon, one of the conference's four newcomers, sits right behind Ohio State as the favorite entering the season. Dan Lanning continued to build the Ducks into a title contender over the offseason, landing Gabriel in the portal and bringing in one of the nation's best recruiting classes following a 12-2 season. 

UCLA, USC and Washington are the other three members from the Pac-12 that are joining the Big Ten this season. Even though Washington was the runner-up in the national title game, it faces a bit of an uphill battle entering 2024. Head coach Kalen DeBoer left for Alabama just days after its loss in the title game. Heisman runner-up Michael Penix Jr. and his three top wideouts are also gone, leaving some clear holes for new head coach Jedd Fisch to fill. 

Lincoln Riley brings the Trojans into the Big Ten after his most underwhelming season as a head coach, going 7-5. He also has to replace 2022 Heisman winner Caleb Williams, but there's reasonable confidence that Moss can succeed him. USC's crosstown rival lost its head coach, Chip Kelly, to Ohio State this offseason, taking a demotion to become the Buckeyes' offensive coordinator. UCLA promoted running backs coach DeShaun Foster to replace Kelly.

Penn State is also among the class of teams expected to compete for a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff in 2024. The Nittany Lions are coming off back-to-back 10-2 regular seasons, with their only losses coming against Michigan and Ohio State. Highly-touted quarterback prospect Drew Allar is set to begin his second season as Penn State's starting quarterback. Allar is just one of a handful of key players from the Nittany Lions' well-regarded 2022 recruiting class that enters its third year on campus.

The good news for Penn State and the other three programs that often finished behind Michigan and Ohio State in the Big Ten East standings is that divisions are gone. Instead, the two teams with the best conference record in the regular season will meet in Indianapolis for the Big Ten title.

Even though the conference has expanded to 18 teams, there will still be nine conference games each year. Each team will face each conference member at least once over the next two seasons as part of the "Flex Protect XVIII" model. Each school will have three teams it faces in each of the next two seasons, which includes their protected rivalries.

FOX Sports' Michael Cohen broke down the key storylines for all 18 schools last week:

Big Ten Media Days preview: Ohio State transfers, Wisconsin QBs among Day 1 storylines
Big Ten Media Days preview: PSU's new-look offense, Dylan Raiola among Day 2 storylines
Big Ten Media Days preview: Sherrone Moore, Oregon newcomers among Day 3 storylines

How do the Big Ten teams stack up entering the season?

Unlike other conferences, the Big Ten doesn't run an official preseason poll conducted by its coaches. However, the annual preseason media poll was conducted and unveiled by Cleveland.com on Monday. Ohio State earned 21 of the 27 first-place votes. Oregon received the other six first-place votes.

Penn State came in third and three-time defending champ Michigan was voted fourth. Iowa, which won the Big Ten West in two of the last three seasons, rounded out the top five. Washington, which enters its first season in the conference after a national title appearance, was voted 10th.

Here's the entirety of the Big Ten preseason media poll.

1. Ohio St (21 first-place votes) 
2. Oregon (6) 
3. Penn State
4. Michigan 
5. Iowa 
6. USC 
7. Wisconsin
8. Nebraska 
9. Rutgers 
10. Washington 
11. Maryland 
12. Minnesota 
13. Illinois 
14. Northwestern 
15. UCLA 
16. Mich St 
17. Indiana 
18. Purdue

How to watch Big Ten Media Days?

Big Ten Football Media Days will air on the Big Ten Network. Coverage will begin each day at 11 a.m. ET and run through 5 p.m. ET.

[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]