The Big Ten is expanding.
Like, really expanding.
And as the Midwest’s preeminent conference expands its footprint to the West Coast with the official additions of USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington, one of the league’s most treasured pieces of marketing now finds itself out of date.
First debuting in 2014 — the same year the league expanded East with the additions of Maryland and Rutgers — the Big Ten’s “Maps” commercial has become an unlikely source of conference pride. Featuring the catchy soundtrack of Guards’ “Silver Lining,” the promo video features a 3D rendition of a pop-up map showcasing a geographical view of all 14 of the league’s schools.
With the conference adding four more schools on the opposite side of the country, some had wondered whether the future of “Maps” was now in question. Fear not, however, Big Ten fans, as the conference’s new commissioner is well aware of how much the promo package means to …