Big "Ten": Now an even bigger misnomer

The Minnesota Golden Gophers football team takes the field tonight, marking the debut of a new era in the Big Ten conference.

Why it matters: The traditionally Midwestern conference added West Coast schools USC, UCLA, Washington, and Oregon, making the Big Ten — which now actually has 18 teams — the largest conference in college athletics.

• The Big Ten's raiding of the Pac-12 also makes it the second-strongest conference in college football behind the SEC.

What we're watching: Whether the Gophers can keep up in an already-stacked conference that just got tougher.

• The team plays non-conference opponent North Carolina in Minneapolis at 7pm.

Go deeper on the new Big Ten