Illinois football coach Bret Bielema is bullish on the Big Ten

With Jim Harbaugh long gone to the NFL, the Big Ten Media Days don’t have quite the same edge. When the three-day event kicked off at the Hilton Chicago on Tuesday, there was a lot of inside-football talk about 3-3-5 defenses and plenty of coach-speak about leadership and cohesion. But there also was substantive discus

Is There Any Truth to Bret Bielema's Jab at Greg Sankey and the SEC?  Sports Illustrated

Bielema addressed how transfers and athletes' NIL deals have reshaped the game.

The Big Ten and SEC are widely considered the premier conferences in college football heading into the 2026 season.

Drew Brees revealed on the "New Heights" podcast how Miami's 25% medical projection and a post-Katrina drive through New Orleans changed his career.

Despite having coaching experience in the SEC, Illinois coach Bret Bielema wanted no part of Nick Saban favoring his former conference, even though the Big Ten had won three consecutive national titles. The Illini are 2-1 in their last three bowl games.