The recent Big Ten expansion, bringing in West Coast powerhouses like USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington, has thrown a curveball into the travel game for all the teams in 2025. Imagine racking up serious air miles just to play conference games. It’s a new ball game, with teams crisscrossing the country, facing time zone changes, and the sheer fatigue that comes with being on the road. But according to the ESPN journalist, it’s about time to stop whining about it, especially in the NIL era.

Unsurprisingly, the new West Coast additions are the teams feeling this the most. For example, Oregon lives out of a suitcase, leading the pack in miles traveled in the Big Ten with a whopping 15,000+ miles planned for the season. Their most extended haul is a trek to Rutgers, about half a country away. Even teams like UCLA have to travel 15,251 miles; USC? 14,595 miles. And Washington? 14,086 miles.

These long trips and crossing multiple time zones can mess with a team’s rhythm, affecting everything from practice to player performance and sleep schedules. On October 7, ESPN’s College football analyst Kris Budden hopped onto Sirius XM College Sports Radio and decided to go off against the Big 10 coaches who complained about the Big Ten travel schedule.

He said, “If I don’t get this off my chest, I’m going to run myself through a window, and I will run myself through a window if I hear one more big 10 coach, blame it on the freaking travel. I cannot, and it’s not even about you accepting the money to be a part of this Super League. These are professional athletes. Now call them what they are.” Budden made it pretty clear that she’s tired of hearing this excuse.

She argued that college football players today are essentially professional athletes, especially in the NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) era, where they can earn significant money for just being on the squad. Budden also pointed out that teams travel on chartered planes and that the top athletes usually sit in first-class or lie-flat seats, similar to professional players in the NFL or NBA. Because of these conditions, she believes travel should not be an excuse for losing games.

Coaches like Matt Rhule acknowledge the issue – he knows it’s part of the game. Meanwhile, coaches like Lincoln Riley see it as a logistical problem. Penn State’s James Franklin blamed their loss on excessive travel. Even Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks threw shade at the Big Ten with bold words: “It’s almost like they didn’t want us in the Big Ten, or something, right? We snuck our way in, didn’t we?” Lanning also pointed out that Oregon will face seven opponents this season who will have more prep time than the Ducks.

Kris Budden justified her take: “Baseball players at the next level do it every single day, basketball players, football players. This is beyond the ability to comprehend anymore. You’re complaining about the travel. It was one thing before they got paid. Now you’re getting paid more than 90% of the population. It is part of the job.” Budden’s central theme message is that traveling long distances is simply part of the job in modern college football, and teams need to adapt instead of complaining.

According to Front Office Sports, the Big Ten tried to lessen the pain by scheduling home games or bye weeks after long road trips for the West Coast teams. Plus, some teams will fly out a day earlier for Saturday games to help players adjust to the time differences. You can try to plan around it, but those long flights and time zone shifts are still a grind and a significant adjustment, especially for college athletes balancing sports and school.

Big 10 players’ weekly honor

The Big Ten Conference named its Week 6 Football Players of the Week, celebrating the best performances from the weekend. Offensive Player of the Week was Nico Iamaleava (irony), who led his team to a 42-37 upset win over No. 7 Penn State. Nico had five total touchdowns this game and recorded 294 total yards. Iamaleava also had a 52-yard run, the longest season play for UCLA. This win was memorable because it was UCLA’s first dub of the season and the first home victory over a top-10 team since 2007.

DeShon Singleton from Nebraska was named Defensive Player of the Week. He helped his team beat Michigan State by making two interceptions and six tackles. Nebraska’s defense played very well, allowing only 240 total yards and 84 rushing yards. Singleton became the first Nebraska player since 2023 to have two interceptions in one game.

For Special Teams Player of the Week, David Olano from Illinois was honored after an excellent kicking performance. He made all five field goals and all four extra points in Illinois’ 47-23 win over Purdue, scoring 19 points total. His five field goals tied a school record, adding another purple feather to his cap.

The Freshman of the Week was Julian Sayin from Ohio State, who completed over 85.2% of passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns against Minnesota in their 42-3 win.

Sayin now leads the country in completion percentage (80.6%) and continues to play like one of the best young quarterbacks in college football.