The addition of four PAC-12 schools has elevated competition in the Big Ten in numerous sports and baseball is one of them. Heading into the final month of the season UCLA, Oregon and USC are in the top four of the conference race and UCLA is top ranked nationally. Iowa coach Rick Heller says he felt from the beginning the addition of the PAC-12 schools would change the equation for Big Ten baseball.
Their addition also coincided with changes in scholarship limits, allowing schools to scholarship an entire 34-player roster. Previously teams were limited to 11-point-seven scholarships for a 40-man roster.
Heller says the level of commitment to baseball varies throughout the Big Ten.
Iowa is far from fully funded but Heller believes the administration is trying to boost its commitment to keep the program competitive.
