Is the Big Ten Preparing to Absorb 4 Schools, Including Cal, If the Pac-12 Dissolves?

Yahoo reports that the Big Ten has begun `exploratory discussions' about adding Cal, Stanford, Oregon and Washington.

While we await word from the nine Pac-12 presidents on whether they will accept the proposed media rights deal, word has surfaced that the Big Ten has begun “exploratory discussions” about adding potentially adding Oregon, Washington, Stanford and Cal.

Dan Wetzel, columnist for Yahoo, writes:

“The discussions are in the very early stages, sources caution. No decision, including on whether to expand or stay put at 16 teams, has been made or is considered imminent.”

The Big Ten is believed to not be interested in appearing predatory and therefore will wait to see how the Pac-12 media rights situation unfolds. But if Pac-12 presidents don’t approve the proposal delivered to them on Tuesday by commission George Kliavkoff, things could changed quickly.

Already there is concern that Arizona, Arizona State and Utah could get lured to the Big 12, which last week landed Pac-12 defector Colorado, effective a year from now.

If all of the Four Corners schools exited, on the heels of USC and UCLA announcing a year ago they were headed to the Big Ten, only six Pac-12 schools would remain, and all would be anxious to find a soft landing spot.

The Big Ten already will feature 16 schools a year from now. By adding four more from the Pac-12, its roster would swell to 20 institutions.

Kliavkoff presented a media rights proposal headlined by an Apple TV streaming service. The offer was believed to be worth no more than $20 million per school to start but could grow depending on subscription sales.

By comparison, the Big Ten’s latest contract promises schools at least $50 million per year, with games broadcast on CBS, Fox and NBC. And Wetzel reports that figure is expected to increase.

The Big 12 has a package worth just under $32 million per school.

Here is Wetzel’s summation of the benefits of expanding to 20 schools:

The move would give the Big Ten control of the West Coast, especially California, as well as open a new television window with games played in prime-time out West and late night in the East.

Oregon and Washington have fielded strong football programs in the past and have excellent fan bases and markets in Portland and Seattle.

Cal and Stanford have been less successful of late, but bring the massive Bay Area not just for football viewership but in attracting potential students and connecting with corporate partners and alumni. All four schools are members of the prestigious Association of American Universities.

It’s not all good news, as he writes:

The downside is simply getting too big, too fast. Additions would dilute the amount current members play each other and threaten regional rivalries. Then there is just the logistics of an unwieldy league that stretches from Southern California, to the Pacific Northwest, through farm lands and Midwestern cities all the way to the edge of Washington D.C. and New York.

And as much as travel issues would impact football, it also would wreak havoc on athletes who play sports such as baseball or softball and would be forced to miss class time to travel to New Jersey for games at Rutgers or Pennsylvania to face Penn State.

The advantage for the current Pac-12 schools, including USC and UCLA, would be retaining long-time rivalries, including in Olympic sports where the four California schools are national powerhouses.

Stewart Mandel counters with his own set of issues, starting with the fact that the TV networks may balk at providing the same contracts to the four newcomers as the 14 existing Big Ten schools plus USC and UCLA will be earning.

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The Big Ten released a response to the Yahoo story, saying: “The Big Ten Conference is still focused on integration of USC and UCLA, but it’s also the commissioner’s job to keep chancellors and presidents informed about new developments as they occur.”

And there there was this, from SI's Pat Forde: 

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Stay tuned. This isn't over. Not even close.

Cover photo of the Big Ten logo by Aaron Doster, USA Today

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo