Big Ten Attempting To Add Oregon, Washington Amid Realignment Scramble
Remember the good old days when we simply talked about football in August and not just realignment?
Well those days are definitively gone. Following the announcement that Deion Sanders and Colorado were returning to the Big 12 in 2024, every conference far and wide has been hovering over the Pac-12 like vultures, ready to pick off another team and end the century-old conference once and for all.
The Big Ten already pilfered USC and UCLA from the Pac-12, and according to reports, they're looking to take Oregon and Washington as well.
Having already lost its two most recognizable name brands in the Los Angeles area, the Pac-12 has been teetering for a while. Though Oregon and Washington being added to the Big Ten is not a foregone conclusion — largely due to the fact that neither school would receive a "full share" of the TV revenue when they first arrive — there doesn't seem to be a way the Pac-12 survives in the long run.
Arizona has all but joined the Big 12, following Coach Prime and Colorado to the ever-expanding conference. One might assume that with the Wildcats likely to depart, Arizona State might as well fill out its Big 12 transfer papers, too, though Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger reported that ASU is much more reluctant to make the leap.
Additionally, though adding Oregon and Washington is priority No. 1, the idea of adding Cal and Stanford to make the Big Ten into a 20-team super league has also been floated. It feels a bit out of place considering neither Cal or Stanford are particularly good or helpful football programs at the moment. Sure, Stanford did win a couple of Rose Bowls under former coach David Shaw, and Cal has at least had moments in its history when it was not a complete afterthought in the college football world.
But those two schools are not Oregon and Washington, consistent top-25 programs and the only two Pac-12 schools that have made the College Football Playoff since its inception in 2014. Cal and Stanford might be decent cultural fits, as the Big Ten and its supporters often take pride in the academic standing of its institutions. Those two schools bring a lot in that department.
But from a pure football perspective — and let's be clear, the entire reason realignment is running wild is due to the television money made by football — adding Cal and Stanford seems pretty silly. It's like adding Rutgers and Maryland again, except in a more logistically difficult situation.
The only three Pac-12 schools that have seemingly not popped up in realignment rumors are Oregon State, Washington State and two-time defending conference champion Utah. Oregon State and Washington State are currently enjoying more success on the football field than Cal and Stanford, and they're the arch rivals of Oregon and Washington, but perhaps are not as academically-inclined as the Big Ten would like. It's pretty dumb reasoning, but it might legitimately matter to the powers that be in the Big Ten.
Utah, though reportedly not eyeing anywhere to move, is a highly desirable commodity for any conference. After moving up from the Mountain West over a decade ago, Kyle Whittingham and the Utes have established themselves as a national power, making multiple Rose Bowls and nearly reaching the CFP in 2019. Whether it's in the Pac-12, Big 12, Big Ten or the SEC, Utah will find a home in time.
The Pac-12 itself is having meetings like crazy trying to save itself. The Arizona Board of Regents seems to not want to approve Arizona's move to the Big 12, in order to keep the Wildcats and ASU as a pair.
The conference itself had a meeting in order to try and get its grant of rights signed on Friday morning, with optimism that it could keep Oregon — the school that essentially serves as the tipping point for whether the Pac-12 survives. However, no deal was signed, and after initial optimism that the conference could be salvaged, it appears Oregon and Washington will be headed to the Big Ten, according to Brett McMurphy.
According to Dellenger, what torpedoed the meeting was Oregon officials expressing concerns about the Pac-12's new media deal with Apple, just minutes before the meeting to have the grant of rights signed was scheduled.
In short — this is a gigantic mess.
Oregon and Washington are probably(?) going to the Big Ten. If they go, there's a decent chance Stanford and Cal come with. Arizona is going to the Big 12 as soon as it can if Oregon doesn't stay, but the state's board of regents and Arizona State don't want to let them get away with that, it seems. And none of this even touches on Florida State loudly shouting that it wants out of the ACC.
The Big Ten is currently sitting at 16 total teams when the 2024 football season begins, but that might change just hours from now with how crazy this whole saga has become.
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