College football realignment: Big Ten gets OK to pursue expansion, including Oregon, Washington

Big Ten presidents have given their authorization for commissioner Tony Petitti to explore new football expansion opportunities, including two Pac-12 brands

As expected, the recent pickup in activity on the college football realignment front has resulted in another major conference joining the fray, as Big Ten presidents and chancellors have officially authorized commissioner Tony Petitti to explore possible expansion opportunities, according to ESPN insider Pete Thamel.

The presidents met early on Thursday morning to give their permission to Petitti to scout potential new members and, in particular, to get more information on Oregon and Washington as possible future Big Ten additions.

This isn't the first time that Oregon and Washington have been connected to the Big Ten, as reps from the schools reportedly had informal talks with conference officials in the last year to discuss the expansion landscape.

Related: What schools could move next in realignment?

And then, after the news that Colorado voted to leave the Pac-12 for the Big 12, combined with news that the Pac-12's media offer would put its games on a streaming service at a fee of around $20 million per school, well below competitors, speculation has picked up that more Pac-12 schools could be on the move soon.

And it follows a report that the Big Ten could scout up to four Pac-12 schools, including Cal and Stanford in addition to the Ducks and Huskies.

Any kind of a deal is far from certain at this point, however. What stands in the way of Oregon and Washington joining the Big Ten?

USC: There is a belief that USC, though it doesn't have a vote on these matters yet, has expressed a desire for the Big Ten to not pursue any other West Coast teams.

Money: The two potential additions would not offer current Big Ten member schools any additional money.

No full share: Should they join the Big Ten, neither Oregon nor Washington would likely receive a full share of the league's media money out of the gate, which may push them towards not joining. Nebraska didn't receive a full share until its seventh year in the league, while Rutgers and Maryland didn't until Year 8. USC and UCLA, for their part, are getting 100 percent right away.

This story is developing

(Thamel)

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