Oregon and Washington ‘are poised to join the Big Ten’ and the conference ‘will send formal offers and a vote is expected to be unanimous’
- Oregon and Washington are reportedly close to joining the Big Ten
- Both schools have been charter members of the Pac-12 since 1915
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The Big Ten is expected to proceed with formal offer letters for Oregon and Washington, according to a report.
The programs are reportedly about to enter the conference, with a vote set to take place later Friday that is expected to be unanimous to participate, ESPN reported.
The two schools, both of which are charter members of the Pac-12 dating back to 1915, have notified conference presidents of their intent to accept an invitation from the Big Ten once extended. Yahoo Sports additionally reported.
Former Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren has encouraged member schools to strongly consider adding Oregon and Washington after the conference landed the two schools in Los Angeles last summer — the blow that rocked the Pac-12.
The Big Ten are expected to move forward with formal offer letters for Oregon and Washington
The two schools are both charter members of the Pac-12 dating back to 1915
The Big Ten jumped in this week, seeing a potential opportunity to win Oregon and Washington at a lower payout initially.
Oregon and Washington would be the third and fourth schools to leave the Pac-12 ship after USC and UCLA previously announced their planned departures last summer.
Ahead of the 2024–25 season, the Big Ten would be an 18-team conference—the largest in college football history.
Pac-12 leaders met to determine whether the nine remaining schools would accept the potential media rights deal with Apple, according to a person familiar with that meeting.
Another person told the AP that Big Ten presidents would call around the same time; that person said that Washington and Oregon had not received a formal invitation to the Big Ten.
Colorado has already announced its intentions to move to the Big 12, return to the conference it left in 2011, and bring the number of schools from that conference to 13.
Oregon and Washington would be the third and fourth schools to jump off the Pac-12
Colorado has already announced its intention to move to the Big 12, having left in 2011
The Big 12 then outmaneuvered the Pac-12 and agreed to renew media rights deals with ESPN and Fox with two years left.
After Colorado’s departure and once Washington and Oregon’s relocations are completed, five colleges will have left the Pac-12.
The Big 12 has also chased Arizona, Arizona State and Utah to join Colorado. More departures could spell the end of the Pac-12.
Arizona has had serious discussions about following Colorado into the Big 12. Arizona State needs more convincing along with Utah.