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The conference realignment in college sports has been a wild ride all offseason long and the Pac-12 has been one of the biggest losers this year.
Although the conference is on the verge of signing a media deal with Apple, it doesn’t seem like it will be enough to maintain its top programs.
USC and UCLA will be joining the Big Ten in 2024 while Colorado will be leaving for the Big-12 at the same time. Rumors continue to claim that Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah could be on the move soon enough.
Now, we have two (potentially four) more Pac-12 teams rumored to leave, as reports indicate the Big Ten is zeroing in on Oregon and Washington. They’re also not ruling out Cal or Stanford.
According to Yahoo Sports, “The Big Ten has begun exploratory discussions about expanding membership to 18 or even 20 teams, industry sources have told Yahoo Sports. The schools being considered are Oregon and Washington if the league adds two schools, and Cal and Stanford if it wants to move to 20.”
It’s important to note that nothing is official or finalized. The Big Ten is simply discussing the possibility.
“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,” per Yahoo Sports.
With that said, the Pac-12 is in in serious jeopardy. All of their top programs have already left, or are seemingly on the way out of the door.
Meanwhile, both the Big Ten and Big-12 are creating super conferences. The clock may very well be ticking for the Pac-12.