Getty Image / Brian Murphy
Two of the biggest remaining dominoes left to fall in the conference realignment game have finally fallen, it appears.
After a truly wild and crazy last week that was intensified in the last 72 hours, Oregon and Washington appear to have a deal in place to join the Big Ten.
Oregon and Washington informed Pac-12 presidents earlier that they plan to accept an invitation from the Big Ten, sources tell me and @DanWetzel. An invitation from the Big Ten is expected soon. https://t.co/KhebqNamPV
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) August 4, 2023
This is a stunning move that provides what is likely the final nail in the coffin of the PAC 12. The Big 12 poached Colorado last week, and are expected to poach Utah, Arizona, and Arizona State as soon as today. That would leave the conference with just four schools: Stanford, Cal, Oregon State, and Washington State. No matter where they go from here, the options are not good.
The Washington and Oregon move to the Big Ten has been, in some ways, inevitable since USC and UCLA left the PAC 12 for the Big Ten last summer, with play to start this year. And, this week, that talk ramped up, with news breaking yesterday that they had been offered a reduced media share to join the Big Ten.
This morning, there were rumors that the PAC 12, which had an offer on the table from Apple for a media deal that reportedly came in around $20 million and was mostly streaming-based, would stay together.
Multiples sources tell @DanWetzel and me that the tides are turning: The Pac-12 meeting this morning to sign a Grant of Rights, which @YahooSports reported last night, remains on schedule & expectation is all presidents will show.https://t.co/hW0RYiddZs https://t.co/F1BTl2R6c5
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) August 4, 2023
It was not meant to be, however.
How did this happen?
Minutes before Pac-12 presidents planned to meet this morning and potentially agree to a Grant of Rights, Oregon officials alerted commissioner George Kliavkoff that their concerns with the Apple deal had led to a re-engagement with the Big Ten.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) August 4, 2023
Now, the Big Ten sits at 18 teams, and I don’t think they’re going to be done at that number. Washington and Oregon are expected to begin play in 2024. There is plenty more conference realignment news to come today. Stay tuned to BroBible.