By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
BigPaulSportsBigPaulSports
Notification Show More
Latest News
No. 11 Wisconsin stays red-hot with elusive win over Illinois, 95-74
No. 11 Wisconsin stays red-hot with elusive win over Illinois, 95-74
Game Analysis
LIV Golf explained | LIV on FOX
LIV Golf explained | LIV on FOX
Game Analysis
Shedeur Sanders might have revealed his preferred NFL team, all thanks to Madden
Shedeur Sanders might have revealed his preferred NFL team, all thanks to Madden
Game Analysis NFL
No. 14 Michigan St beats No. 13 Purdue 75-66, moves within half-game of 1st in Big Ten
No. 14 Michigan St beats No. 13 Purdue 75-66, moves within half-game of 1st in Big Ten
Game Analysis
Champions League: 10-man AC Milan eliminated, Club Brugge completes shocker
Champions League: 10-man AC Milan eliminated, Club Brugge completes shocker
Game Analysis
Aa
  • Big Paul Sports
  • Services
  • Game Analysis
  • Free Picks
  • Premium Content
  • Registration
  • Member Login
Reading: Big Ten ‘excited’ as Oregon, Washington join
Share
Aa
BigPaulSportsBigPaulSports
  • Big Paul Sports
  • Services
  • Game Analysis
  • Free Picks
  • Premium Content
  • Registration
  • Member Login
Search
  • Big Paul Sports
  • Services
  • Game Analysis
  • Free Picks
  • Premium Content
  • Registration
  • Member Login
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
BigPaulSports > Blog > NCAA > Big Ten ‘excited’ as Oregon, Washington join
NCAASports News

Big Ten ‘excited’ as Oregon, Washington join

BigP
Last updated: 2023/08/05 at 2:42 AM
BigP Published August 5, 2023
Share
Big Ten 'excited' as Oregon, Washington join
SHARE
  • Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior WriterAug 4, 2023, 07:35 PM ET

    Close

    • College football reporter.
    • Joined ESPN.com in 2008.
    • Graduate of Northwestern University.

The Big Ten added Oregon and Washington as new members Friday, strengthening the Western flank of the rapidly growing conference while dealing a major blow to the Pac-12.

The league’s presidents and chancellors unanimously voted to add the schools, which, along with USC and UCLA, will officially join the Big Ten on Aug. 2, 2024. The Big Ten, which has expanded four times since 2010 after adding no schools the previous 21 years, is set to become the largest major athletic conference at 18 members.

“We are excited to welcome the University of Oregon and the University of Washington to the Big Ten Conference,” Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said in a statement. “We look forward to building long-lasting relationships with the universities, administrators and staff, student-athletes, coaches and fans. Both institutions feature a combination of academic and athletic excellence that will prove a great fit for our future.”

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

Unlike USC and UCLA, Oregon and Washington will not enter the Big Ten with full revenue shares. Sources told ESPN that both schools will receive approximately $30 million annually when they join the league, a share that will increase by $1 million during the current media contract with Fox, NBC and CBS, which runs through the 2029-30 athletic season. They then would be able to receive full shares. The other Big Ten members are expected to receive more than $60 million annually from the new agreement this year, an amount that will increase over the life of the deal. Previous Big Ten expansion additions Nebraska, Rutgers and Maryland also did not receive full revenue shares immediately.

Factoring in other media revenue streams over a 10-year period, Oregon president Karl Scholz said, “We anticipate averaging over $50 million just from direct media rights.”

After a longer and secretive process to add USC and UCLA in June 2022, the Big Ten moved quickly on Oregon and Washington. The league had been focused on integrating USC and UCLA but mobilized after the Pac-12 lost Colorado to the Big 12 and could not gain enough traction for its streaming-heavy media rights deal, presented to presidents and chancellors on Tuesday morning. A sub-group of four Big Ten presidents and chancellors began exploring expansion possibilities Wednesday, focusing on Oregon, Washington, Cal and Stanford before refining their focus to the two Northwest schools.

“When considering the full spectrum of academic, athletic and research excellence, the alignment with our member institutions is extremely clear,” Illinois chancellor Robert Jones, chair of the Big Ten council of presidents/chancellors, said in a statement. “We are excited to welcome them and look forward to collaborating and competing with them in the years ahead.”

Despite some initial reluctance from members about the speed of the expansion push and the potential damage to the Pac-12, a historic partner in the Rose Bowl Game and other ventures, Big Ten leaders accelerated their efforts in the past day to land Oregon and Washington, according to sources. None of the departing Pac-12 schools will have to pay an exit fee to depart the league because of an expiring media rights deal in 2024.

The Big Ten had examined both Oregon and Washington as expansion candidates last fall, in the wake of the USC and UCLA additions, but then-commissioner Kevin Warren could not rally enough support among presidents and chancellors to approve them. Petitti, hired in April, told ESPN last week that he wasn’t focused on additional expansion beyond USC and UCLA but added: “There’s a flow of information, keeping people updated on what’s going on, how we see the landscape, trying to help predict what we think will be next.”

“We have tremendous respect and gratitude for the Pac-12, its treasured history and traditions. At the same time, the college athletics landscape has changed dramatically in recent years,” Washington athletic director Jennifer Cohen said in a statement. “The Big Ten’s history of athletic and academic success and long-term stability best positions our teams for future success, and we are energized at the opportunity to compete at the highest level against some of the best programs in the country.”

The expansion additions mean the Big Ten will reissue its 2024 and 2025 football schedules, announced in early June. Sources say the league is expected to maintain the key elements of the “Flex Protect Plus” model, which set 11 annual matchups between rivals but increased the overall rotation of games, while eliminating divisions. The Big Ten based the model on overall flexibility in its nine-game league schedule, varying the number of protected games per team.

“Accepting membership into the Big Ten Conference is a transformational opportunity for the University of Oregon to change the short and long-term trajectory of our university and athletics department,” longtime Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens said in a statement. “The stability and exposure of joining the Big Ten is of great benefit to the University of Oregon.”

Oregon and Washington give the Big Ten a more robust West Coast presence and potential travel partners for USC and UCLA. Although USC is the most decorated Pac-12 program set to enter the Big Ten, Oregon and Washington are the only Pac-12 teams to have appeared in the College Football Playoff. The Big Ten has had only one team, Ohio State, win or play for a national championship during the CFP or BCS eras.

“Today’s news is incredibly disappointing for student-athletes, fans, alumni and staff of the Pac-12 who cherish the over 100-year history, tradition and rivalries of the Conference of Champions,” the Pac-12 said in a statement. “We remain focused on securing the best possible future for each of our member institutions.”

It’s unclear how Oregon and Washington’s moves will impact their in-state rivalries with Oregon State and Washington State, though both schools indicated they would like to keep those rivalries alive.

When asked if Oregon would commit to playing home-and-home football series with Oregon State into perpetuity, Oregon AD Rob Mullens said, “Our goal would be to schedule Oregon State in every sport that’s possible. Football scheduling can be complicated because of how far out it is and the difficulty of playing nonconference games later in the year. But our goal would be absolutely to continue to play Oregon State.”

Washington president Ana Mari Cauce said that the Huskies hope to continue Washington State across all sports.

“Even with this move, we remain committed to the Apple Cup and to competing with WSU across all of our sports,” Cauce said.

Sponsored Content

Juega en grande con cryptomonedas

You Might Also Like

Top moments from Brady, Manning, Jordan and other athletes hosting ‘Saturday Night Live’

Rounding up athletes in Super Bowl LIX commercials: Beckham, Mahomes and the Mannings

FCS title game preview: Can North Dakota State knock off undefeated Montana State?

Doc to show tense Gastineau-Favre rift from ’23

BigP August 5, 2023
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Email Print

Follow US

Find US on Social Medias
Facebook Like
Twitter Follow
Youtube Subscribe
Telegram Follow
newsletter featurednewsletter featured

Weekly Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

    Popular News
    Stanford stresses need to adapt amid ACC entry
    NCAASports News

    Stanford stresses need to adapt amid ACC entry

    BigP BigP July 24, 2024
    QB Mayfield takes late hit on ribs, X-rays negative
    With Aaron Rodgers gone, can Bears reverse roles with Packers and issue the ‘beatdown’?
    Sources: Chiefs LB Bolton (wrist) out six weeks
    Colts’ Pittman clears protocol, doesn’t recall hit
    - Advertisement -
    Ad imageAd image

    Categories

    • Sports

    About US

    We offer information and tips on US Sports and evernts all over the world.
    Top Categories
    • Game Analysis
    • Free Picks
    • Services
    • Premium Content

    Subscribe US

    Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

      © Foxiz News Network. Ruby Design Company. All Rights Reserved.

      Removed from reading list

      Undo
      Welcome Back!

      Sign in to your account

      Lost your password?