Big Ten grabs Oregon, Washington; Big 12 completes Pac-12 raid with Arizona, Arizona State and Utah

In a major shake-up for college sports, the Big Ten dealt a severe blow to the Pac-12 by announcing that Oregon and Washington will be joining their conference next August. Meanwhile, the Big 12 completed its raid of the beleaguered Pac-12 by adding Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah. This leaves the Pac-12 with only four schools and facing potential extinction due to its inability to secure a competitive media rights agreement like its rivals.

The conference of Pac-12 expressed deep disappointment at the news, acknowledging the rich history, tradition, and iconic rivalries of the “Conference of Champions.” They remain focused on securing the best future for their remaining member universities.

The era of super-conferences has now arrived, and the Pac-12, known for producing legendary athletes like Jackie Robinson, John Elway, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and Barry Bonds, has been consumed by this trend.

Oregon was the first to make it official, followed by Washington, both unanimously agreeing to join the Big Ten. As a result, the Big Ten becomes an 18-team coast-to-coast conference, including four West Coast members.

The Big 12, not content with their earlier addition of Colorado, also managed to secure Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah. This completes their expansion plan, making the Big 12 a 16-team conference, stretching from Florida to Arizona.

The Pac-12 is now left with only Stanford, California, Oregon State, and Washington State.

The Big Ten’s recent acquisitions of Oregon and Washington come shortly after landing USC and UCLA, making it the largest conference in major college sports, spanning 15 states from New Jersey to Washington.

The remaining Pac-12 schools were considering a media rights deal with Apple, but the departure of Oregon and Washington triggered a domino effect, leading Arizona State and Utah to join the Big 12.

Oregon and Washington will receive reduced payouts compared to current Big Ten members, USC, and UCLA, with projected media rights revenue of over $60 million each.

Washington and Oregon were founding members of the Pacific Coast Conference in 1916, which eventually evolved into the Pac-8, then Pac-10, and finally Pac-12.

The decline of the Pac-12 began when USC and UCLA decided to leave, followed by the Big 12’s early extension of media rights deals, leaving the Pac-12 with limited options.

With a highly anticipated football season approaching, the Pac-12 faces an uncertain future, and this might be the last season for the conference in its current form.

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