REPORT: Oregon, Washington set to join Big Ten after league invite

With the Pac-12 Conference dissolving by the hour, the Big Ten has seized an opportunity to add two more vast media markets...

Author:
Matthew Lounsberry
Publish date:
Aug 4, 2023 2:38 PM EDT

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Oregon Ducks

Washington Huskies

When Michigan State football plays host to Washington on Sept. 16, it will be a preview of a future Big Ten Conference game between the two programs.

On Friday, Action Sports Network's Brett McMurphy reported that both the Huskies their regional rivals, the Oregon Ducks, are set to join the Big Ten as they wait a formal invitation from the Midwest-based league. The Big Ten's invitation is expected to come imminently.

Washington and Oregon's departure from the Pac-12 Conference are the latest dominoes to fall in what most expect to be the complete collapse of the West Coast's longest-standing league, established in 1915.

The collapse began with founding members USC and UCLA jumping ship to the Big Ten last summer. Then, just last week, the Pac-12 received another blow when Colorado announced its departure for the Big 12 Conference. This was followed quickly by Arizona gauging interest from the Big 12, and receiving an invitation. The Wildcats are expected to accept the invitation, and that will likely lead to Arizona State and Utah also bailing on the Pac-12 for the Big 12.

Left holding the pieces are Stanford, California, Oregon State and Washington State, which have quickly seen their conference dissolve around them. The Big Ten has expressed some interest in Stanford and Cal, but McMurphy's report indicates that the league is observing what has become a tumultuous relationship between Florida State and it's league — the Atlantic Coast Conference. Should members of the ACC become available, the Big Ten would prioritize Florida State, Miami, Clemson and North Carolina.

The Big Ten's biggest target for continued expansion is Notre Dame, but the Irish have staunchly clung to their status as a football independent amidst the constant shifts in conference realignment. Oregon and Washington are expected to join the Big Ten in 2024, alongside their fellow West Coast cohorts, USC and UCLA.

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