Oregon Listed Among Schools With Highest Odds to Accept Big Ten Invites
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Ever since the bombshell announcement that USC and UCLA would be leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten in 2024, college football has turned into a big game of monopoly.
Television and media deals, the logistics of cross-country travel every week, and schools trying to follow their age-old rivals into the new landscape of college football have dominated headlines since the announcement from the L.A. schools.
Bovada Sportsbook released their odds for the schools most likely to accept an invitation to the two biggest college conferences -- the Big Ten and the SEC.
Oregon and Notre Dame are given the same odds of +150 to be the next school to accept an invitation to the Big Ten -- the best odds on the list. Washington has the next-best odds, trailing far behind at +600.
An important thing to note is that in order for action on these odds, the invitation must be accepted in 2022. And based on the latest reports, it seems like neither the Big Ten nor SEC will be extending more invitations this season.
The Oregon Ducks will be hoping this is not the case. After two of the biggest conference rivals and bread-winners in the Pac-12 USC and UCLA decided to leave, most believe that Oregon's best move would be to follow to the Big Ten.
However, CBS Sports writer Dennis Dodd reported the Big Ten, which would be at sixteen members with the addition of the L.A. schools, is not adding any more members at this time.
Oregon and Washington looked to be putting aside their bitter rivalry in order to provide a lucrative deal to the Big Ten. The combination of the larger media market in Seattle, the athletic success, and of course Nike, in Oregon would make more sense than either school joining individually -- especially since the Big Ten would want two more schools to make it an even 18 teams.
But the big wrench in the Pacific Northwest team-up is Notre Dame. Notre Dame is currently an independent school. The Fighting Irish have a TV deal with NBC through 2025 that is valued at $15 million a year.
ESPN has a contract with the ACC that runs through 2036, and Notre Dame plays five ACC opponents every football season. The grant of rights deal reportedly includes language that if the Irish were to join a conference before 2036, it has to be the ACC.
Notre Dame's patience thus far is understandable. The Fighting Irish could stand to make $100 million a year as a part of the new Big Ten. Notre Dame leaving the ACC would have the same affect as the L.A. schools leaving the Pac-12 -- it would make it hard for the conference to survive.
Another factor to keep track of -- if Notre Dame decided to join the Big Ten, that would mean only one more school would be needed for an even number. This means Washington and Oregon could be back at each other's throats, and that neither would produce enough revenue alone to justify the Big Ten cutting them in on their new media deal.
Any way you look at it, some creativity is needed.
Some reports say that Oregon and Nike legend Phil Knight has been hitting the phones to communicate with other conferences and to create a potential agreement. Still, the 2022 season comes closer every day and while this matter feels urgent, there's no timetable for a final decision.
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