Washington And Oregon Officially Join Big Ten
It's official. After more than a year of speculation, both the University of Washington and the University of Oregon are set to join the Big Ten conference in 2024. The conference's presidents and chancellors unanimously voted to admit the two schools as new members on Friday afternoon.
"The Big Ten is a thriving conference with strong athletic and academic traditions, and we are excited about competing at the highest level on a national stage," Washington's president Ana Marie Cauce said in a statement. "My top priority must be to do what is best for our student-athletes and our university, and this move will help ensure a strong future for our athletics program."
Cauce went on to say that the school remains committed to playing Washington State every year in all sports.
"We are proud of our rich history with the Pac-12 and for more than a year have worked hard to find a viable path that would keep it together," she said. "I have tremendous admiration and respect for my Pac-12 colleagues. Ultimately, however, the opportunities and stability offered by the Big Ten are unmatched. Even with this move, we remain committed to the Apple Cup and to competing with WSU across all of our sports."
ESPN's Adam Rittenberg has confirmed that the partial revenue share that Washington and Oregon are taking for the remainder of the Big Ten's current media deal will start out by paying $30 million per year, with an increase of $1 million annually. When the new deal begins in 2030, which will reportedly pay out $1.1 billion per year to the conference, both Washington and Oregon will be receiving a full share of that revenue.
However, even that partial revenue share from the Big Ten is significant and appears to be better than any deal the Pac-12 could have offered Oregon or Washington. Oregon's president John Karl Scholz said the school is still anticipating "averaging over $50 million" annually in total media rights when factoring in additional revenue earned from the College Football Playoff, March Madness, and other events.
Former Husky football coach Chris Petersen also issued a call to action for fans regarding the move. On Seattle's KJR radio station, he said, "I just hope everyone is willing to step up their game and not just be the casual fan."
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