College football expansion: Big Ten targeting up to 4 schools for realignment, per report
College football expansion doesn't appear to be finished just yet if power brokers in the Big Ten have their way.
The conference is expected to target schools that are current members of the Pac-12, according to a report by college football insider Matt Hayes.
Big Ten officials want to pursue at least two and up to four Pac-12 universities for membership.
That list of four includes Oregon, Washington, California, and Stanford, with the Big Ten zeroing in on Washington and Oregon as its preferred options for realignment.
Big Ten already moving west
Last offseason, the Big Ten announced a bombshell move when it added West Coast prestige programs USC and UCLA, both based in the Los Angeles media market.
That decision helped the Big Ten sign a record media deal worth more than $7 billion over seven years, but it also raised concerns about travel and logistics.
Students from the two L.A. schools will have to travel a minimum of 1,300 miles to play road games, with Nebraska being the closest Big Ten opponent geographically.
That very real problem has inspired officials inside the Big Ten to consider adding more West Coast members to ease some of those travel requirements.
Oregon, Washington speculation
This isn't the first time the two Pacific Northwest schools have been connected to the Big Ten and its expansion plans.
A year ago, there were insider reports that the universities could be persuaded to leave the Pac-12 fold if the price was right.
Action Network reported that officials from both schools met with Big Ten personnel about potentially joining the conference in the future.
Both are considered highly valuable football investments that would improve the conference's quality of schedule and extend its influence into the Northwest market.
As of now, the Pac-12 is the only Power 5 league still working on a media rights deal.
Notable schedule change
This offseason, Ohio State canceled its previously scheduled home-and-home series with Washington, a move that surprised industry insiders and ramped up speculation that UW could be in play to join the Big Ten.
Last season, the SEC "directed" Georgia and Tennessee to call off their scheduled series with Oklahoma after it was revealed that the Sooners and Texas would be joining the SEC no later than 2025. Now, Texas and OU are joining the SEC in 2024.
(Hayes)
More on college football expansion
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Expansion update: 1 school out of Pac-12 contention
College football expansion: What schools could move next?
Bombshell as Texas, Oklahoma will join SEC in 2024
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