College football expansion: Big Ten in talks about 4 Pac-12 schools, per report
After the Pac-12 lost three teams in the span of a year, the college football conference expansion and realignment market could target that league once again as the Big Ten has begun "exploratory discussions" about adding potentially up to four current Pac-12 schools, according to a report from Yahoo's Dan Wetzel.
Oregon and Washington the are two primary targets for the Big Ten in such a move, and if the conference feels it has the opportunity, it will also look to pursue Stanford and Cal, in a move that would bring the Big Ten to 20 members.
There is no final decision on the Big Ten's part to make any such moves, and the talks are still in the earliest preliminary stages, although this isn't the first time that the conference has been connected to these West Coast schools.
Big Ten interest out West
Reps from Oregon and Washington reportedly had informal talks with officials from the Big Ten about the expansion process not long after the conference announced its bombshell decision to add USC and UCLA starting in the 2024 college football season.
And after that, insiders reported that the Big Ten would also potentially scout the two Bay Area schools, in particular Stanford, given that school's internationally prestigious alumni base and wealthy endowment. Cal would likely follow Stanford in such a move to preserve its historic Big Game rivalry that dates back to 1892.
Related: What schools could move next?
By adding more schools on the West Coast, the Big Ten would be able to further expand its media presence to the Pacific Northwest and Bay Area, and would also crucially ease some of the scheduling and travel load that the conference introduced when it brought on its two incoming Los Angeles-based members.
But there are some concerns that by adding new members, the Big Ten would also partially decrease the amount of revenue each existing member would receive from the league's historic seven year media contract worth $8 billion.
Pac-12 in trouble
It's no secret that what remains of the Pac-12 is in a shaky position, to say the least, after the loss of USC and UCLA, its two landmark Los Angeles brands, and then the departure of Colorado, which will join the Big 12 after this coming season.
Those losses, combined with reports that the conference has struggled to secure any interest from traditional TV networks as it scouts its media deal, has only increased speculation that other schools may be looking for a way out.
Insiders revealed that Pac-12 chief George Kliavkoff presented members with plans for a deal that would host games on the Apple Plus streaming service, with revenue based partly on subscriptions, and schools estimated to receive just $20 million each, well behind competitors.
Other Pac-12 members that could be looking for a way out include Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah, which have been connected to the Big 12, as that conference looks to implement its own ambitious expansion plans.
The realignment process appears to be far from over, and right now, it's looking like the Pac-12 could be facing an existential crisis.
(Yahoo)
More college football from SI: Top 25 Rankings | Schedule | All Teams
Follow College Football HQ: Bookmark | Rankings | Picks