Washington calls special meeting amid Big Ten football expansion interest
Amid a tidal wave of college football conference realignment rumors, Washington has called a surprise special meeting for its Board of Regents scheduled for 9 p.m. local time "to discuss with counsel present pending or potential litigation," as rumors persist that the school could be the next brand to exit the flailing Pac-12 Conference.
The decision to call a meeting comes hours after Big Ten presidents and chancellors gave commissioner Tony Petitti permission to pursue more expansion opportunities, with a specific direction to scout Oregon and Washington as potential members.
It is not expected that Washington will take any formal action on whether or not to make a conference change, but the matter is likely to be discussed.
More from College Football HQ: Which schools could move next?
B1G has been watching
Rumors of the Big Ten's interest in Oregon and Washington have persisted for over a year now, emerging shortly after that league's decision to add USC and UCLA, with reports that the schools had reps meet with B1G officials to discuss the realignment landscape. No offers were made then, and none exist as of right now.
But considering the highly volatile situation around realignment and the crisis being felt around the Pac-12 right now as it struggles to secure a media deal for its remaining members, an offer seems more likely now.
Where the Pac-12 sits
Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff presented his members with the details of a prospective media rights contract, but schools did not cast a vote on the proposal. Reports suggest the deal would put Pac-12 games on the Apple-owned streaming service, and would run around $20 million per school.
Those terms, which would be well below competitors in the Big Ten, SEC, and Big 12, have resulted in widespread speculation that several Pac-12 members could leave the conference, including Arizona and Arizona State, in addition to Oregon and Washington.
What the schools add
By potentially adding two more West Coast teams, the Big Ten could seriously ease up its travel schedule after adding USC and UCLA starting next season, would preserve local rivalries, and further increase the league's value by adding the Pacific Northwest media market.
In turn, Oregon and Washington feel they could benefit from a boost in their quality of schedule by joining the Big Ten as compared to the remnants of the Pac-12, an important metric as those schools look to pursue College Football Playoff selection.
Whether any of this actually goes down, we'll know in the future. Right now, it appears to be the No. 1 item of discussion among decision makers who have the power to do it.
(UW)
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