Big Ten Could Look To Expand To 20 Schools, Eyeing Washington And Oregon
Aug 2, 2023, 1:07 PM | Updated: 1:24 pm
A detailed view of the Big Ten Yard Marker during the game between the Appalachian State Mountaineers and the Michigan Wolverine on August 30, 2014 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Wolverines defeated the Mountaineers 52-14. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
(Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – With the future of the Pac-12 conference becoming more uncertain by the day, the Big Ten has reportedly looked into expanding to as many as 20 schools.
Washington, Oregon, Stanford, and Cal are the four schools that have been thrown around the most in early discussions.
A group of Big Ten presidents have begun exploratory discussions on expansion in light of Pac 12 uncertainty, industry sources tell Yahoo Sports.
Focus is on possibly adding Oregon and Washington to move to 18 members or Cal and Stanford to reach 20. https://t.co/0kJj4twFdq
— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) August 2, 2023
Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports reported that the Big Ten has opened “exploratory discussions about expanding membership to 18 or even 20 teams.”
According to the Action Network, Oregon and Washington have been “vetted & cleared” to join the Big Ten if it makes sense for both sides.
Recent developments in the Pac-12 caused uncertainty among conference members leading to these discussions being reignited.
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A group of Big Ten presidents have started exploratory discussions on expansion in light of Pac 12 uncertainty, @DanWetzel reports. Last August, @ActionNetworkHQ reported B1G “vetted & cleared” Oregon & Washington to join league if it made financial sense. Those discussions…
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 2, 2023
The talks surrounding Big Ten expansion are in the very early stages. It is believed that the conference will wait to see what happens with the Big 12 and Pac-12 in the coming months before taking any real action.
Geographically, adding Washington and Oregon makes sense. In 2024, the Big Ten will have 14 schools in the Midwest along with USC and UCLA on the west coast. The addition of the Pacific Northwest schools would help USC and UCLA not be so isolated.
The Big 10 map, effective 2024. pic.twitter.com/sC6UsUV0cg
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) July 1, 2022
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Chandler Holt is a Digital Sports Producer for sports.ksl.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.
