The conference realignment train keeps chugging along. While many are focused on the Pac-12, its’ ongoing media deal saga, and the potential for more universities to leave the conference, the Big Ten is quietly lurking in the shadows.
The Big Ten Conference currently has 14 member institutions, and by next July, that number will grow to 16 with the additions of Southern California and UCLA. But could more universities soon be added to the conference?
According to a report from Dan Wetzel of Yahoo, Big Ten presidents have “begun exploratory discussions on expansion in light of Pac-12 uncertainty.”
Wetzel reports that the focus is currently on looking at the potential additions of the University of Oregon and the University of Washington to get the conference to 18 member institutions. If the conference were to expand to 20 member institutions, the University of California-Berkeley and Stanford University would also be explored as potential options.
It is important to stress that these were only “exploratory” discussions at the time, with only a small group of four Big Ten presidents. The potential expansion of the Big Ten to 18 or 20 teams will likely have to wait until the University of Arizona decides to stay in the Pac-12 or leave the conference for the Big 12.
Notably, it has been previously reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel that Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah are likely to band together in their decision-making. If one leaves the Pac-12, all three universities will likely leave the conference.
The Big Ten could be waiting to make additions because they ultimately do not want to be the conference that effectively ended the Pac-12, as Wetzel reports.
“The Big Ten has been reluctant to move to 20 teams, even if many in college athletics believe expansive superconferences are inevitable. One reason has been a hesitancy to deliver the final destructive blow to the Pac-12, although the poaching of UCLA and USC caused massive destabilization.”
In addition to those four Pac-12 universities, Brett McMurphy of Action Network also reports that the Big Ten is closely monitoring the ACC and its’ respective universities. If the Big Ten were to target any ACC programs, schools in the southeastern part of the United States, such as Florida State, North Carolina, and Miami, could all make sense.
While these discussions are exploratory at this time, things could quickly change. The Big 12 will likely want to know what the University of Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah will do in the near future. The Big Ten’s discussions could quickly escalate depending on the result of those decisions. All in all, it could be a hectic next few weeks regarding college football realignment.