It seems as if the writing is on the wall.
While there are still official decisions to be made and press releases to be written, there feels like a more-likely-than-not chance that the Oregon Ducks will end up leaving the Pac-12 in the coming days — alongside the Washington Huskies — and heading toward a future in the Big Ten Conference, joining with the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins.
Yes, there is still a chance that bumps in the road derail things, and the Ducks decide that a future in what is left of the Pac-12 — we’re looking at you, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah — is more beneficial than a minimized revenue share in the Big Ten. But if I were to put a betting line on where Oregon is playing its games in the 2024 season, it would be as follows:
Big Ten Conference: minus-110
Pac-12 Conference: plus-500
Big 12 Conference: plus-2000
That’s just the way I see it, based on the litany of reports and rumors that have come to the surface over the last 48 hours. Who knows when exactly it will all happen, or who the first domino will be to fall, but a betting man would say that “Oregon leaves to the Big Ten” is a headline that you will be reading before Labor Day.
So if the Big Ten feels inevitable, how should Oregon fans feel about that? On one hand, an invitation to the new conference could be seen as a life raft while the Pac-12 is a sinking ship. On the other hand, watching the death of the Pac-12 is an incredibly sad reality, with more than a century of tradition and memories likely going by the wayside.
For Oregon fans who aren’t quite sure how to feel, we are with you. I put together a pros and cons list to help sort through the feelings.