Another college football offseason bombshell has arrived. Brett McMurphy of Action Network reported earlier today that Oregon and Washington are set to leave the Pac 12 and join the Big Ten Conference.
The news comes after days of media leaks regarding the Big Ten authorizing new commissioner Tony Petitti to seek further expansion, the Pac 12’s new television deal not living up to expectations and signals of impending realignment chaos.
The specifics of the two new schools joining the Big Ten are not yet known. But in an age of college football that’s pointing towards two super conferences with the Big Ten and SEC, this news only moves us one step closer to that conclusion.
BREAKING: Oregon & Washington joining Big Ten, becoming latest schools to leave Pac-12; putting Pac-12 future in doubt, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ 👀👀👀https://t.co/FtVKNdjHuD
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 4, 2023
The two Pac 12 schools joining will make 18 total schools in the Big Ten, the largest conference in the sport’s history. A new age of college athletics is here, one which looks increasingly more and more like the NFL.