Big Ten releases statement amid reports of further expansion talks

The Big Ten Conference released a statement amid reports of the league looking into two to four schools from the Pac-12 in expansion.

The Big Ten reportedly has Oregon, Washington in its sights, with Stanford and Cal as possible additions. Nothing official about expansion past USC and UCLA came from the Big Ten.

However, the league addressed the talking points Wednesday.

“The Big Ten Conference is still focused on integration of USC and UCLA but it’s also commissioner’s job to keep conference chancellors and presidents informed about new developments as they occur,” the statement read.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel added to Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel’s original report that Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti had already been doing his due diligence on potentially adding Oregon and Washington, belying his public comments that he was focused solely on making the USC and UCLA additions a smooth arrival. 

Thamel added that the work from Petitti has intensified in recent days, but the Big Ten won’t make a move unless another domino falls in the Pac-12.

Big Ten could capitalize on Pac-12

Last week, the Colorado board of regents voted to leave the Pac-12 for the Big 12 Conference, with Arizona potentially on their heels, setting off potentially another wave of conference realignment.

The Arizona board of regents met on Tuesday this week to reportedly discuss the options of staying in the Pac-12 or bolting, along with Colorado, to the Big 12. The meeting immediately went into a closed session and so far there has been little information publicly about what decision might be made.

Arizona’s decision likely hinges on the nature of the Pac-12 media deal, which is reportedly primarily via Apple TV streaming and will have revenue distributions to schools based on subscription numbers. While there are surely more factors than money and exposure at play, if the Pac-12 deal falls significantly short — compared to the Big 12 — in terms of revenue and ability to get exposure as fans will need to seek out streaming, it could be a straightforward decision for the leaders at Arizona.

The quartet of teams the Big Ten is reportedly considering — or would consider — fits with what countless observers have suspected in another wave of realignment. Without a safe harbor on the West Coast, Oregon and Washington would need a new conference and the Big Ten provides more like-minded institutions academically than the Big 12 would. It’s a similar story for Stanford and Cal, both of which are renowned for their academic prowess.

Andrew Graham contributed to this report