ESPN's Pete Thamel reveals qualms Big Ten schools might have about adding Oregon, Washington

In 2024, the Big Ten is moving to 16 teams with the additions of USC and UCLA. But recent reports suggest the league might not be done adding from the West Coast as it does its due diligence on Oregon and Washington amid the Pac-12’s uncertainty.

As those conversations go on, though, it’s not a sure thing that all Big Ten teams would be on board. That includes the newcomers, and ESPN’s Pete Thamel shared why on College Football Live on Thursday.

If Oregon and Washington jump ship, Thamel said they likely won’t get a full revenue share. And although it would also give the Big Ten a larger presence on the West Coast, that might not sit will with USC and UCLA. Plus, it’s hard to tell how adding Oregon and Washington would lead to more money for the rest of the league, which is why some other teams might not be in favor of expanding.

“I think that this morning’s news out of the Big Ten is sort of an incremental but important formality of the league moving forward for the potential addition of Oregon and Washington,” Thamel said. “The addition would likely come at a cut rate. There’s no expectation that these two schools would be added at a full share. They would have to decide whether they would want to go and work their way up to full revenue shares in the league. And obviously, if they left behind the Pac-12, they’d be leaving behind an easier path to the Playoff.

“There are some headwinds here that remain. USC may not be thrilled with this. They went to the Big Ten in part to keep those types of schools on the West Coast out of the LA recruiting market. And there’s other Big Ten schools, too, that aren’t going to be getting any more money, so why would some of the blue bloods or even the rank-and-file be part of throwing someone else a lifeline when they don’t profit from it?”

The College Football Playoff argument is critical to the conversation since it expands to 12 teams in 2024. Under the new format, all Power Five leagues would receive an automatic bid. With USC and UCLA out of the picture, there’s a strong case that Oregon and Washington would have an easier route to the CFP.

But without a media deal in place, the Pac-12’s future is uncertain. Commissioner George Kliavkoff presented a deal to officials earlier this week, but no decision was made. With Colorado already out of the picture and heading back to the Big 12, the realignment winds are starting to get stronger.