The next round of conference realignment could include another Pac-12 flagship program leaving for the Big Ten — Oregon is currently talking with the Big Ten to determine if the Ducks are compatible as the next west coast school to join the Midwest-based collegiate conference.
Oregon has initiated preliminary discussions in Chicago w/Big Ten to determine if Ducks are compatible in the Big Ten, source told @ActionNetworkHQ. Big Ten “not done expanding,” sources told @ActionNetworkHQ last week. https://t.co/DYMZADm17v
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 22, 2022
Of course, Oregon would be following USC and UCLA in jumping from a seemingly dying Pac-12 to join the only conference that appears willing (if they are able is still TBD) to compete with the SEC to be college football’s flagship.
Oregon was considered for the Big 12 along with Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Utah, and Washington and were even ‘in deep discussions’ to do so. Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff called those rumors ‘a constant stream of nonsense’ and assured the world that ‘no Pac-12 school is joining the Big 12.’
Evidently, Kliavkoff was unable to stave off the Big Ten’s effort to continue their efforts to expand in conference realignment as aggressively as the SEC has been following their acquisition of Texas and Oklahoma last summer.
Schools not in the SEC and Big Ten are calling up those commissioners to force more conference realignment
Oregon is not alone in its efforts to try and maximize more profits with a more meaningful schedule against schools that have all-or-nothing mindsets when it comes to their college football.
Sports Illustrated’s college football analyst Ross Dellenger said that ‘if your school is not in the SEC or Big Ten, your school has probably expressed interest/discussed Big Ten and/or SEC membership.’
If your school is not in the SEC or Big Ten, your school has probably expressed interest/discussed Big Ten and/or SEC membership.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) August 22, 2022
In fact, while talking to Dan Patrick recently, Greg Sankey revealed he often receives calls from non-SEC school presidents expressing interest.
With SEC commissioner Greg Sankey implying that he wouldn’t add west coast schools to the Southeastern Conference (checks out) it makes sense for Oregon to try and join the next best thing.