Also from
the Athletic with link below:
The Big Ten's decision to add USC and UCLA earlier this summer sparked another wave of speculation about super conferences. Though the SEC and Big Ten are both going to be at 16 members apiece by 2025, the expectation throughout the industry is that neither league is going to stay at that size forever.
But there has not been any major movement since that news broke at the end of June. The Pac-12 is beginning to work through its media rights deal and figure out what it is worth to partners without the L.A. schools. That is likely the next important piece of the puzzle, as will be any sort of contractual relationships that tether schools such as
Oregon,
Washington and
Stanford to the Pac-12 for a set period of time.
The Big Ten opted to add just two schools back in June. Now that the media deal is nearly done, could it look further into the possibility of a western wing? If the Big Ten really wanted to, it could look both to the Pacific Northwest and the Bay Area. That could give the conference inventory for the Saturday late-night TV window a fourth window, for those keeping track at home and also allow for easier travel opportunities for all sports for the L.A. schools.
Could the new media rights deal and relationship with NBC convince Notre Dame to make a move? The Big Ten would surely act quickly if that became a possibility.
https://theathletic.com/3488621/2022/08/08/big-ten-media-rights-facts/ “My tastes are simple; I am easily satisfied with the best.” - Winston Churchill