Big Ten Football: Oregon, Washington again in the rumors crosshairs
Big Ten football fans might have a few more current Pac-12 teams to watch if recent conference realignment rumors are to be believed.
In 2024, the Big Ten will welcome two current Pac-12 teams to the league. It feels like it’s been a very long wait to see USC and UCLA join the B1G. If new rumors are accurate, it might not be that long before two more Pac-12 squads join the conference.
Paul Finebaum talked about what he thinks will continue to be a busy conference realignment season. The ESPN analyst, in fact believes that the Pac-12 might be coming close to full-out dissolving if things don’t change quickly.
Even if the conference doesn’t completely fall apart, Finebaum believes the Big Ten has its eyes squarely on the Washington Huskies and Oregon Ducks. It’s actually had its eyes on those two teams for a while now, but things might be getting a bit more serious.
At the same time, Finebaum knows that neither Washington nor Oregon is a no-brainer addition to the Big Ten but thinks the conference sees them as a must-get. He explained his viewpoint on the Marchand and Ourand Podcast late last week.
"“It’s a nightmare from a scheduling standpoint, but I think it’s a grab, right now, and they’re attractive. Why do you want them? Because people are interested in watching Oregon and Washington. They’re very big names and very big brands. And forget geography. We’ve exhausted that conversation.”"
Big Ten football would get massive boost
There’s always a lot of talk about how the SEC is the undisputed best conference in college football. But it’s hard to see a Big Ten with the additions of USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington as not being a much closer competitor.
Three of those four are often in the conversation about National Title contenders every offseason, even if they aren’t competing for it by the end of the regular season. They are bonafide big-time football programs. And that’s even before talking about UCLA and Washington being on the rise after a few down seasons.
Add in Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State as the perennial powers in Big Ten football. Then Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, and hopefully Nebraska as programs that will be among the best of the best.
With the Trojans and Bruins, the idea conference games need to make any sense regionally is out the window. Adding Washington and Oregon might actually make a little more sense for Big Ten teams making a West Coast trip.