Big Ten conference officially on the expansion hunt again

Big Ten football could be expanding again, and it could be happening relatively soon as Commissioner Tony Petitti has been authorized to pursue options.

The two teams the search reportedly focuses on should surprise no one. Petitti has reportedly been told to first focus on Oregon and Washington as possible additions to the Big Ten. What happens beyond that is all just speculation.

The Athletic reported on Thursday morning that the Big Ten is basically doing a 180 degree shift from its stance just last week at the conference’s media days. During Petitti’s appearance in Indianapolis, he said that he was not focused on adding new teams and was in fact still working on fully integrating USC and UCLA.

Then Colorado left the Pac-12 for the Big 12, and all hell broke loose. This week, one Pac-12 school after another is holding meetings on what to do next. Some of those meetings have to do with whether to accept a new media rights deal that would include a contract with Apple TV+.

However it appears teams like Arizona, Arizona State and now Washington are far more interested in deciding what conference they’ll be playing for in 2024 and beyond.

Big Ten could be continuing seismic shifts

While Oregon and Washington are said to be the focus for the Big Ten, it stands to reason that other schools are going to need a new home, if the Pac-12 ends up collapsing completely. There has been talk that Utah, Arizona, and Arizona State could join Colorado in the Big 12.

Should that happen, there’s been lots of talk that Cal and Stanford might join Oregon and Washington in the Big Ten. Effectively the Big Ten would become the Big Twenty.

The wrinkle in everything that is happening this week is that again according to The Athletic, Tony Petitti and the guys he works for are looking at nabbing teams from another conference while not wanting to look like the villains.

"“One source noted Wednesday that the Big Ten would likely not act until it sees what happens with the Big 12 and the Pac-12. The Big Ten does not want to be the one to cause the death of the Pac-12 Conference.”"

This source, of course, failed to note that it was the additions of USC and UCLA to the Big Ten that was the mortal wound that will absolutely cause the death of the other conference sooner or later.

Reading into the “we’re innocent bystanders too” talk a bit, both this week and last, it seems as though the Big Ten would like to stand pat with the Trojans and Bruins. However, if the land shifts underneath them, the conference bigwigs will make a move rather than get caught holding the bag.