EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon and Washington will leave the Pac-12 and join the Big Ten, starting in August 2024.
The University of Oregon said in a news release that the Big Ten officially voted Friday to accept Oregon as a new member, effective Aug. 2, 2024. During an emergency meeting Friday afternoon, the University of Oregon Board of Trustees voted unanimously to join the Big Ten Conference. Washington also announced the move to the Big Ten in a news release.
"I'm thrilled that the University of Oregon has the opportunity to join the nation's preeminent academic-athletic conference," said University of Oregon President Karl Scholz. "Our student-athletes will participate at the highest level of collegiate athletic competition, and our alumni, friends and fans will be able to carry the spirit of Oregon across the country."
The Ducks and Huskies will join the Big Ten starting in 2024, according to multiple reports, at the same time as fellow Pac-12 members USC and UCLA, who announced they were leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten more than a year ago.
The Big Ten will increase to 18 schools in 2024, which would be the largest conference in college football history. The conference is considering whether to expand further by adding Stanford or Cal from the Pac-12, or potentially schools from the ACC, reported Brett McMurphy of Action Network.
Initially, Oregon and Washington will get only a partial share of the Big Ten's media rights deal with FOX, CBS and NBC, but the schools "will still make more than they would have by remaining in the Pac-12," McMurphy reported. According to Dan Wetzel and Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, the Ducks and Huskies' share will be "perhaps as low as 50%" of the Big Ten's media revenue, which could reach $65 million a year per school. The official terms of Oregon's share of the Big Ten's media rights deal have not been released.
The proposed Apple TV deal the Pac-12 presented to its members this week was estimated to be in the $20-25 million range, Wetzel and Dellenger reported.
Rob Mullens, Oregon's director of intercollegiate athletics, called the move to the Big Ten "transformational."
"Accepting membership into the Big Ten Conference is a transformational opportunity for the University of Oregon to change the short and long-term trajectory of our university and athletics department," Mullens said. "The stability and exposure of joining the Big Ten is of great benefit to the University of Oregon, and we are grateful to the Big Ten presidents and chancellors for accepting our application to join the conference. We look forward to the opportunity for our student-athletes to compete in this conference, which includes many of the best programs in the nation in every sport.”
Pac-12 down to four schools
The departure of the Ducks and Huskies likely spelled the end of the Pac-12, which was formed in 1915. After Oregon and Washington announced their departure, three other Pac-12 schools, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah, announced they were leaving the conference to join the Big 12 in 2024.
In the past 13 months, eight schools have left the Pac-12 — USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington to the Big Ten, and Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah to the Big 12.
That leaves only four remaining schools in the Pac-12: Oregon State, Washington State, Cal and Stanford. McMurphy reported that the Mountain West is "open" to adding the remaining schools, or the Mountain West and what's left of the Pac-12 could merge into one conference.
After practice Friday afternoon, Oregon State football head coach Jonathan Smith said he didn't have any answers about what's next for the Beavers. He said he's focused on his team and the upcoming season.
"What we have in front of us is certain, and these guys that built this program and worked so hard, to allow this to be a huge distraction, we're not gonna do it," Smith said. "Obviously, plenty of questions, and to be totally honest, at this moment, walking off the practice field, I'm not going to have many answers for you. In the near future, we'll be able to talk more on this, but this team is locked in and excited about the idea of playing a 2023 schedule with a roster that has worked so hard. Couldn't be more excited. And the idea of going into Reser Stadium that is going to be brand new, that is going to be rocking like it never has before. So we're looking forward to that."
Washington State released a joint statement Friday afternoon from President Kirk Schulz and Director of Athletics Pat Chun that voiced their disappointment.
"We are disappointed with the recent decisions by some of our Pac-12 peers," the statement reads. "While we had hoped that our membership would remain together, this outcome was always a possibility, and we have been working diligently to determine what is next for Washington State Athletics. We've prepared for numerous scenarios, including our current situation. With exceptional student-athletes, a strong Cougar tradition and incredible support from our fans, donors and alumni, we will chart the best path forward together."
What about the rivalry games?
While the future of the annual football rivalry game between Oregon and Oregon State has not been determined, the University of Oregon said it will prioritize athletic competition between the two schools. "In coming years, the UO will prioritize the long-held traditions, including competition across all sports with Oregon State University," Mullens said.
As for the rivalry game between Washington and Washington State, the University of Washington said in Friday's news release that the university "is committed to preserving the rich tradition of the Apple Cup rivalry with Washington State University in all sports, including football."