Report: Washington, Oregon to B1G
Following a series of alternating “it’s happening” and “it’s not happening” reports over the past 24 hours, it seems likely at this point that, yes, it is capital-H Happening. The era of the Super-Conference is formally upon us.
Oregon and Washington informed Pac-12 presidents earlier that they plan to accept an invitation from the Big Ten, sources tell me and @DanWetzel. An invitation from the Big Ten is expected soon. https://t.co/KhebqNamPV
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) August 4, 2023
This move will reportedly take effect for the 2024 season. As in the season immediately after the season we’re about to play. So those ‘24-‘25 schedules? Throw ‘em out. We gotta start over.
It also goes without saying that the Pac-12, a 108-year-old stalwart of college athletics, is functionally dead. They were mostly dead 24 hours ago, as this move was the comes on the heels of Colorado departing for the Big 12, Arizona and Arizona State flirting with the Big 12, and Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff announcing an Apple TV-centric media rights deal that was underwhelming by today’s standards. But today, they are all the way dead.
The remaining question is what happens to the scraps. The Arizona schools may end up in the Big 12 after all, and may bring their Four Corners buddy Utah. There has been suggestions that the Big Ten or Eighteen or Whatever might be interested in Cal and/or Stanford. Oregon State and Washington State… uh… please come to HR, and bring your badge and keys with you.
This may not be a universal opinion, but… man, this sucks.
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Does Oregon have to fix the crown in the field in order to join? Asking for a former coach.
Special teams cost us that game. And that's with a td in our favor. Cost us the Iowa game that year, too.
The crown was made to a normal/standard slope a few years after our game.
Lloyd said that to defend John Navarre when he was getting some flack.
I'll tell you one thing about John Navarre -- he has never made an excuse. When you've been around football as long as I have, you know that in the old fields, there's a big crown, and that field at Oregon to me looked like an eight- to 10-inch crown, and that affects the throws to the sidelines particularly, and I think that affected John. We haven't played on a field with a crown like that. We don't make excuses, but I'm making one for him, because I don't think it's an excuse; it's the truth.
Lloyd then got bashed for being a "sore loser" but that ultimately served his purpose: to take the heat off his QB.
Big John Navarre went on to lead us to the Big Ten title, including a two-TD destruction of OSU.
JN never made any excuses. That's true. He's one of the few players that have never complained. Just worked his arse off. I was so glad that he got to start in the NFL.
If I recall, he was with the Cardinals and he played the Lions. I also recall for interceptions. No knock for anyone trying their hardest. But the Wolverines could have done better at QB.
August 4th, 2023 at 10:45 PM ^
Navarre was OK as a junior and good as a senior. The problem was that he was thrust into the job as a sophomore, before he was ready, thanks to the Yankees swooping up Drew Henson.
"Well, we were finally healthy. That's not an excuse, it's a fact"
- Lloyd after the bowl win against Florida, 1/1/08, his final game.
I really liked that comment and the way he said it. Like, y'all can write your columns from your seats any way you want to, but that's my view from down here on the actual field leading the actual team.
This matter has become much more urgent: Someone please inform Craig Ross and Jamie Mac how to pronounce “Oregon”. It is not some sort of geometric construct. Thanks.
August 5th, 2023 at 10:31 AM ^
For those who don't know
PAC 8 or whatever the hell it is needs Miracle Max!
Maybe they could offer him a nice MLT? Especially if the mutton is nice and lean
All you can do with the Pac-10 is go through their pockets and look for loose change.
why would you want two teams larry scott's stinking son fired?
And thank you very much for bringing up such a painful subject. While you're at it, why don't you give the PAC-whoever's left a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice on it?
August 6th, 2023 at 10:49 PM ^
get back oregon
i'm not oregon i'm oregon state--but after what you said i'm not sure i even want to be in your conference any more
I am so sad for Oregon State. They have a football team that is on the rise with an alumni coach in Jonathan Smith. They won 2 of the last 3 against the Ducks. And should be solid this year. Their baseball and non-revenue sports are solid. But a bunch of other also rans get a home. Just gross.
College football as we knew it is dead. Not necessarily saying that’s a bad thing, but between NIL and conference expansion the tradition will start getting tossed aside at a greater pace. Can’t stop the money train now.
It would really suck if we weren't the ones doing the raiding. I know there is a lot of concerns and I get it, but we are damn lucky to be ahead of this to remain relevant. The alternative is to hold on to tradition and end up joining God knows what conference what have start expanding around the SEC. We will get to a point of college being the AFC/NFC playing for a single championship. This will continue for a while.
Yeah, I'm surprised Notre Dame hasn't come running to the BIG. All the rivals and all the money and power. good luck as an independent staying relevant.
ND, the institution, would love to (especially the faculty). But the fans won't allow it.
Yup. 20-ish-team conferences, 12-team playoffs, players being compensated for their services—it’s officially the NFL Lite.
It is strange to think that the B1G is going to have more teams than either the AFC/NFC. Winning conference championships is going to be incredibly difficult.
It’s going to be hard but also functionally irrelevant since like 8 teams that didn’t win their conference will likely make the playoff. I hate all of it.
Or we might go back to having shared titles. The BTCG has always been pretty pointless but it's going to be a lot more so when you have totally unbalanced schedules. We should just dump it already.
I never thought I’d say this, but I’d rather watch the NFL. At least there is some semblance of organization, team equality, and even slightly more player accountability. I give it 5 more seasons before my interest in college football becomes merely casual. There was an an opportunity to incorporate NIL in a reasonable way so that everyone still would have benefitted. Instead we have this unholy mutated blob where no one is in charge and there are no rules. I’ll enjoy these last few years.
August 4th, 2023 at 10:08 PM ^
I'm not so principled. I'd probably have been watching the Lions all along instead of the Wolverines if the Lions were good and the Wolverines were bad. I feel like a bad person saying this, but I really don't care all that much about the financial stuff. Just give me a team that has a chance to win every game, a coach who cares about the players and the fans, and players who are good sports and play their hearts out.
Heck no.
Do these changes erode some of what makes college football great? Yes. Regional rivalries, cultural identities, amateur passion, etc...
But college football has more passion and magic than these money-driven decisions can kill. Fans will still be here, rabidly following the wolverines in 5 years and 10 and 15.
Besides, these things:
semblance of organization, team equality
were never what made college football great, and never even existed in college football. These are things that always were NFL qualities, never college football qualities.
August 5th, 2023 at 10:32 AM ^
Don't be so sure that popular things stay popular forever. people used to watch chariot racing. Even regular horse racing is less popular than in the past. Some similarities with football too (concerns about health of the contestant).
Fair point, and I like your example. :-)
I'd also never argue about forever,
I will stand behind what I did argue - that 20 years from now passion for UM Football will be going strong (excepting another RichRod/Hoke disaster).
I feel this. I would still rather watch M football than any other sporting event, but my general attitude for basically my entire life was, if I had to spend a day watching a bunch of football games, I much preferred college saturdays over NFL sundays. Now, apart from M games, when it comes to just watching any ol game, NFL delivers a better product and most college games are boring, don’t hold much interest.
The NCAA is like a backwater southern plantation-style business model with its gross imbalances and ”not a flaw but a feature” inequities, while the NFL resembles more of a modern, professional business.
August 6th, 2023 at 10:28 AM ^
Yes, the good ol’ days of college football when computers chose are best 2 teams, or the gooder ol’ days of college football when the media chose the champion (sometime 2 of them!) and teams could basically claim an NC if they felt like it….all the incredible order and equality of those days has walked right out the door.
/s
Get a grip man. NFL is a totally corporate league and college football will never be fully that, although I abhor almost anything corporate that does exist within the sport.
This will iron itself out and we will have a good on field product for players and fans. Bigger playoff will be better as more opportunity to fairly win it all. My guess is there will be more divisions with “conference championships” acting as some sort of early round of the playoffs.
The other loss we are experiencing in this process is regionality. I am going to miss regionally-based conferences. I like having a friendly rivalry with schools in close proximity. I like being able to visit fun midwestern towns only a few hour car ride away (yes, Iowa City is actually fun). I like football on cold afternoons with colorful leaves as the backdrop.
I acknowledge that this move helps us and brings in revenue but I am also sadden by what we are losing.
If the Bigten was the original big ten right now with a full round robin what would we as fans be missing? Maybe we are making 2/3 of what we make now but that is all just a bunch of slush fund money anyway that goes to buddies in admin positions. Our facilities would be just as nice. Our schedule would still be kick ass with one marquee OOC team. Our players would make no more/no less. Our tickets would be the same price. The commercials would be just as long and jarring. So what has Nebraska, Rutgers, Maryland brought us exactly?
More Rutgers and less Minnesota?
More Maryland less Iowa?
I dont know man we all seem to like this but nobody is benefitting in any real way that I can tell unless you consider the mini-jobs program Im sure that has followed for white collar positions.
I agree with the sentiment. However, I have a feeling the way this shakes out actually ends up looking like the Big Ten of old. It'll be split into two divisions, with a West that includes the former Pac-12 schools and maybe Nebraska/Iowa, and an East that looks a whole lot like the Big Ten we all knew and loved (plus, unfortunately, Rutgers and Maryland). Or maybe three divisions. Either way, I have to believe some regionality will remain in the "finished" product.
This opinion is being wildly underestimated by those dumping tradition for short-term dollars.
I think it’s bad for the brand of college football. It’s like when Michigan plays say ‘Bama (yes, even ‘Bama) in some regular season matchup… there’s something I just don’t care that much about… but MSU, Wisky, Minnesota, Iowa, obvs OSU… I’m way more emotionally invested in the action and outcome. It’s just more dull Michigan vs. Rutgers or Maryland vibes… but worse. Penn State made sense when they joined… it’s a regional power. Notre Dame… that would made sense.
Michigan vs. Washington? Oregon? UCLA, etc. Eh… not going to travel there for it, personally don’t know anyone from around there, where those players are from, never been there, have no memories to tap into… just not as emotionally invested folks. And that also means $$$. Less of it from me.
August 6th, 2023 at 10:39 AM ^
This is a good take on “the good ol’ days” of college football. Although, I do look forward to seeing some good cross country games throughout the year. Sort of the Midwest vs. Pacific Coast magic of the Rose Bowl, expect it will be mid-season.
It's a bad thing.
I feel really bad for fans of Pac 12 schools.
Me too. All three of them.
Don't. This change might actually mean fans of Pac 12 schools will be able to watch Pac 12 sports. The only way to watch many of these games has been via the Pac 12 network, which for many years was not even available on some of the largest cable providers servicing the west. I'm sure in the past few years more viewing options have been made available, but I gave up long ago. With the teams being dispersed to conferences with better network contracts I suspect they'll benefit from expanded viewership in their home markets.
I know many of you on eastern time bemoan the late start times, but even for a local the late start times weren't the most ideal for game watching. Hopefully we'll get to see some of these Pac 12 teams actually play in the sunlight. Unless you're coming here to play Arizona State, where you can't play in the sunlight until November or you'll spontaneously combust.
Not all Pac 12 teams have the same long held traditions as those in other conferences, particularly the Big Ten. I think it's possible the tradition disruption is more likely to be felt by those schools who do in fact have a tradition rich history of playing schools in a similar geographical footprint who now have to get used to playing totally new teams no where close to home.
Overall, I think this could be much better for the student athletes in the Pac 12 and those who want to watch their games.
Literally every single comment I have seen from PAC12 fans in other social media has been that this sucks and is terrible for their schools.
Especially fans of WSU and OSU
This sucks for the West Coast fans. It's the first time a major conference is raided, plundered, destroyed. (The SWAC doesnt count because it turned into the Big 12) The only thing that would improve the regional situation is if the B1G pulled in the rest of the Pac12 schools & formed a West division. But AZ schools & likely Utah are going Big 12. Wazzu/Beavs are left out - which really sucks for those fans/alums. Brian was rightly outraged by all of the regional destruction caused by Media companies greed. Coupled by the NCAA doing nothing - except burger enforcement. Goodbye CFB, you were the last bastion of pure geographic tribal competition.
Only four of the Southwest Conference teams (out of eight) joined the Big 12 - Texas, TAMU, TT and Baylor. The rest (TCU, Houston, SMU, Rice) were left to wander in the wilderness.
(Also, the SWAC and Southwest Conference were/are two different things. The SWAC is an HBCU league.)
It's pretty easy to see that if you look at a schedule of events in just about any college sport - sure, there are a bunch of non-revenue sports on B1G+, but at least you can pay for that package and then you get all of them. And sports that are on the big networks, you can watch ACC, SEC, Bhowevermany, B12ish ... and then the Pac usually has like one game and "hope you get those regional networks" for the rest. Maybe some games are livestreamed, maybe not. Sometimes they don't even get a game on P12N if another sport is playing at the same time, then all of those games/matches that day are regionally televised.
I think it would have been much better to have "acquired" the whole conference, then split into two parts and basically kept most things the same only spread the TV deal to both conferences (and maybe do some non-con scheduling), but here we are.
Damn you for putting that Oregon hoops picture up. I was at that game it was horribly frustrating watching the Oregon guard drive to the hoop over and over.
On the other hand, our football trip to Eugene wasn't so great either...so Fuck the Ducks I guess.
You might be (understandably) forgetting our most recent football game against Oregon.
*double
Next to implode is the ACC, and the B1G 18 needs to have a hand in that as well. It'll be B1G and SEC in the top tier, Big 12 in a tier below, and then there will be ~60 schools sitting at the kids' table for Thanksgiving 2026.
This is all leading to a "Premier League" of college football which will eventually jettison the meh teams already in the Big Ten and SEC (Purdue, Northwestern, Mississippi State, Vandy, etc.). All that college football money is going to flow to a top group of 24-32 schools.
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