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Big Ten releases statement on reported interest in adding more Pac-12 programs

Spenser Davis

By Spenser Davis

Published:

The Big Ten has released a statement in response to reports that the league has begun considering further expansion beyond USC and UCLA’s arrival in 2024.

On Wednesday, Yahoo!’s Dan Wetzel reported that some Big Ten presidents have explored adding as many as 4 Pac-12 programs. Oregon, Washington, Stanford and Cal are under consideration, per the report.

Here’s the Big Ten’s statement, via ESPN’s Pete Thamel:

“Big Ten Conference is still focused on integration of USC and UCLA but it’s also commissioner’s job to keep conference chancellors and presidents informed about new developments as they occur.”

Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti commented on potential expansion at Big Ten Media Days last month. At that time, he said he had been instructed by Big Ten presidents and chancellors to focus only on the arrival of USC and UCLA.

Here’s his full quote on the matter:

“What I’ll say is all the direction I’m getting from leadership, our presidents and chancellors, athletic directors, is to focus on UCLA and USC. I’m proud of the scheduling format we created in football. I think it touches on all the right things.

We have significant work to do on scheduling of other sports, especially our Olympic sports, to come up with the best solutions. I believe we have a good plan in motion. I think we’ll learn from it. Like anything, there will be tweaks and changes. Overall that’s really where we are. I’m not getting direction to do anything else other than that in terms of just what the conference looks like right now.”

Based on those statements made a few weeks apart, it seems the Big Ten’s approach to potential expansion may have changed.

According to Thamel, the Big Ten does not want to appear “predatory” by poaching more members of the Pac-12. It could wait to see if other programs — such as Arizona, Arizona State and Utah — move to the Big 12.

Spenser Davis

Spenser is the news manager at Saturday Road and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.