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B1G reportedly nearing formal announcement of alliance with Pac-12, ACC
By Paul Harvey
Published:
As teams continue to settle in and prepare for the 2021 season, a formal announcement could come soon regarding the potential three-way alliance featuring three Power 5 conferences.
Rumors of a potential alliance between the B1G, ACC, and Pac-12 began surfacing shortly after the SEC added traditional Big 12 powers Texas and Oklahoma. A formal announcement of the rumored alliance is likely to come in the near future, potentially as early as next week.
That is per a report from The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach:
News: The Big Ten, Pac-12 and ACC are expected to make a formal announcement about their alignment soon, perhaps as early as next week, multiple sources told @TheAthletic.
This isn’t just about scheduling. More: https://t.co/OyBicG7uiv
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) August 20, 2021
That reported alliance goes deeper than simply a scheduling agreement between the conferences. According to reports, the three conferences believe they are united in terms of the overall focus on both athletics and academics. The three conferences would likely agree to vote under a united front on major issues under such an alliance.
The reaction from across the country has been varied. Paul Finebaum was expectedly critical of the alliance, referring to it as a desperate move. However, Michigan AD Warde Manuel had positive things to say about the potential alliance.
It will be interesting to see how this affects the B1G and college athletics as a whole should it go down.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.