The Big Ten Conference announced Friday it will accept Oregon and Washington as new members next August, dealing another crushing blow to the Pac-12.
The Big Ten earlier in the day cleared the way for the Pacific Northwest rivals to join the league next year, and the Ducks were first to make it official with a brief video call that ended in a unanimous vote by its 13 trustees. The Big Ten a short time later said its presidents’ council had voted to accept the Ducks along with Washington.
Former Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren had encouraged member schools to strongly consider adding Oregon and Washington after the conference landed the two Los Angeles schools last summer, the blow that has sent the Pac-12 reeling for more than a year. Just last week , Colorado announced it would leave for the Big 12 next year and that league may not be done.
One of the people familiar with the negotiations said that late Thursday night Oregon was leaning toward staying in the Pac-12, boosting the possibility that most others would follow. Instead, Oregon officials notified the Pac-12 on Friday they were still uncomfortable with the Apple deal and the school would be re-engaging with the Big Ten.
Washington was a charter member of the Pacific Coast Conference in 1916, the organization that eventually became the Pac-8, then 10, then 12. Oregon joined what was then the Athletic Association of Western Universities in 1964. USC’s history in the league dates to 1922, UCLA’s to 1928.
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