Report: Big Ten considering more expansion including Oregon and Washington

Posted: Aug 2, 2023 / 04:46 PM EDT

Updated: Aug 2, 2023 / 04:46 PM EDT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — One year before USC and UCLA join the Big Ten, the conference is already considering more expansion.

The soon-to-be 16-team league has reportedly begun ‘preliminary talks’ to potentially add Oregon, Washington, Cal and Stanford, according to multiple outlets.

Yahoo Sports first reported the Big Ten’s willingness to expand to 18, and even 20 teams, as the Pac-12 continues to reel after losing Colorado to the Big 12 last week. The discussions between the Big Ten and those four schools are in the very early stages, according to Yahoo’s Dan Wetzel.

Even though the conference has traditionally been considered a Midwest league, expansion in the past 35 years has brought Penn State in 1990, Nebraska in 2011, and Maryland and Rutgers in 2014.

The current membership consists of:

Ohio State
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Maryland
Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Penn State
Purdue
Rutgers
Wisconsin

UCLA and USC joining the Big Ten were set in motion after Texas and Oklahoma announced they would leave the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference in 2025, bringing the SEC to 16 members.

Further expansion comes just a few months after the Big Ten signed the most lucrative television rights deal in history with CBS, Fox and NBC. Big Ten schools will receive a minimum of $50 million a year with that number expected to grow annually.

Ohio State has two games confirmed on NBC this fall against Notre Dame and Michigan State and a third game against Wisconsin is reportedly scheduled in Madison.