Big Ten having preliminary conversations about more expansion if Pac-12 crumbles, AP sources say [View all]

A group of Big Ten presidents has begun discussing the possibility of adding more West Coast schools to the conference if the Pac-12 continues to crumble, two people familiar with the conversations told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the conversations were preliminary and the Big Ten was not going public with its internal deliberations.

Oregon and Washington would be the primary targets if the conference decided to make a move, one of the people said.

The Pac-12 is down to nine schools seemingly committed beyond this year, with Southern California and UCLA heading to the Big Ten in 2024 to make it a 16-team, coast-to-coast conference. Colorado is leaving the Pac-12 for the Big 12 next year, too. Colorado announced its move last week.

MORE: https://apnews.com/article/pac12-big-ten-conference-realignment-oregon-washington-3962aad7adbe38feb97e31eac895dd2e

FROM THE LINK:

• ESPN reported Tuesday that the Pac-12 is hoping to keep its remaining members together with a media rights deal that would make Apple TV the conference’s primary home.

• USC’s and UCLA’s move to the Big Ten were the first blows to send the Pac-12 reeling into uncertainty over the past year.

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Maybe it makes sense to merge with USC and UCLA already gone. If Oregon and Washington join the Big 10 the PAC-12 pretty much dies.

I don't understand the move to Apple TV. Why make fans pay for an extra subscription service? How would this save the PAC-12? Make it more expensive to watch games?