The sports press is full of rumors and speculation that other Pac-12 universities may join the Big Ten, besides UCLA and USC. Of course, rumors and speculation are not facts. But all of this noise suggests that the UC Regents, who have postponed further discussion until September, simply are being eclipsed by events and deals which are going on behind the scenes.
It's telling that when the Regents had their special meeting on the Big Ten/UCLA issue, they met as a full board. That is because the Regents don't have a sports committee to deal with athletics in the way that, say, the Health Services Committee deals first with health issues before such issues go before the full board. The Regents are not equipped to deal with sports issues such as the one now confronting them. Sure, they were told by the UC general counsel that the chair of the Regents could somehow do something on his own about urgent matters that arose between regularly scheduled meetings. But, in the case of a fast-moving sports negotiation going on behind closed doors and involving non-UC teams, do what exactly?
Here are some examples of the rumors and speculation excerpted from AZCentral:
Which Pac-12 schools could join USC and UCLA in Big Ten?
Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren recently told the Action Network's Brett McMurphy there are a "handful of schools" besides Notre Dame that the conference could potentially add in expansion. Sources indicated that Pac-12 schools Oregon, Washington, Stanford and Cal were among the schools being considered by the Big Ten. ...
Which Pac-12 schools could the Big 12 target in expansion?
Sports Illustrated's Timm Hamm wrote: "If the Big Ten becomes aggressive to initiate the escalator clause in its new deal, it might target teams like Oregon and Washington. And if they jump ship, it would be the equivalent of pulling the plug on a PAC-12 that's already on life support. That would open the door for the Big 12 to come calling on schools looking for a new home. Schools like Utah, Arizona, Arizona State, and Colorado. That would be a huge win for a Big 12 that is struggling to remain relevant after the departure of Texas and Oklahoma in 2025."
Pac-12, ESPN have had 'productive' talks
Pac-12 Insider John Canzano wrote: "Talks between ESPN and the Pac-12 have been “productive” per a conference insider. “We’re still in the midst of positive conversations but haven’t reached a final offer stage,” the source said. “We’ve been much more engaged with George (Kliavkoff). We’re all in sync, we’re all in line. We’ve got some high level media consultants at the tables."
Note that if UC-Berkeley joined the Big Ten, that step would partially deal with some of the revenue sharing anxiety at the Regents. It wouldn't deal with all of the financial repercussions. And it would add to the concern about having student-athletes flying around the country.
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