College athletics have been on a rollercoaster ride of expansion over the past few years, and the constant movement shows no signs of slowing down.
This latest rumor has sent shockwaves through the college football world – and if it’s true, we won’t have to wait much longer for it to be official.
According to Barstool’s Jack McGuire, the Big Ten Conference will be adding four major schools, as early as this week: Clemson, Florida State, Oregon, and Washington.
Scoop City has received a serious rumor that the Big Ten will add Washington, Oregon, FSU, and Clemson this week. pic.twitter.com/5Qpq3MRDW4
— Jack McGuire (@JackMacCFB) July 30, 2023
As enormous as these moves would be, it would be hard to classify them as totally shocking since it’s becoming clearer and clearer where college football is heading.
The ripple effect, however, would be absolutely massive. The ACC can’t afford to lose both Clemson and Florida State. While surely, the Pac-12 can’t afford to lose both Oregon and Washington (who would be joining USC and UCLA in moving to the Big Ten).
College athletics are driven almost solely by football – and it’s more of a dog-eat-dog world than ever.. The Big Ten and the SEC are the haves. Virtually everyone else are the have-nots.
Speculations surrounding Oregon and Washington’s potential move to the Big Ten have been circulating for some time, but recently, those rumors had died down. However, Colorado’s sudden departure to the Big 12 has reignited the talks and opened the door once again for the two schools to find a new home.
Reports indicate that if the Big Ten succeeds in recruiting these four universities, it could mark the end of the Pac-12 as we know it. Schools such as Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah may eventually follow suit and join the Big 12 Conference.
Clemson and Florida State would seemingly make more sense in the SEC, given their geographical location and historic rivalries within the conference. However, the Big Ten’s interest in entering the highly competitive Florida recruiting market and tapping into the deep roots of Clemson’s fanbase may be influencing their strategic decision-making.
The SEC is surely monitoring the situation extremely closely. They would be wise to beat the Big Ten to the punch for Clemson and Florida State.
What are your thoughts on this entire situation?
If Clemson, Florida State, Oregon and Washington join the Big Ten – would they surpass the SEC as the best college football conference in the country?