Oregon and Washington officially join Big Ten

OREGON (KPTV) – The Big Ten Council of Presidents voted Friday to admit both the University of Oregon and the University of Washington into the Big Ten Conference. The vote is effective Aug. 2 for the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

The University of Oregon and the University of Washington were in the final stages of negotiating to join the Big Ten as per reports Friday morning, leaving the Pac-12.

The colleges will be the third and fourth Pac-12 schools to join the Big Ten ahead of the upcoming season.

“I’m thrilled that the University of Oregon has the opportunity to join the nation’s preeminent academic-athletic conference,” said University of Oregon President John Karl Scholz in a press release Friday. “Our student-athletes will participate at the highest level of collegiate athletic competition, and our alumni, friends, and fans will be able to carry the spirit of Oregon across the country.”

For a college to be admitted to the Big Ten Conference, it must first send a written application and then be approved by at least 70 percent of the Big Ten Council of Presidents.

The addition of Oregon and Washington will make the Big Ten the biggest conference in college history with 18 teams.

This is developing news and will be updated.

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