Report: Oregon holds preliminary discussions with Big Ten amid conference expansion talk

Brett McMurphy of Action Network is reporting that sources have told him that Oregon initiated preliminary discussions in Chicago with the Big Ten. The goal is to see if Oregon would be compatible with the conference.

Another source told McMurphy that the outgoing Oregon president Michael Schill, athletic director Rob Mullens, and Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren were not involved in the meeting.

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Oregon initiated preliminary discussions in Chicago w/Big Ten to determine if Ducks are compatible in B1G, source told @ActionNetworkHQ. Outgoing UO president Michael Schill, AD Rob Mullens & B1G commish Kevin Warren not involved in any discussions in Chicago, another source said

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 22, 2022

This comes just months after Oregon’s conference-mates in the PAC-12, USC and UCLA, announced they would be leaving for the Big Ten. However, it’s important to note that UCLA has recently been facing political pushback for its decision to leave the conference at levels as high as the governor’s office.

Last week, the Big Ten signed a new media deal worth more than $7 billion. One aspect of the deal is that it includes a contract escalator. That means that if the Big Ten adds new teams, the media deal will grow even larger, up to $10 billion.