There were rumors about a Big Ten / Pac-12 merger... [View all]

[Buckeye_Democrat]

... almost a year ago, to preserve their Rose Bowl contract, and I suspect the recent news of USC and UCLA joining the Big Ten is just the beginning of that plan.

Dan Patrick: Big Ten, Pac-12 Could Create 'Merger' to Preserve Rose Bowl Contract
https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/10008834-dan-patrick-big-ten-pac-12-could-create-merger-to-preserve-rose-bowl-contract.amp.html

Washington and Oregon have already applied for Big Ten membership per reports, but were put on hold by the Big Ten who is yet again hoping Notre Dame will join the conference.

Report: Big Ten Waiting on Notre Dame Decision; 'Standing Pat' on Oregon, Washington
https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/10040714-report-big-ten-waiting-on-notre-dame-decision-standing-pat-on-oregon-washington.amp.html

It won't surprise me if many more Pac-12 teams eventually join the Big Ten as well (probably only the AAU member schools). Then the new super-conference will be divided into two divisions, with the Rose Bowl serving as their conference title game.

Notre Dame, if they indeed join, probably makes more sense in a western division given their years-long rivalry games against USC and Stanford.

And if it all goes down more like a merger, with two large divisions within the newly expanded conference, there probably won't be so much ridiculous traveling as currently speculated by several people online -- e.g., USC regularly playing Rutgers in New Jersey. If almost all of the regular season games are played within the divisions, with the Rose Bowl later pitting the division winners against each other, such long-distance traveling for the student-athletes would be a rare occurrence.