Washington and Oregon leave behind heritage — and rivals — for stability in the Big Ten

By TIM BOOTH
AP Sports Writer

SEATTLE (AP) — A day after leaving behind more than a century as a tenant to the premier athletic conference on the West Coast, Washington’s leadership says stability was at the forefront of its decision to join the Big Ten Conference. Washington President Ana Mari Cauce said there were several concerns that led to Washington and Oregon saying goodbye to their collective heritage to become the 17th and 18th members of the Big Ten beginning in 2024. Utah, Arizona and Arizona State are leaving for the Big 12. That leaves California, Stanford, Washington State and Oregon State as the only remaining Pac-12 members. At the heart of the Pac-12’s downfall was the failure to land a suitable media rights deal.