[Hieronymus]

Legislation was introduced but there's no law now. Look at what happened with UCLA and cal. If UW or Oregon make the move, it will be fait accompli. They may even be more motivated to move quick before some pesky regent or state legislator can make a fuss. And zero chance Big 10 would take OSU or WSU. Pure dilution, no return. At least Stanford and cal are academically prestigious and located in a decent media market.



All the reporting is about how UW and Oregon are most likely, and Stanford/cal less so. WSU and OSU aren't even a part of the conversation from Big 10's perspective.

I agree. I would be stunned beyond words to see the B1G indicate an interest in WSU and OSU.  Even if WSU and OSU settled for a 10% share the B1G wouldn't want them dragging down the conference.  WSU and OSU sports programs are pretty good but from a tv revenue standpoint they would be an anchor weighing down on the B1G.  And travel to WSU and OSU from the midwest would not be something big time football factories would want to do.

Many of the original Big 10 universities have media markets that are much smaller than SF/Bay Area, and perhaps more on par with Corvallis.  
Champaign and Bloomington and Iowa City combined add up to the population of Boise.  East Lansing and West Lafayette are half the size of each of the three I just mentioned, on par with Corvallis.  And some Big 10 schools go long spells without being competitive in the money sports.  In short, the Big 10 already has a LOT of Washington States and Oregon States in its midst.

But mostly not really because the city a Big 10 school is in does not define its market. Madison covers Milwaukee and really the whole state. OSU is all of Ohio. Etc. You do have a few weaklings.  Northwestern adds nobody even though it’s Chicago. Illinois only moderately covers the state. Indiana is Notre dame not Purdue or U Indiana. Mich St is mostly pointless. But at core the main big 10 schools proxy for whole states.

[Hieronymus]

Legislation was introduced but there's no law now. Look at what happened with UCLA and cal. If UW or Oregon make the move, it will be fait accompli. They may even be more motivated to move quick before some pesky regent or state legislator can make a fuss. And zero chance Big 10 would take OSU or WSU. Pure dilution, no return. At least Stanford and cal are academically prestigious and located in a decent media market.



All the reporting is about how UW and Oregon are most likely, and Stanford/cal less so. WSU and OSU aren't even a part of the conversation from Big 10's perspective.

I agree. I would be stunned beyond words to see the B1G indicate an interest in WSU and OSU.  Even if WSU and OSU settled for a 10% share the B1G wouldn't want them dragging down the conference.  WSU and OSU sports programs are pretty good but from a tv revenue standpoint they would be an anchor weighing down on the B1G.  And travel to WSU and OSU from the midwest would not be something big time football factories would want to do.

Many of the original Big 10 universities have media markets that are much smaller than SF/Bay Area, and perhaps more on par with Corvallis.  
Champaign and Bloomington and Iowa City combined add up to the population of Boise.  East Lansing and West Lafayette are half the size of each of the three I just mentioned, on par with Corvallis.  And some Big 10 schools go long spells without being competitive in the money sports.  In short, the Big 10 already has a LOT of Washington States and Oregon States in its midst.

But mostly not really because the city a Big 10 school is in does not define its market. Madison covers Milwaukee and really the whole state. OSU is all of Ohio. Etc. You do have a few weaklings.  Northwestern adds nobody even though it’s Chicago. Illinois only moderately covers the state. Indiana is Notre dame not Purdue or U Indiana. Mich St is mostly pointless. But at core the main big 10 schools proxy for whole states.