Oregon, Washington 'Vetted' And 'Cleared' To Join The Big Ten According To New Report

Conference realignment continues to be the story of college football, with the Big Ten leading the charge.

The SEC made a massive splash by bringing in the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners.

READ: OKLAHOMA, TEXAS HAVE REACHED AN AGREEMENT WITH BIG 12, WILL JOIN THE SEC IN 2024

The Big Ten responded with a huge splash, landing USC and UCLA from the Pac-12.

Now a new report from Brett McMurphy has revealed that the conference may be closer than expected to adding two more Pac-12 teams.

The Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies have reportedly been "vetted" and "cleared" by the Big Ten. While rumors of the conference's interest in adding the Pacific Northwest schools have been flying for months, this seems to be a more concrete pronouncement.

McMurphy said in an interview with 365 Sports that they are "ready for takeoff," if things progress in that direction.

EUGENE, OR - NOVEMBER 19: Quarterback Bo Nix #10 of the Oregon Ducks celebrates after a successful field goal during the first quarter of the game against the Utah Utes at Autzen Stadium on November 19, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Ali Gradischer/Getty Images)

Big Ten May Make More Moves

Rumors of the Pac-12's imminent demise have been swirling for months, with seemingly conflicting reports every week.

The conference has been desperately trying to secure a new media rights deal, with potential partners coming in and out of the picture.

READ: ESPN NOT INTERESTED IN THE PAC-12’S TOP MEDIA PACKAGE, CONFERENCE TAKES ANOTHER HUGE BLOW: REPORT

McMurphy also mentioned that programs like Utah and Colorado could be headed to the Big 12. If that happens, the floodgates would open, clearing the way for Oregon and Washington to leave.

There are any number of ways this could shake out, but the fact that the Big Ten has done the research implies they're serious about it.

From the program side, there could be tremendous financial benefits for Oregon and Washington to jump ship. On the other hand, their path to a College Football Playoff berth could be significantly easier in a USC-free Pac-12.

Given time is running short on a new media deal, the situation could play out sooner rather than later. And if it does, the Big Ten is reportedly prepared to swoop in.