Oregon To The Big Ten? Now Is The Perfect Time

Is the Big Ten about to reach out and steal Oregon from the PAC-12?

That's a question a lot of fans have now that Colorado has cut and run from the PAC-12 to the Big 12. It was a move I've been predicting for months.

The PAC-12 propagandists said it would never happen. Well, the fat lady is howling and the Buffaloes are heading to the Big 12.

That means the West Coast conference has never been closer to collapse than it is right now. Dennis Dodd reported there's whispers PAC-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff wanted $500 million annually. Comical. Absolutely comical.

Welcome the crisis state, and there's one program that should be sprinting towards a lifeboat: The Oregon Ducks.

Will Oregon join the Big Ten? (Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images)

Will Oregon join the Big Ten?

There has been chatter for months that the Big Ten might be interested in adding Oregon and Washington. Obviously, the Ducks are the better brand out of those two.

Phil Knight backs Oregon, the facilities are incredible and the Ducks are a national football brand that has been a historically dominant team for a long time.

There was even a report from months back the Ducks have been vetted to join the conference if the B1G pulls the trigger on the decision.

Well, welcome to the fourth quarter of the PAC-12's existence, and it's time for the men in the room to make some decisions.

Is it time for Oregon to join the Big Ten? (Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images)

Will the Big Ten make a play for the Ducks or not? If the Big Ten leaders and commissioner Tony Petitti are serious about the arms race that is realignment, phone calls will already be underway.

Colorado's reasoning for joining the Big Ten was pretty simple. The Big 12 offers stability and a future. The PAC-12 offers chaos and a roadmap to nowhere.

How long will it take before Oregon comes to the same conclusion if they haven't already? The Big Ten can't let the Ducks end up anywhere else other than the B1G.

It all comes down to money.

The Big Ten's new media deal is worth right around $1.1 billion annually. That's a lot of cash. In fact, it's the richest media deal in the history of sports. That means payouts per school should be north of $70 million per program.

Much like any other aspect of life, realignment decisions come down to cash. Do you have the money or not?

Right now, the PAC-12 has no money and the Big Ten has more than it can spend. Life is good when you're rich.

Will the Oregon Ducks leave the PAC-12? (Photo by Brian Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The problem is the B1G doesn't have automatic escalators for expansion. That means NBC, Fox and CBS aren't required to pay an equal share for new members. A good faith negotiation would occur. Would Oregon come for half a share? Would $40 million annually get the Ducks to the Big Ten?

It definitely should. That's a lot more than what Oregon could dream of getting in the PAC-12 moving forward and it's a significant increase from what the program could earn in the Big 12.

Oregon is the best brand left in the PAC-12. (Photo by Christopher Mast/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

All the pieces are there for the Big Ten to snatch up the Oregon Ducks. The B1G is an incredibly competent conference. There's a long record of making great decisions. It's time to make another one, and it's to add the Oregon Ducks. The time is now. It's that simple.