No More Pac 12 Conference! What Does That Mean for the Rose Bowl Game?

From PasadenaNOW: Although questions continue on the Big Ten’s expansion on the impact on the traditional Rose Bowl Game matchup, the inquiries are moot.

The Pac 12 vs. Big Ten Jan. 1 matchup format ended when the Rose Bowl agreed to be part of the College Football Playoff (CFP) expansion.

Under that deal, last year’s Pac 12 vs. Big Ten matchup between Utah and Penn State in the “Grandaddy of Them All” ended the partnership.

“While the Rose Bowl Game has been long time partner with both the Pac-12 and Big Ten Conference, recent conference realignment and regular season broadcast rights will not impact the future of the Rose Bowl Game,” the Tournament of Roses told Pasadena Now on Tuesday. “The Rose Bowl Game will host a College Football Playoff Semifinal in 2024 and will then be a part of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff which will begin with the 2024 football season.”

There has been some speculation that the expansion of the Big Ten and more teams from the West joining the conference could lead to a Big Ten Championship game in the stadium.

Questions began swirling after news surfaced that Oregon and Washington would leave the Pac 12.

The teams followed local teams USC and UCLA, whose defections from the Pac 12 left the conference in disarray.

Currently, there will be just four teams in the Pac 12 which appears less and less attractive due to increasing media deals in other conferences, resulting in more money for the schools in those conferences.

In 2022, the Big Ten agreed to a seven-year, $8 billion media rights deal with Fox, CBS and NBC. Part of the decision will be based on whether those broadcast partners are willing to offer a pro-rata share — or something close — with the addition of four more schools.

The expansion additions mean the Big Ten will reissue its 2024 and 2025 football schedules, announced in early June.

“We are excited to welcome the University of Oregon and the University of Washington to the Big Ten Conference,” Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said in a statement carried by ESPN.

“We look forward to building long-lasting relationships with the universities, administrators and staff, student-athletes, coaches and fans. Both institutions feature a combination of academic and athletic excellence that will prove a great fit for our future.”