Report: Big Ten Waiting on Notre Dame Decision; 'Standing Pat' on Oregon, Washington

The Big Ten is waiting to hear if Notre Dame will join it.

According to Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports, Big Ten officials have told Oregon and Washington that they are not in a hurry.

On Thursday, USC and UCLA officials told Pete and Heather that their applications to join the Big Ten had been accepted and that they would begin Big Ten play in 2024.

The Pac-12 released a statement after USC and UCLA made their decisions.

Pac-12 Conference @pac12

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With the departure of USC and UCLA putting the Pac-12 in dire straits, it has been speculated that other top programs in the conference might consider leaving as well.

Speculation has increased about Notre Dame moving to the Big Ten as a result of the Big Ten's expansion.

It may prove too much for Notre Dame to resist joining the Big Ten given the current situation.

USC and UCLA will join the Big Ten, while Texas and Oklahoma will move to the SEC.

The Big Ten and SEC are expected to become mega conferences with 20 or more teams each, according to a report.

If that happens, it could spell the end of the Big 12 and the end of the conference as a whole.

With the exception of the 2020 season, Notre Dame has always been an independent program in football, and it has worked out well to the tune of 11 national titles and two College Football Playoff appearances.

Due to the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 Pandemic, Notre Dame did not play in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2020. Many of Notre Dame's other athletic programs are in the same conference as the football program.

If Notre Dame moves all of its programs to the Big Ten, there will be huge ramifications for the school.

If the football program decides to join a conference, there is a television contract that requires Notre Dame to play in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Notre Dame could face financial penalties of $150 million or more if it tried to play somewhere else.

Sharing a football conference with the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and USC could be appealing to Notre Dame.