The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big Ten, and the Pac-12 have announced they are forming an alliance.
News of the alliance comes a month after the University of Oklahoma and Texas joined the Southeastern Conference. They are set to join the conference in 2025.
The conferences said in a press release that they came together to focus on the future of college athletics and scheduling.
According to the Associated Press, there had been discussions by the three conferences for weeks, but they made the news official on Tuesday.
Conference officials said the alliance of 41 universities "will be guided in all cases by a commitment to, and prioritization of, supporting student-athlete well-being, academic and athletic opportunities, experiences and diverse educational programming."
"Today is a special day," Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren said during a live press conference.
According to the press release, the conference officials said one of the main points of the alliance between the conferences, would be to focus on a scheduling alliance among football and men’s and women’s basketball "to create new inter-conference games, enhance opportunities for student-athletes, and optimize the college athletics experience for both student-athletes and fans across the country."
The conference said athletic directors representing the three conferences would oversee the scheduling component of the alliance.
"The scheduling alliance will begin as soon as practical while honoring current contractual obligations," conference officials said. "All three leagues and their respective institutions understand that scheduling decisions will be an evolutionary process given current scheduling commitments."
For football, the conferences said historic rivalries will be honored, it could also lead to nonconference football games, which would be lucrative when it comes to television deals, the AP reported.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Ronnie Green and Vice-Chancellor/Director of Athletics Trev Alberts issued a joint statement in response to the alliance:
We are in a time of fundamental change and seismic shifts in the landscape of college athletics. The Alliance between the Big Ten, ACC and Pac-12, which has been approved by the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors, presents an opportunity for 41 elite universities to work collaboratively to provide great support and opportunities for student-athletes. In our discussions it was obvious the institutions in these three conferences share many of the same values both academically and athletically. Working cooperatively best aligns our members schools philosophically as college athletics continues to evolve.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln will benefit from several exciting opportunities provided by this Alliance. Competing more regularly against ACC and Pac-12 opponents will continue to spread the Nebraska brand from coast to coast, which should add excitement for our fans and alumni, and be of great value in recruiting. We applaud Commissioner Kevin Warren and the Big Ten Conference leadership for their willingness to play a leading role in this unique partnership.
Joint statement from @RonnieDGreen & @TrevAlberts on Big Ten, ACC, Pac-12 Alliance. pic.twitter.com/0Lxzq9bRrz
— Nebraska Huskers (@Huskers) August 24, 2021
