Big 12 football: Ranking the league’s 5 best expansion options ‘out west’

1. Oregon Ducks

While Oregon doesn’t offer the recruiting-rich metro areas or the peaceful sunny skies of California, the Ducks are unmatched by any other football program in the West in terms of accomplishments in the last 15 years.

While USC may have more traditions and prestige (and new head coach Lincoln Riley might be able to bring the Trojans back to greatness) overall, Oregon has built a significant powerhouse program that has a new head coach, Dan Lanning, who just helped Georgia win the 2021 national title.

It stung to lose former boss Mario Cristobal to his roots of Miami (Fla.), but the Ducks are still among college football’s best squads. If Oregon would consider swaying from its reported interest in the Big Ten, the Big 12 has to be ready to make its best offer.

There’s a solid fan base, there are deep pockets of Nike that support the program, and there’s name brand recognition for this Oregon football team.

Since 2000, Oregon has reached the AP Top 10 in 15 separate seasons. The Ducks have won eight Pac-12 titles during that stretch, which includes national runner-up finishes in the 2010 and 2014 seasons and multiple victories in the Rose Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl. Quarterback Marcus Mariota won the 2014 Heisman Trophy as well.

Different head coaches have come and gone like Mike Belotti, Chip Kelly, and Mark Helfrich, but the Ducks have kept on winning.

If the addition of Oregon means adding Washington, the Big 12 would only stand to benefit. There’s no impetus to look at potentially bringing along Oregon State and Washington State, too, but it might be worth it if the Ducks are on board with leaving the Pac-12.