Report: The Big Ten will wait on a decision from Notre Dame

The Big Ten made a big splash on Thursday by announcing additions of USC and UCLA.

While there’s been rampant speculation that the Big Ten could look to add even more powerhouse programs, those talks appear to be on hold for now — with one notable exception.

According to CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd, the Big Ten has not extended invitations to Oregon and Washington to join the league. Instead, it’s choosing to stand pat — for now, at least — while it awaits a decision from Notre Dame.

The Fighting Irish are contractually unable to leave its partial agreement with the ACC until 2036, but it’s currently unclear what they would owe in an eventual exit fee. It’s believed to be substantially less than what would be owed by the 14 full-time members of the ACC if any decided to leave for greener pastures.

It’s worth considering a reality where Notre Dame could join the Big T

en on a full-time basis. It would then belong to a conference that stretches from coast-to-coast and would allow the Irish to play the majority of its rivals on an annual basis. The ability to still play a national schedule while belonging to a conference could be appealing for the Irish.

On top of those benefits, the Big Ten’s upcoming media rights package is expected to be worth north of $100 million per school on an annual basis.

However, it’s still possible — or even probable — that Notre Dame will elect to maintain its independence. Notre Dame has not yet publicly commented on this matter.