The Big Ten is discussing a deal that could infuse at least $2 billion into the conference, according to a report from ESPN on Wednesday.
The agreement would involve a private capital deal for the conference and would include a 10-year extension of the league's grant of rights until 2046. The deal and rights extension have reportedly been discussed for months, and the proposed forms had different structures during that time. If consummated, it would remove teams in the conference from being involved in any proposed super leagues that have been discussed around college athletics.
According to the report, virtually the entire conference supports the proposal, but the league's top two brands, Michigan and Ohio State, are not fully on board yet. Unanimous support for the deal is preferred if it is going to move forward. It's worth noting, the bigger brands are expected to receive a bigger cut of the money.
A decision on the deal is expected in the next few weeks, but nothing is considered imminent. Three different private capital entities are reportedly being considered.
From the report:
Perhaps most importantly, the conference would not surrender any decision-making to the outside entity.
The Big Ten responded to the news in a statement published by 's Ben Portnoy:
We'll see whether a deal goes through and whether other conferences follow the Big Ten's lead.