New on Sports Illustrated: Report: Big Ten, Pac-12, ACC Discussing Conference Alliance

Following the SEC's expansion with Oklahoma and Texas, three of the Power 5 conferences are eyeing "broader cooperation."

The SEC's expansion of Texas and Oklahoma was the biggest storyline of the offseason. Weeks ahead of the start of the season, more dominoes could be lined up to fall.

The Big Ten, Pac-12 and ACC are reportedly discussing a conference alliance that could go beyond a mere football scheduling agreement into a "broader cooperation,"

according to Max Olson of The Athletic. The three conference commissioners—the Big Ten's Kevin Warren, Pac-12's George Kliavkoff and ACC's Jim Phillips—have had "high-level discussions" over the past few weeks.

Specifics of the discussions are not yet known, but Olson reports that the broad goal of the potential alliance is for the three leagues to be in unison when voting on major issues, such as College Football Playoff expansion. The three commissioners have not yet discussed trying to lure the remaining eight Big 12 teams to their respective leagues.

The Big 12 does not appear to be involved in this potential allegiance. Commissioner Bob Bowlsby met with Kliavkoff earlier this summer to discuss a prospective working relationship, though this latest development would represent another setback for the Big 12 if it were to be left out.

An official alliance is not expected to come together imminently, though it's clear that the SEC's power move to add Texas and Oklahoma has created a sense of urgency for the rest of the Power 5.

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