Big Ten and Pac-12 announce "collaborative effort"

The Big Ten and the Pac-12 announced Wednesday a "collaborative effort to enhance long-term scheduling commitments" across all intercollegiate sports.

More details will emerge as administrators and staff members from the two conferences meet in 2012. In terms of football, the new plan means each school will play an opponent from the other conference every season. The conferences' goal is to have this schedule in place by the 2017 season.

"As other conferences continue to grow through expansion, we believe there is great merit in deepening the historic relationship between the Big Ten and Pac-12," Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany said. "We believe that both conferences can preserve that sense of collegiality and still grow nationally by leveraging our commonalities in a way that benefits student-athletes, fans and alumni. This collaboration can and will touch many institutional undertakings, and will complement our academic and athletic missions."

--Jake Kaplan