Washington’s move to the Big 10 Conference is a major resetting of the finances for the program.

The financial terms have yet to be released, but I’m hearing that it’s in the $42 million.

That’s $42,000,000.00 or $23,000,000.00 more than was offered for remaining in the conference.

The money is evil but in the time of modern college football, it is a necessary evil.   Necessary because with donations being siphoned away from the universities to NIL collectives and such entities, donations are diminishing.

In the case of Washington, this also helps them get the Huskies out from under former coach Jimmy Lake’s contract.  That financial obligation has stymied other opportunities.

Oregon has had donors giving players cash, cars and other financial considerations.  However, they Phil Knight propping up the university.

In Washington’s case, the deal has a dual purpose.  Firstly, it’s a financial lifeline to get from under Lake’s contract, but also to enable Washington’s accountant to use black ink instead of red.

Colorado leaving closed the lid on the conference’s coffin.  Arizona’s departure was the final nail.

It really goes back to where schools could no longer pay players.  Southern Methodist University got a death sentence, for its slush fund and staging of payments for athletes.   Maurice Clarett at Ohio State, Billy Joe Hobert and his loan, Cam Newton and his dad negotiating with teams, Ohio State players trading equipment for tattoos, Tosh Lupoi and his coffee cup of cash, Miami boosters—all allegedly happening.  But it was the  millions of dollars in between that was going on behind the scenes and never made headlines.

In 1984 the Huskies had to watch as the college football world awarded BYU a National Championship.  In a playoff game the Huskies would have easily beaten those Cougars.  In 1991 the Huskies split with Miami.

These closed doors are now open.

The financial strain on the universities from the NIL is real because donors funds are finite.

The Apple deal would have put the onus of survival of the conference on the fans who have to some scribe in order to stay alive.  It would’ve only kicked the can down the road it would not solve the financial strain universities.

That Apple TV deal was always a nonstarter, but it will also be the future of college athletics.

The armistice between Oregon and Washington is now over and they can go back to being bitter rivals.