A year after adding Southern California and UCLA, the Big Ten on Friday announced that Oregon and Washington will join the conference, making for an 18-team league beginning play in all sports in the 2024-25 season.

The Big Ten’s Council of Presidents and Chancellors approve the additions in a vote on Friday after Oregon and Washington submitted applications early in the day.

“We are excited to welcome the University of Oregon and the University of Washington to the Big Ten Conference,” Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti said in a statement. “We look forward to building long-lasting relationships with the universities, administrators and staff, student-athletes, coaches and fans. Both institutions feature a combination of academic and athletic excellence that will prove a great fit for our future.”

University of Minnesota President Jeff Ettinger and athletic director Mark Coyle issued statements after the Big Ten announcement.

“Throughout its history, the Big Ten has been an amazing collection of universities, and the University of Minnesota is proud to be one of the original members of this conference,” Ettinger said. “Big Ten universities are America’s leading research universities, with alumni that live not only in every corner of the country, but across the globe. Washington and Oregon will fit the unrivaled tradition of academic excellence, discovery and innovation that’s synonymous with the Big Ten. We are excited for Washington and Oregon to join that tradition and add to the Big Ten’s future legacy.”

Said Coyle: “I am excited to welcome Oregon and Washington to the Big Ten. These are two universities that prioritize academic excellence and broad-based athletic success. They will bring tremendous visibility, as well as passionate fan and alumni bases to the league. Their addition strengthens the Big Ten and further solidifies it as the premier national conference in college athletics. As a Big Ten charter member, we look forward to competing against the Ducks and the Huskies.”

The Big Ten in June released a framework for football scheduling for the 2024 and 2025 seasons for as 16-team conference. Those will be reworked, though reports indicated that there was flexibility for 18 teams.

The move — coupled with reports that Arizona, Arizona State and Utah have applied to join Colorado in the Big 12 — means that the Pac-12 will be down to four teams: California, Oregon State, Stanford and Washington State. The Pac-12 was working on a media rights deal this week that reportedly would have relied heavily on streaming services. That helped prompt six members to seek better financial deals with the Big Ten and Big 12.