The Big Ten has signaled to those at Michigan and USC that it is moving forward with the deal, even delivering to each program an ultimatum with a deadline.

On Sunday, the Michigan State Spartans get set to take on the Washington Huskies in the 2025 Big Ten Women’s Soccer Championship Game.

The two athletic conferences effectively rule the sport. But they disagree on critical points about its future.

There is plenty to like at the top of the conference, but as the Big Ten proved last season, there are plenty of unknowns.

It wasn't always pretty, but our guys are resilient,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “They're tough. They can handle tough moments."

With a 3-2 conference record, the Bruins currently sit ninth in the Big Ten, which is not only levels above where many projected they'd be going into the season, but exceeding where you'd think they'd be after starting the season the way they did.

Ohio State dominated. Indiana survived in Week 11. How did all of the action solidify the spots in our weekly Big Ten power rankings?

Those modest rankings for the Trojans, Hawkeyes, Wolverines and Huskies make their paths to the playoff fairly clear; they will likely need to win out and finish the regular season at 10-2 in order to clinch a berth.

Led by preseason champ pick UCLA, here are the first USA TODAY Sports Network Big Ten women's basketball power rankings.

The Big Ten did not disappoint this weekend with two thrilling finishes. Week 11 almost delivered two of the biggest upsets this season; instead, two College Football Playoff teams displayed their toughness in resilient wins. USC looks primed to take on the toughest part of the schedule with two difficult matchups coming up.