Careful not to use the E-word (expansion) or R-word (realignment), the Pac-12 and Big Ten announced Wednesday that the two power conferences have agreed to a "collaboration'' that, if successful, could have far-reaching ramifications for both leagues.

The Big Ten's Jim Delany says deal with the Pac-12 is "another way to maintain who you are." AP Photo/Nati Harnik

Beginning as early as next year, the Pac-12 and Big Ten will initiate what amounts to a Friends With Benefits alliance. In short, the two leagues are going to significantly reconfigure their future football, basketball and Olympic sports schedules to feature games between their combined 24 member schools.

It isn't a merger, but the cleverly constructed "collaborative effort'' (as the official press release describes it) provides the Pac-12 and the Big Ten with some of the benefits of expansion without the mess of exit fees, litigation and the loss of historical rivalries. And from a strategic standpoint, the arrangement could broaden the geographical, television and brand reach of both conferences.

"Rather than go down the road of just trying to add members, we thought this was a way to keep who we were and an increased value for everybody,'' said Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany. "It doesn't mean you can't expand one day. It seems to us this is an intelligent way to get stronger and do so with zero collateral damage.''

Added Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott, "It's a flexible approach to achieving some of the benefits of expansion without dealing with some of the other structural issues.''

Delany and Scott didn't mention other conferences by name, but clearly the defections involving Big East, Big 12 and Mountain West programs in recent months helped prompt the talks of an alliance. Those discussions first began in August, coagulated during the early fall and were officially green-lighted by Pac-12 and Big Ten presidents during a November meeting in San Francisco. This month in New York, athletic directors and administrators from both conferences began working on a scheduling plan for games.

The details remain fluid, but the probable first phase of the partnership would include increased Pac-12 vs. Big Ten games in men's and women's basketball, as well as in Olympic sports. Those changes will begin in the 2012-13 academic year.