The USC Trojans and the UCLA Bruins will officially join the Big Ten Conference in 2024, both schools announced Thursday evening.
A report of USC and UCLA’s move to the Big Ten was first revealed earlier on Thursday by Jon Wilner of The Mercury-News.
“Over the past three years, we have worked hard to ground our university decisions in what is best for our students,” said USC President Carol L. Folt. “With the Big Ten, we are joining a storied conference that shares our commitment to academic excellence and athletic competitiveness, and we are positioning USC and our student-athletes for long-term success and stability amidst the rapidly evolving sports media and collegiate athletics landscapes. We are delighted to begin this new chapter in 2024.”
The Big Ten has voted to accept both USC and UCLA into the conference effective August 2, 2024.
“Ultimately, the Big Ten is the best home for USC and Trojan athletics as we move into the new world of collegiate sports,” USC Athletic Director Mike Bohn said. “We are excited that our values align with the league’s member institutions. We also will benefit from the stability and strength of the conference; the athletic caliber of Big Ten institutions; the increased visibility, exposure, and resources the conference will bring our student-athletes and programs; and the ability to expand engagement with our passionate alumni nationwide.”
With the addition of USC and their crosstown rival UCLA, the Big Ten will expand to 16 teams and will have a new footprint that extends from coast to coast.
“For the past century, decisions about UCLA Athletics have always been guided by what is best for our student-athletes, first and foremost, and our fans,” UCLA Chancellor and Director of Athletics Martin Jarmond said. “Our storied athletics program, based in one of the biggest media markets in the nation, has always had unique opportunities and faced unique challenges. In recent years, however, seismic changes in collegiate athletics have made us evaluate how best to support our student-athletes as we move forward. After careful consideration and thoughtful deliberation, UCLA has decided to leave the Pac-12 Conference and join the Big Ten Conference at the start of the 2024–25 season.”
USC and UCLA will play in the Pac-12 Conference in the 2022 and 2023 seasons before both schools begin play in the Big Ten in 2024.
This is the biggest conference realignment news since Oklahoma and Texas were accepted into the SEC. It won’t be the last, however. Several reports indicate that the Big Ten is not done with just adding USC and UCLA and will target other Pac-12 schools such as Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah.
There’s also the Notre Dame Fighting Irish who, as the most prominent Independent, may have to finally join a conference.
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Let make college football great again.
Clemson to the PAC 12
Oregon to the Big Sky
NMSU to the SEC
Hawaii to the ACC
Notre Dame to the MAC
Alabama drops football
2 team playoff
Ohio St and Michigan become best friends
The WAC becomes a Power 5 Conference
Scrap the Rose Bowl
Georgia moves to Alaska
Houston Baptist beats Georgia
The Ivy League folds
Syracuse joins the MWC
Kansas makes it to a bowl game
Steve K.,
You've posted the Best Satirical College Football cinematic alternate Universe Op-Ed I've read in the Comments Section @ fbschedules.com.
If there was a fake college sports news Site, your post would be in the "Subscriber submitted Headlines".
Credits to thebabylonbee.com "Fake News You Can Trust" for the "Subscriber submitted Headlines" Reference.
“ Several reports indicate that the Big Ten is not done with just adding USC and UCLA and will target other Pac-12 schools such as Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah.”
Huh? Several reports indicate that the *Big 12* will go after those 4. I’ve yet to see one suggesting those would be Big 10 targets…? Only 2 of those are AAU members anyway.
The Big 10 may not be done, but most of the speculation there seems revolve around… Washington and Oregon, or Stanford and Cal… Notre Dame… or trying to crack the ACC grant of rights. Colorado or Kansas could be options too, but if they’re going as bold as USC and UCLA, more west coast schools, UNC and company, or Notre Dame seem like the level of target they’d be looking at.
Yea I haven't seen any of those team mentioned to the BIG either.
I would see Washington, Stanford, Oregon, Kansas to BIG.
Like you said if they can crack the ACC maybe Washington, Oregon, Virginia, and UNC. All of those are AAU schools, solid football & basketball programs, new states/markets.
No team is going to leave the ACC. Their Grant of rights ends in 2036. They do not care about the possible money they will receive if they leave. The ACC is a prestigious Conference. No one is going anywhere.
USC & UCLA joining the Big Ten is like FIFA holding the World Cup in Qatar - it doesn't make any sense, except someone's getting a lot of dollars & cents.
So the UCLA and USC powers to be basically said “whats best for our student-athketes”. Laughable. Yes its best to send them cross country trips for every away game. Time away from school. Well nevermind, most probably never attend a class. Why didn’t they just come out and say it. Whatever and wherever we can get the most money. GREED RULES!!!
Agreed, Steve. "what's best for our student athletes." Laughable. Yes it's best to send them cross country trips for every away game. Time away from school. Well nevermind, most probably never attend a class. Why didn't they just come out and say it. Whatever and wherever we can get the most money."
The Trust Five Schools in these Conferences are a dangerous Force because Noone except Their Backroom Selves Rules the Trust 5.
The NCAA loses more and more control as they receive the kickbacks from the 5 Conferences Lobbyists & write NCAA Legislation to fit what CFP, Administration LLC, Executive Director Bill Hancock (& his predecessor Organization BCS, LLC did as well) & his select committees want.
Each Year I watch the small Bowls with the best non Trust Five Schools in them. I watched UCinncinati play the Alabama Crimson Biden in 2021.
I'm looking forward to the Barstool Sports Bowl in 2022.
In 2021, for the 1st Time, I followed, watched selected fChampionships 24 Team Playoff Games. I estimate that 4/5ths of them were better than an average Trust Five NY6 Game.
The Big Ten needs to go really B1G with this -- don't stop with USC and UCLA -- become the first coast-to-coast 24-team SUPER Conference. In addition to adding West Coast presence, solidify the middle of the footprint, and rectify the mistake of not adding Missouri a decade-plus ago. Sell them on leaving the SEC with the allure of reuniting with Nebraska, now joined by old rivals Kansas and Colorado, and finally becoming league rivals with Illinois and Iowa. Also make it clear to Notre Dame that a spot is being held for them.
·
B1G WESTERN POD
• Stanford / Cal
• USC / UCLA
• Arizona / Utah
·
B1G PLAINS POD
• Colorado / Kansas
• Nebraska / Missouri
• Iowa / Minnesota
·
B1G CENTRAL POD
• Wisconsin / Northwestern
• Illinois / Indiana
• Notre Dame / Purdue
·
B1G EASTERN POD
• Michigan / Michigan State
• Ohio State / Penn State
• Rutgers / Maryland
·
In the event of a refusal to join by Notre Dame, Minnesota slides to the Central Pod and Utah slides to the Plains Pod, with Oregon moving into the Western Pod. Of course Notre Dame will have a counter-offer to weigh, as the SEC makes its own move to 24 by gobbling up 7 ACC teams in its territory, and leaving one spot open for them.
·
SEC SOUTHWESTERN POD
• Oklahoma / Oklahoma State (replacing Missouri)
• Texas / Texas A&M
• Arkansas / LSU
·
SEC DEEP-SOUTH POD
• Mississippi / Mississippi State
• Alabama / Auburn
• Florida / Florida State
·
SEC SOUTHEASTERN POD
• Georgia / Georgia Tech
• South Carolina / Clemson
• North Carolina / Duke
·
SEC MID-SOUTH POD
• Virginia / Virginia Tech
• Tennessee / Vanderbilt
• Kentucky / Notre Dame
·
In the event of a refusal to join by Notre Dame, due to joining the B1G or somehow remaining independent, settle for Louisville and lock up all of the major brands in the Southeast except Miami (who the SEC has never really cared about) and to some extent North Carolina State. That leaves the PAC to rebuild by raiding the MWC into oblivion.
·
PAC-16 AFTER CHANGES
• Washington / Washington State
• Oregon (unless ND doesn't join B1G) / Oregon State
• San Jose State / Sacramento State (up from FCS)
• Fresno State / San Diego State
• Nevada / UNLV
• Arizona State / Utah State
• Boise State / Wyoming
• Colorado State / New Mexico
·
If Oregon gets into the B1G, slide New Mexico State into the 16th spot, thus restricting FBS in the West to the B1G and the PAC-16. Air Force would move to the AAC, while Hawaii technically becomes independent in football but signs an 8-game scheduling and bowl agreement with the PAC-16, thus saving travel expenses for the mainland schools in all of the other sports. The ACC and BIG 12 would backfill to reach 16 members by adding schools from the AAC, SBC, and CUSA (which would go out of business along with the MWC).
Nah, the B10 should build the only academic rival to the Ivy League as well as the only football rival to the SEC:
Add Stanford and Cal now.
Obviously ND if they are willing to join.
Then Duke, UNC, UVa (maybe GTech) when the ACC disintegrates.
UW-Seattle if needed to round off the numbers.
It's a chess board. SEC moved first taking UT and OU. B1G makes the LA Gambit.
.
SEC's turn. The PAC is available. Geography matters. Phoenix and Tucson are now major markets. ASU and Arizona to the SEC -- the western equivalent of Auburn and Alabama.
.
Back to you B1G...
Oregon and Washington, the OSU-UM rivalry of the Pacific coast.
.
SEC. Pass. B1G. Pass.
i dont understand adding pac 12 teams , traveling cross country not to mention the time zone now u will have lets say penn st playing a prime time game at usc at 11pm east coast time its all about money
And as a diehard CFB fan, I'll be up to watch every 11pm Big Ten game!
Is this real life?
"Is this just fantasy? ..."
I noticed that Bobby G. didn't use a word (that is now copyrighted by OSU). Well played, Bobby...well played.
The Pac-12 is caught in a landslide
I’ve been sleeping the last 24 hours. Anything happen during that time??
I strongly believe that there will be no more independent teams by 2039, maybe sooner. With all these power moves, the two big schools that are being watched are first obviously Notre Dame, but also Army. I feel that Army is going to feel compelled to join a conference, unless the military schools decide to all become independent. Joining a conference could have an impact on the Army-Navy game, one of the oldest traditions of college football. Whether it be when it's played and it's significance, the ways of traditional college football are fading away faster than we think