News USC and UCLA will join the Big Ten Conference beginning in 2024

[WestEgg]

I'll start by saying I'm not sure how much this forum in general will care about this particular topic and I don't expect this thread to get a ton of traction, but this is pretty big news in the world of college athletics and has kind of been dominating my attention for most of the day.

This morning, rumors began popping up that the Big Ten Conference will expand to include the University of Southern California (USC) and the Univesity of California, Los Angelas (UCLA), who are currently members of the PAC-12.

And by this evening, it had become official:





Basically meaning we're going from the roughly midwestish home of the Big Ten (with some recent eastward expansion):

To THIS:

So why would they do this?

MONEY OF COURSE!

The times, they are a changing, and the Power 5 conferences of the NCAA (Big Ten, SEC, Big 12, ACC, Pac-12) are quickly consolidating into the Power 2 (The Big Ten and the SEC). With Covid-19 having wrecked the financials of a lot of athletic programs, and NIL student compensation laws taking effect, the financial blanket offered by the Big Ten and SEC's lucrative television networks are looking increasingly attractive (just ask Texas and Oklahoma, who fled the Big 12 for the SEC earlier this year). Look for further changes in the coming months and years. It's a wild time out there.

 

[Soul Skater]

Same energy

 

[Josh5890]

Still waiting to see the full fall out here.

• Does Oregon and/or Washington jump ship?
• Does the ACC and Pac 12 remain in the "alliance"?
• Does the Big XII strike while the iron is hot?
• Do we still have five Power 5 conferences by 2025?
• Does Notre Dame (gasp) join a conference?

 

[Barely Able]

I care as a Washington fan. Wife is a coug so this could really suck for her depending how it shakes out. Also feel bad for Olympic sports players having to travel 2k miles each way a dozen times a year.

 

[WestEgg]

Still waiting to see the full fall out here.

• Does Oregon and/or Washington jump ship?
• Does the ACC and Pac 12 remain in the "alliance"?
• Does the Big XII strike while the iron is hot?
• Do we still have five Power 5 conferences by 2025?
• Does Notre Dame (gasp) join a conference?

• I think Oregon and Washington will try to keep the PAC together, but would favor the Big Ten over the Big XII if the conference outright collapses or they are given an offer they can’t refuse.
• Every team for themselves at this point. What incentive do the remaining schools have to bind them to a less lucrative deal? Maybe some lip service, but I think any new alliance will mean as much as the old one.
• 50/50 odds on there still being a power 5 in 3 years. Guess it depends if Oregon/Washington can keep the Big XII from devouring the PAC. My understanding is the ACC is pretty hard to get out of right now, otherwise Clemson would have jumped to the SEC a while ago.
• The Big XII is certainly trying.
• I think people are underestimating just how much stupid pride and self importance Notre Dame has. The only way they give up independence is if they basically get cut out from the CFP picture.