The world of college sports has officially changed today, July 1, 2023.
BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF are now official Big 12 Conference members. This sets the scene for USC joining the Big Ten on July 1, 2024.
Schools will soon find out how much a change of conference reshapes their outlook. USC fans are certainly ready, and 2024 USC football recruits really seem to value the Big Ten as part of the USC experience:
“The fact that USC will be in the Big Ten Conference in 2024 is part of the equation for 2024 recruits who are considering their college choice. These recruits won’t play a down in the Pac-12. They know that when they come to USC, they are signing up for a conference schedule in which they will play either Michigan (2024) or Ohio State (2025) in a given season. They will play Wisconsin and Penn State in the next two seasons.
“USC recruits have been given a taste (on their official visits) of the beach lifestyle in Los Angeles, and the great weather offered by Southern California. Yet, they get to play Ohio State or Michigan plus Penn State and Wisconsin in their conference schedules. They will receive a level of television visibility they wouldn’t have received in the Pac-12 Conference.”
It will be fascinating to see how the new Big 12 works out. Next year, USC and the Big Ten will officially tie the knot.
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