Things seemed to move very swiftly on Thursday as the Big Ten once again decided on expanding the conference’s membership. And this time, the Big Ten is going west to take two iconic programs from the Pac-12. The Big Ten announced on Thursday evening it has voted to accept applications for membership from USC and UCLA. The two west coast schools will join the Big Ten in all sports beginning with the 2024-25 academic year.
“As the national leader in academics and athletics for over 126 years, the Big Ten Conference has historically evaluated its membership with the collective goal to forward the academic and athletic mission for student-athletes under the umbrella of higher education,” Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren said in a released statement on Thursday evening. “The unanimous vote [Thursday] signifies the deep respect and welcoming culture our entire conference has for the University of Southern California, under the leadership of President Carol Folt, and the University of California, Los Angeles, under the leadership of Chancellor Gene Block.”
The addition of USC and UCLA will bring the Big Ten’s membership to 16 full-time members in 2024, although it remains to be seen if the Trojans and Bruins will be coming alone. Conference realignment rumors will continue to be flying hot every which way you look as the Pac-12 attempts to figure out its future and other conference members could explore their best options available. Oregon and Washington joining USC and UCLA in the Big Ten is not nearly a far-fetched idea anymore as it once could have been. Notre Dame is another school that will be in the spotlight as the ACC looks to avoid suffering a similar fate now seen in the Big 12 (Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC) and the Pac-12.
The expansion to the west coast is clearly driven by the Los Angeles television market opportunities for the Big Ten. With a new media rights deal in the works, the Big Ten now has a vested interest in the four largest television markets in the country with New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia. Washignton D.C. is the nation’s seventh-largest market. To prove this is a real priority, Apple has reportedly reignited interest in negotiating with the Big Ten to be a part of the media strategy in a new rights package.
There will be much to digest in this news as we also wait to learn what could possibly come next. But with USC and UCLA joining the Big Ten, it is evident that nothing can ever be considered off the table.
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