It’s official. Texas and Oklahoma are off to the SEC in 2024, and USC and UCLA are off to the Big Ten. What’s next for college expansion?
Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC in 2024, USC and UCLA to the Big Ten. What’s Next?
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Sorry if this take sucks, it’s not my fault …
I still haven’t received the $100 million exit fee from Texas and Oklahoma to leave this column in 2024.
– 2023 College Football Rankings 1-133 First Look
Oh big deal. Like you watched the random Big 12 matchup when Texas or Oklahoma played, say, Baylor, and you don’t even know the Pac-12 Network exists.
USC and UCLA are going to be in the Big Ten in 2024?
Texas and Oklahoma are going to be in the SEC in 2024?
Great. Let’s do this already. Let’s get this party started.
I still don’t get how Texas and the Big Ten didn’t pop open a few beers, sit down, and figure it all out, but now it’s official. The Pac-12 and Big 12 are losing the anchor tenants at their respective malls.
In the new world of an expanded College Football Playoff that’s coming, the moves make sense. Progress is okay, and in this case, it’s all going to work great with the timing.
Do I think Texas will win the SEC Championship any time in the near future? Not really. That goes for Oklahoma, too. Whatever.
Either one could finish in the top 11 in the final 2024 College Football Playoff top 25 – the expanded CFP will take the top 12 ranked teams, but one of those will be a Group of Five champ that will probably be ranked outside of the top 12.
That goes for USC and UCLA with the Big Ten – just finish in the top 11, and football-wise and you’re all set.
All of them are all set in terms of revenue and even more explosion. And as I keep telling everyone over and over and over again, it’s going to be okay.
But the travel!
Whatever. The Big Ten teams get on a plane, take a nap, watch a movie, and they’re in LA. We should all be so lucky.
But the tradition!
Oklahoma was a Big 8 team in 1995 before the expansion to what eventually became the Big 12, and Texas was in the Southwest Conference until 1996.
USC and UCLA used to play in the Pac-10. Before that it was the Pac-8. And before that they were a part of the unfortunately-named American Association of Western Universities until 1968.
And everyone was fine. Everyone is going to be fine. It will take you 30 seconds after the ball gets kicked off to adjust.
What’s Next For College Expansion?
GAME … ON.
The Pac-12 has to do something fast, the Big 12 is circling the area looking to pick off more schools, and the Big Ten and SEC and drop the hammer and get just about anyone they really want at any time.
San Diego State. Get ready to be Southern California’s Pac-12 representation.
SMU. I honestly don’t understand why the Pac-12 is pitching so much woo to you – enrollment too small, it’s not like it’s a gateway school to landing more Texas-based teams – but apparently that’s about to be a thing.
UNLV should’ve been a Pac-12 school yesterday, and the Big 12 would be brilliant to go in and totally screw up the Pac-12 by getting there first.
All’s quiet on the Arizona and Arizona State front, but they’re well past ripe for the picking if the Pac-12 doesn’t lock down its media deal fast.
I’m screaming expansion malpractice on the SEC for not following the Big Ten’s move to the coast and not at least floating a three-bus sized public relations rumor about being interested in Oregon and Washington. (And that goes for the Big Ten, too, but it’s better at doing its thing in stealth mode.)
The Big 12 is insane for not grabbing USF to go along with the acquisition of UCF.
The Big Ten is even crazier for not getting Kansas already. And Colorado.
The SEC is nuts for not ponying up some of its cash to pay off whatever is needed for Clemson and/or Florida State to get out of their ACC deal.
That goes triple for North Carolina. That’s the one. That’s the dream of a whale everyone would love to land.
And then there’s the ACC. It had better find a way to put a ring on it and end this friends with benefits thing with Notre Dame as soon as possible, because once the lawyers and money men from other conferences figure out a way to pry the league’s members from the Grant of Rights deal …
But that’s what the rest of the offseason is for. For now, Texas and Oklahoma are going to be in the SEC after this season, and USC and UCLA are going to be in the Big Ten.
And you’re going to have fun watching it all. Really.
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