Pac-12 powerhouses USC and UCLA are entering discussions to leave the convention for the Big Ten as early as the 2024 sports season, sources say CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander. While the move is far from final and is still in the discussion stages, it appears the Big Ten is aiming to make a significant acquisition that will change the college sports landscape.
“Everything is on the table,” a Pac-12 source told Norlander.
USC and UCLA’s transition to the Big Ten will be similar to the transition that rocked college sports last summer when Texas and Oklahoma chose to leave the Big 12 for the SEC, a move that will come before 2025 season.
That kicked off a campaign of reorganization, in which the Big 12, American and other conferences saw groups move in and out of their memberships. A similar situation could arise here if USC and UCLA formalize and announce their intention to leave the Pac-12.
With the purchase of Trojans and Bruins, the Big Ten will largely convert from a conference in the Midwest to one that spans the West Coast. That would be a significant change in the college sports scene at the Power Five level, which has largely been localized with teams mostly belonging to conferences in their geographies.
USC and UCLA will bring the Big Ten to a total of 16 teams, just like the SEC when Texas and Oklahoma entered their round. It would be an important coup for fourth-year Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren, the first Power Five boss to cancel the 2020 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury-News first reported that USC and UCLA are planning to leave the Pac-12 to the Big Ten.