Posted on 06/30/2022 11:52:04 AM PDT by NohSpinZone
Is more realignment coming in college athletics?
USC and UCLA are planning to leave the Pac-12 for the Big Ten, Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News is reporting. According to Wilner, arguably the most plugged-in reporter on the Pac-12, the move could come to fruition as early as 2024 but “has not been finalized at the highest levels of power.”
Minutes after the news from Wilner dropped, several other outlets reported that USC and UCLA are in negotiations to join the Big Ten. Big Ten presidents and athletic directors met Wednesday night to discuss adding USC and UCLA to the league, according to The Athletic. On top of that, Sports Illustrated is reporting that the Big Ten is prepared to announce the news.
The reported move for the two Los Angeles-based universities would come on the heels of Texas and Oklahoma leaving the Big 12 for the SEC.
It would be the latest shakeup in the world of college athletics, which has been undergoing a massive transformation in the past few years. Texas and Oklahoma will officially join the SEC no later than 2025. The departures of Texas and Oklahoma spurred the Big 12 to add BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF. Those schools will officially become Big 12 members in July 2023.
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.yahoo.com ...
Probably not a viable plan. CA has rules against spending state funds for travel to state not recognizing, sponsoring, or otherwise enabling perversions. So many states are on the banned list with more to be added soon. Maybe the should start the LBGTQPPSM+++++ conference to be woke and all encompassing.
OMG ROFLMAO, usc and ucla to reguraly get creamed by Ohio state oh they get to play minn and wis too
how about all three
Trouble is Chicago doesn’t really care about college football and the average Notre Dame fan in Chicago is about 75 years old.
USC played for one national championship against Texas and lost.
2004 National championship was OU versus LSU and LSU has the hardware. USC got the ap writers award, not the BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.
Sorry but USC didn’t win anything but the Rose Bowl in 2004
They’re a basketball school anyway and the Big Ten is a basketball conference. They should try to bring in Kansas.
If those two bail, the PAC is done. There simply is no other natural recruiting base in their footprint other than southern California. That conference already lacks major programs with Southern Cal being all alone out there.
This would create two monster conferences head and shoulders above the rest and three small frye conferences competing for the scraps.
I tried to explain this to people who kept suggesting fsu or Clemson to the SEC. Look at what the SEC did. The first time they are not expanding the footprint, its with Bevo. Every other move has expanded the conference footprint and thus its TV revenue.
Look at the Big 10’s expansions...Penn State, Nebraska, Maryland, Rutgers and now these two from California. This is the first time they too would not have expanded the footprint.
Where could they go? They’re not going to be able to flip an SEC school. Maybe they could poach one or two from the ACC? Maybe?
Nebraska was bad enough.
I predict many universities will drop sports.....
why bother when everything is stacked against you....
either that, or leave the NCAA and start a reasonable league with rules...like graduation, like taking actual courses...
Ohio State v USC has always been a great rivalry. I welcome them joining Big Ten.
Very much looking forward to the 2022 season!
I’m currently working in the Mid South and plan on seeing as many SEC Teams this fall as I can.
“I suspect the Pac 12 recruits a couple of WAC teams adn maybe a Big Twelve team or two.”
I think you are referring to the Mountain West Conference which evolved from the WAC.
The WAC is now FCS and consists of schools like Southern Utah and Tarleton State.
The Big Ten now spans coast to coast and encompasses the four largest media markets in the country. Hence the coming billion dollar TV deal.
“BYU is close to joining the Big 12”
BYU has changed conferences before. I think they would want to stay in a western US conference to save money for their other sports.
“BYU, UNLV, San Diego State, and maybe one other Western school.”
UNLV has attendance issues for football. Their largest attended game last year was 35,000 against Iowa State and I suspect most of them were for the visitors.
The playoff ratings were down last year. The demand for fully professionalized college football is TDB. I wouldn’t count your chickens there just yet.
i was incorrect- its a done deal:
https://kslsports.com/480062/bob-bowlsby-big-12-commissioner-byu-football-schedule/
“They’re a basketball school anyway and the Big Ten is a basketball conference. They should try to bring in Kansas”
Umm.. haven’t won a NC in Basketball in 27 years. Now days UCLA sports are more known for women’s Gymnastics which is now going down the toilet as well.
If you look at what parts of the USA are booming population wise it’s the south and sunbelt and the SEC is extremely well positioned to take advantage of that
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