USC, UCLA in process of joining Big Ten
UCLA and Southern California are planning to depart the Pac-12 for the Massive Ten Convention in a seismic change that might result in one other main realignment of faculty sports activities.
An individual who has been briefed on the discussions between USC, UCLA and the Massive Ten stated the colleges have taken steps to request an invite to affix the convention. The particular person spoke to The Related Press on Thursday on situation of anonymity as a result of the colleges’ talks with the Massive Ten haven’t been made public.
The transfer would come as quickly as 2024, after the Pac-12’s present media rights contracts with Fox and ESPN expire, and improve the dimensions of the Massive Ten to 16 colleges.
The choice by the Los Angeles colleges — two of the NCAA’s most embellished athletic applications — comes nearly a yr after Oklahoma and Texas formally accepted invites to affix the Southeastern Convention in July 2025.
The Massive Ten would turn into the primary convention to stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific and would construct on earlier enlargement into the nation’s largest media markets.
Massive Ten management, together with the council of presidents and chancellors, would nonetheless should log off on extending an invite to the 2 colleges.
The Massive Ten has expanded twice lately, with Nebraska becoming a member of in 2011 and Maryland and Rutgers in 2014.
USC and UCLA match the Massive Ten’s educational profile. Each colleges are among the many 65 members of the Affiliation of American Universities, which is made up of prime analysis universities. All Massive Ten colleges besides Nebraska are members.
The transfer to the Massive Ten would significantly improve USC and UCLA’s revenues.
The Pac-12 distributed solely $19.8 million per faculty in fiscal yr 2021, by far the least amongst Energy 5 conferences. The Massive Ten’s per-school distribution was $46.1 million, second solely to the Southeastern Convention’s $54.6 million.
The Pac-12 has had problem getting its convention tv community untracked whereas the Massive Ten Community is essentially the most established of the convention networks.
USC and UCLA can be taking a step up in soccer, each in visibility and competitors.
“Pac-12 After Darkish” televised video games that kick off within the center to late evenings in a lot of the nation have made it tough for the convention to get publicity. The Pac-12 has had groups within the School Soccer Playoff simply twice — Oregon (2014 season) and Washington (2016).
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Ralph D. Russo And Eric Olson, The Related Press
