Reports: USC, UCLA planning to leave Pac-12 for Big Ten
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.
Source: USC and UCLA are planning to leave for the Big Ten as early as 2024. Move *has not been finalized* at the highest levels of power.
— Jon Wilner (@wilnerhotline) June 30, 2022
USC & UCLA’s deal with the Big Ten could be done in a matter of days/hours, sources tell @SINow. It is down the line. B1G is prepared for an announcement.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) June 30, 2022
Target year 2024.
The schools expressed interest to B1G several months ago. Negotiations escalated over the last few weeks.
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.
In addition to prominent schools switching conferences, the one-time transfer rule passed and name, image and likeness (NIL) payments are now permitted for athletes.
The loss of USC and UCLA would be a massive blow for the Pac-12, and it would further distance the Big Ten and SEC from the rest of the FBS conferences — particularly on a financial level.
The Big Ten is currently negotiating its next media rights deal, which could be worth billions. The league's existing deals with ESPN and Fox run through the 2022-23 academic year.
The Pac-12 distributed $344 million among its members in the 2021 fiscal year. For the Big Ten, it was $680 million.
The Los Angeles media market is one of the largest in the country and the USC and UCLA brands are attractive ones for viewers. With USC and UCLA in the fold, the Big Ten would extend its traditionally Midwest reach to the West Coast.
USC and UCLA would bring the Big Ten to 16 members, the same number that the SEC will have once Texas and Oklahoma officially join the league. And according to USA Today, the Big Ten could look to expand even further.
How will the Pac-12 respond? The conference added Colorado and Utah in 2011 and has had consistent membership since. But the Pac-12 has not had a team reach the College Football Playoff since Washington in 2016.