USC and UCLA to big ten have shaken the ground under college sport, mainly Notre Dame Fighting Irish, is their prime rival. Their decision came on Thursday, saying that the USC and the USCL will leave PAC-12 to join the big ten. In response to their decision, rumours are spread saying that Notre Dame Fighting Irish will join the conference. Remember that ND is only part of the ACC and has many matches to play even though they are not part of the NCAA.
USC AND UCLA TO BIG TEN IN 2024
With USC and UCLA to big ten decision to join the Southeastern Conference (SEC)-an American college-athletic conference with member societies located mainly in the South Central and Southeastern States, their expansion will now stretch towards western states as well.
While appreciating their movement, the Athletic Director of USC, Mike Bohn said, “Ultimately, the Big Ten is the best league for USC and Trojan athletics as we move into the new world of collegiate sports,” adding to that, he further said, “We are excited that our values align with the league’s member institutions. We also will benefit from the strength of the conference; the athletic calibre of Big Ten institutions. The increased visibility, exposure, and resources the conference will bring our student-athletes and programs; and the ability to expand engagement with our passionate alumni nationwide.”
Similarly, UCLA’s athletic director Martin Jarmond and Chancellor Gene Block said in a joint statement. “trembling changes in collegiate athletics have made us assess how best to support our student-athletes as we move forward.”
Moreover, the reaction of PAC-12 to USC and UCLA to big ten was highly unwelcome, calling it surprised and disappointing. They said, “We have a long history in athletics, academics and leadership supporting student-athletes that we are confident will continue to thrive and grow into the future.” It is also expected that ND Fighting Irish will surprise them, as rumours say they will also follow the path of USC and UCLA.
On the contrary, the big ten were happy with USC and UCLA to big ten decision to join them and welcome both teams after when their president, along with the chancellor, admitted USC and UCLA.
While PAC-12 called this decision “ground-breaking”, at the same time, the big ten called it “a proud moment.” For many decades there were only ten members of the big ten conference. However, this number has now increased to 16, apart from USC and UCLA to big ten. The four teams who joined the big ten before these two teams are BYU, Houston, Cincinnati and UCF.
Although USC and UCLA have spent 94 years with PAC-12, their decision to join the big ten hugely affected other conferences financially. As the big ten and SEC are composed of 32 teams, they can control cash, rules and regulations. Moreover, there are more brands in these two conferences than in any other league. Some people consider PAC-12 responsible for the loss that occurred to them due to the decisions of USC and ULCA to leave them.
According to an administrator, who has been with PAC-12 for a long, said, “They’ve, for decades, though they brought more to the Pac-12 than the Pac-12 brought to them,” adding to that; he said, “They’ve been threatening things for ages.”
Furthermore, another question is whether this would occur if PAC-12 were more efficient and competitive? Since 2017 there has not been made a CFP in the league. Moreover, in the past 17 years, they failed to win a single national championship, and more interestingly, the last national championship winner was USC.
For those mentioned earlier and many more reasons, other teams feel insecure with PAC-12, and their future might be dark if necessary action is not taken before it gets too late. Apart from Notre Dame Fighting Irish, two more teams could potentially leave the league. These two teams are Oregon and Washington, and they are considered to be among the best teams in the league, similar to USC, UCLA, and ND Fighting Irish.
What could happen to PAC-12 in future due to USC and UCLA to big ten? Do they have a bright future? Do share your thoughts and opinions.
Thank you for reading!