LOS ANGELES, Calif. — A landscape-altering move in college football appears to be on the horizon and it could bring with it more conference realignment.
In a move first reported by Jon Wilner, and later confirmed by SI and The Athletic, USC and UCLA are planning to leave the Pac-12 conference for the Big Ten as early as 2024. Wilner and SI said the move hasn't been finalized yet "at the highest levels of power."
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 and UCLA are in negotiations to join the Big Ten conference, a source tells @SINow, confirming @wilnerhotline's report.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) June 30, 2022
A stunning but not all that surprising move: Teams are jockeying to get into the top two leagues of FBS - the SEC and B1G.
NEWS: USC and UCLA are in conversations to join the Big Ten conference, a source tells @TheAthletic.@wilnerhotline on it first.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) June 30, 2022
Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman pushed the reports ahead saying USC and UCLA reached out to the Big Ten about potentially joining the conference.
Source tells me that there is a lot of truth to @wilnerhotline report about USC and UCLA in discussions to leave for the Big Ten. My understanding is USC and UCLA reached out to the Big Ten.. certain legal parameters and bylaws need to be followed for obviously legal reasons. https://t.co/2NSDv8YtWA
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) June 30, 2022
If USC and UCLA join the Big 10, it will be that conference's answer to the SEC's move of bringing in Texas and Oklahoma in a couple of years. While the SEC is considered the elite football conference, the Big 10 produces some of the most revenue and doesn't want to fall behind the SEC in teams or money.
