UCLA and USC reportedly joining Big Ten as early as 2024

I guess the Big 10 wanted UCLA as their Maryland equivalent on the west coast.

That's huge for the B10 having #1 USC and #3 UCLA Olympic Medal winning schools in history. USC has been the main host of three Summer Olympic Games, 1932, 1984, and 2028. #3 UCLA and #2 Stanford have co-hosted each. 2/3rds of undergrads at #4 UC Berkeley and #2 Stanford are from the Southern California area yet UC Berkeley has always refused USC's offer to co-host the Summer Olympic Games.

We are headed to 4 conferences with 16 members each. Others will be on the outside looking in - especially in regards to TV revenue. Those 64 schools will possibly split off into a new division or association.

Regardless, imagine what the SEC and Big 10 Championships are going to be like. They will be a better TV draw than the NCAA's.

The USC game in South Bend is always played in October, never November

Well the Big Ten hasn't been the Big 10 for 32 years, but it really got out of hand starting in 2011.

It makes as much sense as Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC, which is happening

I would say 16 is probably where it stops but as long as teams are willing to leave the PAC # and Big # then the BIGTEN, SEC, and ACC will continue to grow.

I see the SEC grabbing some west coast teams now that BIGTEN set the standard. The Big 12? and Pac 12? are slowly becoming mid-majors.

Alan

One could argue that one half of ACC football is mid-major. Right, Clemson fans ??

yeah-there used to be about 20 bowl games in the early 80s most with tie-ins as you mention as opposed to the 43? that we will have this year; the old big 8 was great with Nebraska/Oklahoma rivalry and SWC with SMU/Texas/Arkansas--money talks though and Larry Scott ran the Pac-12 into the ground-8 million a year in rent for their San Fran offices and the PAC-12 network which was a bust---and those "after-dark" 11:00 ET Saturday kick-offs; anyways good luck for the LA teams going to Rutgers and 9 am kick-offs! over-under for the Pac-12 survival likely 2-3 years in my opinion, with 3 to 4 mega-conferences for college football anyway--and the other sports will have to follow the cash...

Not the same people who care about college football. California is a large place.

Generally, I agree with your sentiment though. Conferences should retain their regional aspect, and be small enough where every school plays against every school in football season. None of this "16 team conference with 2 divisions" cr@p.

No, now they are worried about high gas prices. They were only pro environment until it started costing them money.

So......now the report is that Washington & Oregon have basically been told "not interested" by the Big 10 and that Notre Dame is still pending?

There will probably be some sort of 32-40 team "Champion's League" within 5-7 years and the conferences as we know them will be absorbed into 1-AA / FCS status where football is concerned.

As a Terp fan I was disappointed in the move from the ACC to Big 10.

Cannot stand 50-48 basketball games.

Hopefully UCLA and & USC can help change that horrifying basketball conference.

But this is all about football and it would be wild to have USC come to College Park for football.

Academically Oregon doesn't fit the B1G and nothing is big about that little place. Washington is OK academically but it doesn't carry the brand name recognition. The B1G should have added Missouri years ago. It fits geographically, academically and you get both the Kansas City and St. Louis markets. As for USC and UCLA both great academic institutions with national brand name recognition in the 2nd largest market. Who wouldn't want these schools in their conference.

As for Notre Dame, it would be a no brainer to be in the B1G. They are smack in the middle, in northern Indiana. The problem is and has been for 30 years is that Notre Dame wants to be independent in football. The B1G has wanted Notre Dame for the longest and said for every sport it sponsors Notre Dame would have to be a conference member in that sport. Football has always been the reason. The ACC worked out a hybrid for Notre Dame football.

What the B1G should do is drop Nebraska and Rutgers add Stanford and Cal. Who follows Rutgers sports?

Lost in all of the discussion is the rush that we see for schools to move to Division 1 - especially when they will have to invest significantly in their existing and/or new football facilities.
With the biggest move yet of USC and UCLA moving to the B1G, the P5 will definitely be looking to create their own organization, at least in terms of football, perhaps for all athletics. So, that means the G5 and the FCS Division 1 Football schools will be relegated to second tier football indefinitely.
So, will it prove smart for the recent D2 top D1 transitions, and even those FCS to FBS transitions (that landed in G5 schools), or will it prove to have been a massive financial disaster. Will the P5 still look for cupcake games against former G5 schools? Will there be enough interest in Western Kentucky vs. Middle Tennessee State, or Sam Houston State vs. Tarleton to make any reasonable amount of money? Will conferences like the MAC finally realize that for all they spent on chasing BCS games and playoff births, it paid off very little as they cut other sports, and will now return to an era of more appropriate funding for the non-revenue sports since their football delusions of grandeur have been crushed?

Obviously you're right, but I guarantee you the words "track" and "cross country" were never mentioned during realignment discussions. Football and basketball make the decisions. They can make more TV deal revenue from the better conference and use that to pay recruits. That's what this is about. Superconferences will have to form to remain competitive. Schools that do not join the superconferences will not get any good recruits. Why go to a school that is only offering a full ride when you can get a full ride plus $50k cash on the side?

Plus, UCLA and USC still won't come close to winning the Big Ten.

Still, finishing mid pack in the Big10 is better than perpetually finishing at the bottom of the then Pac 12. Still, they'll get their comeuppance at the regional, when they lose to former Pac12 foes and other regional powers like.... Portland State, Santa Clara, UC Santa Barbara, and Cal St. Fullerton????

don't worry they banned gas powered leaf blowers, planet saved

I have lost so much respect for college sports. It's half the reason I stopped requesting march madness.

Fortunately most of track and cross-country isn't dependant on conference championships.

yup-loved the old ACC baskets with Terps, Virginia, UNC, Duke etc...the first signs were the shakeup in 2010 when Maryland bolted and Irish and 'Cuse joined the ACC-Big East hasn't been the same either without 'Cuse/Georgetown rivalry;