Two years from now, college football will look different in the eyes of fans on the West Coast as the University of Southern California (USC) and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) have committed to joining the Big Ten in 2024. This is the first major expansion for the Big Ten since Maryland and Rutgers joined in 2014. The shocking news came out on June 30 from the Big Ten and was kept silent as the college world responded to this new shake up in the college football scene.
University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman and the Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics Warde Manuel issued a joint statement saying the following:
We are pleased to confirm this decision and extend a warm welcome to our newest members, both of which are renowned research universities, members of the Association of American Universities and championship-level athletic departments.
In the coming days and months, and ahead of UCLA and USC officially starting Big Ten Conference competition, there will be many logistical questions and considerations for the membership to carefully consider. We will be inclusive and thoughtful in the many important aspects of our new conference makeup with a full commitment to a positive student-athlete experience and fiscal sustainability to support our mission.
In the midst of a changing college sports landscape, we hope that you will join us in welcoming the Bruins and Trojans to the B1G family.
Michigan State University President Samuel L. Stanley. Jr., M.D. said, “We are very excited to add two outstanding schools to the Big Ten Conference, not only creating a more competitive atmosphere for our student athletes but also increasing MSU’s exposure nationwide. Both USC and UCLA are excellent competitors, which we welcome, and they share our value of creating a strong student athlete experience. Even more, they are also leading academic institutions, members of the Association of American Universities, with robust research prowess. They make our conference stronger in multiple ways. I support this expansion of the conference and the benefits it will bring to MSU.”
Following those remarks, Michigan State Vice President/Director of Athletics Alan Haller quoted, “We are excited to welcome UCLA and USC to the Big Ten Conference. College athletics is changing, and bold action is required. This move further strengthens the Big Ten and Michigan State, and will benefit our student-athletes with additional opportunities and exposure. Michigan State is a national brand and has a strong base of alumni and fans in California, specifically in the Los Angeles area. We look forward to competing against these two premier institutions”
Both USC and UCLA will begin competition in 2024-25. This will bring the total amount of teams in the Big Ten to 16 teams. This domino effect begins the earthquake of events for the West Coast as the Pac-12 will now see if they can survive teams jumping conferences. Talks with other programs have already commenced with the Big 12 while the Big Ten is looking at Notre Dame and other Pac-12 universities to expand to 20 teams.
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